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• Thesis Editing Services for Students

The Expert Editor is the leading thesis editing service for students in Australia and overseas.

As part of our thesis editing service, we have edited numerous honours, master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral theses and dissertations.

Hundreds of students have used us to produce high-quality theses that are ready for submission. We have considerable experience in assisting students where English is their second language, and we also help many native-English speaking students too.

A thesis is such a large undertaking that any student can become “blind” to important problems with their writing. This includes spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes, language inconsistency, unclear expression and referencing style errors.

A professional editor is the right person to fix these issues.

Why The Expert Editor is so popular

The Expert Editor is a popular professional editing option for students because we provide great value and have uniquely flexible turnaround options.

Great value

If you have searched around for professional editing, you’ll know that thesis editing can be expensive. However, The Expert Editor keeps prices as low as possible for clients whilst maintaining the strictest quality standards. As a result, we offer the best value in Australia.

We take pride in providing a great editing service for our clients, using skilled academic editors, that remains affordable for the average student.

Read about how we combine quality editing and affordability here .

Flexible turnarounds

Don’t pay more for a short turnaround time.

We realise that many Master’s and PhD students have looming deadlines for submission. Therefore, we do our best to accommodate them by not discriminating in terms of price. Students can nominate their preferred return date and our prices remain the same regardless of the turnaround time.

For more information on our approach to turnaround times, see our Prices page .

The Expert Editor’s thesis editing service

The Expert Editor’s thesis editing service focuses on:

• Grammar, syntax, spelling and punctuation
• Word use, flow and sentence structure
• Clarity of expression, including improving awkward phrasing
• Consistent terminology, spelling (British/Australian or American English) and style
• Correct application of your referencing style, such as APA, Harvard or any other.

Please note that we abide by The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) guidelines for editing research theses. Therefore, we cannot assist with content.

If you require assistance with formatting, please contact us and outline your requirements (extra charges may apply). We can:

• Create all your preliminary pages, such as the Title page, Table of Contents, List of Figures, etc.
• Format your tables and figures
• Format your appendices
• Crosscheck your in-text references with your reference list.

We edit Microsoft Word documents using the Track Changes tool. All our changes are clearly visible, with suggestions and comments made in the margin. We can also edit theses or dissertations in PDF using Adobe’s PDF editor.

At the completion of our thesis editing service, students receive the following:

• Track changes copy of the document, with the changes clearly marked up
• Clean copy with all the changes already incorporated.

If you would prefer a thesis proofreading service , rather than editing, please visit that page.

Professional thesis editors

The Expert Editor employs professional Australia-based academic editors who have considerable experience editing and proofreading theses.

Every member of our editing team is a native-English speaker with high-level academic qualifications (either a PhD or Master’s degree). Many also have additional qualifications in professional editing and proofreading.

With a large team of academic editors, we have expertise across a range of disciplines, including life sciences, physical sciences, medicine, engineering, social sciences, economics, law, psychology and many more.

We are also equally adept at editing using British/Australian English or American English and can work with any referencing style.

Dedicated customer service for thesis editing

Writing and submitting a thesis can be a stressful time for any student. We guarantee that working with The Expert Editor will be a smooth, hassle free and positive experience from start to finish.

As well as providing an expert editing service, customer support is available at any time via email or telephone. Whether you are a prospective client researching your options, or require aftercare services, our friendly team will help you in any way we can.

If you would like to have a chat about your thesis, and learn more about how we can help you, please contact us now.

Or, if you would like to discover how much our thesis editing service will cost you, please use our Price Calculator .

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-Dorothea Andrews

-university of new south wales, - dr. lesley jones, - australian catholic university, -sean hatton, -the brain and mind research institute, faculty of medicine, university of sydney, -research fellow, university of technology sydney (phd from monash university), -phd student from the social policy research centre, university of new south wales.

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• Open Scholarship

Open Access Theses

I have benefited greatly from being able to share my PhD dissertation as an open access publication – it has meant that more people have read and engaged with the research I spent so many years working on. I was glad to know there was an option to move to a Creative Commons license, so that it was clear to people what they can do with the work. Dr Lauren Gawne, PhD Graduate (School of Languages and Linguistics, University of Melbourne, 2013)

Today, public access to graduate research theses is a common and valuable aspect of the open scholarship landscape. This is usually made possible by depositing the thesis in an institutional repository after final submission. To meet the best practices of open access , graduates may be encouraged to apply a Creative Commons licence to their thesis.

For candidates undertaking creative work as part of their thesis, or whose thesis includes Non-Traditional Research Outputs (NTROs) , other copyright and intellectual property considerations will apply, and full open access may not be possible. The advice on this page primarily concerns traditional text-based research theses.

Benefits of making theses open access

Until your thesis has been made open access, it is an untapped resource of original research. A thesis under embargo cannot be downloaded or read, significantly limiting the potential impact your research can have.

By making your thesis freely available to the public, you help to advance scholarly discourse in your field. You also make it available to other researchers, students, policy makers, and practitioners, all of whom could build on your research in significant and meaningful ways.

For University of Melbourne graduates, your thesis being open access in Minerva Access results in it being discoverable through Google, Google Scholar, the National Library of Australia’s Trove database, and other platforms.

Making your thesis open access means it can easily be provided as an example of your work and expertise in your chosen discipline, helping to raise your researcher profile. It can also help to build your impact narrative, spark conversations, and lead to exciting collaborations, both within and beyond the academy. Once open, your thesis can also start gathering views, downloads, shares, and citations – none of which are likely if your thesis remains inaccessible to most potential readers.

Researchers in low- and middle-income countries often face significant barriers when it comes to accessing research. Making theses open access increases the amount of high-quality research available to researchers of the Global South, whose institutions may struggle to afford expensive journal descriptions or costly books ( Tennant et al., 2016 ).

Open access theses at the University of Melbourne

The University’s institutional repository, Minerva Access , provides free public access to theses completed at the University of Melbourne.

Open access is required for University of Melbourne PhD, Doctorate, and Masters Research theses in all but exceptional cases. It may also be required, or encouraged, for Honours and Masters Coursework theses, depending on the school or faculty. When required and approved, temporary embargoes and ongoing access restrictions are possible.

For more information, see the FAQ and deposit advice below, or visit the Graduate Research Hub’s “My thesis in the library” page. Current graduate researchers may also wish to join one of the “Open Access and Your Thesis” webinars, which run twice each year as part of our Researcher@Library program .

Browse open access theses in Minerva Access

Publishing after your thesis is open access

Historically, publishers would not consider submissions that had been adapted from theses available online, just as, historically, many publishers would not accept submissions that had been shared as preprints . Today, however, it is increasingly rare for publishers to reject work for appearing in earlier forms as online theses or preprints, whether the submission is for a journal article, book chapter, or monograph.

That is, most publishers today do not consider theses available online as prior publications for the purposes of publishing. They are typically treated in a similar way to preprints: they are regarded as early versions of a work shared online prior to submission to a publisher.

The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) states that online theses should not be considered prior publications that would prevent submission to a publisher: “Where a thesis (or chapter) contains otherwise unpublished work … it should not be considered prior publication. That is, it is acceptable for the work, or parts of the work … to be submitted … to a publisher for publication” ( COPE Best practice for theses publishing, 2017 ).

There do remain some publishers, journals, and individual editors who are resistant to publishing work previously available online as theses or preprints, so check websites for publisher policies prior to submission. It may be that an editor’s or journal’s resistance is out of step with their own publisher policies.

If an editor or publisher requests that a thesis be taken offline, embargoed, or placed under access restrictions for publishing reasons, graduate researchers must negotiate on the terms of publication. Any agreement entered into with a publisher must accommodate the University making the thesis publicly available in Minerva Access (see “Can I choose not to make my graduate research thesis open access?” in the FAQ below).

Deposit your thesis

Find out how to deposit your University of Melbourne thesis in Minerva Access.

Graduate Research Theses

PhD, Doctorate, and Masters Research candidates are required to submit a digital copy of their thesis to Minerva Access via the Thesis Examination System (TES). Detailed information is available on the "My thesis in the Library" page.

Honours and Masters Coursework Theses

Honours and Masters Coursework candidates are welcome to submit their completed thesis to the Minerva Access repository. This may be required by some schools or departments.

Most major scholarly journal publishers today have clear policies supporting the submission of articles derived from theses or dissertations that are publicly available. In doing so, they are following COPE best practice guidelines that recommend treating theses, like preprints, as not being prior publications for the purposes of publishing. The shift to accepting openly available theses as publications is ongoing, but in the University’s experience it is already very rare that an open access thesis is ultimately a barrier to publication.

Consider the following publisher policy examples:

Elsevier’s policy on prior publication confirms that they do not consider online publication of an academic thesis as prior publication. Like preprints, they are considered prior uses of a work that can be considered for publication. They note, however, that Lancet journals, Cell Press journals, and some society-owned journals have their own policies on prior publication that can be found on the journal homepages.

Likewise, Springer’s journal author FAQ states: “Springer will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis including those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.” Other Springer Nature imprints have similar policies, confirming that theses are not considered prior (or duplicate) publication – see BMC , SpringerOpen , Palgrave , and Nature .

Sage’s prior publication guidelines follow COPE guidelines and states: “Excerpts or material from your dissertation that have not been through peer review will generally be eligible for publication.”

Taylor & Francis’s Editorial Policies state that the publisher supports “the need for authors to share early versions of their work.” Although the policy does not mention theses or dissertations specifically, preprints and other Author’s Original Manuscript versions can be shared anywhere, without embargo.

Although Wiley’s overarching policies do not mention theses, their Preprints Policy confirms that the publisher will consider submissions already available online as preprints, and allows submitted manuscripts to be shared to preprint servers at any time. Individual journals’ author guidelines often confirm that theses do not count as prior publications. For example, “Articles submitted to Journal of Anatomy are done so on the following conditions: that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis)” ( Journal of Anatomy Author Guidelines ).

Major academic book publishers differ in their approaches to publishing monographs based on theses, but most are happy to consider book proposals based on theses that are available online. Some publishers have strong statements clarifying that open access theses do not present barriers to publication, while others consider matters on a case-by-case basis.

Palgrave Macmillan, for example, provides the following advice on their Early Career Researcher Hub : “Palgrave Macmillan will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis including those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification. Prospective authors should bear in mind that every PhD thesis will need to undergo rigorous revision in order to be published as a monograph with our press.”

Likewise, Cambridge University Press considers theses and dissertations to be preprints, as covered by their Green Open Access Policy . If a monograph is based on a thesis, the policy supports that thesis being shared in full, at any time, under any licence (including a Creative Commons licence).

Some other major publishers, such as Routledge, do not have blanket statements of this kind, but consider requirements on a case-by-case basis. Such publishers will usually take into account university expectations around theses being made open access.

Be aware that some publishers who do not accept open-access theses for consideration as monographs may also ask the author to assign rights that the author does not have, such as requiring the author to assign exclusive rights for all time. Embargoes are only for a limited period, after which the University will exercise its right to make the thesis available; this right cannot be removed by the author and thus cannot be assigned in a publication contract. Some publishers go further, for example requiring that the material has not and never will be used for academic assessment, which means that they cannot consider material such as a thesis that was used in award of a degree.

Creative Commons licences make it clear to authors and readers how a work can be shared and used. University of Melbourne graduates can apply a Creative Commons licence to their thesis in Minerva Access using the following process:

• Choose a Creative Commons licence that would be suitable for your thesis. See “ Selecting a licence for your work ” on our Copyright website for guidance.
• Receive written permission from your thesis supervisor to apply the chosen Creative Commons licence.
• Email [email protected] to request your chosen Creative Commons licence be applied to your thesis, attaching the supervisor’s permission.

Note that if your thesis includes publications, you may be restricted in what licence can be applied. Consult your publishing agreement or your publisher’s website for more information. For further advice, contact the University’s Copyright Office .

At the University of Melbourne, it is a requirement of all PhD, Doctorate, and Masters Research candidates that their final thesis is made open access in Minerva Access, unless exceptional circumstances mean that an embargo or ongoing access restrictions are required.

This requirement is outlined in the Graduate Research Training Policy (MPF1321) and the Intellectual Property Policy (MPF1320) . The latter policy reads:

4.19. Student theses must be made openly available to the public through the University’s Institutional Digital Repository, unless otherwise agreed with the University (for example where an embargo has been approved by the University). The University is deemed to have been granted by the Student a non-exclusive, royalty free, world-wide and irrevocable licence to use and reproduce the Student theses for non-commercial educational, teaching and research purposes, including making the thesis available to the public through the University’s Institutional Repository.

Students must retain all necessary rights to enable the University to publish and share the thesis and not grant exclusive copyright licence to a thesis to any other person or organisation.

Likewise, our Principles for Open Access to Research Outputs at Melbourne states:

10. Graduate researchers are expected to make their research thesis publicly available via the University’s institutional repository unless otherwise agreed with the University, and to make their thesis available within the University via the repository in all but exceptional cases. Note that the University’s right to publish and share a thesis is irrevocable and cannot be overridden by a private publication agreement.

For information on how to apply a temporary embargo or formally request permanent access restrictions, see the FAQ item below and consult the “My thesis in the library” page.

If you are a University of Melbourne graduate researcher, you may apply a temporary embargo to your thesis or formally request permanent access restrictions when certain criteria are met. Embargoes and access restrictions can also be applied to portions of your thesis, whether this is through the redaction of third-party copyright material or through the embargo or restriction of certain chapters or appendices.

When summitting your final thesis in the Thesis Examination System (TES), you can request a two-year embargo, which will be granted if you meet the required criteria. This can be either an external embargo (the default), where access is limited to University of Melbourne staff and students and interlibrary loans, or a full embargo, where the thesis is not available by any means. Full embargo is only granted in highly exceptional circumstances, where supporting documentation and supervisor approval is provided. The two-year embargo period can be shortened with the support of your supervisor. Further information on embargoes and embargo criteria can be found on the “My thesis in the library” page.

As covered in the Graduate Research Training Policy (MPF1321) , ongoing restricted access arrangements must be approved by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Graduate & International Research) in consultation with the relevant Dean. Further information, and the restricted access request form, can be found on the “My thesis in the library” page.

Note that applications to have embargoes extended purely for publishing reasons are only granted when extenuating circumstances apply. Requests for permanent access restrictions that are sought to comply with publisher contracts are never granted. In most cases, however, these are not required, as most publishers today understand the requirements for theses to be freely available in institutional repositories.

