For Students
What can Grenadine Ink do for students? Is it worth it to spend money to have someone else look over your work? The short answer is yes. As a student, it can be tough to present what you know in the best possible form. Don’t let your hard work get covered up by weak writing. As an editor, I will help you by clarifying and polishing your work, while letting your voice come through. Show your readers what you want to show off — your insights, your ideas.
I have edited projects for undergraduates, graduates and professional school students, and PhD candidates. No matter what kind of academic work you are doing, I can help you make it better.
What’s the benefit of editing? For starters, a higher grade. A well-written paper with no errors or grammatical problems can mean the difference of a full letter grade. With a slightly higher GPA, you could be eligible for more awards and scholarships, or become a better candidate for a job or another degree. Think of hiring an editor as an investment in yourself.
Okay, so why should I pay you? My friend will look at my stuff for free. Yes, your friend might look over your paper for free. But you get what you pay for. When I edit your work, I’ll devote my full attention to it, using over a decade’s worth of skills to improve your project. I can catch what others miss.
Isn’t it expensive to hire an editor? Not necessarily. For basic copyediting, I usually charge a per-page rate, and many undergraduate papers can be done for less than the price of a pizza. Graduate papers could equal the cost of a pizza and a few glasses of beer. If you can afford that, you can afford to have an editor.
But my paper is due really soon! I work fast, often turning around projects in less than a day. I don’t encourage procrastination, but if you have a short deadline, I can still work with you. I may even be able to collaborate with you directly through online chat or videoconferencing.
Student Services
Copyediting (sometimes called line editing or proofreading) is essential for a good grade, and can include:
- correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax
- checking for or creating proper citation style and format
- reading for overall clarity and coherent presentation
- checking with author about apparent errors or inconsistencies
- cross-checking references, art, figures, tables, equations, and other features for consistency within the project
Rewriting. More extensive than copyediting, rewriting can include:
- adding original material to a draft
- deleting material
- reorganizing material
- collaborating with other editors
- producing another draft
Note: In some cases, rewriting is not appropriate, such as for graded classwork.
Substantive Editing. This type of editing is much more involved and collaborative than copyediting. It can require multiple conversations between author and editor (either via email, chat, phone, or in person). When performing substantive editing, I will cover the following:
- identifying and solving problems of overall clarity or accuracy
- reorganizing paragraphs, sections, or chapters to improve the order in which the text is presented
- writing or rewriting segments of text to improve readability and flow of information
- consulting with others about issues of concern
- incorporating responses to queries and suggestions and creating a new draft of the document
Consultations. Need ideas for your paper, or don't know what direction to go after choosing a topic? I will work with you (via phone, email, chat, or videoconferencing) to generate and outline ideas. As a librarian and archivist, I can also help you plan your research or answer questions on research sources and methods.
Abstracting. Do you need to write an abstract for a journal or publication? I will write a summary or synopsis of a work. The length, style, and amount of detail in an abstract will depend on how the finished abstract will be used. The time spent reading a work to be abstracted is considered billable time.