Developmental Editing & Substantive Editing for Cultural Anthropologists
I'm an academic developmental editor who specializes in working with cultural anthropologists and other scholars using ethnography and narrative methods in their writing.
Unlike most academic developmental editors, I bring fiction craft techniques to academic writing, gained through having earlier edited many New York Times bestselling literary and commercial novels, too, and I have particular interests in literary ethnography and social justice–oriented projects.
My clients have landed contracts with university presses, including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Indiana University Press, Stanford University Press, Bristol University Press, University of Minnesota Press, I.B. Tauris, CEU Press, University of Toronto Press, and many more. I have edited hundreds of journal articles, too, with recent acceptances including articles published with the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Cultural Anthropology, Social Anthropology, and Focaal.
Here are my services and who they are for:
Revisions coaching: For scholarly writers stuck with a work in progress, who need help with figuring out how to revise it, and with accountability (getting it done).
Developmental editing: For scholarly writers who have drafted and revised a complete manuscript, and who need help with the arguments, with deep structure, cohesion, narrative arcs, etc. For ethnography and crossover/trade books, I also draw on creative writing techniques to further elevate your manuscript.
Substantive editing: For scholarly writers who are nearly ready to publish their manuscript, but who need a language edit or line/copyedit, combined with some light developmental recommendations. For book manuscripts, I also offer a line/copyedit only, if needed.
I typically book out around three to five months in advance for book-length projects, so please get in touch as early as possible. You can find more details in the FAQ.
Please note, I do not edit assessed work or job application materials.
Dr. Leandra Bias, University of Bern
Within two weeks of revising the proposal based on his feedback I got two major UK university presses interested in reviewing my manuscript!
Dr. Pavel Brunssen, Heidelberg University
I have worked repeatedly with Dr. Hodges on scholarly manuscripts, and each project has been a huge success. His editing skills are tremendous! His meticulous eye for details and his scholarly background make him my favorite editor.
Talal Mohammad, St Antony's College, University of Oxford
Thanks to Andy's great editorial skills, quick turnaround time, and going the extra mile to read my work, my monograph gained immense praise from authorities in the field.
Dr. Barbara Turk-Niskac, ZRC SAZU
In an ideal academic world, colleagues would foster a supportive environment, providing reciprocal assistance with writing projects. In real life, there´s Andrew. I now feel much more confident about my book project and am prepared to submit it to publishers.
This service is based on two full read-throughs of your manuscript. First as a regular reader, and then a second, detailed reading, where I comment as I go. It involves coming up with a plan for the revision, which you then execute.
Most authors commission this service once they have completed a full manuscript—either before approaching publishers, or alongside peer review.
You receive:
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A detailed report (approx. 3000 words) covering big-picture issues with your manuscript. The report includes a brief revision plan for the book as a whole, and revision suggestions for each chapter.
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Detailed MS Word comments on your manuscript
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An arguments sheet, with a list of the main arguments I encountered in your book, with comments on interesting points to consider/directions to take with them.
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A throughlines infosheet, explaining what argument throughlines (sometimes referred to as narrative arcs) are, teaching the concept through examples from your manuscript
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An hour of online support via Zoom or email after I return the feedback.
This involves both coming up with a plan and executing it. I first develop my developmental critique, which involves two read-throughs of the full manuscript.
I then share my critique with you on a call and in the editorial report, before going in and moving text around. This usually involves adding transition sentences, drafting new headings, moving text around, fixing style and voice issues, removing repeated or redundant material, ensuring arguments are suitably emphasized, etc. It includes selective line edits for style, tone, voice, etc., but if your manuscript needs a full language edit, that should be organized separately.
You receive:
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Everything listed above for a book critique
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An edited manuscript with all changes tracked
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A one-hour handover call
For this service, you send me your book proposal, journal article, or book chapter, and I give you detailed developmental feedback on it. Then we’ll meet for 30 minutes to discuss the feedback on a call.
You receive:
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Manuscript comments
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A short report suggesting big-picture revisions
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A 30-min Zoom call to discuss the feedback
This service includes:
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A combination of line/copyediting (sometimes called language editing) and light developmental suggestions
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First, I line edit the manuscript for clarity, style, readability, and accuracy.
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I apply editorial style (Chicago Manual of Style or UK style)
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I'll fix in-text author date references and copyedit footnotes already styled in the correct format, but I won't style or format the reading list or restyle footnote references.
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On a second read-through, I include light feedback on issues I notice. I focus on smaller issues (transition sentences, opportunities to insert a sentence to make a point or argument clearer) rather than big-picture structural fixes—if you need the latter, you can book a developmental edit instead
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If you need reference list formatting as a separate service, this costs £2.50 per reference, and I usually outsource this job to Dr Marieke Krijnen, a copyeditor and reference list formatter who I collaborate closely with.
This service includes:
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One round of line/copyediting (sometimes called language editing)
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First, I line edit the manuscript for clarity, style, readability, and accuracy.
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I apply editorial style (Chicago Manual of Style or UK style)
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I'll fix in-text author date references and copyedit footnotes already styled in the correct format, but I won't style or format the reading list or restyle footnote references.
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If you need reference list formatting as a separate service, this costs £2.50 per reference, and I usually outsource this job to Dr Marieke Krijnen, a copyeditor and reference list formatter who I collaborate closely with.
This service is a separate review of a manuscript only after I've completed a line/copyedit. It's not necessary if the publisher is providing a light copyedit and proofread in-house. But for publishers who don't offer any in-house copyediting, a second read-through is essential.
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One round of proofreading in MS Word
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I will check for any remaining typos and details missed
This is a one-hour call to discuss your current project. It can involve brainstorming ideas or tackling the revision in the session itself.
I'm also a provider for Yale University's Coaching for Success Program and can put together a personalized coaching package involving a mixture of written developmental feedback and live coaching calls.
About Me: Dr Andrew Hodges
I help cultural anthropologists, qualitative sociologists, and scholars in adjacent fields strengthen their manuscripts before submission to journals and publishers, drawing on both academic developmental editing and the craft techniques of fiction and creative nonfiction.
I hold a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Manchester and an MA in natural sciences (history and philosophy of science) from the University of Cambridge. I worked as a cultural anthropologist for over a decade in Croatia and Germany (2008–2019), before retraining as a developmental and substantive editor.
Marieke Krijnen
I collaborate with Dr. Marieke Krijnen for academic copyediting and reference list formatting too.
Marieke Krijnen: Academic copyeditor
Marieke Krijnen is an academic copyeditor who works on journal articles and book manuscripts. She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and has a PhD. Her academic background is in Arabic, urban studies, geography, and the political economy of the Middle East. Her PhD focused on the gentrification and financialization of the built environment in Beirut, and she obtained an MA from the American University of Beirut with a thesis on how the Lebanese state facilitates real estate investment.
