About Me

Julia ShawLet me tell you a little bit about myself. I primarily edit academic papers, theses, dissertations, articles for publication, and personal statements. Having the help of a professional editor throughout your graduate career is an essential investment in your success as you navigate the competitive world of academia and academic publishing. For example, a personal statement can be one of the most important documents you will ever write. Your future literally depends on it. I have helped hundreds of qualified applicants gain admission to their programs of choice at renowned universities, including Stanford, Oxford, Columbia, Duke, University of Southern California, and Northwestern.  Once you have been admitted to to your program, I will continue to help you throughout your academic career with everything from term papers to your dissertation. I have also edited autobiographies, memoirs, and short stories. I know that these manuscripts are particularly close to the author’s heart, and I understand the importance of helping you improve your work while ensuring that you maintain ultimate creative control.

I have a Master’s Degree from The Ohio State University, where I graduated cum laude, and more than ten years experience as an editor, including for McGraw Hill and Suburban News Publications. I have also worked as a literacy tutor for ESL students. Respect for diversity and cultural differences is essential in the world today. For this reason, I provide culturally sensitive editing for all my international clients. For the past several years, I have focused my attention on establishing a thriving freelance editing business with hundreds of satisfied clients all over the country, and around the world.

Writing process pie chartAt Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, I learned all aspects of the publishing world and honed my skill as a proofreader. My first task was to coordinate all phases of a high school earth science textbook with writers, editors, consultants and reviewers. I was also responsible for setting all deadlines so the project would flow smoothly. This has helped me to learn to effectively manage deadlines in my own freelance editing business. Later, I was chosen to edit chapters and research and write 20 “Cultural Diversity Boxes,” one for each chapter of the textbook, to highlight the accomplishments of international scientists. As a freelance proofreader for SRA/McGraw-Hill, I was the sole editor of a literacy workbook series for English language learners and intervention students from kindergarten to the sixth grade. When I worked for Harcourt Educational Measurements, (now owned by Pearson), I supervised six to eight test scorers, helped them evaluate essays based on various established criteria and conducted group scoring for review. I also participated in developing training materials for future projects.