Yes. Any University of Melbourne graduate who opted to embargo their thesis can choose to release it from embargo early. To end an embargo before its original end date:

• Check to make sure that ending the embargo early would not conflict with any agreements made with third parties (for example, publishers).
• Receive written permission from your thesis supervisor to shorten the embargo period.
• Email [email protected] to request a change to embargo end date, attaching your supervisor’s permission.

When preparing a thesis with publications, candidates should follow the guidelines on the “Incorporating your published work in your thesis” and “Submitting my thesis” pages, as well as the “Preparation of Graduate Research Theses Rules.”

If your publication is still in review and has not yet been formally accepted for publication, you should include the submitted manuscript in your thesis.

Once accepted for publication, or published, you should use the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) – the final manuscript accepted for publication after peer review and revisions.

Final published versions can only be included when you have explicit permission to do so and when it does not conflict with your publishing agreement. Final PDFs can be always used for open access publications carrying Creative Commons licences.

It is important to check publisher policies to determine which version can be shared and whether an embargo is required. In the absence of policies pertaining specifically to inclusion in online theses, candidates should follow policies governing what can be shared in institutional repositories. These policies should be available on journal or publisher websites and may be referred to as open access policies, sharing policies, or self-archiving policies. For journal articles, the Sherpa Romeo deposit policy register can be used to determine sharing policies and embargo requirements.

Also note that some publishers offer specific permissions to include Author Accepted Manuscripts (AAMs) or final published versions in theses. For example, the publisher Sage allows the final PDF of a candidate’s article to be included in their thesis and made available online. Their Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines states: “You may use the Final Published PDF (or Original Submission or Accepted Manuscript, if preferred) … in your dissertation or thesis, including where the dissertation or thesis will be posted in any electronic Institutional Repository or database.”

For more information, see the “My thesis in the library” page, along with the advice contained on the Copyright Office’s “Copyright and your thesis” page. The “Declaration for publication incorporated in a thesis” form can be found on the “Submitting my thesis” page.

Some theses contain information that cannot be made public, such as confidential or private data, or third-party copyright material where permission to publish has not been obtained. In these cases, it may be necessary to submit a redacted version of your thesis with third-party copyright content removed. You would then be submitting two copies:

• The original, examined thesis, which will be archived (not available for online public access).
• A redacted “public access” copy, with non-compliant material removed (ensure you maintain page number integrity).

Guidelines on how and when to seek permissions, recording copyright statuses, and redacting copyright material can be found on the “Copyright and your thesis” and the “My thesis in the library” pages. For more information, please consult the Copyright Office .

Further Support

For enquiries relating to open access and scholarly publishing, please contact your Faculty or Subject Liaison Librarians .

If you require assistance using Minerva Access, or have requests relating to existing Minerva Access thesis records, please email [email protected] .

Copyright enquiries should be directed to the Copyright Office .

For all other enquiries relating to thesis preparation and submission, please email your faculty or school’s graduate research contact .

Page last updated 1 February 2024.

Return to Open Scholarship

Institutional repository

Repositories hosted by institutions to collect the research outputs of that institution. They often collect a broad range of digital items including articles, papers, books, book chapters, reports, data, and creative outputs.

The University of Melbourne has two institutional repositories:  Minerva Access for research outputs, and Melbourne Figshare for research data, reports, supplementary research materials, and non-traditional research outputs (NTROs). You can find out more about Minerva Access and Melbourne Figshare on our Repository Open Access page .

Open access

Open access refers to the availability of research outputs via the internet, such that any user can find, freely access, read, and download the output without charge. Best practice in open access is to use open licences, such as Creative Commons licences, that permit users to copy, distribute, print, search, link, crawl, mine, and otherwise use and reuse the research output, as long as proper attribution is provided. Find out more on our What Is Open Access? page.

Creative Commons licences

Open licences that have become best practice in open access publishing. They are built using a combination of elements: BY (Attribution), SA (Share-Alike), NC (Non-Commercial), and ND (No Derivatives). All licences are detailed on the Creative Commons website .

The most open of the licences is the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence. This licence allows authors to retain their copyright while granting others permission to distribute, use, adapt, remix, and build upon the material, so long as attribution is given to the creator. This is the preferred, and sometimes required, licence of the Australian Research Council (ARC) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), as well as many international research funders.

The most restrictive is the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence. This licence does not allow for any commercial uses or the creation and sharing of any adaptations or derivative versions. It greatly restricts how others can use the work and, when adopted as part of an exclusive licence to publish with a publisher, can result in a significant loss of author rights.

In the context of scholarly publishing, embargoes are access restrictions placed on research outputs. While embargoed, research outputs are not available to the public.

Most publishers of subscription (paywalled) journal articles, for example, require that the peer-reviewed and revised Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) of the article is embargoed at publication, most often for 12 or 24 months, after which it can be made open access in a repository. Staff at our institutional repository, Minerva Access , will determine publisher policies and manage embargo periods before making any version of a research output publicly available.

When required for privacy, sensitivity, or to adhere to agreements with third parties, researchers may also choose to embargo their own outputs. Datasets deposited to Melbourne Figshare , for example, can be embargoed when necessary, resulting in a dataset record but no publicly downloadable files. Graduate researchers may request to embargo their theses , under some circumstances, restricting access for a period of time.

A version of an article or paper that is shared openly prior to formal peer review or publication. Preprints are typically shared on preprint servers, such as arXiv.org , bioRxiv , OSF Preprints , SSRN , or Zenodo .

Find out more on our Preprints page.

Submitted manuscript

The submitted manuscript is the version of a research output originally submitted to a venue, such as a journal or book publisher. This version typically undergoes editorial review and may subsequently be sent on for peer review.

In the past, submitted manuscripts were sometimes called preprints , although this term now has a different meaning: early versions of article or papers shared prior to peer review on preprint servers.

Find out more about article versions on the Minerva Access website .

Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) / Accepted version

The version of an article, paper, book, or book chapter that has been accepted for publication. It is the author’s final manuscript version after peer review and revisions, but prior to the publisher’s copyediting, typesetting, and formatting results in a proof.

Version of Record (VoR)

The final published version of a research output – usually the publisher’s final PDF.

Unless the work is published open access under a Creative Commons licence, this version cannot generally be shared or made open access in a repository.

Non-Traditional Research Output (NTRO)

A broad term encompassing research outputs that do not take the form of typical peer-reviewed scholarly publications (journal articles, books and book chapters, conference publications).

Non-Traditional Research Outputs (NTROs) include visual artworks, creative writing, films, performances, recordings, music composition, building and design projects, curated exhibitions, and portfolios. They may also be referred to as Artistic and Practice Based Research Outputs (APROs).

To be considered a research output for reporting purposes, an NTRO must meet the definition of research established in the Australian Research Council's  2018-19 ERA report :

Research is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies, inventions and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it is new and creative.

University of Melbourne researchers can find out more about reporting their NTROs on our Research Gateway: Add Non-Traditional Research Outputs (NTROs) to Find an Expert .

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Freelance Editors' Network

The freelance editors’ network is a group of australian-based editors who offer a range of editorial services, including manuscript development, structural editing, copy editing and proofreading..

Editors available for work this month are marked with an asterisk. (Asterisks are generally updated at the start of each month.)  

Other editors are taking bookings for coming months. contact them to check their availability., ∗  samantha allemann.

samantha-allemann.com [email protected] LinkedIn Samantha Allemann

Samantha studied Professional Writing & Editing at RMIT from 2002 to 2004 and has since worked as a freelance editor and writer. Samantha was the sub-editor of Pip Australian Permaculture Magazine for several years. As a freelance editor, Samantha has worked for Busybird Publishing. As a freelance proofreader, she has worked with Universal Media. With a background in educational publishing, Samantha also worked as the in-house writer and editor of an independent K-12 school.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Non-fiction, fiction, essays, children’s and young adult fiction, short stories and academic.

Tahlia Anderson Paper Heart Editorial

paperhearteditorial.com [email protected]

Tahlia Anderson is an experienced editor with nearly a decade’s experience in illustrated non-fiction. After completing a graduate editing qualification at RMIT, she was managing editor at Thames & Hudson Australia where she worked with galleries, arts organisations, award-winning fashion designers, architects, interior designers and popular children’s authors to produce beautifully illustrated books. She then went on to become the chief copy editor at Country Style magazine and managing editor at Uro Publications, a boutique architecture publisher. Confident in handling all stages of the publication process from commissioning and contracting through to editing, design and print production, Tahlia enjoys nothing more than helping shape and develop projects from outset to completion. Recent clients have included Smith St Book, Pantera Press, the Age and David Jones’ magazine, JONES . As well as editing and project management, Tahlia is also a skilled writer and available for writing services in conjunction with editing.

TYPE OF EDITING: Project management (including print management), manuscript assessment, structural editing, copy editing, rewriting, document styling, typesetting, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Illustrated non-fiction – interiors, architecture, fashion, cookery, art and design – children’s fiction and non-fiction, short stories, magazines and travel.

www.wordsworthwhile.com.au kimastillediting[at]gmail.com

Kim Astill is an experienced editor with a creative and scientific background. Her goal is to help you bring out the best in your manuscript and give you the confidence and enthusiasm to approach your next draft or submit your manuscript to agents/publishers. Kim also enjoys mentoring, teaching creative writing and running a gifted writers’ program for primary school children. She is a member of the ASA, CBCA and SCBWI, and is passionate about children’s literature. Kim is also a member of the Institute of Professional Editors.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessments, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Children’s literature (picture books, junior fiction, middle grade and young adult), literary and commercial fiction, family history, self-help, psychology, science.

www.jamesbeanediting.com james[at]jamesbeanediting.com

I work with authors – both experienced and new – to develop and ready their work for submission to agents or publishers, or for self-publication. I’ve edited more than 100 fiction and educational titles. For 10 years I was senior editor for an educational publisher, working on a range of projects from young adult fiction to science textbooks. I’ve authored numerous titles, giving me a keen appreciation of the challenges (and satisfaction!) of writing well. I’m a Professional Member of the Institute of Professional Editors.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental (or structural) editing, copy editing, manuscript assessment.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction (middle-grade, YA, adult); memoir and family history; thesis editing.

Helen Bethune Moore

hbmedit[at]cqvmedia.com.au

Helen has more than twenty years’ experience as an editor and a writer, both in-house and as a freelancer. She has worked with ACER, Cambridge University Press, Cengage, Deakin University, Macmillan Education Australia, Melbourne University Press, Oxford University Press and Pearson Education (Australia, UK and Canada). Helen specialises in children’s literacy texts. She project manages and edits award-winning early literacy and primary non-fiction series developed for the Australian, UK, US and Canadian markets. However, she is very happy to consider other genres as she has edited humanities texts at tertiary and secondary levels, memoirs, teacher guides, theses and YA books.

TYPE OF EDITING: Substantive editing, development editing, copy editing, proofreading, writing, rewriting, versioning, fact checking.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Children’s literacy, history, philosophy, politics, theses and YA.

∗  Kat Betts Element Editing Services

elementeds.com [email protected] @elementeds

Kat has eight years’ editing experience, and a Diploma and Bachelor in Professional Writing and Editing. She is a professional-level member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd), Editors Victoria, and a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Kat’s focus is on working with new and experienced self-publishing authors and edits for the Australian, British, and American markets.

TYPE OF EDITING: Line editing, copy editing, developmental editing, substantive editing, content editing, structural editing, manuscript critiques, beta reading, coaching, and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Specialisations in fantasy and science fiction, and generalisation in speculative fiction. Kat also dabbles in women’s literature, middle-grade, YA, and adult.

Dianne Blacklock

[email protected] dianneblacklock.com

Dianne has been editing since 2013, but has had almost twenty years’ experience in the publishing industry. She is a published author of ten novels of commercial women’s fiction, and this gives her a unique perspective on the editing process, having been through it herself. She is now contracted by major Australian publishing houses including HarperCollins, Harlequin and Pan Macmillan, and works with private clients as well, developing and editing their manuscripts for submission, or towards self-publishing. She also regularly runs workshops and courses through Writing NSW.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript development and assessment, ghost-writing, mentoring.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Commercial fiction – all genres, though with a particular specialty in women’s fiction; narrative non-fiction, memoir and history.

Sabine Borgis

sabineborgis[at]gmail.com

Sabine’s pathway to editing has been eclectic, with a bilingual (German) background, studies in environmental science and, recently, a Graduate Certificate in Editing and Electronic Publishing. She spent five years teaching English to adults and providing translation and proofreading services to nature conservation organisations in the Czech Republic, before returning to Tasmania and working for ten years as a Hansard subeditor at the Tasmanian Parliament. She was voluntary subeditor of the Australian Wildlife Society’s magazine for ten years, and has also proofread for Island magazine and the Tasmanian Naturalist. Currently Sabine is working as an editor and proofreader in genres related to the natural world.

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing and proofreading; structural and developmental editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: General and creative non-fiction in all aspects of natural history, the environment and sustainability; gardening and crafts; fiction with an environmental focus.

Claire Bradshaw

www.clairebradshaw.com.au hello[at]clairebradshaw.com.au

Claire has been working as a freelance editor and proofreader since 2015. She specialises in speculative fiction (primarily fantasy), but her editorial services are available for fiction works in any genre, as well as non-fiction. She particularly enjoys working with independent/self-published authors and with writers preparing manuscripts for submission to traditional publishers or agents. Claire is the in-house editor for fantasy-focused small press Talem Press, publisher of the Aurealis Award–nominated novel The Ninth Sorceress .

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing and proofreading (all genres); manuscript assessment (fantasy only).

AREAS OF INTEREST: Speculative fiction, particularly fantasy; fiction for adult and young adult audiences.

Samantha Brennan

wordsbysamanthabrennan.com wordsbysamanthabrennan[at]gmail[dot]com @wordsbysamantha

Samantha Brennan has nearly 20 years’ experience writing and editing content for Australian publishers, magazines, creative agencies and government. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Writing and Media) from Macquarie University and is a former university journalism lecturer. Her publishing skills span print media as well as digital – she can manage and edit content in a Word document as easily as in a CMS. As an experienced production manager, Samantha is also available for project management opportunities.

TYPE OF EDITING: Content review, structural editing, line editing, copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Samantha is available for non-fiction editing in the following genres: food and cooking (she’s a trained recipe editor), health and fitness, nutrition and wellbeing, spirituality, gifts and journals, interior design and general women’s lifestyle. She is not currently accepting works of fiction.

