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Copy editing

This ensures that the text is free of errors and complies with the selected publication's requirements. I edit for style and clarity, apply consistent formatting and referencing, and offer suggestions for improvement.

€20/1000 words

Developmental editing

If you are struggling to develop your paper and move from your notes to arguments, I offer one-to-one discussion and development services in which I help you to properly structure, cite and write the text.

€40/hour

Longer manuscripts

For longer works such as books, PhD theses and edited volumes, as well as copy editing, I offer help with referencing, indexing and ensuring a consistent writing style between chapters.

Contact directly for a quote

Who am I?

I grew up in a small town called Burnley in the north west of England. After graduating from my BA in History at the University of Cambridge, I worked as a strategy consultant before moving to Sweden to pursue an MA in Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University. Now based in Sweden, I have worked with a variety of international researchers and academics across a variety of disciplines to ensure their writing is clear, succinct and error-free.

I have previously worked in communications and as an editor at Lund University. My own research interests include modern and contemporary Middle Eastern history, the politics and theology of Islamism and 'revolutionary Shi'ism', and political communication.

While I am happy to work with texts in any discipline, I am particularly interested in research in history, sociology, political science, international relations and Middle East studies, and I am better positioned to offer comments in these fields based on my previous studies and research.

How I Edit

My editing process involves a line-by-line reading and editing of the text to ensure the overall flow of the writing, while also checking the overall coherence and structure of the paper.

The main focus of my editing is to correct spelling, grammar and syntax (sentence structure) to ensure an error-free text that is ready for publication. I ensure compliance with any requested style guide, following either UK or US spelling and punctuation conventions, and consistency throughout the text in terms of abbreviations and formatting.

Alongside this, I improve word choice and tighten arguments, for example, by removing redundancy and rephrasing complicated or confusing sentences; check that all references are included and properly cited; and generally assess and comment on the overall structure and flow of the text.

As it is unlikely that I am an expert in your particular field, I cannot provide significant commentary on the specific content of your work. However, if there are any gaps or areas that could be expanded, I add comments in the text to highlight them.

To retain your individual voice, I do not make major, structural changes or rewrites, but I leave comments and suggestions for rewriting certain paragraphs or restructuring arguments as necessary.

If needed, I can also help with reducing overall word count and suggesting places that can be cut/reduced. After a standard copy edit, you can expect to have between 5% and 10% fewer words in total, depending on the original text.

All manuscripts are returned as two documents (.docx), one with 'Track Changes' enabled, and one with all changes accepted.

Most importantly, I work with you to focus on the aspects of your paper that you need help with the most. Feel free to highlight key parts of the text or leave comments that you would like me to try to address.

To ensure the best possible end result of the editing process, it is important that the paper you send is as complete as possible (without missing sections or citations). In addition, you should supply a style guide (or the name of the target journal/publisher), state the referencing style (APA, Harvard, MLA, etc.) and whether the text should be in UK or US English.

If you subsequently make changes to a text that I have edited, for example, to incorporate reviewer feedback, I am happy to re-edit up to 10% of the original word count of the text for no additional charge (maximum 4,000 words). For re-edits above this amount, I charge a reduced rate of €12/1000 words.

Please use the form below or email me at james.root@jrediting.se to check my availability for your editing requests.

Freelance Academic Editor

James Root

End-to-End Academic Editing Services

From developing your notes into reasoned arguments to putting the finishing touches on an edited volume, I offer support at every stage of the academic writing process.