Michaela Scioscia – Editor

I’m a copy editor/proofreader, developmental editor, and researcher/fact-checker with a passion for clarity, and a commitment to ensuring that your text meets rigorous publishing standards, and that it is as gripping and compelling as you set out to make it.

I’m a much-travelled third-generation New Yorker, and came to copy-editing informally when I was nine: My father discovered that my spelling was much more reliable than his, so he had me check his letters for spelling errors.

Later, when I was a biology undergraduate, other students began to ask me to check their papers for errors, and not long after that, some of my professors offered to pay me to copy-edit their articles: surprised, I asked, 'Is that an actual job?', and they said, 'Yes, that's an actual job!'

Since I began editing, most of the texts I've worked on have been academic, but they have covered a broad range of fields, including (but not limited to) the humanities and social sciences, the arts, the biological and medical sciences, technology, and various inter- and cross-disciplinary areas.

I've developed an eagle eye for small incongruities and autocorrect sabotage (including one occasion when I had to query, ‘You did mean that Ganymede was clad only in a “chlamys”, not “chlamydia”, correct?'), and my extremely diverse background in the arts and sciences has been helpful for this. I am rigorous and precise, and I never cut corners.

My editing style is collaborative. I ask questions, offer suggestions, and am always available to give feedback, but I like to ensure that my input is light-handed, and lets the author's voice and story shine through.

Clients have praised my enthusiasm, supportiveness, sensitive and accurate attention to detail, care and thoroughness, rapid work, attention to, and preservation of the author’s original voice, and ability to successfully work with tight deadlines.

I’ve worked extensively with both British and American English spelling and usage conventions. I’ve also worked for many years with authors who are not native speakers of English, and am an expert at working with their texts and the grammatical challenges they may encounter.

Else-Marie Buch-Leander, a Danish client with whom I've worked since 2005, and who sensitively handles controversial topics, said, ‘I know Michaela as an excellent proofreader on scientific manuscripts. She has extremely strong English language skills, and works thoroughly to address every problem that may undermine the professionalism of your text. I can recommend her language service in every way.’