Kay Campbell The Comma Institute

commainstitute.com office[at]kaycampbell.net

I specialise in art, culture and lifestyle publications, providing a full range of services for galleries, arts organisations, government, publishers, designers and writers. As well as editing scholarly art books, catalogues and published essays, I work on general non-fiction. My expertise extends to cultural policy and planning documents, style guides, marketing material, grant applications and reports. An accomplished proofreader, copy editor and writer, I am also a project manager who can shepherd a publication through all stages from concept development through to printing. Prior to becoming a freelance editor in 2016, I worked for 30 years in senior roles in the visual arts industry in Australia and the United Kingdom.

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing, proofreading, structural editing, project management, copy writing, manuscript assessment and development, conversion into plain English.

AREAS OF INTEREST: General and illustrated non-fiction (art, architecture, design, lifestyle); Strategic Planning, Cultural Policy. Specialist in visual arts (exhibition catalogues, art books, catalogues raisonné).

∗  Penny Carroll

pennycarroll.com.au penny[at]pennycarroll.com.au

Penny brings 20 years of experience in magazine publishing to fiction editing, giving her a unique perspective on writing for women. She loves helping authors polish their stories with structural and copy editing, reigniting their passion for writing in the process. Penny has written and edited for outlets including Lonely Planet, Country Style, Women’s Health, Harper’s Bazaar and Good Weekend and is now working directly with authors as they prepare their manuscripts for submission or self-publishing. She is available for fiction and non-fiction editing projects and is skilled in InDesign for sub-editing layouts.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, line and copy editing, sub-editing, feature editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Commercial women’s fiction, genre fiction, literary fiction, YA, health and wellbeing, food, travel.

∗  Sherryl Clark

sherrylclarkwritingcoach.com [email protected] @sherrylwriter

I have been teaching writing and editing for more than 25 years, mostly in the Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing. I’ve worked as a freelance editor and mentor since 2013, working directly with authors on their manuscripts. This includes developmental work, structural editing, copy editing and manuscript critiques. After teaching for so many years, I’m very experienced in working with new writers as well as those who are published and may be looking for help with taking their work to the next level. I also write fiction and nonfiction, poetry, children’s and YA books and articles for Medium. I have more than seventy children’s and YA books published. My mentoring work involves editing, development work, goal setting, motivation and discipline. I tailor my programs according to writers’ needs.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental, structural, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction (literary and genre with a particular interest in crime and historical), memoir and life writing, poetry, children’s and YA books (especially picture books).

AJ Collins Writing & Editing Services

www.ajcollins.com.au [email protected] @AJCollinsEditor LinkedIn AJ Collins

AJ Collins is a professional freelance IPEd accredited editor and RMIT qualified freelance writer. After twenty years working in the corporate sector, AJ started her own freelance editing business in 2012 and is now in high demand, often booked six months in advance. AJ is approachable, understanding of newbie writers’ sensitivities and always passionate about words on the page. AJ helps authors lift their writing to the next level by providing advice on developmental issues such as story, plot and character.

TYPE OF EDITING: Assessments, developmental/structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, formatting.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction: general, YA, fantasy, thriller, spec-fic, romance, drama, action & adventure, mystery. Creative non-fiction: memoir, biography, some self-help.

∗  Sam Cooney

samuelcooney.com samuelcooney[at]gmail.com @samuelcooney

Sam has a variety of experience in the publishing and wider literary industries. He founded the small press Brow Books and ran it for five years, editing most of its titles – many of which found critical acclaim and won major awards. He’s been an editor of print literary journals and of writerly websites, he has taught writing and publishing subjects at universities for several years, and he’s a literary critic for all of Australia’s major newspapers. Sam’s focus is often on working with innovative and boundary-pushing fiction and nonfiction authors, although he also loves working on general and commercial fiction and nonfiction. As a freelance editor he works with established publishing houses, literary agents, and individual authors as private clients.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment, developmental editing, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, mentoring/career coaching, grant writing/editing, project management (including print management).

AREAS OF INTEREST: Literary fiction (novels, novellas and short fiction), literary non-fiction (essays, experimental, etc), general/commercial fiction and non-fiction, graphic novels and non-fiction, history, biography, current affairs, memoir.

∗  Lauren Elise Daniels Brisbane Writers Workshop

www.brisbanewriters.com lauren[at]brisbanewriters.com lauren[at]ledaniels.com

Lauren Elise Daniels is a professional member of IPEd with a BA and MFA in Creative Writing from the USA. She is an Aurealis Award winning editor (2021) and a Bram Stoker Award® (2023) and Australian Shadows Award finalist (2022) who has worked in publishing since 1992 (Ziff-Davis, Boston). For 15 years, she was the senior prose editor for Interactive Publishing (Carindale, QLD) before going freelance and has edited over 130+ published titles and numerous short form fiction and non-fiction works for AUS, NZ, UK and US authors. Lauren has taught workshops for the South Coast, Hobart and Queensland Writers’ Centres, and has presented for GenreCon, StokerCon, Whistler Writers Festival and Heroines Festival. She serves as a literary judge for Hawkeye Publishing and the Horror Writers Association and directs Brisbane Writers Workshop.

TYPE OF EDITING: Mentoring, manuscript assessments, developmental and structural editing, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Adult fiction, YA, junior fiction: genre and literary fiction – long and short form. Creative non-fiction and memoir for adults, YA, junior readers: memoir, personal/professional development – long and short form.

Kerry Davies AE Kerry Davies Publishing Services

k[dot]davies1[at]optusnet.com.au

Kerry has more than 35 years’ experience in publishing and communications. She has worked with ABC Books, Australian Geographic, Focus Publishing, Simon & Schuster, UQP, Weldon Owen and Wiley, mainly on non-fiction, memoir and biography, as well as educational publishers and corporate, government and private clients in a wide range of genres, from academic theses to fiction. She is a well-rounded generalist editor. Kerry was manager of Indigenous publisher Magabala Books 1990–95, and also has experience as a journalist and writer. She is an honorary life member of Editors Queensland, a branch of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd), and Queensland councillor and chair of IPEd. She is an IPEd Accredited Editor.

TYPE OF EDITING: Substantive editing (including structural work), copy editing, proofreading, developmental editing, writing, rewriting, project management.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction, memoir, history, illustrated, children’s, YA, travel and guidebooks, Indigenous writing in all genres.

∗  Tricia Dearborn

www.triciadearborneditor.com triciadearborneditor[@]gmail.com

Tricia has over 25 years’ experience in the publishing industry, including as a managing editor, and has run a successful freelance editing business since 2008. Her clients include Australian publishers such as Allen & Unwin, Hachette, Hardie Grant, HarperCollins, NewSouth Publishing and Penguin Random House, as well as government departments and institutions including the Australia Council for the Arts and the Lowy Institute. Tricia also works directly with authors who wish to have their manuscripts assessed, developed or edited before submitting to a publisher or literary agent, or self-publishing. She is a Professional Member of the Institute of Professional Editors.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment and development; structural editing; copy editing; proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Biography and memoir; literary fiction; commercial fiction; narrative non-fiction; general non-fiction; self-help; poetry.

Emma Dobinson

flyingpantsediting.com.au [email protected] l [email protected]

Flying Pants Editing provides manuscript appraisal and editing services for the children’s and education market. Our specialised service is tailored toward creating awesome books for kids, including picture books, tween and YA books, and children’s non-fiction and novelty books. We help writers enhance the magic of their story through manuscript assessments for picture books and novels as well as full structural editing and even idea kicks to beat that writer’s block. With over 30 years of combined experience in the children’s industry, we have a unique understanding of the market and audience. We know what kids and parents want and can help you get the nuances of age and stage right.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript appraisal, structural edit, picture edit.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Picture books, children’s non-fiction, novelty books, tween and YA, including YA romance, fantasy or crime/detective.

Glenda Downing

www.glendadowning.com [email protected]

Glenda has been editing titles for the major Sydney publishers for 20 years. She was managing editor at Simon & Schuster Australia and senior editor for the GHR Press. Her clients include Random House, Murdoch, Pan Macmillan, Momentum, HarperCollins, Pantera Press, WriteLight and writers who are developing their manuscripts.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript development/mentoring, project management, structural editing, copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Young adult and adult fiction; non-fiction – memoir, parenting, lifestyle, Australian history and cooking (illustrated).

Harriet Empey Harriet Empey Editorial Services

harrietempey.com harriet[at]harrietempey.com LinkedIn: Harriet Empey

For the past ten years, I have specialised in editing and proofreading for food, travel and lifestyle publications, products and businesses. I particularly enjoy working on magazines and cookbooks. I have edited and proofread hundreds of recipes in my work for magazine publishers and trade non-fiction publishers. As well as being a keen cook who understands cooking terms and techniques, I’m also interested in food provenance and food production. I grew up in Ireland, so I am familiar with both metric and imperial measurements and with British English food terms, which is useful when international recipes require localisation for an Australian audience. I speak excellent French and have a good understanding of French culture, so I also enjoy working on content that contains a lot of French words or references to France. I’m a Professional Member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd).

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing, proofreading, magazine subediting, fact checking.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Food, travel and lifestyle magazines; illustrated non-fiction – cookery, food and wine, French language and culture, travel and tourism, health and wellbeing, homes and gardens, nature, the environment and the countryside.

Rochelle Fernandez

rochellef.com.au rochellef[at]gmail.com @roch_town

An editor since 2005, Rochelle has edited, proofread and project managed manuscripts of fiction, biography, memoir, cookery and current affairs for major Australian publishers. She has previously been digital editor and Voyager publisher for HarperCollins Publishers and prior to working in publishing she has edited copy and educational material for the corporate sector.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction and non-fiction for adults, especially romance, cooking, finance and memoir.

Deonie Fiford

deonief[at]yahoo.com

Deonie has been working as a freelance and inhouse editor for over 20 years. She has worked as an editor for major publishing companies, such as HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and Pan Macmillan. She has taught writing workshops for the NSW and Queensland Writers’ Centres and editing courses at Sydney University and James Cook University. She is currently a freelance editor working for trade publishing companies and helping authors develop their manuscripts for publication.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, manuscript development, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction – literary, mass market, speculative fiction (fantasy and science fiction); YA and children’s.

Lauren Finger

laurenfinger.com [email protected]

I’m a very experienced editor with an excellent reputation in trade publishing in Australia and the UK, in which I have worked since 2001. I have worked in-house for digital publisher Bookouture on commercial fiction, and before that the more traditional houses, Atlantic Books and Allen & Unwin. I have a particular interest in digital publishing. I’m experienced in working with first-time authors through to seasoned writers, journalists, high-profile authors, and celebrities. My job is to make your manuscript the best manuscript it can be. I love what I do, and I’m good at it! I’m communicative and have a dry sense of humour, empathy and imagination. I will work with you to help you take your manuscript where you want it to go – whether that is to a small group of people, or the world.

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing, developmental/structural edits, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Commercial fiction. Particularly: women’s fiction, crime and thriller, historical fiction and romantic comedy.

∗  Gina Flaxman

https://ginaflaxman.journoportfolio.com/ gina.flaxman[at]gmail.com

I have more than 20 years’ editorial and publishing experience. After years as a magazine chief subeditor, I now use my editing, research and publication management skills to work with private clients on a variety of manuscripts. I usually work on fiction and memoir and on non-fiction (mostly health, food and cookbooks), but I’m happy to work in other areas. With my magazine background I’ve had a lot of experience working on highly visual print products and I’m well versed in liaising with writers, graphic designers, food stylists and clients. I can manage an entire publishing project from start to finish, simply give your copy a final polish, or anything in between. I also offer copy editing and proofreading services for corporate documents such as reports and white papers. As a writer, my journalism has appeared in outlets including  The Saturday Paper  and SBS and my short fiction has been published in  Meanjin . I received a Varuna Publisher’s Fellowship for my novel in progress.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessments, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, project management, corporate documents.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Illustrated and non-illustrated non-fiction (particularly health, food, cookbooks), narrative non-fiction, memoir, literary fiction, commercial fiction, corporate documents.

Rebecca Fletcher Words on Words

Rebecca[at]wordsonwords.com.au

Hi there! I have worked as a freelance writer and editor since 2017. Experienced with editing for digital and print, I split my work between fiction editing, business/academic editing and proofreading. I love working with authors who are looking to self-publish, guiding them through the editing and publishing process. I have a Bachelor of Arts in writing and completed my Master of Creative Writing, Editing and Publishing at the University in Melbourne in 2021. I am a professional member of IPEd. Based in Ballarat, I am also a regional ambassador for Writers Victoria, working closely with writers in the regions to connect them and help them take the next steps in their writing.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental/structural editing, copy editing, proofreading. I also love working with first time authors who have a lot of questions!

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction, especially speculative or contemporary fiction and YA/young adult. I also edit non-fiction, particularly self-help books, and I love humour writing (fiction and otherwise!).

Sarah JH Fletcher

www.sarahjhfletcher.com sjhfletcher [at] gmail [dot] com @sjhfletcher

[Sarah will be on maternity leave from August 2020.] Sarah has been working in the publishing industry for the past decade and editing since 2007. She began her career inhouse in the children’s and YA division of Random House Australia, moving to Murdoch Books to work on adult titles, then going freelance in 2011. Her clients range from multinational trade publishers to digital-first startups. An advocate for quality digital publishing, Sarah is a well-regarded speaker and industry trainer. She was previously known as Sarah Hazelton.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing; copy editing; proofreading; ebook development and quality assurance.

AREAS OF INTEREST: All fiction for children’s, YA and adult audiences. General non-fiction, especially popular science and law for non-specialists. Digital publishing in theory and practice. Presentations and industry training.

Geneve Flynn

www.geneveflynn.com.au geneveflynn[at]outlook.com

Geneve Flynn is a two-time Bram Stoker Award®- and Shirley Jackson Award-winning editor and a professional member of IPEd. She was assistant editor for Relics, Wrecks & Ruins, an Aurealis Award-winning speculative fiction anthology which features bestselling authors such as Neil Gaiman, Ken Liu, Juliet Marillier, Garth Nix and Angela Slatter. She teaches creative writing workshops with Brisbane Writers’ Workshop and has presented for GenreCon, StokerCon and WorldCon. She has been an Australasian Horror Writers Association mentor, a submissions reader for the Aurealis magazine, and a judge for the Australian Shadows Awards. Her horror short fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been published in Australian and international markets. Her work has been nominated or shortlisted for the British Fantasy, Locus, Aurealis, Australian Shadows, Ditmar, Elgin and Rhysling Awards, and the Pushcart Prize.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment and copy editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy and horror), mystery/thriller, middle-grade fiction, YA fiction. Short fiction and long-form works.

