Maybe you're struggling to turn your dissertation into a book manuscript, or perhaps you're frustrated by some difficult readers' reports. Maybe you've been staring at your draft for so long that you can't see the forest for the trees. Or maybe you're overwhelmed by distilling all your project's ideas into a succinct and convincing book proposal.

​

I can help. I will offer you insight and guidance. I assist authors at every stage of the writing process, so wherever you are with your project, I can provide a few different services that enable you to forge a path forward.

Often developmental editing is the first step with any manuscript, since it offers the most structural and comprehensive engagement with your project.

​

Developmental editing

• offers a broad overview of your manuscript

• identifies your manuscript's strengths as well as problem areas  

• tracks your manuscript’s main themes and arguments

• resolves difficulties in narrative, organization, and style

• includes a long editorial letter with a detailed plan for revision

 

After a round of developmental editing, or if you've already undergone thorough revisions, line editing offers a more intensive engagement with your manuscript.

​

Line editing

• provides a more hands-on engagement with your prose

• addresses problems of transition and sequencing

• improves clarity by moving and rearranging text and proposing alternate wording

• focuses on the mechanics of writing at the level of paragraphs and sentences

 

In addition to developmental and line editing, I offer manuscript reviews, which include a substantive editorial memo that outlines a revision plan, and I assist with academic book proposals, helping you craft the strongest possible pitch to acquisitions editors.

​

I have a knack for close reading and for organizing a compelling argument. As an editor I try to help writers clarify their ideas and their voices so that they can connect with as many readers as possible. If you're feeling stuck, I can help identify your project’s central themes, restructure your narrative & exposition, and strengthen your claims. I can guide you toward creating an even more coherent piece of work, which can ease your path to getting published.

 Experience 

I have worked on book manuscripts, journal articles, dissertations, and book proposals for scholars across the humanities and social sciences. I regularly work with writers whose interdisciplinary projects are focused on critical race studies and cultural critique. My academic background is in African American Studies, literary criticism, cultural theory, and cultural history. I received my PhD in American Studies from Yale, and I have won competitive fellowships from Princeton's African American Studies program and from the Mellon Foundation. As the author of a book and numerous articles, I've also been through peer review and the entire publication process, so I know firsthand the challenges that academic writers face.

Since 2022, I have served as the in-house editor for the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence at the New School, which includes a Transformative Seminar devoted to interdisciplinary research projects that deal with structural inequality. This seminar includes faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, who are working on dissertations, articles, book proposals, and manuscripts. In the past I’ve served as an editor for the Radical History Review, and I’m currently on the advisory board for the academic journal History of the Present. I also provided editorial and research support for The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee, which was a New York Times bestseller and was longlisted for the National Book Award. 

​

Testimonials

​​

"Working with Aaron was an outstanding experience. His expertise as a developmental editor significantly enhanced the quality of my scholarly digital project. Aaron’s thoughtful questions and meticulous attention to detail not only improved clarity, but enriched the overall impact of my storytelling. His collaborative approach and professionalism made the entire editing process smooth and enjoyable. Aaron has a keen ability to balance critical analysis with constructive suggestions. His contributions have undoubtedly elevated my publication to a higher standard. I would not hesitate to work with Aaron again and highly recommend other academics work with him for their editorial needs!"

– Denise L.

 

“During the review stages for a monograph, the reviewers may provide critiques or recommend changes, but Aaron's developmental editing provided the steps forward, helping to distill the reviewer's comments into actionable revisions. Aaron does this with expertise, care, and dynamism. I cannot recommend him enough, especially for monographs in ethnic, American, or STS studies. With his keen eye and careful interdisciplinary reading, Aaron helped me not only to strengthen my writing and revise the book but his guidance, care, and support also reinvigorated my commitment and passion for the scholarly book project, which has made all the difference.” 

– author of monograph published by Duke University Press

​​

“For a project situated in black cultural studies, Aaron provided great insights into the stakes of my project. His feedback addressed much of the telegraphed thinking that appeared in the draft of the manuscript and illuminated places where I could better spell out the working concepts in the piece. Most importantly, he gave concrete tools to help me write through these concepts in my own voice. His thorough and detail-oriented feedback arrived in a timely manner. I would love to work with him again for future projects.”

– Brittnay L. Proctor, Assistant Professor of Race and Media, The New School