Structural or substantive editing is for writing that is in the developmental or middle stages of a project. In the early stage of the writing process I work with authors to help develop ideas, structure the text, choose the appropriate register for the reader and so on. In the middle stage I can help an author make decisions about what to cut from a text that is too long and how best to order material that has already been written. For texts in a more advanced stage (for example, an academic manuscript that has been through peer review with revisions requested), I assist writers with revisions and rewriting. Substantive and structural editing involves working closely with writers, going back and forth as the text is written, revised, reworked and polished. 

I offer substantive and structural editing for academics and other writers of nonfiction.

If you are a fiction writer and want a developmental editor to help you develop your story, please contact an editor who specialises in fiction. There are many listed in the CIEP Directory.

Please return to the Editing main page for information on rates.