Simone Ford

www.simoneford.com fordsimone[at]gmail.com

Simone has been working in the publishing industry for more than twenty-five years. She was an editor at Allen & Unwin and Pan Macmillan before breaking out into the freelance world over a decade ago. Since then she has worked for many leading publishers, including Allen & Unwin, HarperCollins, Pan Macmillan, Hardie Grant, Ventura Press, Hachette and ABC Books. She also loves helping private clients develop their writing for submission or self-publication. In addition to her work in trade publishing, Simone has extensive experience in academic, corporate and website editing. She has been a judge for the HarperCollins Varuna Awards for Manuscript Development and is a Professional Member of the Institute of Professional Editors.

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing, structural editing, proofreading, project management, manuscript assessment.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Young adult, fiction (literary, commercial, fantasy, science fiction), children’s, sport, memoir, history, narrative non-fiction, science, craft and cooking.

∗  Jessica Friedmann

www.jessicafriedmann.com jess.friedmann[at]gmail.com

An experienced magazine and journal editor, Jessica has worked at  Dumbo Feather ,  Going Down Swinging ,  a cloth-covered button  and  Farrago , well as for clients such as Angostura Bitters and the Lonely Planet. She is currently Publications Manager at Australian Poetry, and has a strong love of poetry, fiction and literary non-fiction in all its forms. Having worked across all aspects of print production, Jessica is able to shepherd a publication through its entire life cycle, from concept and design through to printing and distribution. She is available for copywriting and basic typesetting where it complements required editorial work.

TYPE OF EDITING: Project management, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, plain English rewriting, corporate communications.

AREAS OF INTEREST: General and literary fiction, poetry, short story, general and literary non-fiction, YA, essay, illustrated, memoir, travel, art and photography, design.

Jess Gately

jjgately.com jess[at]jjgately.com @Jess_Gately

Jess Gately is a Perth-based freelance fiction editor specialising in science fiction and fantasy. She was a judge for the 2019 and 2020 Aurealis Awards and her master’s thesis explored the process of editing a manuscript that utilises fictional languages. She is the President of Editors WA, a branch of the Institute of Professional Editors. Her work with Underground Writers has given her extensive experience working with emerging writers.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment, structural editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction, YA, speculative fiction, sci-fi, fantasy.

∗  Rema Gnanadickam Zodiac Publishing Services

[email protected]

Rema has been in the publishing world in India and Australia for more than 30 years. Her experience has been mostly with primary, secondary and tertiary educational publishing. Many of the books she edited and produced were in the Maths and Science areas. She has worked with Harcourt Brace and Company, Hodder Headline, Horwitz Education and Cambridge University Press. Since 2016 she has been freelancing for several publishers and worked on a variety of genres: educational, self-help, non-fiction and professional development. Her speciality is project management and taking a project from manuscript to printed book.

TYPE OF EDITING:  Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading and print management.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Narrative and general non-fiction, illustrated books, academic titles, and educational titles.

∗  Irma Gold

www.irmagold.com/editing-services irmagold[at]iimetro.com.au Instagram: @irma.gold Twitter: @Irma_Gold Facebook: @IrmaGoldAuthor

Irma Gold has worked as an editor for 23 years, both freelance and in-house. She was Convener of Editing at the University of Canberra for a decade, and currently works from Naarm/Melbourne as a full-time freelance editor for Australian publishers like Hardie Grant, Penguin Random House, Walker Books and a range of smaller independents. She has also worked extensively for cultural institutions like the National Library of Australia, QUT Art Museum and William Robinson Gallery, National Museum of Australia and National Gallery of Australia, among others. Irma also works with individual writers looking to prepare their manuscript for submission to traditional publishers, or indie writers looking to create a professional self-published book. As a published author of works for adults and children herself, Irma understands both sides of the editing and publishing process.

TYPE OF EDITING: Project management, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessment.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction (literary and commercial, not genre with the exception of crime), non-fiction (memoir, biography, narrative non-fiction and travel), children’s fiction and non-fiction (picture books, junior fiction, middle grade and YA), magazines (arts and travel). Irma has extensive experience working with First Nations authors and illustrators.

Kate Goldsworthy

kate.m.goldsworthy[at]gmail[dot]com LinkedIn: Kate Goldsworthy

Kate has been working on trade books for fifteen years. As a freelance editor, she has worked for Allen & Unwin, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Transit Lounge, Black Inc., Ventura Press, Text Publishing, Affirm Press, Echo Publishing and Pantera Press. She has also worked full-time as an in-house editor at Black Inc. and Affirm Press. In 2015 and 2016 she mentored authors at Varuna. She has a diploma in Professional Writing & Editing from RMIT.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessment and author mentoring.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Memoir, literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, history, biography, current affairs, essays, politics, short stories and young adult fiction.

Elena Gomez

elenagomez.net elenamaria[dot]gomez[at]gmail[dot]com

Elena has a decade of experience in publishing, and eight years’ experience as an editor, most recently as deputy managing editor. She has worked in house for Murdoch Books, Text Publishing and Penguin Random House Australia. She has also edited for cultural organisations such as Sydney Living Museums. Elena enjoys editing and developing manuscripts in a wide variety of genres. As a published poet, she is also available to work with poetry manuscripts. She enjoys working with first-time and experienced writers.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, line editing, copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Commercial fiction (including romance and crime); literary fiction; memoir; general non-fiction; essays; poetry.

∗  Lesley Halm

praxisediting.com lesleyhalm[at]gmail.com LinkedIn: Lesley Halm

The co-founder of Praxis Editing, Lesley is a highly skilled freelance editor, with major clients including Hachette Australia, Text Publishing, Affirm, Scribe Publications, UQP, and UTAS’s School of Humanities. She has over ten years’ experience working in diverse publishing environments, including trade publishing, lit journals, and digital environments. Before working in-house as an editor with Scribe for four years, she was the online editor for Island magazine, special editor for the Review of Australian Fiction , and bookseller for Fullers Bookshop. With an Arts and Fine Arts degree, and a postgrad qualification in Editing and Publishing, she was also a judge for the Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers for four years, and co-founder of emerging writers’ group Twitch, auspiced by the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre. A published writer, Lesley is extremely passionate about the art of writing (and reading) and has a particular love of finding and developing great narratives, both in fiction and nonfiction and across a broad range of genres.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural development, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessment/evaluation, MS styling and localisation, transcribing, blurb and copy writing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction – literary and mass-market, but with a particular interest in speculative/dystopian fiction, science fiction, horror, alt fiction (yes, she still believes it’s a valid category) and children’s fiction and picture books. Nonfiction – memoir, science, history, art, food, and humour. Lesley also loves working with graphic novels, comics, zines, poetry, journals, and illustrated works. Or napkin scribbles.

Sonja Heijn

sheijn[at]gmail.com

Sonja has worked in publishing for ten years, beginning in-house at Scribe Publications in Melbourne after completing a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT. Nowadays she edits, proofreads and writes copy from home in Newcastle NSW for a range of private clients and trade publishers including Allen & Unwin, Black Inc, DK, Hardie Grant, Penguin and UQP

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading; also copywriting and manuscript assessment.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction, narrative non-fiction, children’s, YA, cookery, gardening, science, current affairs, history.

Denise Holden AE Central Writing & Editing Services

www.centralediting.com.au [email protected] @DeniseHolden

Denise specialises in technical, business, government and academic editing. Since establishing Central Writing & Editing Services in 2006 she has completed projects for local councils, state and federal government departments, universities in NSW and WA, companies in the ASX Top 200, as well as smaller businesses. Prior to this Denise held senior corporate and consulting roles  in marketing, media and research in which she was responsible for writing and editing proposals, reports, presentations and competitive tenders; and developing staff training programs. She also has expertise in compiling and analysing data, statistics and research. Denise’s undergraduate degree was in commerce with a major in statistics. She followed this with a master’s degree in writing incorporating a graduate certificate in editing and publishing. She has completed professional development courses through the NSW Writers’ Centre and Society of Editors (NSW) and was accredited by the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) in 2011.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, technical editing, plain English rewriting, formatting.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Business, corporate, government, technical, scientific, academic, theses, non-fiction.

Joanne Holliman

joanne.holliman[at]gmail.com

Joanne has nearly three decades of publishing experience. She has worked as an editor, project manager, researcher and writer on a broad range of publications for trade and custom publishers (both in-house and as a freelancer), cultural organisations, government agencies, educational institutions and business enterprises. She has been employed by all the major publishing houses – Allen & Unwin, MUP, UQP, NewSouth, Pan Macmillan, Hachette, New Holland, among them – and has worked closely with first-time as well as experienced authors. As a highly skilled structural and copy editor, she can assist you to take your idea through all the stages of production through to finish product, or work with you on just one stage of that process, as well as provide advice on what next. With Joanne, you will be in safe hands.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural and copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessment and development, writing and researching, and project management.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Narrative and general non-fiction, illustrated books, academic titles, fiction – almost anything.

∗  Kirstie Innes-Will

kirstieaiw [at] gmail.com

Kirstie has been a professional book editor for 20 years. Most recently, she was editorial director / associate publisher at Black Inc., where she focused on non-fiction, working with authors such as David Marr, Jess Hill, Don Watson, Annabel Crabb and Benjamin Law. She has edited the Quarterly Essay since 2014. Kirstie is an IPED accredited editor and in her years as a freelancer her clients included trade publishers Penguin, Oxford University Press and Hardie Grant, as well as writers looking to self-publish or polish their work for submission. Her early career in educational editing gave her a grounding in handling large, complex illustrated and highly referenced works. She has taught editing and proofreading short courses at RMIT and run PD sessions for fellow editors.

TYPE OF EDITING: Project management, manuscript assessment, structural editing, line editing, copy editing, copywriting, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: General and illustrated non-fiction, particularly politics, history social issues, sustainability, psychology and neurodiversity; memoir; biography; literary fiction and YA; essays.

∗  Liz Kemp

www.lizkemp.com [email protected] @hexwoodharriet

Liz has worked in the publishing industry for over ten years, most recently as publishing assistant/editor at HarperCollins Children’s and YA department. She has also been a member of the programming team at the State Library of Victoria’s Centre for Youth Literature. Her freelance business includes an audio transcription service for authors.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript development and author mentoring, structural editing, copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Young adult, children’s and adult fiction (genre and literary): general non-fiction — memoir, history, etc.

Vanessa Lanaway red dot scribble editorial services

red.scribble[at]gmail.com @reddotscribble

Vanessa has been an editor since 2003. Prior to commencing her freelance career, she was managing editor of Macmillan Education’s primary library division, overseeing the children’s illustrated non-fiction list. Freelance since 2011, her clients include Allen & Unwin, Hardie Grant Egmont, Penguin, Momentum, Pantera Press, Bounce Books, Hinkler, Macmillan and Oxford University Press.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, briefing illustrators, versioning text between US/UK English.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction and non-fiction for both children and adults, especially YA fiction, children’s non-fiction, romance and cooking.

Portia Lindsay

www.portialindsay.com @portialindsay

Portia was proofreader for the 2015 Viva La Novella winners:  Formaldehyde  by Jane Rawson,  The End of Seeing  by Christy Collins and  Welcome to Orphancorp  by Marlee Jane Ward. For years Portia proofread  Newswrite , the NSW Writers’ Centre magazine,  Seizure  magazine and the Seizure website. She also has vast experience writing and copy editing content, grant applications and marketing material for a variety of projects and publications to do with Seizure, Mudgee Readers’ Festival and NSWWC. Portia has worked for the Manuscript Appraisal Agency and manages submissions for Seizure, as well as working as a reviewer and industry insider (in bookshops and NSWWC) for many years.

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction, memoir, spec fic, romance, short stories, essays, cultural studies.

Martine Lleonart

martinelleonart.com martinelleonart[at]gmail[dot]com

Martine Lleonart has worked in the book industry for over eighteen years. Before life as a freelancer, Martine worked in-house for Hinkler Books as its managing editor. She spent several years as senior editor of pictorial books, merchandise and general reference books for Lonely Planet Publications. She has also worked as assistant editor and, later, co-editor of Australia’s leading literary magazine,  Meanjin . Her clients include trade publishers as well as not-for-profit organisations and individuals. Past clients include Hardie Grant Books, Allen & Unwin, Plum Publications, Lonely Planet Publications and Random House.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment, structural editing, copy editing, project management including briefing and commissioning, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: General reference, illustrated non-fiction, literary fiction, travel, humour, food, gardening and children’s reference.

www.nikkilusk.com nikkilusk[at]gmail.com @booktuner

Nikki moved from practising criminal law to editing legal, academic and trade books in 2008. She began freelance editing in 2014, having previously worked in-house as an editor at UQP and a senior editor at Black Inc. She has worked with authors including David Marr, Anna Krien, Benjamin Law, David Malouf and Anna Goldsworthy.

TYPE OF EDITING: Reader’s reports, manuscript development, structural reports and edits, copy edits, proofreads.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Politics, history, current affairs, popular science, memoir, narrative non-fiction, short stories, literary adult and YA fiction.

Brooke Lyons

brookelyons.com.au [email protected] LinkedIn Brooke Lyons 

Brooke is a skilled, perceptive and experienced editor who has been working with words for two decades. She began freelancing in 2016 after a successful in-house career in book publishing and corporate communications, including three years as managing editor at Wiley. Brooke provides copy editing and proofreading services to a small number of loyal book publishing clients. Her recent clients include Affirm Press, the National Library of Australia, Pan Macmillan, Major Street Publishing, Amba Press and Publish Central. Brooke holds postgraduate qualifications in editing and publishing. She is a professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) and a manuscript assessor for Writers Victoria.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Self-help/personal development, general non-fiction, commercial fiction (proofreading only).

www.johnmapps.com mappsj[at]bigpond.net.au

I’ve been an editor since the 1980s and work on general non-fiction books, as well as corporate and government publications. I’m a generalist, working across a big range of non-fiction genres. My clients include HarperCollins, Allen & Unwin, Pan Macmillan, Murdoch Books, Reader’s Digest, NewSouth Books, Melbourne University Press, Editor Group, ACOSS, as well as private, self-publishing clients.

