For Academics, Undergraduates, Graduates, Nonfiction & Memoir Writers

Let Me Be Your Ideal Reader*

  • Deep, wide reading in the humanities and social sciences

  • Years of editing experience in previous professional life

  • Appreciation of cultural context, subtlety, tone, irony, and voice

  • Understanding of completely collaborative nature of editing

*Umberto Eco introduced, and Stanley Fish further elaborated, the idea of an “ideal reader” as a kind of collaborator who helps to complete the meaning of a text by bringing their own knowledge, experience, and interpretation to it.

  • “Virginia Carmichael was one of the first persons to read my manuscript. She returned a document thoroughly scarred by the application of her intelligence, her substantive knowledge, and her severe editorial pencil. In responding to her numerous comments and suggestions, I found myself approaching a clarity that I had previously been successful in avoiding. In subsequent tampering with these essays, I can only hope that I have not undone too much of what she helped me realize.”

    – William Simon, Urban Sociologist and Sexologist
    Postmodern Sexualities (Routledge)

  • “Virginia took an open and collaborative approach to editing my manuscript prior to submission to an academic journal. Her edits improved the clarity and conciseness of my writing and supported better organization of the text. In addition to those close edits, she asked questions about pieces that didn’t make sense or where readers might be confused, which helped me fix it before the reviewers pointed out the same things! I was impressed with her ability to read an out-of-field research article with understanding—enough that she could provide helpful feedback on organization and ideas, not just the language and grammar. The editing was absolutely worth the cost and I’d gladly use Carmichael Editing’s services in the future.”

    Rebecca Sansom, Professor at Texas A&M University in Educational Inquiry, Measurement & Evaluation

  • “The Dallas Morning News” “Virginia Carmichael has a keen eye and can use a red pencil like a scalpel. She helped make my “King of Diamonds” manuscript much better. I am grateful for her intellect, good taste, and tact.”

    Rena Pederson, Author & Former Editor

  • “I had the opportunity to work with Virginia Carmichael when the Community Preservation Fund of Falmouth hired my firm to design their identity and website. Virginia provided well-written histories, editing, and project photography, which allowed the timely launch of a website with informative and accurate content.”

    Carol McLeod, Founder & Brand Strategist at Carol McLeod Design LLC

Projects

Carmichael Editing clients include academics, undergraduate and graduate students, memoir and non-fiction writers, non-profit organizations, and businesses. She works with academic manuscripts, theses, dissertations, grant applications, journal and magazine articles, non-fiction, memoirs, newsletters, sermons, and talks at all stages of development along the way to publication, including self-publishing.

Able to comply with any style requirements, Carmichael Editing relies primarily on The Associated Press Stylebook, MLA Handbook, and The Chicago Manual of Style 18.

Approach

A new project starts an ongoing conversation between me and you, the writer. I am working for you and you remain in charge of all editing decisions. I act as an “ideal reader” for you and suggest ways for you to strengthen your manuscript’s organization, fluidity, and strength. You finish with a manuscript you are proud of and one that is ready for submission, publication, or distribution.

Let me review your manuscript and then we will discuss the type(s) of editing you need and want. I can usually meet a reasonable deadline. We’ll sign a letter of agreement and then the process begins.

Developmental Editing
High-level review focusing on overall argument, structure, and coherence.

Line Editing
Detailed editing line by line, not necessarily correcting all fine points of grammar, punctuation, or style, which is the task of copyediting.

Copyediting
A meticulous read for internal and stylistic consistency and technical errors.

Proofreading
Final extremely fine-grained reading to check each usage and punctuation for correctness according to the style system being used.

About Virginia Carmichael

With professional training in literature and writing, Carmichael has been consistently responsible for both writing and editing in her work experience of more than 30 years. She wrote Framing History: The Rosenberg Story and the Cold War (1993) and co-authored a second book with British environmental geographer Robin Doughty, The Albatross and the Fish: Linked Lives in the High Seas (2011).

Carmichael taught literature and writing at the University of Montana, served as a senior managing auditor, with report writing and editing responsibility, at the Texas State Auditor's Office, and provided writing and editing services at a Massachusetts law firm. She also created and edited the content for Falmouth MA Community Preservation Fund website. Along the way, she has edited colleagues’ writing.

Carmichael’s passion for reading and her knowledge about a variety of topics–from history, religions, philosophy, and literature to economics and political science–deepen her capacity for strengthening a wide variety of manuscripts through all editing stages.

Carmichael holds a PhD in Literature from Rice University and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She is proficient in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat.

MEMBERSHIPS

“Being able to improve written language energizes me, and I also greatly enjoy reading what the language is saying. I recently edited the memoir of an Air Force major general who participated in the Berlin Airlift, in the development of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), and in Air Force readiness preparation during the Cuban missile crisis. I’m equally engaged in and committed to the excellence of a dissertation, a church newsletter, a non-fiction book, or a public report. It’s all interesting to me.”