Copy Editors for the Graduate Written Thesis
Updated for the 2023–24 Academic Year
The Center for Arts & Language offers free peer tutoring for grads working on the written thesis. Tutors are trained to work on all aspects of thesis-writing development. To make a one-hour appointment, please visit artsandlanguage.risd.edu. To inquire about making ongoing weekly or biweekly appointments with the same tutor please e-mail mbarrett01@risd.edu.
Given the scope and demands of the thesis, some students may wish for or need more extensive assistance than tutoring can provide alone. Following is a list of copy editors available for hire for this very purpose. Editors with an asterisk (*) by their name are local and available to meet in person; all others can work via email, telephone, and video conference.
All transactions are between the student and the copy editor; scheduling, scope and method of work, and payment must be negotiated independently. Please take care to establish your editorial expectations, schedule, and budget clearly. Please also note that A&L is not endorsing the copy editors on this list and is not responsible for management or outcome; students should investigate this opportunity to their satisfaction before making commitments.
Cynthia Allegrezza • cynthia.allegrezza@gmail.com • 508-853-7016 • $40-$50/hour
As a professional copy editor and proofreader for more than two decades, I have a proven ability to help writers produce a polished document. Whether your thesis requires a thorough editing or a final proofread, I will ensure that your content is clear, consistent, and correct. My experience includes copy editing for artists, authors, websites/blogs, publications, museums, and universities. I have a journalism/communications degree from the University of Bridgeport and taught editing and writing classes at Southern Connecticut State University and Fairfield University.
Melissa Dunn – editoo.services@gmail.com – 253.343.7845 – $50/hour, flat fee negotiable for longer projects
I am a professional academic editor with over 15 years of experience in copyediting, proofreading, and formatting. I am an expert in APA, MLA, and Chicago formatting styles and specialize in line and developmental editing to improve the grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, organization, and clarity of your document. As freelance editor, I provide editing services for a wide array of manuscripts, including dissertations, theses, capstone projects, personal statements, research papers, case studies, journal articles, and literature reviews. I hold a BA in English from The Evergreen State College and a MA in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington. With a specialized focus on the arts and humanities, cultural studies, literature, and social sciences, I would be an excellent fit for students in the Global Arts and Culture program.
Joel Kuennen • joelkuennen@gmail.com • 608-397-5480 • $50/hour, flat fee negotiable for longer projects
Art critic, curator, editor, and artist for over a decade, I hold an MA in Visual and Critical Studies from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and have published 100+ articles of criticism with organizations like Art in America, The Brooklyn Rail, Sternberg Press, and co-edited a Visual Studies reader for Routledge. Deeply experienced in conceptual editing, I can help you develop congruent arguments, stylistic flow, and convey complex ideas in elegant ways. Thesis development, from concept to publication, is a long process so best to reach out early in the semester for more complex projects.
* Jaime Lowe • jaimelowe@gmail.com • $75-$100/hour
I earned my MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. In addition to my writing and editing experience (bylines in WIRED, Slate, Village Voice, McSweeney’s), I have worked for over ten years as a photographer and artist. My firsthand experience working in art allows me to easily bridge the gap between art and communications. I have worked with many students to help them sharpen their focus, edit their work, and provide support and guidance through their thesis processes.
Jean Mishkin • jean@jeanmishkin.com • 917-873-5326 • Flat Fee
I have more than twenty years of experience as a writing coach and editor, working with students on theses and fellowship applications. If you have never before worked with an editor, I would be happy to discuss with you how you can benefit from working with one and the type of help that would be best for you. As each project is unique, I can provide developmental and/or copy editing as well as time management support. I have worked successfully with RISD students from across the disciplines including many international students for whom English may be a second language. I hold a BA and an MA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and have studied at The New School’s Writing Program.
Elizabeth Perry · elizabethperryt@gmail.com · (914)-960-4701 · $30/hour
I am a writer and editor with several years of varied professional experience. I earned my BA in English from Vassar College, focusing on literature and theory, and began my editing career as an undergraduate working on student projects. I have experience working with creative, arts-related, and academic content on a variety of subjects. Past editing projects I’ve worked on have included academic essays and articles, textbooks, translations, creative nonfiction and poetry, media content, and more. I am a meticulous and consistent editor, with a passion and appreciation for art as well as experience working with non-native English speakers. I specialize in writing that is clear, engaging, and concise. We’ll work together to determine your editing needs. I offer everything from line-by-line proofreading and copyediting to in-depth developmental editing with detailed feedback if desired. We can discuss word choice, argument structure, formatting, and more. Together we will strengthen your writing without sacrificing your voice in order to communicate your ideas with consistency, clarity, and authenticity. I am available by e-mail, phone, and Zoom or video call.
* Susan Solomon • solomonsusan2@gmail.com • (401) 441-2528 • $40/hour
I have undergraduate and master’s degrees in English from the University of Connecticut and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Brown University. I have been teaching college writing and literature courses for 15 years at UConn, Brown, Roger Williams, RISD, and Boğaziçi University and tutored in the English Writing Center of the University of Tübingen. Since acting as the Assistant Editor of differences: a journal of feminist cultural studies from 2006–07, I have worked as a freelance translator (German–English), copy editor, proofreader, and writing coach serving students, professors, academic publishers, and journals. Though my own writing focuses on literary studies, theory, and aesthetics, I have assisted second-language and native speakers of English writing in diverse fields and genres through my contract work for an editing firm. If we work together, I will approach your text with interest, sensitivity, and respect and do my utmost to help you assert your voice with authenticity, credibility, logic, and persuasion. I offer proofreading of near-final drafts as well as ongoing support during the prewriting and drafting process.
Will Solomon • willsolomon1@gmail.com • 617-953-3072 • $25/hr
I am a journalist and editor with a variety of professional experience. I hold a BA in Psychology from Wesleyan University. As an editor, I have worked on creative nonfiction, journalism, academic projects, poetry, and more, ranging in scope from brief essays to book-length manuscripts. I am a careful, deliberate editor, and can work with you to retain and hone your own voice, editing for clarity and consistency throughout your project. I’m available for both simple line editing and proofreading, as well as more substantive developmental editing. I am happy to meet by email, phone, or Zoom.
Ann Weaver • weaverknits77@gmail.com • (616) 745-4606 • Flat Fee
I have been a copyeditor for ten years, primarily working in the fields of education, fine art, and academia. I have a bachelor’s degree from New York University in Studio Art and English and two master’s degrees from Harvard Uni-versity. I charge at fixed per-page rates, so we can determine the cost of your service upfront.