TYPE OF EDITING: Project management, structural editing, copy editing and proofreading; plain English rewrites.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Memoir, biography, current affairs, sport, history (especially military history), politics, gardening, academic works, government reports, corporate documents.

Kylie Mason

www.kyliemmason.com [email protected]

Kylie has been a freelance editor for eleven years and has also worked inhouse for HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan. As a freelance editor she has worked with HarperCollins, Penguin, UQP, Random House, Hachette, Allen & Unwin, Momentum, ABC Books and Pantera Press.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessment and development.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Literary and commercial fiction, crime, romance, fantasy/science fiction/spec fic, memoir, history, craft and cookery.

Scott McConnell

LinkedIn Scott McConnell thestoryguy[at]scottamcconnell.com @ScriptEditing

Scott McConnell has worked in story for thirty years and is a former Los Angeles film and television producer who is now a writer and story consultant in Australia. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America. Scott also edits the manuscripts of novels. He enjoys helping to develop stories to have universal themes and local colour and to find solutions to story problems. As an Australian-American, Scott can vet the authenticity of Australian and American stories. His specialties include concept, character and theme development, plot structure and the application of dramatic devices.

TYPES OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment/developmental editing; film and TV scripts.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Drama, war, adventure, action, thriller, westerns, sci-fi, historical, biopics, romance.

Rebecca Millar

www.rebeccamillareditorial.com rebeccamillar[at]hotmail.co.uk Instagram: @bring.your.own.book

Hi, I’m Rebecca Millar – a book editor with over three years’ experience in the commercial publishing industry. Before breaking out on my own, I was an editor at Penguin Random House, where I was privileged to work closely across a wide array of books – including a few  Sunday Times  bestsellers –  by both household names as well as emerging debut writers. I have formal qualifications from the Publishing Training Centre for both Copy Editing and Proofreading, as well as being trained on the job by some of the best publishers and editors in the business. Before Penguin, I ran the editorial department of a self-publishing company, working with a range of authors on their projects, to make their writing the best it could possibly be, and guiding them through the process of becoming an author. This still remains the best part of my job – getting to work closely with an author, coming to understand their writing and working together to make their manuscript the best it can be.

TYPE OF EDITING: I have expertise in all levels of editing including editorial assessment, structural editing, copy editing and proofreading, across both fiction and non-fiction.

AREAS OF INTEREST: I’m experienced in a wide variety of genres, from the more niche Star Wars and Stranger Things publishing lists to mass-market celebrity and personal memoirs such as Tina Turner’s  My Love Story  and  Sherlock: The Fire Brigade Dog.  I also currently work with major romance publisher, Mills and Boon – my not so guilty pleasure. However, my expertise – and personal passion – lies in all things crime and thriller, working on such titles as  The Nanny  by Gilly Macmillan,  Come Back For Me  by Heidi Perks and  The Kingfisher Secret  by Anonymous.

Kathryn Moore Kat’s Copy

www.katscopy.com [email protected] @katiesevenfour LinkedIn: Kathryn Moore

Kathryn moved from the UK in 2011 and studied professional writing and editing at RMIT in Melbourne, where she now lives. She started a freelance book editing and assessment business in 2014, and since then she has worked for several small publishers and directly with both new and experienced writers. She’s passionate about story and about helping you make your writing the very best it can be.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessments, screenplay assessments.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction of any genre: general, spec-fic, romance, humour, lesbian fiction, crime, thriller, action & adventure, fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, horror, YA. Screenplays: any genre.

∗  Bríd Morahan editproof australia

editproof.com.au e:brid[at]editproof.com.au

I am a writer and I have been working as an editor since 2002. My experience includes magazine copy and articles, reports and other published materials for academic and business clients (e.g. NSW Bar Association, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and a range of universities in NSW and South Australia). I have worked on fiction – both long-form (novella, novel) and short stories – and on memoir. I have experience with non-fiction works in diverse fields from medicine to music. I have a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English and a Master of Applied Linguistics. I love to help writers craft their work towards publication readiness.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental editing, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, beta reading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction, memoir, biography, non-fiction in education, language, theatre, drama, film.

Rod Morrison

wordsandpages.com.au rod.morrison[at]me.com

Rod has been in the publishing industry for more than 20 years and is a highly experienced editor/publisher. He has worked as commissioning editor at HarperCollins, associate publisher (non-fiction) at Hardie Grant, and Picador publisher at Pan Macmillan. In 2011 he co-founded independent publisher Brio Books (now a division of Booktopia). He has extensive experience editing memoir, biography, history, true crime, popular science and mathematics, current affairs, politics, sport and travel. He has worked with authors such as Hugh van Cuylenburg, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, Adam Spencer, Mike Carlton, Robin Barker, Robert Dessaix, Tara Moss, Malla Nunn, Emily Maguire, Kim Scott and Carrie Tiffany. He has also mentored writers at UTS and Varuna and taught publishing at the University of Sydney.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Non-fiction – memoir, biography, history, true crime, popular science and mathematics, current affairs, politics, sport and travel.

Christine Nagel Literary Services

www.nagelliteraryservices.com.au [email protected]

Christine Nagel is a professional freelance IPEd editor and holds a BA from Deakin University in creative writing and literature. She is a founding member of the Society of Editors, WA. After ten years working in the public and private sectors, Christine started her own freelance editing business in 1993. Since then she has helped authors achieve commercial publication, assisted self-publishing writers, and worked with award-winning writers in developing their writing. Christine offers a supportive, collaborative partnership to help authors bring their writing to the next level. She provides advice on developmental issues such as story, plot and character, as well as polishing manuscripts in the line and copy-editing stages.

TYPE OF EDITING: Assessments, developmental/structural editing, line and copy editing, formatting.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction: general, crime, mystery, erotica, drama. Creative non-fiction: memoir, biography, some self-help.

Sumudu Narayana

hello[at]sknarayana.com

Sumudu began her career in health and medical research, and has been a freelance editor for more than five years. She works with various writers groups around Australia, and also regularly works with emerging and self-publishing writers. She is passionate about words and the power of stories in our lives. Sumudu is constantly developing her writing and editing skills, and has presented workshops on editing for writers.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, manuscript assessments, copy editing, mentoring.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Adult and YA: fantasy, romance, historical fiction, women’s fiction, contemporary fiction, crime/mystery; academic and education texts.

Darren Nash Editorial Services

darrenanash.com darren[at]darrenanash[dot]com

Darren Nash is a freelance editor with more than twenty-five years of experience in commercial publishing with multinational houses in Australia and the UK. His editorial experience embraces two decades with major British SF imprints Earthlight, Orbit and, most recently, Gollancz, where he was responsible for launching the   SF Gateway c lassic science fiction ebook program and the third edition of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction . Autho rs he has worked with include Trudi Canavan, Mike Carey, Marianne de Pierres, Kate Griffin (who now writes as Claire North), Glenda Larke, Ken MacLeod, Paul McAuley and Sean Williams. Books he has edited have won or been shortlisted for major genre awards including the Hugo, Arthur C. Clarke, Aurealis, Ditmar and Philip K. Dick Awards.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment, structural editing, line editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Adult science fiction and fantasy, crime, thrillers, humour, YA science fiction and fantasy.

∗  Abigail Nathan Bothersome Words Editing & Writing Services

www.bothersomewords.com Editor[at]BothersomeWords.com

Abigail has a background in copywriting, magazine sub-editing and legal editing, and has been a freelance editor for more than eight years. She works with various Australian publishing houses, including HarperCollins, Random House, Hachette, Pearson and LexisNexis, as well as Etopia Press in the US, and also works regularly with emerging and self-publishing writers. Abigail is the managing director of Bothersome Words Editing & Writing Services and blogs about editing, writing and reading at  https://www.bothersomewords.com/blog . She is the website coordinator for the Society of Editors (NSW) Inc. and has co-presented workshops on social media and marketing for freelancers.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment and development; structural editing; copy editing; proofreading; plain English rewriting.

AREAS OF INTEREST: commercial fiction, crime, romance (including erotica), speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and horror), YA and children’s fiction, general non-fiction, memoir, psychology, philosophy, academic and education texts, legal publications.

∗  Pauline O’Carolan In the Garret Writing and Editorial Services

paulineprivate5[at]gmail.com

Pauline has extensive experience in editing and proofreading legal material after a thirteen-year career as editor/senior editor at Thomson Legal from 1994 until 2007, and as a long-term freelance proofreader for McGraw-Hill Australia. She began her trade publishing freelance career in 2002 working for HarperCollins Australia, at that stage primarily proofreading for the Voyager list but also children’s titles, commercial fiction and some non-fiction. Her career took a new direction in 2007 when she became the contracts manager for HarperCollins Australia, retiring from that role in September 2022. She continued as a freelance proofreader for publisher clients, Xoum Publishing (mostly non-fiction) and Harlequin (fiction) in particular, and private clients (novels and theses) while contracts manager. In her retirement she is keen to keep her brain active with new opportunities, especially for proofreading. Pauline enjoys direct contact with authors after so many years of editing their manuscripts and negotiating their contracts, and is herself the author of sixteen readers for EFL students.

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing, proofreading (especially proofreading).

AREAS OF INTEREST: Crime, commercial women’s fiction, romance, children’s, legal, education.

∗  Kate O’Donnell

www.editorkate.au [email protected]

Kate has been a trade publishing editor since 2006. She has worked with Jackie French, Courtney Act, Sean Williams, Judy Nunn and Jessica Dettmann, among others.

TYPE OF EDITING: All.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Literary fiction, children’s, YA, spec fic, sci-fi, fantasy, romance (any fiction, really).

∗  Erin O’Dwyer

www.erinodwyer.com www.goodprosestudios.com [email protected]

Erin O’Dwyer is a journalist, writer and editor. Erin has worked in the Australian media for more than 25 years, in print, digital and broadcast settings. She is a specialist academic, public policy and non-fiction editor. She brings to her editing work rigorous academic credentials plus a journalist’s eye for plain English, readability, audience, tone, story and narrative. A passionate writing teacher and coach, Erin loves working collaboratively with clients to make their writing the best it can be. Erin holds a PhD in English Literature, as well as a BA/LLB (Hons). She has taught post-graduate writing and journalism courses at the University of Sydney, UTS, QUT, UOW and UNSW, as well as writing workshops at the ACIJ and Qld Writers Centre. She has written extensively for  The   Sydney Morning Herald  and still writes occasionally for the  SMH  and  The Saturday Paper . She is an associate member of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and a professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd). She knows how to spot a story, shape an idea, develop a narrative, and help writers find their voice. Recent clients include McGraw Hill, SBS, Australian Geographic, RMIT, UNSW and UOW.

TYPES OF EDITING: Copy editing, structural editing, developmental/project editing and proofreading; story development, writing coaching and mentoring; copywriting, rewriting, fact checking, plain English writing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Non-fiction and narrative non-fiction – all genres including memoir, investigative, travel, biography, public policy, social issues, politics and current affairs, educational textbooks, academic research (sciences and humanities), PhD and Masters theses.

Bronwyn O’Reilly

bronwynhoreilly[at]gmail[dot]com

I’m the best combination of organised and creative, and am armed with ten years’ international experience in the publishing industry. I’ve worked as an editor for Penguin Random House in Australia and for Bloomsbury in the UK, as well as for the exhibitions team at the breathtaking Natural History Museum in London. I recognise the time, energy and care it takes to write a manuscript and I work closely with my authors to nurture their work and shape their words into the best possible book, one with powerful characters, compelling storylines and meaningful messages. My editing speaks for itself: authors I have had the pleasure of working with have gone on to win the Sisters in Crime Davitt Award, the Griffith University Young Adult Book Award and the EAC Best Exhibition Catalogue Award. Others have been shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Award, the Aurealis Award, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the Indie Book Award. If you’re looking for an editor to help you work on your manuscript until it’s ready for self-publishing or submission, take that leap and contact me. I offer a range of services, from developmental editing to proofreading, as well as an ‘ask an editor’ service for the Big Questions that face every writer.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental/structural editing, line editing, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Children’s books: middle-grade fiction, young adult fiction, children’s non-fiction. Adults’ books: commercial fiction, fantasy, narrative non-fiction, non-professional natural history, popular science.

Nicola O’Shea

www.nicolaoshea.com nicola[at]nicolaoshea.com

Nicola has been working as an editor since the early 1990s. After several years in-house at HarperCollins, she set up her own freelance editing business in 2004. Her clients include Australian publishers such as HarperCollins, Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Allen & Unwin, Hachette, as well as authors seeking editorial advice before submitting their manuscript to a literary agent or publisher. She also works with authors who choose to self-publish. Nicola has taught editing at UTS and Sydney University, the Australian Publishers’ Association and the Society of Editors NSW; and has run workshops for writers through Sydney Writers’ Festival and NSW Writers’ Centre.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript development; structural editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Genre fiction, literary fiction.

Alexandra Payne

alexandrakpayne[at]gmail[dot]com @alexandrapayne

Alexandra has worked as an editor and publisher in trade publishing for more than two decades. She has been employed inhouse at both multinational and independent publishers, including Penguin and Hardie Grant. From 2007 to 2018 she was the Non-fiction Publisher (Trade) at UQP. She now works freelance for both trade publishers and individual authors.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental/structural editing, book doctoring, copy editing, ghost-writing, project management, proofreading, commissioning/scouting, author support and mentoring.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Non-fiction (commercial and literary), narrative non-fiction and illustrated non-fiction. Genres include memoir, biography, personal development, activism, environmental/nature writing, politics, current affairs, sport, mind/body/spirit, health and wellbeing, travel and more.

www.camhapham.com camha.pham[at]gmail.com

Camha Pham is an experienced accredited freelance editor (Institute of Professional Editors), with over nine years of experience in the publishing industry. She has worked in-house as a development editor at Oxford University Press and at Margaret River Press. As a freelancer, she has worked on copy editing and proofreading projects for publishers including Hachette, Allen & Unwin, UQP, Hardie Grant, Magabala Books, Wiley and Pearson, among others. She currently sits on the Editorial Board of Portside Review and was previously on the Editorial Board of Margaret River Press. She also works in the industry as a mentor and peer assessor, and has conducted workshops for Sweatshop and the Centre for Stories. She is co-founder of the FNPOC in Publishing Network along with publishing professionals Radhiah Chowdhury and Grace Lucas-Pennington.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing; copy editing; proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: General non-fiction, educational textbooks, fiction, short story collections.

