Writing a dissertation or thesis is one of the most demanding academic tasks you’ll undertake — and having the right editor can make all the difference. Beyond just catching typos or fixing grammar, a skilled dissertation editor helps refine your ideas, clarify your argument, and ensure your work meets the highest academic standards.
That’s where I come in.
For over 20 years, I directed the Dissertation/Thesis Office at Fresno State. My career took me through over 2,000 dissertation and thesis reviews on a wide array of different topics spanning the university’s 47 different graduate degree programs. After Fresno State, I went to work for the Naval Postgraduate School, where I continued reviewing and approving dissertations and theses in the military sciences. I left in 2025 to pursue a consulting practice of my own, which is how you wound up here.
In short, I know my way around a dissertation and thesis, no matter the discipline. I can help you.
Fees and Service Levels
The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) lists academic/humanities editing (student level) at US $40‑50/hour, and more advanced academic (faculty/publication) at US $55‑70/hour.
My rate for developmental editing is $45/hr. Developmental editing is the deepest and most involved level of editing. Instead of simply just focusing on grammar, spelling, or formatting, I look at the big-picture structure, logic, and content of the dissertation:
Argument Structure: Is the central argument or research question clear? Are ideas logically ordered and well-supported? Are there any gaps in reasoning?
Organization and Flow: Are the chapters and sections in a logical order? Does each section have a clear purpose and effective transitions? Is there too much repetition or irrelevant content?
Content Development: Are important ideas or analyses underdeveloped or unclear? Are definitions and key terms introduced appropriately? Is the literature review comprehensive and relevant?
Voice, Tone, and Audience: Is the tone appropriate for an academic dissertation? Is the style consistent with the discipline’s norms?
Consistency Across the Project: Do hypotheses align with methods and findings? Are conclusions supported by the evidence presented?
My rate for copyediting is $40/hr. Copyediting the process of reviewing and correcting written content to improve its clarity, accuracy, consistency, and overall readability, while preserving your voice and intent. In a copyedit of your dissertation, I will focus on:
- Grammar, punctuation, and spelling
- Sentence structure and word choice
- Consistency in style and formatting (e.g., capitalization, hyphenation, citation style)
- Factual accuracy (to a limited extent—not deep fact-checking)
- Adherence to a specific style guide (like APA, Chicago, AP, etc.)
Copyediting usually comes after substantive, developmental editing (which deals with big-picture content issues) but before proofreading (which catches final typos and layout issues before publication).
My rate for proofreading is $35/hr. Unlike copyediting, proofreading does not involve reworking sentence structure, improving clarity, or making stylistic changes. Instead, it’s about ensuring the text is clean, polished, and free of errors that might distract or confuse the reader.
In short: Copyediting improves the writing. Proofreading perfects it.
The table below details my services.
| Feature | Developmental Editing $45/hr | Copyediting $40/hr | Proofreading $35/hr |
| Focus | Big-picture structure, content, and argument | Sentence-level clarity, grammar, consistency | Final surface-level errors (typos, formatting, punctuation) |
| Stage of writing | Early or mid-stage drafts | Mid-to-late stage | Final draft, post-formatting |
| Examples of edits | – Improve flow of ideas- Reorganize chapters- Suggest more evidence- Strengthen argument- Identify weak logic | – Correct grammar/ punctuation- Ensure word consistency- Fix awkward phrasing- Enforce citation style | – Fix typos- Catch layout errors- Check for missing periods, quotation marks, etc. |
| Typical depth of work | High — may suggest rewriting entire sections | Medium — refines what’s there | Low — surface-level only |
| Requires subject expertise? | Often, yes (especially in academic work) | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Time-intensive? | Very | Moderate | Less so |
| Example feedback | “Your lit review lacks recent studies; consider expanding.” | “This sentence is wordy — simplify for clarity.” | “Comma missing after citation.” |
Now that you know what to expect, are you ready to get started? Send me an email (cradkewkc@gmail.com) to set up your initial consultation. I look forward to working with you!
Charles Lewis Radke 