Professional editing services

What I offer

  • I work with publishers as well as individual authors, providing copyediting, proofreading and other services tailored to the needs of the client. I mainly edit non-fiction books (both academic and trade) across the humanities and social sciences.

  • I guarantee exceptional attention to detail, clear communication with authors, editors and typesetters, and well-judged editorial interventions.

  • I can produce a free sample edit of a short section of your book or essay, to help you decide if you wish to take on my services. For authors, I will also use this sample to help calculate the overall project price, which I will set in advance.

  • I can edit texts in UK or US English. Typically editing is performed on Microsoft Word documents using track changes and comments, while proofreading takes place at the PDF proof stage of publishing, using Adobe comment tools.

  • I am also a trained indexer, with experience of producing both traditional and embedded indexes.

  • I can sometimes provide interior formatting services as a cost-effective add-on for self-published authors.

Expertise you can rely on

  • I am a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). My current and recent clients include Cambridge University Press, Fitzcarraldo Editions and Aeon Books, as well as many independent authors.

  • My editing is informed by my academic research on literature, history, religion and spirituality, as well as by my professional background in politics. I have a PhD in English Literature (see About Luke) and have taught and published widely.

  • I have in-depth knowledge of major British and American style guides, including the New Oxford Style Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style.

“Luke’s proofreading was exceptional. Our project had already been checked multiple times by us, but Luke identified mistakes and inconsistencies, leaving it looking much more professional.”

—Dr J. Carter, Dr T. Walker, K. Milton

“I was delighted with Luke’s editing of my book. His communication with me throughout all stages of the project was also friendly, clear and straightforward.”

—Dr Gemma Eke