∗  Anne Reilly

www.annereilly.com.au anne[at]reilly.id.au

25+ years’ experience in publishing industry, predominantly as non-fiction editor with specialisation in life story. Collaborative style.

TYPE OF EDITING: Non-fiction structural editing, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Memoir, biography, current affairs, history, politics, ghost-writing, children’s and YA fiction.

[email protected]

Every text needs an editor, an expert set of eyes to anticipate your audience’s needs and give them no excuse to stop reading. By shepherding writing to publication, I help readers to enjoy books, students to learn from course materials and communities to form around websites. (I can un-dangle a dangling phrase while blindfolded, too!) I love nothing more than the satisfying rhythm of crisp, lucid prose.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, plain English rewriting, professional communications, thesis editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Narrative non-fiction, memoir, autobiography, literary fiction, genre fiction.

Samantha Sainsbury

samanthasainsbury.com [email protected]

I’m a freelance editor and publishing consultant with almost fifteen years experience in the book industry. I was Managing Editor at Penguin Random House and Senior Editor at Pan Macmillan Australia. I have edited a raft of best-selling and critically acclaimed books and worked with top-tier authors across the trade such as Liane Moriarty, Di Morrissey, Prof Kerryn Phelps, Mia Freedman and Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton. If you are looking to get published or to self-publish, I can help you achieve your goal of producing something special that gets attention.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental/structural, copy editing, mentoring and publishing consulting.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, health, business, younger readers and YA.

Emma Schwarcz

emma.schwarcz[at]hotmail.com

Emma has been a professional book editor for more than 12 years. She was senior editor at Hardie Grant Books, where she focused mostly on narrative non-fiction and memoir and worked with such authors as Shaun Micallef, Denise Scott, Dave O’Neil, James Halliday, Malcolm Knox and Barry Dickins. Since going freelance in 2010, she has found a greater balance between fiction and non-fiction, editing and proofreading books by J.M. Coetzee, Graeme Simsion, Fiona McIntosh and Angela Savage, among others. Her freelance clients include trade publishers such as Penguin, Text Publishing, Allen & Unwin, Hardie Grant, Random House and MUP, as well as literary journals, and individual writers looking to self-publish or polish their work for submission. She has taught writing at RMIT and has been on the literature panel for Arts Victoria.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, project management.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Narrative non-fiction, memoir, fiction (both literary and commercial), humour, YA fiction.

∗  Cecile Shanahan Editing and Proofreading

Cecile.Shanahan.editor[at]gmai l.com Cecileshanahaneditor.com

Cecile is an experienced editor with a background in education, communications and arts. She prides herself on her attention to detail and her ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with authors and publishers. Cecile has previously been a CBCA board member, taught secondary school English and Literature and edited and proofread magazines, anthologies, memoirs, educational resources and journals, creative non-fiction, mysteries, historical fiction and self-help books. She is a current member of SCBWI and is passionate about literature for children and young adults. Cecile is an IPEd member and holds qualifications in journalism, education and of course, editing.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Children’s and YA fiction and non-fiction; educational publishing; general fiction.

Deborah Singerman Writing Editing and Proofreading Consultancy

www.deborahsingerman.com.au dsingcbeat[at]ozemail.com.au @deborahsingerma LinkedIn: Deborah Singerman

Deborah’s consultancy builds on her professional and personal experiences in Australia, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Her insatiable curiosity means she still enjoys writing and editing about issues before they become mainstream, contributing to their increasing acceptability. With degrees in economics and sociology (BSc from the London School of Economics and an MA in Australian Studies from the University of New South Wales), she helps creatives, solo authors, SMEs, start-ups, and not-for-profits get their message across to increase appreciation and understanding of their work. She also offers one-to-one collaborative consultations. Her current priorities are how we work and where we work, changing  nature if cities, non-pandemic healthcare and approaches to seniority. Member of Editors NSW, NSW Writers’ Centre, Architecture Association of Australia, War on Wasted Talent, and remote working, self-publishing and inner-west writing meetups.

TYPE OF EDITING: Development, structural and copy mainly for first-time authors covering expert professional stories and commentary, adaptations, commentary and updates of architectural features from 1960s and 1970s. One-to-one collaborative consultations in particular on healthcare. Editing/writing topical LinkedIn posts and articles, an ebook on lesbian marriage, memoir, essays.

AREAS OF INTEREST: City, culture, arts, socioeconomics, humanities,  architecture and design, creativity , sustainability, health and wellbeing and gender and sexuality.

Carly Tenille Slater

www.carlytenille.com carly[at]carlytenille.com @carlytenille

Carly began her career in health and education where she coordinated a writers program for academic content. From here she went on to become an in-house editor for a large international publishing company working on many titles from a wide range of subject areas including hospitality, business, management, education, health and trade services. Carly has also worked as a writer and editor for The Locavore Edition and Junkies Magazine , and has been published in a short story collection titled Dining Alone (Wakefield Press), and The Field Guide to NSW Produce (The Field Institute). As a qualified and experienced freelance editor, Carly now works with clients ranging from educational publishers, company directors and cookbook authors to emerging writers.

TYPE OF EDITING: Non-fiction and fiction structural editing, copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Commercial fiction, YA, memoir, craft, cookery, health, business publications, academic and education texts.

∗  Jane Smith

www.janesmitheditor.com janesmith66[at]live.com

As a published author and an experienced freelance editor, I understand what a writer needs from an editor. I treat authors with respect and manuscripts with sensitivity, and I understand the value of clear and positive communication. I will help you polish your manuscript while maintaining your unique style. I have experience in editing fiction and non-fiction for all ages, as well as picture books and university course materials. My clients have included publishers and indie authors. With my experience as an editor, author and librarian (in school, public and health libraries), I have a sound knowledge of the book industry from many perspectives. I am a professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd).

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessments, structural editing and copy editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Any fiction and commercial non-fiction, but with a particular interest in history (fiction and non-fiction) and children’s books. I am also interested in educational texts.

Kim Smith Kim’s Editing Solutions

kimseditingsolutions.com.au [email protected]

Kim has over 20 years’ experience in an editorial role – both in-house and, for the past six years, as a freelancer. She obtained a Graduate Certificate in Editing and Publishing in 2019 from USQ, and has professional memberships with both IPEd and the CIEP. Now semi-retired, she only takes on one book project at a time, but always has availability for small jobs. Her favourite genre is humorous sci-fi/fantasy, and she is a champion for Australian English.

TYPE OF EDITING: Manuscript assessment, line and copy editing. For self-publishers, she also offers a free proof-check (note: not a proofread) of the formatted (typeset) copy.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, humorous fiction, contemporary fiction, crime fiction, women’s fiction, and narrative non-fiction.

Marja Stack Clearlingo

www.clearlingo.co.nz marja[at]clearlingo.co.nz LinkedIn: Marja Stack

Marja loves turning complex writing into user-friendly content. She helps businesses and government organisations create clear content that is quick and easy to understand, and is especially interested in plain language editing. She works on reports, research articles, blogs and marketing content, style guides and general non-fiction. She also works with businesses and writers on non-fiction books that engage their readers with professional and polished writing, and makes navigating the complex publishing process easy and seamless.​​ Marja is an Accredited Editor through IPEd and an Advanced Professional Member of CIEP. She is based in New Zealand but works with clients from around the world. Marja founded Clearlingo in 2015 and has degrees in modern languages and speech and language therapy, and a diploma in editing and proofreading.

TYPE OF EDITING: Copy editing; proofreading; plain language editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Business/corporate and government content; technical editing; non-fiction books – business, agriculture, New Zealand, allied health, education, arts/music, travel, cookbooks, general.

∗  Candace Stuart

[email protected]

Candace has been working in the publishing industry for nearly 20 years. During a stint in the UK, she started as an editorial assistant at the Orion Publishing Group, before working her way up to become editorial manager for Orion Fiction. Since relocating back to Australia, she has held both in-house and freelance editorial positions at Pearson Australia, Scholastic, MultiLit and Walker Books Australia. Candace loves working with general fiction and all manner of children’s books, from picture books to YA, and also has experience in literacy and education. Candace is an IPEd accredited editor.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, editorial project management.

AREAS OF INTEREST: General fiction (including romance and fantasy), children’s, YA, education/literacy.

Shel Sweeney A Worded Life

www.AWordedLife.com [email protected] @ShelSweeney

After working for McGraw-Hill Book Company, Penguin Books and Heinemann, and following time teaching in educational institutions, Shel now works as a freelance editor, mentor and writer. Shel has worked with educational, trade and academic publishers, indie authors, large and small businesses, national and international corporations. Recent: Early author mentoring and development editing – Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler, published by Magabala Books, which won an Honorary award in the 2019 Children’s Book Council Awards.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural and copy editing; occasional proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction: picture books, middle grade, YA; non-fiction: creative non-fiction, memoir, history.

[email protected]

Kim is a freelance editor and ghost writer with over fifteen years’ industry experience working with the major Sydney publishers. She is also author of the novels  Black Diamonds ,  This Red Earth  and  A Blue Mile  under the name Kim Kelly.

TYPE OF EDITING: Author development/mentorship, and structural advice; copy editing for works contracted to publishers only.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Literary and genre fiction of all kinds, and narrative non-fiction, such as memoir, biography, history.

∗ Peter Symons Writing and Editing

www.petersymons.org pete1symons [at] yahoo.com.au

Peter Symons has been a freelance editor since 2013, editing everything from an award-winning history to PhDs. He holds an Honours Degree in History from Melbourne University, a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing from RMIT and a Master’s Degree in Public History from Monash University. He has experience in proofreading, copy editing, structural editing and obtaining copyright permissions. He prides himself in always completing work on time and on budget. He has published short stories in Overland , Island , The Victorian Writer and Pendulum Papers . He has also published a community history. He is a professional member of IPEd and member of the Professional Historians Association, and serves on their Committee of Management.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, layout and copyright permissions.

AREAS OF INTEREST: History, adult and children’s fiction, academia.

∗  Gail Tagarro The Book Writing Coach

www.bookwritingcoach.com.au gail[at]bookwritingcoach.com. au

I’ve been working with writers since 2005 on a broad range of editing projects. I’m a generalist editor, working with both fiction and non-fiction. A few years ago, I did freelance editing for Palgrave Macmillan on various textbooks. I’ve been an Accredited Editor (AE) with IPEd since 2008, have an MA Linguistics (1986) and a Dipl Journalism (1971).

TYPE OF EDITING: Fiction – all; non-fiction – all (except theses).

AREAS OF INTEREST: Historical fiction, sci fi, romance, YA. Non-fiction, memoir.

Cathie Tasker

www.cathietasker.com cathie[at]cathietasker.com

Cathie Tasker began her professional life as a librarian, then worked in publishing for many years, creating about 700 books  ‒ at Scholastic, HarperCollins and Koala Books. As an editor and publisher she worked on both popular and award-winning titles, many of which are still in print. She is now in her third career as a creative writing teacher, mostly at the Australian Writers’ Centre. And she is also a freelance structural editor ‒ look at her website to see a list of people she has worked with. Cathie also enjoys judging literary awards ‒ currently for the Aurealis Awards and the CBCA Book of the Year Awards.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, manuscript development, manuscript assessment.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Speculative fiction, genre fiction, children’s & YA fiction.

∗  Russell Thomson clear communications

www.clearcommunications.net.au ruspet[at]bigpond.net.au

Russell qualified as an IPEd accredited editor and is a professional member of Society of Editors NSW. Two decades of experience as proofreader, editor, sub-editor and project manager have seen him work in-house for Scholastic Press, Little Hare Books, ABC Books, POL Corporate Publications, HarperCollins Publishers  and Hardie Grant Egmont and as a freelancer for Deakin University, Murdoch Books, Penguin Random House as well as many projects for government, corporate and private clients. Since March 2014 he has been part-time publications editor for the Reserve Bank of Australia and has proofread Good Reading  magazine for over a decade.

TYPE OF EDITING: Extensive experience in all levels of editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Wide ranging – including picture books, YA, general fiction, non-fiction, recipe books, music, memoir, government reports, annual reports – anything to help with clear communication.

Anna Thwaites

annathwaites.com anna.s.thwaites[at]gmail.com

Anna Thwaites started out in 2011 working as an assistant editor for the political magazine Arena . After a brief stint in educational publishing, she worked for six years as an in-house book editor at Scribe Publications. Since the start of 2020 she’s worked as a freelance editor for trade publishers including Hardie Grant, Affirm Press, Ultimo Press, Melbourne University Publishing, Scribe Publications and Kill Your Darlings , as well as for uncontracted authors looking to self-publish or develop and polish their manuscript before sending to agents/publishers. She also works as a bookseller at Readings and is the co-editor of The Slow Canoe Live Journal and associated chapbooks.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental, structural and copy editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction (all forms), memoir, biography, narrative nonfiction, philosophy, history, popular science, cultural studies. Open to all areas except personal development/self-help.

Gordana Trifunovic

[email protected]

Gordana has over 13 years’ experience as an editor. She worked inhouse as a managing editor at Hardie Grant Books. She has freelanced for Murdoch Books, Random House, Reader’s Digest, Weldon Owen, ACP, Pacific Publications and IMP. Gordana has worked with authors such as Margaret Fulton, Pete Evans, Greg Malouf, Jane Kennedy, Darcey Bussell, Martyn Thompson, and Jason Grant.

TYPE OF EDITING: Project management, manuscript assessment, structural editing, copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Illustrated non-fiction – interiors, gardening, craft, fashion, photography, cooking, lifestyle, travel and memoir.

Libby Turner

libbyturnereditorial[at]gmail.com

Libby has been working as an editor since 2007. Her clients include industry-leading publishers such as Hachette, Hardie Grant, HarperCollins, Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. She also works with self-publishing authors, and authors seeking editorial feedback prior to submitting to a publisher. She is passionate about supporting aspiring authors on their writing journey.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental editing, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessment, blurb writing and mentoring.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Commercial fiction, fantasy and sci-fi, health and wellbeing, historical fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, romance and sport.

