As a journalist and author, I tell stories that turn conventional wisdom on its head. I have written about a forgotten chapter in the Civil Rights Movement, the Black lumberjacks of the Gulf South, and the struggles of a factory town in Ukraine's rust belt. My reporting has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Republic, Texas Observer, The Awl, and elsewhere.
As a researcher and editor, I have worked with first-time authors, acclaimed professors, and longtime veterans of publishing to help deepen their research, develop their ideas, and polish their manuscripts. I offer several services:
Developmental Editing.
You've got an idea, but you don't know quite how to get it onto the page. Or maybe you got stuck halfway through your project.
I have spent years helping clients take their writing projects from concept to completion. Developmental editing usually involves video chat or phone conversations as well as trading drafts of the writing project.
Line Editing.
You've got a complete book manuscript, but it just doesn't flow right. Or maybe you wrote the essay you've been dreaming about, but you need another pair of eyes on it before it's ready for prime time.
I specialize in giving each paragraph, sentence, and word the attention it needs to let your true voice come through. Line editing usually involves some preliminary video chat or phone conversations about what you're going for and the nature of the project. Then I will go to work on your draft, sending it back full of questions, comments, and suggested revisions, all designed to make your writing as clear, fluid, and memorable as possible.
Copy Editing.
You've got your dissertation right where you want it—except you know you've probably made some mistakes in your citations. Or maybe you wrote your book manuscript, but you have no idea what the Chicago Manual of Style is, much less how to apply it to your book!
I am an experienced copy editor in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Bluebook styles for papers, articles, and books of any length. Copy editing usually involves a quick conversation before I make sure that every comma, em-dash, footnote, ligature, and time expression is used properly and in the proper place.
Research.
You've got more on your research plate than you can possibly complete, or you need help finding some particularly tricky documents or facts.
I have spent years conducting research for myself and clients in fields such as law, sociology, history, education, political science, and literary studies. Research clients have included several bestselling and award-winning authors.
Fact Checking.
You've got a manuscript ready to go, but you need someone to independently verify that every fact and assertion is completely correct, from the spellings of names to obscure references to that one thing you "know" is true, but actually isn't. You want the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your writing has been put rhough a stress test and survived.
I have fact checked memoirs, journalism, and history with the utmost rigor, and I have taught fact checking for years. I will systematically review your document, check every fact, and turn it back to you with every fact flagged, checked, and sourced.
I work primarily in English, but I can conduct research and fact-checking on sources in Russian.