For academics and authors across the humanities
Humanities editing for scholars and writers
In the humanities, the argument lives in the writing. It’s built sentence by sentence, and a careless edit can blunt a point you spent months sharpening. You need an editor who tightens the prose and leaves your voice and your meaning intact. I’ve spent 25+ years editing humanities writing, and every project is edited by me, personally.
Editing for every kind of humanities writing
Your work might run from theses and journal articles to scholarly and trade books. Here’s the editing that fits each one.
I edit and proofread work you’ve already written. I’m not a ghostwriter, and I don’t write or create content from scratch.
Whatever service you need, the care behind it is the same. Every project comes with both copy editing and proofreading, together with practical advice in the document. I also provide aftercare: once you’ve made your changes in response to my edits, I’ll recheck those changes at no extra cost.
Who you’re working with
I’m Tara, and I’ve spent my career as a professional editor. My work in the humanities has ranged from doctoral dissertations in art and architectural history to scholarly writing in philosophy and literary studies. A lot of that has meant keeping a long, argument-driven work consistent to one style, down to its terminology and citations. That consistency is exactly what a thesis or a monograph needs. Every project is edited by me, personally, from the first read to the last.
If you’d like to know more about me and the work I do, you can read about my background and experience.
What’s included
Here’s what you can expect when I edit your work:
Both copy editing and proofreading, on every project
Two full reads of your work
Comments and practical advice in the document
A tracked-changes version and a clean final version
Formatting to your required style guide, including MLA and Chicago
Citations and bibliography styled and made consistent throughout
Aftercare on every project
See how my editing process works.
Your expertise stays yours
You’re the scholar, so everything I do starts from that. My job is to make your writing as clear and precise as it can be. I’ll make sure your argument and your conclusions come through and land well, in your own voice. I don’t write your content or check your facts or your sources, because that’s yours to stand behind. If an edit might change your meaning, I’ll flag it and check with you first. Every edit is done by me, personally, so when your work comes back it still reads like you, just clearer.
What my clients say and what I’ve worked on
“I was delighted with Tara’s assistance in cleaning and tightening up my artist’s biography. She took the time to answer my questions and offer very helpful revisions well before the tight deadline I had for the gallery submission. It made the task of sorting through my history that much easier. I can’t thank you enough!”
“Tara is very encouraging and efficient! I got my final delivery sooner than I expected. Her comments are very helpful! I really learn a lot from her feedback. Thank you!”
“She was able to edit my work while maintaining my voice throughout the pieces.”
Art and architectural history
Doctoral dissertations and scholarly articles in the history of art and architecture, including the history of performance art, and writing on visual and material culture.
Philosophy and critical theory
Doctoral and graduate work in philosophy, from the philosophy of mind to posthumanism and critical theory.
Literary and cultural studies
Literary scholarship and cultural-studies work, from close critical readings to cultural-history writing.
Writing for general and cultural readers
Articles and features on the arts and cultural history for magazines and online publications, where humanities expertise reaches a general readership.
Privately printed and book-society volumes
Copy editing and proofreading for privately printed editions, including volumes produced for a private book society.
What it costs
Pricing is simple and all-inclusive, with no add-ons or surprises.
Questions people often ask
Can you edit to MLA, Chicago, or another style?
Yes. MLA and Chicago are the usual standards in the humanities, and I work to either, as well as Harvard, APA, or whatever guide your department or journal asks for. Send me the style you’re following and I’ll apply it consistently across the whole document. If you don’t have one in mind, I’ll keep your formatting and references consistent and note the choices I’ve made, so the rest of your work can match.
Do you edit my footnotes and bibliography, and do you check my sources?
I edit the writing in your footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography, and I make sure they’re styled consistently and match your chosen guide. What I don’t do is check the sources themselves. I won’t verify your references, confirm your quotations against the originals, or check facts, because your sources and your scholarship are yours to stand behind. If a reference or quotation reads inconsistently, I’ll point it out for you to look at.
English isn’t my first language. Can you still help?
Yes. I regularly edit work by scholars whose first language isn’t English. I’ll make your writing read naturally and clearly, while keeping your meaning and your voice intact. It’s the same flat rate as any other project, with no extra charge for work written in a second language.
Can you edit work that quotes other languages?
Yes. Humanities work often quotes sources in other languages, and I’m comfortable editing around them. I edit the English of your text and leave quotations in other languages as you’ve set them, since I work as an editor rather than a translator. I’ll make sure they’re presented consistently, with the formatting your style guide calls for.
Ready when you are
When the thinking is this careful, the writing should be too. I’ll give your thesis or manuscript a final, close read so it’s ready to submit. Whenever you’re ready, I’d be glad to hear what you’re working on.
If your work also reaches into the social sciences, see my social sciences editing. For a subject I haven’t listed, take a look at the other fields I work across.