∗  Adam vanLangenberg Fireside Editing

www.firesideediting.com.au [email protected]

With a diverse background spanning over two decades – including roles as a magician, musician, Santa photographer, maths teacher, child carer, tech support officer, woodworker, and writer – I’ve found my true calling in editing. I thrive on collaborating with both seasoned and emerging authors to help them refine their work to its fullest potential. As an experienced writing coach, I am committed to fostering writers’ growth, offering tailored online sessions to develop their unique voices and storytelling skills. I actively contribute to the literary community by leading creative writing initiatives, guiding the Phoenix Park Writers Group, and teaching novel and memoir writing classes at Prahran Place. Beyond editing and coaching, I am also available for a range of writing services.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction (general, fantasy, sci-fi, humour), narrative non-fiction, educational non-fiction.

∗  Maja Vatrić

[email protected]

Maja has worked in publishing since 2008, beginning in-house at Pearson Australia in Melbourne after completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Editing and Communications) at the University of Melbourne. A freelancer since 2014, she has edited and proofread for a range of publishers including Lonely Planet, Wiley, OUP, Pearson and Cengage. In addition to traditional publishing, she also edits and copywrites marketing content for IT companies and marketing agencies.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, manuscript assessment.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Politics, current affairs, history, finance/economics, marketing.

Leanne Wickham Red Pencil Proofreading and Editing Ltd

www.inredpencil.co.nz [email protected]

With a lifelong passion for the written word, Leanne has made her career around writing. In 2015 she achieved a Diploma of Proofreading and Editing through the New Zealand Institute of Business Studies. She is also a Professional Member of the Institute of Professional Editors. Leanne proofreads and edits work for new and established authors from New Zealand and overseas along with proofreading work for students at universities around New Zealand. She also works with businesses as a freelance proofreader checking their websites, financial reports, case studies and all written work that is being distributed to the public. Leanne is the founder of Red Pencil, which provides high quality editorial services personalised to her clients’ needs.

TYPE OF EDITING: Developmental editing, copy editing and proofreading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Fiction in all genres for adults, children and YA; non-fiction including self-help, textbooks and cookbooks and all types of business documents.

Marisa Wikramanayake

www.marisa.com.au marisa[at]marisa.com.au @mwikramanayake

I have been a freelance editor since 2008 and have edited work for award-winning authors such as Jane Rawson and Amanda Jay and for publishers Hardie Grant, Fremantle Press and Margaret River Press. I also have worked for organisations such as Curtin University and World Vision.

TYPE OF EDITING: Structural editing, copy editing, proofreading, mentoring, sensitivity reading.

AREAS OF INTEREST: Academic, fiction (any), non-fiction (any), corporate.

• Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
• Current students
• Graduate researchers
• Submitting your thesis

Submitting your thesis and beyond

Tips on what you need to do before you submit your thesis and beyond.

When you pass the 3-year mark in your PhD candidature (or 1-year mark in your MPhil candidature) you should start preparing to submit your thesis to ensure timely completion. There are several requirements you will need to follow to successfully submit your thesis.

Get organised for your Completion Seminar

All graduate researchers are required to make a public presentation of their research findings at the University in the six-months prior to submitting their thesis for examination. This is called a Completion Seminar and is regarded as an important part of candidature. The seminar should present the objectives, methods, findings and significance of the candidate's thesis research. This is often a departmental seminar. Your supervisors will write a report detailing feedback that can be used for the final draft. Your Completion Seminar should be undertaken at around 3-6 months before you intend to submit. Be proactive and arrange your Completion Seminar ahead of time.

For more information on Completion seminars please go to the Graduate Research Hub page: Submitting my thesis | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Completion seminar requirements can be viewed on the Graduate Research Training Policy (MPF132) policy library. Please note: This policy in the process of being updated .

Preparing your thesis

There is a plethora of information on the GR Hub in regard to:

• Writing your thesis
• Incorporating your published work in your thesis
• Thesis with creative works
• Preparation of Graduate Research Thesis Rules
• Graduate researchers and digital assistance tools
• Research integrity in my thesis

All of which can be found here: Preparing my thesis | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Preparing to submit

Similarly, on the GR Hub there is information on what your need to do before you submit your thesis. Submitting my thesis | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Topics include

• Before you submit your thesis IP Guide
• Completion Seminar
• Creative works
• iThenticate
• Graduate Research Thesis Submission Checklist (download from the site)
• Read the section ‘How to submit’, which may take some of the mystery out of this final step and help take the jitters out of this stage.

The examination process

For information on the examination process Examination Overview | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Key points on:

• What examiners look for
• The Thesis Examination System
• Examination process
• Examination of jointly awarded PhD
• Examination criteria and marking
• Responding to examiners
• Changes to the thesis
• Citation for Completion

For additional information please view the Graduate Research Training Policy Graduate Research Training Policy (unimelb.edu.au)

Thesis submission date expiry and late submission

Your final thesis submission date will correspond to the maximum period of your candidature, that is for a PhD (4.5 EFTSL/years if you commenced prior to 1 March 2020, and 4 EFTSL if you commenced on or after 1 March 2020) or MPhil (2 EFTSL if you commenced on or after 1 March 2020).

However, if you need more time to submit, these are the options for GRs who confirmed after Jan 2018.

• If you need to up to two more weeks post final thesis submission date you need to apply for a 10-working day extension. Please request this by email with [email protected]
• If you cannot submit your thesis by your final thesis submission date and you need several weeks or up to 12 months extension of your thesis submission date, you need to apply for Late submission . Late submission applications need to be requested with the FEIT GR team 2 months prior to your final thesis submission date = 4 EFTSL date. More information on late submission can be found here: Late Submission | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Student visa holders: Staying in Australia for the examination period

Please take care with managing your visa extension needs, especially if your visa expiry date corresponds with your thesis submission date period and you intend on staying in Australia for the examination period. Please contact Stop1 for visa queries well before issues arise if you can.

Once student visa holders submit their thesis their CoE is ‘completed’ and they need to apply for a  CMT if they intend staying in Australia for the examination period. For requesting CMTs and more information: Renewing your student visa (unimelb.edu.au)

Find a professional editor in your field or genre, or in your language, with our Editors Directory .

Academic editors can save time and reduce stress for researchers

• About editing
• Editors’ pay rates
• Editing courses
• Types of editing
• IPEd Standards

Academic editing

• Resources for editors
• IngramSpark
• PerfectIt Cloud

Academic editors can save time and stress for writers of academic material, both research students and academics, at all stages of an academic project. Editors can help ensure a smooth transition from research to publication by working with authors to improve language and expression.

Academic editors work on a range of documents, including, but not limited to:

• academic articles
• books and book chapters
• conference papers and academic conference-related material
• working papers
• academic job and promotion applications
• policy recommendations
• grant applications
• survey, interview and data collection materials

An academic editor’s work includes:

• identifying and correcting errors and problems, including in spelling, grammar, terminology and punctuation
• suggesting changes to improve the flow, concision and/or presentation
• ensuring clarity of expression, correct idiom and appropriate tone
• helping with formatting and layout to meet department, journal or grant application instructions
• translating technical language to more general language when needed
• advising on argument and structure (although not usually for theses, which must adhere to the Guidelines )
• creating style sheets and templates
• editing, formatting and converting references to required styles.

IPEd members can find further resources on academic editing via the member-only portal .

On this page, you will find: 

• Guidelines for Editing Research Theses

Indicative costs of academic editing

• Academic editing resources.
• Guidelines for editing research theses

Guidelines for editing research theses outlines the nature and extent of services that professional editors may ethically provide when editing students’ theses and the responsibilities of editors, students and supervisors relevant to editing. The Guidelines applies to all forms of research theses, including an exegesis that may accompany a creative work submitted for examination.

This 2019 edition of the Guidelines has been consolidated and updated after a critical analysis of the previous version by the IPEd Standing Committee on Academic Editing (SCAE), particularly the Guidelines Pod, during 2018.

The revised  Guidelines  has been approved by the IPEd Board and endorsed by the  Australian Council of Graduate Research (collaborator on earlier versions, 2001 and 2010).

The revised  Guidelines  now comprise one document, which replaces the four documents (webpages) that made up the earlier version:

• Editing academic theses  (for editors)
• Engaging a professional editor for your thesis  (for research students)
• When your student wishes to engage an editor  (for supervisors).

Download the  Guidelines [PDF 156KB].

Range of indicative costs for academic editing (excluding GST)

IPEd’s Standing Committee on Academic Editing has developed indicative costs for editing common types of academic work. The table and the notes provide a range of costs to guide potential clients on budgeting.

Updated March 2024.

*Costs are in $A. Australian editors registered for GST are required to charge 10% GST.

Notes on indicative costs

• Because many factors can affect the time and cost of editing academic work, there is no set price for editing a thesis or per page or per 1000 words. Editors set their own prices based on the work required. Clients should provide the work to be edited to editors so editors can provide a quote or guide on the cost.
• Academic work, including theses, can vary greatly in the total length and the editing work required.  IPEd’s  Guidelines for editing research theses  [PDF156 KB] notes that ‘the cost of editing a thesis depends on a range of factors that affect the time needed for editing, including the quality of the writing and the length, complexity and presentation of the thesis’.
• length of the work in words and pages
• editing and proofreading services required, reflecting the English and software skills of the author
• formatting required such as applying styles and generating a table of contents and lists of tables and figures
• number of iterations of editing and proofreading required
• number of tables and figures and the editing or formatting required of the material
• use of reference management software (or not)
• inclusion of material in foreign languages or transcribed material
• inclusion of previously edited and/or published material such as journal papers
• urgency of the editing and specific deadlines
• experience of the editor
• The indicative costs reflect  IPEd’s fair hourly pay rates  for self-employed editors.

Editing services The range of editing services provided can vary depending on the need. An agreement for academic editing between editor and client may refer to IPEd’s  Australian standards for editing practice  or IPEd’s  Guidelines for editing research theses  [PDF 156KB] or use IPEd’s sample agreement  here [DOCX 20KB].

Copy editing can include editing for:

• clarity of expression and flow of the text, such as removing ambiguity, wordiness and needless repetition, and ensuring clear and logical connections between phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections
• correct use of grammar, spelling and punctuation
• appropriate use of idiom, style and tone
• appropriate use of technical and specialised terminology, including discipline-specific items, abbreviations and units of measurement
• consistency in the presentation of illustrations, diagrams and other display items.

Proofreading can include checking that all elements are complete, consistent and correctly placed including:

• completeness of all parts of the work
• consistency in the use of language, style, terminology, numbers, symbols, shortened forms, capitalisation, italics and other mechanics of text
• consistency in the presentation of illustrations and tables
• consistency in the format and layout according to a specified style
• conformity of references and citations to a specified style.

The indicative costs may not include:

• extensive formatting work, particularly if features in Word and reference management software have not been used
• cross-checking of references in the text and the reference list if reference management software has not been used appropriately
• urgent work.

Academic editing resources

• Academic editing FAQs [PDF 128KB]
• Why use an academic editor? [PDF 86KB]
• Summary of the Guidelines [PDF 83KB]
• Self-editing tips for academic writers [PDF 158KB].
• The value of academic editing [PDF 151KB]

Finding theses

University of melbourne theses, australian theses,   international theses, referencing theses, further help, find theses online and in print.

This guide shows you how to find Masters and PhD theses, online and in print, from:

• The University of Melbourne
• Other Australian universities
• Outside Australia

Why use theses?

Theses can be a valuable source of information, especially for topics where there are fewer published works available., the references or works cited in a thesis can also be useful to find further published sources on a topic..

If you are currently writing a thesis (Honours, Masters or PhD) you may want to:

• check if anyone has recently completed a PhD thesis in your area of research internationally
• look at PhD theses from your faculty (or supervised by your supervisor) to get an idea of how to format your thesis.

Most recent theses are available through Minerva Access , the University's institutional repository. 

Minerva includes PhD and Masters Research theses, as well as a smaller number of Honours and Masters Coursework theses.

Accessing Full-Text in Minerva Access

Open access theses.

• Many theses are open access, which means anyone is able to read the full text online, and no subscription or login is required.
• Use the download link on the left to access a PDF of the thesis.

Restricted access theses

Some theses are currently only available to university of melbourne staff/students.

Use the login link and access with your unimelb username and password

Embargoed theses

If a thesis is under full embargo , full-text is not available for internal or external access (including inter-library loan requests). It a thesis is under an external embargo , it can be requested by University staff and students for research purposes via Minerva Access .

You will be able to view an abstract 

Finding theses from your faculty or school in Minerva Access

You can limit your results in minerva access to view only theses from your faculty..

1. Select your faculty from the list of Communities on the Minerva Access homepage. You may need to also choose your school on the next page. 

2. Select the option that includes Theses  (rather than Research Publications) 

3.To further refine the list (ie. to only PhD theses) scroll down to use the Type menu on the far left menu bar.

Finding University of Melbourne print theses

University of Melbourne theses not available online are held in the Cultural Collections Reading Room on level 3 of the Baillieu Library, or in offsite storage. While you cannot physically browse the thesis collection, you can submit a request to view a thesis using the online form .

You can search the Library Catalogue  to find our print collection of University of Melbourne theses

• To restrict your search to just theses, select University of Melbourne Theses from the drop-down menu to the right of the search bar

For more information on requesting to view print theses see the Special Collections website . ( Note : Use the request form for Rare Books)

Australian theses from other universities can be found via Trove .

1. Select Advanced search on the Trove homepage, and choose Research and reports

2. Type your search terms into the first box (Keyword search box)

3. Check the box next to Australian content

4. Click the green Search button

5. On the results page, select the Show more  option under Format

6. Select Thesis  to limit your results to theses

7.  To access, check the purple link at the bottom of each record. Theses available online will either:

• have a link to where they are held

• have an Access conditions apply  link

8. Click on the title of the thesis to view the record, and select the  Read  button to access the full text

•  If the thesis is not available online through Trove, please complete a Thesis request form on the  Request Forms page . We will then try to obtain a copy of the thesis for you via inter-library loan. 
• For more information on using the Advanced Search to create more specific searches, see Trove's Australian theses page. 

These are the top four international theses databases that include full-text:

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global The most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world. Spans 1743 to the present day, offering full text for most dissertations added since 1997.
• British Library EThOS (Electronic Theses Online Service) Search for UK theses and access or request full text. See FAQs for more information.
• DART-Europe E-theses Portal Access to digitised theses from European universities.
• OATD: Open Access Theses and Dissertations Indexes more than 1.5 million theses and dissertations. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from 600+ colleges, universities, and research institutions.

