Harry Whitaker – Editor

Copy editing:

For me, editing is interactive; as I work through your MSS, I will send you questions, perhaps pointing out what you need to clarify, all with the goal that our collaboration results in your best work. I read a manuscript with two things foremost in mind: what does the author want to say? and has the author chosen the best way to say it? To evaluate that, I look at ambiguities, coherence, word usage, stylistic consistency, and, of course, grammar. I will respect your opinion; should my suggestions not fit with your expectations, I will explain them and listen carefully to yours.

In the last year of my doctoral program at UCLA, I edited a book for the first time, "The Philosophy of the University". Shortly after taking my first faculty position (University of Rochester), Academic Press agreed to start my new journal, Brain and Language, which I edited for 30 years. A.P. then launched a second journal under my editorship, Brain and Cognition, which I edited for 20 years. During my academic career I edited over a dozen books; my last academic editing roles, as an interim journal editor and editing papers submitted to the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, ended in 2020. Occasionally, I continue to publish journal articles, eight between 2017 and 2022.

Proofreading:

(Please see the discussion of Proofreading vs. Copy Editing by Reedsy staff.) I'm happy to do proofreading for you; it is much faster and costs about 1/4 that of copy editing.