Academic editing, translating and research advice
I’m a very experienced academic editor, translator and research supervisor, with twenty years of experience in UK higher education. I have published widely in two related fields (English and Classics), written, edited and peer reviewed a large number of books, articles and grant applications, and supervised or examined many doctoral students. For more about my background and current work, see the About and Scholarship pages.
Areas of Expertise
Academic editing of all kinds and at all levels (undergraduate to established academics), including developmental editing, for dissertations, chapters, books, grant and book proposals and job applications.
Research advice - designing and running research projects, including writing successful grant proposals.
Translation - from Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit and French into English. I have unique expertise in early modern Latin.
I also offer more specialist services for early modernists, including making or checking transcriptions and translations from manuscript or early print sources.
Recent Projects
Substantial editing of articles, monographs and proposals by non-native English speakers in literature, linguistics, history, philosophy and theology.
Detailed checking and editing of a verse translation of Propertius.
Editorial advice for a forthcoming translation of Petrarch.
Specialist Latin, Greek and early print consultant for a scholarly edition of the letters of Richard Baxter (1615-1691).
Copy-editing two special issues of a journal containing extensive quotations of early modern Latin and Greek.
I am regularly commissioned to produce reader reports for articles, book proposals and grant proposals for a wide range of prestigious presses, journals and funding bodies, including OUP, CUP, Princeton, the Leverhulme Trust, the AHRC and the ERC.
Pricing and availability
For editing, the cost of a project depends on how long it will take, so the first stage is to see the work (or a sample) so I can provide a quote.
The most common request is for moderately heavy editing of an academic journal article or chapter written by an early-career but post-PhD academic who is not a native English speaker, to remove any errors or unidiomatic expressions, rephrasing where necessary, and to clarify the argument throughout. This service would also include (if necessary) checking that the correct formatting is in place and the right style-guide has been followed. The cost for an average-length article needing a typical amount of this work is usually about £200.
This is a guideline only and not a quote. Any specific quote will depend on the length and complexity of the piece in question and the level of editing required.
Charges for translation or transcription are generally by the word or page, rather than on an hourly basis. Again, I will need to see a sample before providing a quote.
Other kinds of research assistance are generally calculated on an hourly basis.
Business details
For all freelance writing, editing, translating and research consultancy, I am registered as a micro-entrepreneur in France. The details of this registration are as follows:
Victoria Todd EI
109, rue de Rennes, 75006 Paris
SIRET: 95315284000013