Book Editing Associates - Fiction and Nonfiction - Book Editors Network

Jim McDonough learned editing through an extraordinary writer's workshop while in high school. He started paid editing of books in 1955 and from 1960 through 1991 ran a series of writer's workshops on the college level. Several of his best former students have books published, and one writes regularly for Time magazine. Dr. McDonough has edited biographies, translations from Greek and Latin, and books and articles on Roman history, Catholic schools, Jews and Gentiles in the ancient world, Martin Luther, World War II, and the Bible. He has also edited a medical dictionary, a historical novel on the First Crusade, and encyclopedia articles. He prefers using the Chicago Manual of Style (and Turabian). When he receives a manuscript with great idea but less than ideal presentation of these ideas, he takes great delight in helping the author give form, organization, and polish to the work.

Dr. McDonough enjoys helping students, researchers, and publishers plan research, organize it, evaluate the soundness of the arguments, and write and rewrite the English until it is publishable. He also enjoys helping persons with PhDs prepare their dissertations or other research for publication by university presses and trade publishers.

World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions
A Booke of Days (historical novel on the First Crusade)
Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary (2nd edition)
Latin & English Dictionary (Bantam, 2nd edition)
Deborah and Yael: Women of Power in Early Israel
Dionysos Rising: The Birth of Cultural Revolution out of the Spirit of Music
Jew and Gentile in the Ancient World
The Lambic Trimeter of Euripides

** Developmental Editing / Rewriting
** Medical Writing and Editing
** Copyediting
** Academic / Scholarly Writing
** Religion / Theology / History / Music
** Chicago / Turabian

Specialties:

Thesis and Dissertation Writing Consultant

Editor: Scholarly Journals, Nonfiction, Research Articles

 

Employment

1998–2002 Co-teacher, doctoral seminar on Biblical Greek, Temple University

1998   Editor, World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions

1996   Editor, A Booke of Days, Stephen J. Rivele (historical novel on First Crusade)

1994   Editor, 2nd edition, Bantam Latin & English Dictionary

1992–1993 Editor, 2nd pocket edition, Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary

1990–1994 Etymology Editor, Stedman's Medical Dictionary (unabridged, hard-cover)

1976–1988 developed teaching materials for Language of Medicine course

1972   team-taught seminar on Homer and Plato, Haverford College

1965   United States Office of Education, Cooperative Research Project No. 5-8256

1960–1991 Professor, Saint Joseph's University

 

Editing (some for author, some for publisher)

Thomas F. McDaniel, Deborah and Yael: Women of Power in Early Israel 2nd edition of Deborah Never Sang

1994  E. Michael Jones, Dionysos Rising: The Birth of Cultural Revolution out of the Spirit of Music

1993  Louis Harry Feldman, Jew and Gentile in the Ancient World

1981  Dia Maria Lavrendia Philippides, The Iambic Trimeter of Euripides

1974  Frances Forde Plude, The Flickering Light: What's Happening to Catholic Schools

1973  Margaret Gest (trans.), Horace's Odes

1955  Leo P. McCauley & Anthony A. Stephenson (trans.), Saint Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures for Lent

 

Education

Ph.D. dissertation: Structural Metrics of the Iliad Columbia University, Boston College

  

Subjects Taught in Original Language

Homer

Aeschylus

Sophocles

Euripides

Greek comedy

Greek tragedy

Greek and Roman drama

Greek philosophy

Menander

 

Subjects Taught in English Translations

Mythology

Religion

Ancient history

Slavery

Feminism

Ancient Art

Classical tradition

Medicine (language and history)

English composition

English literature

Urban studies

 

Related subjects - Personal interests

Medieval studies

Dante and Italian language

Post-Medieval history and art

American history

Bible

Music

Musicology

Russia, China, and Japan

Judaic studies

Submission

Cut and paste the questions and answers into an e-mail:

EditMyBook@Gmail.com

Alternates
2010@Book-Editing.com
Help2010@Airmail.net
Contact@Editing-Writing.com

You may send your initial submission to all addresses to make sure it's received.

Required:
Submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript (Word/DOC or RTF attachment preferred). Large files should be zipped. Attachment not required if writing has not started (e.g., because you're looking for a ghostwriter).

A sample is required to receive an estimate
for editing services

Along with a sample, the following information is required. Ignore questions that do not apply to your project (e.g., footnotes).

(01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word):

(02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach):

(03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction, horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary):

(04) Deadline date, if any, for return of complete project. (Please be realistic. Remember that professional editors usually have a project in process.):

(05) If you have no immediate deadline, when do you want to start the editing process?: (For instance: within 30 days, within 60 days, within 90 days, 4-12 months)

(06) Level of editing desired/expected --

  • Copyediting / Proofreading / Line Editing (e.g., English corrections, typos, paragraph and sentence structure, word use)
  • Developmental (e.g., help with the big picture, such as flow/pacing, telling the story, characterization, structure, style)
  • Rewriting / Ghostwriting
  • Critique / Evaluation

(07) Number of charts/tables/pictures (if any):

(08) Writing style/format manual (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA), if applicable:

(09) Number of footnotes/references:

(10) Do you have a contract with an agent or publisher?:

(11) Do you plan to self-publish?:

(12) What is your budget for the entire project?
$ ________________
(Note: The editors will quote their regular rates, but having an idea of your budget allows the editors to tell you what services they can provide to stay within that budget.)

(13) Your name:

(14) E-mail addresses:

(15) Day/evening phone numbers (required -- in case the response to your e-mail bounces or the editors need clarification regarding the scope of service needed, deadline, etc.):

(16) City, State, Country (or time zone):

(17) The name(s) of the editor(s)/writer(s) you'd like to contact.
(If no names are selected, your e-mail will be sent to several consultants chosen by the coordinator):

(18) Do you want the coordinator to reroute your submission if you requested editors/writers who (a) are not available by your deadline date, (b) do not handle the type of material you submitted, and/or (c) do not perform the service(s) you want?

(19) How did you learn about our service?:

(20) Attach the first 50 pages of your manuscript (include prologue/preface, proposal, query)


Notes:

No hidden charges
We won't quote you one price and charge you another. When possible, we'll provide you with a per-word or per-page rate so you'll know up front exactly how much your project will cost. (Of course, we ask that you fairly represent the scope of your project.)

To learn more about the rates charged by professional editors, please see: Editorial Freelancers Association

It is a mistaken notion that freelance editors work "on spec" (speculation) with no payment to the editor. It is basically asking the editor to work for free. There's no guarantee that a book will see a profit (or even be published). The editors posted here do not work on spec.

LIVE AGENT

Note: Price quotes and time estimates for individual editors cannot be given over the phone or via chat. This is a network of freelance editors with varying prices and work schedules (see our FAQ). To obtain a price quote please follow the procedures listed on our quotes page. Contact live support if you do not receive a response within three hours. It is possible that your submission was not received. You may also page the network coordinator by leaving voicemail or sending a fax to 469-789-3030.


Please be as complete as possible in representing your project's scope and size so you will receive the most accurate estimate.

Disclaimer: Your agreement, whether oral or written, is with your freelance editor / proofreader / writer, not with the freelance network as a whole or its coordinator.