My real strength as an editor lies in what’s known as “structural” or developmental editing. This heavy lifting is typically done early on in a manuscript’s development. During this phase of the writing process, I help the writer to articulate their argument, defend it, and then construct a coherent narrative arc.
In these sessions, we typically spend a lot of time on the introduction, as that is generally a bellwether for the rest of the piece. One client—the Director of a global policy research institute—commented that I am “the best structural editor she’s ever worked with.”
Clarity and Coherence
I am excellent at spotting logical loopholes and ruthless in removing them. Once the scaffolding of the argument is in place, I am also a muscular line editor. I pride myself on being able to trim unnecessary verbiage so that your writing can really sing. As one client put it:
“Delia was an indispensable part of my experience writing my first book. She helped me set and meet deadlines, and her insightful feedback and constructive critiques helped me to refine the structure and clarity of my main arguments.”
Editorial Outputs
My work as an editor spans academic, commercial, government, and non-profit clients. I have edited everything from in-depth research reports and policy briefings to shorter and pithier blogs, websites, microsites, and video animations.
Having worked as both a journalist and a blogger for the past two decades, I find there’s no piece of content that can’t be improved. My goal is to help improve the readability of your text without losing the heart and soul of your ideas.
Examples of my editing include:
- A 100-plus page policy report for a global, multilateral organisation
- An animated film capturing key findings from a health communication research project
- A microsite highlighting the main findings from research on climate change adaptation
- Doctoral dissertations and academic journal articles
- Full-length book proposals and manuscripts