I am here to help you achieve your scholarly writing goals.

Do you have a scholarly book project, journal article, or other academic or nonfiction writing project somewhere between begun and done? Have peer review comments that you need help addressing? Looking to go from good to better to best? Or just plain stuck, whether at the idea-wrangling phase or in the loooooong middle of your project?

My job is to be the colleague, advisor, peer reviewer, or writing magician of your dreams – someone who devotes their full and loving attention to all aspects of your writing project and offers a range of possible solutions to your thorniest problems. Those problems vary from author to author and include challenges such as knowing that you have a lot to say but no capital A argument, wondering whether you are providing readers with enough evidence or overwhelming them with data, and wanting to make your writing pleasant or perhaps even a joy to read.

“I was blown away by the level of care and detail with which Catherine responded to my work. She reads with uncommon attunement and has a gift for isolating and clarifying arguments amid the ‘noise.’ What was so helpful in my case was the way that Catherine could envision the transition from academic scholarship to lay readership, distilling my writerly voice from amid a sea of citations and literature review. I’m grateful and excited — rather than daunted, as I was before — now that I can see my book’s future through Catherine’s eyes.”

DISSERTATION-TO-BOOK CLIENT

If you are wondering if my experience is a good fit for your project, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I can provide you with more details and also refer you to other editors.

SERVICES

I offer a 30-minute courtesy consultation for prospective clients. You may select a time via my Calendly, submit the contact form below, or email me at catherinejampel [at] gmail.com to find a time.

I will work with you to come up with a plan that makes sense for you based on your goals, the status of your manuscript, your timeline and budget, and your preferred working style. A typical developmental editing package includes:

(1) a manuscript assessment and editorial letter with a revision plan that includes multiple options for ways forward,

(2) in-text comments addressing argument, narrative, and structure, also known as developmental edits, and

(3) a follow-up consultation.

I am also available to assist at earlier stages of writing projects. I enjoy helping thinkers and writers get unstuck, re-inspired, and return to their projects with renewed confidence. One option is a “book audit” that makes the most of my colleagues’ Katelyn E. Knox and Allison Van Deventer’s new The Dissertation-to-Book Workbook, which can be useful for anyone writing a scholarly book. You can find Allison’s description of how a book audit works on her website.

I also offer paragraph- and sentence-level editing (line editing and copy editing). (Yes, both “copy editing” and “copyediting” are acceptable spellings.)

Pricing varies based on the type of project and stage of completion. I give each project or manuscript the time that it needs and will not shortchange you. I offer a sliding scale based on Alexis J. Cunningfolk’s model.