Whether you are just starting to develop an argument, you are tidying up a finished manuscript, or you are stuck on one tricky section, I can help you move your project toward completion.

I can help you:

develop or polish your book manuscript
write a book proposal
edit and format your thesis or dissertation
reshape a thesis chapter into an article, or dissertation into a book
write a grant proposal
respond to peer review
navigate image permissions
compile a bibliography
cite archival research
build an index

Subjects of expertise, experience, or interest:

Art and Art History
Contemporary Art
Cultural Studies
Education
Feminism
Film Studies
Gender Studies
History
History of Fashion and Dress
Humanities
Indigenous Studies
Labour
Legal Studies
Media and Communications
Museum Studies
Religion
Social Sciences
Tourism
Queer Theory
Women’s Studies

WHAT’S INVOLVED

Here is what you can expect from the services I offer:

STRUCTURAL EDITING

Structural editing is concerned with the overall organization of a manuscript or piece of writing:

Organization – Do your ideas progress logically and effectively for your audience?
Content – Are there any gaps to fill or superfluous material to consider removing?

STYLISTIC EDITING

Often combined with copy editing, stylistic editing helps to clarify meaning and refine language:

Clarity – Does the structure of your sentences effectively convey your meaning?
Coherence and Flow – Are your transitions smooth, and does your prose read with ease?
Language – Does your writing’s voice or level of formality reflect your audience’s needs?

COPY EDITING

Copy editing ensures correctness, accuracy, consistency, and completeness:

Correctness – Are there any errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or usage (e.g. imply/infer, prevent/avoid)?
Accuracy – Would a light fact-checking of names, dates, or URLs reveal any typos?
Consistency – Do all notes and references follow an editorial style such as Chicago, APA, MLA?
Completeness – Is your document missing any references? Are all paragraphs, block quotes, punctuation styles formatted consistently?

PROOFREADING

Proofreading weeds out any lingering problems by looking for the following:

Errors – typos, repeated words, misspellings, etc.
Inconsistencies – formatting, cross-references, captions, etc.

THESES AND DISSERTATIONS

Among my favourite editing projects are PhD dissertations and Master’s theses. I know how it feels to reach the culmination of years of research and commitment, and I find it rewarding to support graduate students in finalizing this work. Editing theses and dissertations usually involves a light stylistic edit*, copy editing, and proofreading. Editorial needs and budgets vary greatly, and I do my best to accommodate unique situations. Contact me to discuss your needs.

*Editorial intervention in graduate student texts is subject to special concerns around academic integrity. Ask me about the guidelines for ethical editing of graduate student texts set out by Editors Canada.

TESTIMONIALS

“I can honestly say that working with Taryn has been the best decision I’ve made in this process.”

— PhD thesis client

“Taryn has a great way of explaining the conventions of writing and formulating ideas. Her style of feedback has been greatly generative and supportive.”

— PhD thesis client

“Taryn is consistently precise, thorough, and reliable. Approaching manuscripts with a deep cultural sensitivity, Taryn avoids imposing colonial and other standardized conventions where they don’t belong. This combination of technical skill and principled care ensures that every project is polished while remaining true to its intention.”

— Editor – Independent Press