MANUSCRIPT and THESIS FORMATTING
Beautiful, professional presentation
Presentation matters! I take great pride and care in styling your manuscript so that it not only follows your university’s or publisher’s requirements but presents professionally and beautifully.
- Create and apply Word styles to every part of your document: headings, body text, block quotes, tables and figures, table/figure captions, bulleted/numbered lists, references, appendices, glossary and any other styles you might need
- Ensure adherence to your preferred style guide, publisher or university requirements
- Ensure correct numbering of tables, figures and appendices, with styles applied
- Create the Table of Contents and Lists of Tables, Figures and Abbreviations, and compile Appendices
- Ensure correct page numbering (with preliminary pages using Roman numerals if required), applying section breaks where needed
- Assemble all parts of your manuscript and check all the elements are present and in the right place
- Ensure your manuscript presents professionally and beautifully.
Editing services: options
I’ve carefully designed the following options with your needs in mind, which can be tailored to your needs. See full details of each option further down the page.
Option 1 Copyedit (one pass)
Option 2 Copyedit (two passes)
Option 3 Proofread
Option 4 Page proof
Option 5 Manuscript format
Option 6 Reference format
How to submit your manuscript
Submitting a manuscript to me couldn’t be easier. For details of the process, see the FAQs.
OPTION 1
Copyedit (one pass)
- A first pass will address the vast majority of mechanical (language and style) issues. This option is recommended for lighter edits (which can often be determined during the sample edit; see FAQs):
- Ensure appropriate use of language such as grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling (Australian, British, US, NZ etc.)
- Ensure consistent use of language (capitalisation, hyphenation, abbreviation, etc.)
- Ensure clarity of expression (e.g. removing ambiguity, wordiness and needless repetition)
- Ensure flow of text (e.g. clear and logical connections between phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections)
- Ensure appropriate use of idiom, style and tone
- Review appropriate use of technical and specialised terminology, including discipline-specific items, abbreviations and units of measurement
- Ensure consistency in the presentation of illustrations, diagrams and other display items
- Crosscheck in-text citations with reference list, checking that URLs work and flagging omitted information
- Ensure adherence to preferred style guide, such as APA’s Publication manual, the Australian style manual, MLA, the Oxford guide to style etc.
- Create an editorial summary and style/vocab sheet, recording my decisions with regard to language, style and referencing issues
- Any items in Options 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 (unless specifically requested)
- Rewriting, restructuring or substantive editing
- Research or fact checking
OPTION 2
Copyedit (two passes)
- A full second pass is for less routine matters that can often only be addressed after a first pass of the manuscript, particularly recommended if deeper edits are required during the first pass (often determined during the sample edit):
- Review appropriate use of language such as grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling (Australian, British, US, NZ etc.)
- Review consistent use of language (capitalisation, hyphenation, abbreviation, etc.)
- Review clarity of expression (e.g. removing ambiguity, wordiness and needless repetition)
- Review flow of text (e.g. clear and logical connections between phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections)
- Review appropriate use of idiom, style and tone
- Review appropriate use of technical and specialised terminology, including discipline-specific items, abbreviations and units of measurement
- Ensure consistency in the presentation of illustrations, diagrams and other display items
- Iron out any remaining inconsistencies
- Crosscheck in-text citations with your reference list, checking that URLs work and flagging omitted information
- Any items in Options 3, 4, 5 or 6 (unless specifically requested)
- Rewriting, restructuring or substantive editing
- Research or fact checking
OPTION 3
Proofread
- Proofreading is the final review of your manuscript before publication and compares the previously copyedited manuscript with PDF proofs:
- Ensure that no errors have crept into the manuscript from previous rounds of copyediting or formatting
- Review visual elements (typography, heading hierarchy, page layout, figures, tables and captions)
- Review formatting (widows/orphans are eliminated, tables are not split unnecessarily, page layout)
- Ensure integrity (that all elements of the manuscript are present and in the correct place)
- Any items in Options 1, 2. 5 or 6 (unless specifically requested)
- Rewriting, restructuring, or substantive editing
- Research or fact checking
OPTION 4
Page proof
- Ensure that no errors have crept into the manuscript from previous rounds of copyediting or formatting
- Review visual elements (typography, heading hierarchy, page layout, figures, tables and captions)
- Review formatting (widows/orphans are eliminated, tables are not split unnecessarily, page layout)
- Ensure integrity (that all elements of the manuscript are present and in the correct place)
- Any items in Options 1, 2. 5 or 6 (unless specifically requested)
- Rewriting, restructuring, or substantive editing
- Research or fact checking
OPTION 5
Manuscript / thesis format
- Create and apply Word styles to every part of your document (headings, body text, block quotes, tables/figures, captions, bulleted/numbered lists, references, appendices, glossary and any other style you might need, ensuring adherence to your preferred style guide and/or university requirements
- Ensure correct table, figure and appendix numbering throughout
- Create the Table of Contents and Lists of Tables, Figures and Abbreviations, and compile Appendices
- Ensure correct page numbering (with preliminary pages using Roman numerals if required), applying section breaks where needed
- Assemble all parts of your manuscript and check all the elements are present and in the right place
- Ensure your manuscript presents professionally and beautifully
OPTION 6
Reference format
- Format your reference list to the desired style, e.g. APA, Harvard, AMA, CMoS or publisher requirements
- Flag omitted information, inconsistencies and errors
- Check URLs and flag where incorrect
- Looking up omitted elements of a reference
- Creating a reference list from in-text citations
