Copyediting the Academic Article or Book

Copyediting is an excellent trade for academics, many of whom must anticipate periods without steady employment. I no longer teach academic copyediting workshops based on my fifteen years of experience working as an academic copyeditor and my professional training in copyediting at George Washington University. I maintain this page simply because it provides useful information to copyeditors and authors.
     Copyediting is the task of correcting a manuscript from an author by catching grammar and spelling errors, standardizing style and documentation, and improving clarity and flow, all while not introducing errors or changing the author's meaning. Unlike almost anything else in modern life, no machine can perform this complicated combination of tasks. The software program has not been invented that can make the hundreds of decisions an editor makes every minute (although spell check has been a godsend). For this reason, copyediting will remain a portable and profitable profession for some time to come.
     For more information on hiring a copyeditor and what copyediting costs, see the links on the left. I no longer copyedit myself nor do I answer email queries about copyediting.

Finding Freelance Copyeditors

     If you need a freelancer, please see the Editorial Freelancer Association website. The EFA online directory is searchable by skill, subject specialty, and geographic location (U.S.) or by name .  It offers a brief summary of members' freelance services and direct contact information. The information is kept up-to-date by members themselves. It is free of charge. I no longer provide information about copyeditors to those who email me; instead, please see this website.