"A word in earnest is as good as a speech."
Charles Dickens, Bleak House


Dickens is correct, of course, but only if that earnest word is spelled correctly, punctuated appropriately, and aligned grammatically and syntactically with the words around it.

I have been in love with words -- their meanings, sounds, spellings, grammatical forms, provenance, usage, how they interact -- for as long as I can remember, which is as long as I've been reading. I care about language; I care that it be used with precision. Language used precisely can convey infinite meaning and nuance, and exert powerful influence.

I would like to help you use language precisely and accurately so that your "words in earnest" fulfill Dickens' declaration.

I specialize in the copy editing of general non-fiction and fiction book manuscripts, academic papers in the social sciences and humanities, and business and Web copy.

Copy editing addresses all of the mechanical elements: grammar, punctuation, spelling. It also pays attention to the "4 Cs" -- clarity, coherency, consistency, and correctness -- in service of the cardinal C: communication. Passages of garbled or ambiguous syntax, inconsistent elements, and other obstacles in the way of the reader are either corrected or brought to your attention. Copy editing also deals with such elements as sentence and paragraph length, flow, style, and voice.

I am familiar with the Chicago, APA, MLA, AP, and Turabian style guides.


For more information or to discuss your project, e-mail me at JM.Editing@gmail.com