FAQ
What languages do you edit in?
I edit in English (my native language). I read French and German and have some familiarity with other European languages.
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Do you personally edit each document?
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Yes. All your work is edited exclusively by me. I never subcontract your order to any
other editor.
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​Do you use AI tools to edit my document?
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Essentially, no. All the editing is performed by a human—me. The only automated tools I use are a spell-checker, a consistency checker (e.g., should ‘6th Dynasty’ appear in one location and ‘Sixth Dynasty’ in another), and a last-minute grammar checker to catch inadvertent errors. These tools are run as the very last step of the process, merely as an auxiliary layer after all the fully human editing has been completed. I never use AI to generate text.
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What file types can I submit?
You can submit many common file types, including MS Word, PDF and PowerPoint.
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I don’t need the main body of my thesis/essay/book looked at, just the references. Can I just have the bibliography or reference list edited?
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Certainly. If you have come to the end of an eight-year PhD marathon and fear your bibliography’s accuracy is as frayed as your nerves, you are welcome to submit your sources alone for editing. (I may ask you for confirmation of your institution’s permission
​to have an editor style your references.)
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Will you compile my reference list/bibliography for me?
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In graded work, no, but I will style it thoroughly, down to the last comma, to comply with your requested citation style or, if no particular style is stipulated, to make every entry consistent. I will correct errors in such things as book titles or author names and format the list correctly. ​I will not supply missing metadata but will point out any gaps in it to be filled by you.
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In nongraded work (such as a museum catalogue), I will supply missing metadata if the source is readily available to me. ​This work is all included in the per-word fee (please see the Pricing page). If you would like me to compile your reference list/bibliography from the ground up, I can do so if the sources are readily available to me. This service is charged at an hourly rate.
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Will you check the accuracy of each source on my reference list for me?
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Fact-checking references for accuracy is not typically considered part of a copyeditor’s role. However, I will remain alert to possible errors within the bounds of internal coherence. For example, if you cite your 5th Dynasty Saqqara wall scene as being found in Artists in the Old Kingdom: Techniques and Achievements (Kanawati & Woods, 2009), I will assume that to be correct; however, if you state that your source is ‘The Holy Horizon: The Early 18th Dynasty Royal Necropolis at Deir el-Bahari’ (NiwiÅ„ski, 2024), I will alert you to a potential miscitation. I will also check that in-text citations match the source in the reference list: for example, if you cite a quotation as being found on p. 27 of a given article, I will not consult the source myself to check that it is so; but if your entry in the reference list states the article’s page range as pp. 38–44, I will point out the discrepancy for you to correct.
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In nongraded work (such as a journal article), I can check the accuracy of citations and sources for an additional fee, if the sources are readily available to me. This service is charged at an hourly rate.
What citation styles do you edit in?
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I can work in any citation style, whether it be the style used by your institution, your target English-language academic journal, or your publisher, including those outside the Egyptological field. I am well-versed in The Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (known as APA; 7th ed.) and the MLA Handbook (Modern Language Association of America, 9th ed.).
For every client, I devise a personalized style sheet to help you maintain consistency across all your documents.
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Do you edit in hieroglyphs and hieratic? ​​
Hieroglyphs: Yes. I will utilize your preferred software/font for rendering hieroglyphs and transliteration.
Hieratic: I currently do not read hieratic but will edit your hieratic signs for internal coherence within the document.
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Do you edit in fields of history outside Egyptology?
Yes. I have experience in editing documents covering various other historical periods and related fields: palaeolithic archaeology, the mediaeval and early modern period, ancient China, and nineteenth-century Mediterranean history, among others.
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How quickly can you return my work?
I will set a deadline with you from the outset. While my ability to turn work around varies with my existing commitments, a general guideline is:
• Works of 2,000 words or less can typically be returned within 24 hours
of commencement.
• Works of 2,001–5,000 words can typically be returned within 48–72 hours
of commencement.
• Works of 5,001–10,000 words can typically be returned within 72 hours
to one week.
Longer orders (such as MA and PhD theses) and book-length projects may take from several weeks to over one month.
No surcharge applies for short deadlines.
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Can I meet with you face to face?
​Absolutely. We can meet up via video conference anywhere or in person in Brisbane, Australia, to discuss your project in detail. I can also aim to meet with you on visits to Sydney, Australia.
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What if I am unhappy with the results?
If you are unhappy, I am unhappy. I offer a 100 percent guarantee of satisfaction with the final document. I will work with you at no extra cost until all issues are addressed.
Even with the utmost care, on rare occasions an inadvertent error may remain in an edited document. Editors are, after all, human. Please note that it is the client’s responsibility to read their final edited version thoroughly and assure themselves that they are satisfied with it before submitting it for publication or otherwise disseminating it. Should an error be found, please contact me immediately to allow swift resolution of the matter.
While I cannot guarantee acceptance or publication of your work by a journal or publisher, I remain alert to potential issues that academic reviewers may raise with the document (except on graded works, such as essays and theses, where a code of ethics prohibits advice on substantive matters of content), seeking to help you make your
article, book or other document the best it can be.
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Can you provide a certificate of editing?
​Yes. If your journal or institution requests it, I can provide a certificate to show that the work has been edited (in accordance with a particular house style or institutional code of ethics, if desired). A certificate for graded academic documents (such as undergraduate essays and postgraduate theses) will certify that the document has been edited in accordance with professional standards (see next question).
Do you adhere to any professional standards?
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Yes. I abide by the Code of Ethics and the Australian Standards for Editing Practice (2024) of Australia and New Zealand’s Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd). Graded work is edited in accordance with the Guidelines for Editing Research Theses (2019) set by IPEd and approved by the Australian Council of Graduate Research.
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Do you offer a writing service?
Yes. With many years’ experience as a professional writer (newspapers and magazines, a travel guide, a book), I can supply professional and appealing copy tailored to your academic or mainstream audience.
Having spent much of the first part of my career in media relations in the international tourism industry, I am well qualified to write or edit press releases for museums, educational institutions, tourist boards and other bodies promoting Egyptological endeavours. I am particularly skilled at translating field-specific news into language and concepts that are readily grasped by the general public.
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Photographs on this website are provided courtesy of:
Dmitrii Zhodzishskii on Unsplash