Other useful theses databases ​

• American Doctoral Dissertations
• China Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses full-text Database This database is a comprehensive, high quality database of dissertations and theses in China. The dissertations and theses are from hundreds of institutions located across China. Coverage is 1984 onwards and is updated daily. It covers a wide range of subjects such as fundamental sciences, engineering technology, agriculture, medical science, history, philosophy, education, law, economics and more.
• CNKI China Academic Journals Most comprehensive, full-text database of Chinese journals. To narrow your searching select section (G) Politics/ Military Affairs/ Law to search across the database.
• KRIS - Kiwi Research Information Service NZ open access research document portal.
• TEL (thèses-en-ligne) French theses
• Theses Canada Portal

Need help with referencing theses?

Visit the Re:cite guide to referencing

Contact us , or ask a question on Library chat

Visit us on social media.

• Last Updated: Aug 2, 2024 12:10 PM
• URL: https://unimelb.libguides.com/findingtheses

Dissertation Editing: Can You Edit Your Own Thesis?

Grammar & Language

Style & Format

Marisha Fonseca

Your dissertation might be the most challenging writing project you’ve ever tackled so far. It represents literally thousands of hours of hard work and research, over a number of years. As you finally add the finishing touches, you probably heave a big sigh of relief. But is your dissertation truly ready? Editing your dissertation can make a difference to how your research is perceived.  

Recheck Your Tone: Sound Polished, Not Just Correct 

Scholarly works like dissertations are expected to follow certain conventions related to language. In fields like the biomedical sciences, researchers and authors are expected to ensure their writing does not contain any biased or dehumanizing language, and failing to adhere to these standards can create a negative perception of your entire study. No, you don’t have to be overly formal, but you need to sound respectful, professional and convincing. A professional dissertation editor can help you achieve the right tone in your work, making your arguments more readable and persuasive. Such editors are also up to date about current best practices in reporting gender, race, sexual orientation, and other sensitive topics. 

Avoid Ambiguities in Your Dissertation: Improve Clarity and Accuracy 

Take the sentence “We treated 85 patients using amphetamines.” If you’re the researcher who conducted this study, you probably think this is exact enough. But to an outside reader, it’s confusing: did you use amphetamines as part of the treatment (intervention) in your study? Or were the patients already using amphetamines and did you treat them with something else? Ambiguities and inaccuracies like these are exactly editing can help you with, ensuring that your research and findings are accurately presented and easy to understand.  

Catch Simple Errors: Proofread with a Fresh Pair of Eyes 

Even the most seasoned writers ask someone else to proofread their work. Why? When you focus heavily on a piece of text again and again, you start “skimming” it more and more because you’re so familiar with the content. In this way, small spelling mistakes or misplaced punctuation often get overlooked. A professional dissertation editor will approach your work with a fresh perspective, and is therefore more likely to spot typos, inconsistencies, or spacing issues that the writer misses.  

Free Up Valuable Time: Speed Up the Dissertation Writing Process 

Dissertations can be lengthy (some are akin to full-length books!), and even formatting them can be tedious and time-consuming. Outsourcing these mundane aspects to a professional dissertation editor can free up time for you to spend in higher-value tasks, such as preparing for your defense.  

Increase Your Knowledge and Confidence with the Right Partner 

When your dissertation has gone through the hands of a professional editor, you can feel more confident that it is up to standard and is unlikely to contain basic, embarrassing errors. Also, a good dissertation editor will not simply “correct” your writing but also share valuable tips and suggestions on how you can improve your writing skills. Such editors are moreover open to queries about their edits, and are happy to explain the rationale behind certain changes. This exchange can boost your own knowledge and skills as a researcher, enabling you to tackle future journal articles or conference papers with ease.  

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Published on: Sep 16, 2024

• Dissertation

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Graduate Research Hub

• Examination

Examination overview

What examiners look for.

Examiners evaluate your work for understanding of the relevant literature, the methods and techniques used, the results and conclusions obtained. The full criteria used are included in the Graduate Research Training Policy .

The Thesis Examination System (TES)

The Thesis Examination System (TES) , allows you to register your intention to submit and to submit your thesis electronically. It also allows for the examination to be managed online by the Graduate Research Examinations Office.

You can also view the progress status of your examination when you logon. Further information regarding the different types of TES statuses can be found here.

Need more information? Please refer to some of the Frequently Asked Questions regarding TES that may help.

Examination process

The exam process, from submitting your thesis to being notified of your examiners’ recommendations, will usually take a minimum of four months. The process and length of time will vary for each examination as examiners who are external to the University are involved. Some examiners need more time due to their other responsibilities and commitments. Regular follow-ups with supervisors and examiners are an integral part of the exam process to minimise delays. You will receive a result only when the Chair of Examiners has received and considered all reports.  Once you receive your examination outcome, you will have a clearer idea of when you are likely to complete all degree requirements. The identity of your examiners will remain anonymous until you have been awarded a final 'pass’ grade. See below for a flow chart of the exam process.

Intention to submit is registered

Supervisor contacts potential external examiners

Thesis submitted (along with iThenticate report of submitted thesis)

Thesis sent to approved examiners who have accepted a formal invitation

Examiners assess thesis and provide a report with their recommendations

For Joint PhDs, your partner institution will usually arrange your oral examination after the required written reports are received (if an oral examination is outlined in the Joint Award Agreement)

Reports sent to Chair of Examiners for consideration

Examination outcome sent with recommendations for any required amendment (and/or resubmission)

50-word citation submitted by supervisor to be approved by Associate Dean (Graduate Research)

Final copy of thesis submitted to Chair of Examiners

Once approved, electronic copy of final thesis is submitted to the Thesis Examination System

Final examination outcome advised

Identities of your examiners may be revealed, if they agree

Once all requirements have been fulfilled, you will receive a notification stating that you have successfully completed your degree. You will be considered eligible to pass once the final thesis is certified by the Chair of Examiners and an approved citation has been received by the Examinations Office. If you have completed a Masters by Research, you will be informed of your final percentage mark.

Information about graduation will be included in your completion of degree notification email.  Once you have graduated, either by attending a ceremony or by graduating in absentia, you can add post-nominals, for example, PhDMelb.  Doctoral degree graduates can use the title Dr.

If you require an official statement of your completion, including the official date of completion, you will be able to download a free Evidence of Qualification statement from my.unimelb . The University will issue an  Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) , which will include your citation, after your degree is conferred at a graduation ceremony. You can learn more about the documents you will receive once you complete, such as academic statements and transcripts as well as other documents you can order.

The rules governing examination are contained in the Graduate Research Training Policy .

If you have any issues with your examiner go to: Resolving Issues .

Examination of jointly awarded PhD

Your examination will be carried out in a manner that meets the requirements of both universities. These requirements should be stated in the agreement governing your program and you should consult with your supervisors for more detail.

You must meet both institutions’ requirements, as the examinations will be run independently.  You will therefore need to register your intention to submit and submit your thesis to both institutions.

Most jointly awarded degree programs require an oral examination in addition to the examination of the thesis. The oral examination is usually arranged by your partner institution as outlined in the signed Joint Award Agreement. Where the oral examination is held at the University of Melbourne, your Chair of Examiners will oversee the arrangements.

Unless otherwise stated in your agreement, the oral examination should be conducted as described in the University of Melbourne Graduate Research Training Policy .

Examination criteria and marking

The examination criteria and processes are described in detail in the  Graduate Research Training Policy .

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may have been necessary for you to alter your research plan, leading to a project that is different to the one you had originally intended.  In some cases, this may mean that the thesis you submit is not typical for your discipline. Your discussion in the thesis of COVID-19 impacts will guide the examiners’ understanding of the reported work and the environment in which it was undertaken.

All examiners will be asked to recommend that the thesis should:

• Pass with Revisions (Chair of Examiners)
• Revise, Resubmit and Regrade (Examiners), or

Masters theses also receive a numerical mark and a letter grade according to the  Grading Scale for Masters Degrees (Research) . A mark of 65% is required to pass.

The tables in the  Graduate Research Training Policy describe how examiners reports work.

Responding to examiners

Upon receiving the examiners' recommendations you are required to consider their feedback and discuss them with your supervisor and Chair of Examiners.

If you have been asked to resubmit your thesis for a second examination, you will be invited to write a response to the examiners' reports, which they will receive along with the revised thesis.

For theses requiring minor changes or revision, written responses to the examiners are not required.

Changes to the thesis

The majority of theses require some amendment before the degree is awarded. You will be informed of the changes required and supplied with copies of the examiners' reports, which will be edited for confidentiality. Note that you should only make changes to your thesis based on the recommendations of your examiners. The only other permitted change is if the publication status of a publication incorporated into your thesis has changed and you update that material to reflect the latest version (usually up to the author accepted version).

The corrections to your thesis should be incorporated in the body of the text.  If your examiner has provided an enumerated list of requested changes, you will also be required to supply a similarly enumerated list to address how you have responded to those requests.

• Pass with minor edits are required if the examiners recommend that you be awarded your degree, but minor corrections (such as typographical errors or formatting issues) are requested to the Chair of Examiner's satisfaction. You are usually given six weeks to complete minor amendments.
• Revision s entails minor revisions to content. These revisions will be reviewed and verified by your Chair of Examiners who may consult your Examiner to verify the changes.  You will be given two months to complete any revisions.
• Revise, resubmit and regrade (Examiner) occurs when serious shortcomings in the content of the thesis are present but can be resolved with major revision. Your revised thesis is returned to the Examiner to consider, and the Examiner regrades the thesis accordingly. Doctoral candidates are given 12 months to revise and resubmit the thesis; Masters candidates are given 6 months .  Your revision should address and respond to any concerns raised by the examiners, as well as make other changes to improve the thesis. Your revised thesis will be re-examined in its entirety.  This is a final opportunity to ensure your thesis meets the requirements of your degree.

If you need more time to finish the corrections, you can apply for an extension by completing an Application for an Extension to Submit Revisions.

For more information, view the Graduate Research Training Policy .

Citation for Completion

A citation is a completion requirement that is prepared by your supervisor. The citation will be read out at the graduation ceremonies for PhD and Doctorate students. The citation will also be included in the University's Evidence of Qualification and in the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS).

The citation will summarise the nature of the independent research, the contribution to knowledge made, and the intellectual and/or practical value of the work. It is important that a lay person, without specialist knowledge of the field or its technical terms, is able to comprehend the nature of the research and appreciate its contribution to society.  Where technical terms or technical descriptors cannot be avoided they should either be expressed in plain language or include a plain language explanation so that the meaning is easily understood. Citation examples are provided below, including an example where technical terms are used.

Citation format

The citation should:

• be restricted to 50 words to prevent delays in the conferring ceremony (Please note citations that exceed the 50-word limit will be returned for revision to the appropriate length)
• commence with either of the words:  who investigated.../ who studied.../ who examined.../ who found.../ who argues.../ whose work will benefit...  (the name of the candidate will be automatically added once the citation has been submitted)
• contain a brief description about what the research achieved or 'found'
• give an indication about the impact of the research or its potential application
• be grammatically correct and  written in language which can be understood by a lay audience at the conferring ceremony
• use present or future tense to describe the findings, impact or potential application
• only use those technical or specialised terms which are in general use; otherwise a plain language explanation should be added
• refer back to the candidate by using 'their findings' (the candidate's name should not be used within the text of the citation).

Citation examples

Technical terms

who investigated biofilms of the hospital 'superbug' Klebsiella. Biofilms are resistant to standard disinfection and treatment regimes.  He discovered that biofilm formation was mediated by Mrk, a bacterial attachment structure, regulated by a protein, MrkH. The identification of MrkH presents opportunities for creating biofilm-resistant plastics and drug inhibitors of biofilms.

who investigated the invasion process of cancer cells. A protein known as Tks5 was implicated in the formation of membrane structures on the cell surface known as invadopodia. His study gives unique insight as to how cancer cells utilise Tks5 within invadopodia to facilitate invasion throughout the body.

Discipline-specific examples

"who completed a study of Victoria's celebrated initiatives in community consultation in the 1970s and 80s. She showed how governments and key mediating agencies marginalised radical and politically turbulent values and interests to achieve forms of consultation consistent with conservative interest accommodation practices traditional to Victorian politics."

Business & Economics

"who studied how leaders use performance evaluations and rewards to influence employee behaviours. He finds that while lenient evaluations have negative organizational consequences, the opposite is true for lenient rewards. He also finds that being somewhat lenient with rewards helps leaders more clearly communicate their priorities and build their credibility."

Psychological Sciences

"who studied parents of adolescents with emerging psychosis. She found that certain coping styles and beliefs about mental illness were associated with parents' distress and grief, and with problematic interactions with their children. Her study has important implications for psychological interventions with mentally ill young people and their caregivers."

Earth Sciences

"who investigated the origins of diamond-bearing magmas from India. He established a new analytical technique and used this to reveal subtle differences in the mantle source characteristics between provinces. This technique has attracted international interest and is currently being applied to the kimberlites of South Africa."

"who investigated the impact of learning on the political literacy of young activists. He developed our understanding of political knowledge, skills and values and how these influenced participation.  His study gives unique insight to a new generation of activists and poses challenges for researchers, policy makers and education practitioners."

Engineering

"who studied the structural behaviour of concrete walls, composite steel-concrete columns and industrial buildings when subjected to fire. The study improved our understanding of appropriate levels of building safety and now forms the basis of structural design requirements for building elements and buildings in situations involving fire."

"who examined the problem of human trafficking for forced labour in the fishing industries of Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. He demonstrates the failure of these countries to harmonise their responses under norms of ‘transnational criminal law’. His findings expose legal and policy ‘fault-lines’ for the benefit of future industry regulation."

"who investigated the role of chromosome breaks in the development of leukaemia in mice. A new tumour suppressor gene was unequivocally implicated, and its position refined to a degree which will allow cloning of the gene, and examination of the role of the equivalent gene in human cancer."

"who developed a system for analysing tonal implications in fifteenth-century European Music. He found that many Renaissance works, unlike later Classical music, project two tonal centres. His study opens the way for a richer understanding of the links between Early Music and the music of today."

"who investigated the relationship between fire, vegetation and climate in western Tasmania, Australia, over the last 12,000 years. She identified climate as the dominant control over fire activity, and produced Australia’s first ever pollen-based estimates of vegetation change, reconciling a long-standing debate over the evolution of this landscape."

Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences

"who studied key pork supply chain factors that influence eating quality to develop cuts-based predictive eating quality models for pork. Her studies focussed on reducing eating quality variability of Australian pork, informed by quantitative consumer analyses, to improve consumer acceptability and support its differentiation as a consistently high quality product."

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