Developmental and Copy Editing for Social Scientists
I work with academic authors on journal articles, book chapters, and proposals — most often sociologists, but also scholars in education, criminal justice, and social policy. My aim is simple: to help you make the strongest version of your own argument, in your own voice.
I have worked on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods manuscripts from 5,000 words to full book drafts, supporting authors at every stage from rough first draft to third-round revision.
As a trained social scientist, I read your manuscript the way a reviewer will. I am also a working writer, which means I understand what helps prose connect with readers. Most authors come to me because they need both types of editing.
Background
I hold a PhD in Sociology from Harvard University and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from New York University. I am currently Senior Editor at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, where I serve as primary editor for all research publications. Previously, as Research Manager and Editor at Columbia University's Justice Lab, I wrote, edited, and managed dozens of publications — academic articles, book chapters, policy reports, and public-facing writing.
With Bruce Western and David Harding, I co-edited a commissioned volume of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science and co-authored its introduction. I have edited scholarship published or forthcoming in the American Journal of Sociology and the American Sociological Review, and by the University of Chicago Press, The New Press, and Princeton University Press.
My first book, My Girls: The Power of Friendship in a Poor Neighborhood, was published by the University of California Press in 2023.
What I Offer
Developmental editing. I read for the big things first: what you are claiming, whether the structure serves those claims, and where the evidence effectively carries the argument. I offer an editorial letter, a marked manuscript, and, where helpful, a proposed reorganization.
Line and copy editing. Sentence-level work in tracked changes, finessing clarity, precision, transitions, consistency, and citations. Your voice guides all my edits.
Journal articles, including revise-and-resubmit support. Framing, argument, and structure, for papers headed to submission or back from review. When available, I read reviewer reports alongside the manuscript and help you decide which critiques to integrate, which to diplomatically push back on, and how to edit the piece. This includes developing and editing the reviewer response memo.
Book proposals, chapters, and manuscripts. Proposals for academic and trade presses, standalone chapters, and contributions to edited volumes. Developmental editing for scholarly books, including dissertation-to-book revision.
Grants and fellowships. Proposals, research statements, and job-market materials.
How I Work
I take on a small number of projects at a time.
Send me the draft, your target venue and timeline, and a short note about any concerns in the manuscript. I’ll respond with a project scope, a turnaround timeline, and a fee based on length, draft condition, and editing speed.
Grant and fellowship materials can often be turned around quickly; book manuscripts will need longer timeframes. For longer projects, I can offer a short sample edit first, so we both know the fit is right.
Get in Touch
Let me know what you’re working on and what kind of editing you’re seeking. Email me at jasmin.sandelson@gmail.com or contact me below.