Students, especially doctoral students, have the difficult task of choosing an academic editor. Decisions, decisions, decisions. What to look for? How to decide?

I can tell you the 3 most common questions that come my way.

1. How much does the editing cost?
2. How long will it take?
3. Does the editing come with any guarantee?

How can the replies help you? Well, you need to know what you are looking for.

1. Are you shopping for the cheapest and fastest turnaround?
2. Are you assessing who will give your work respect and help you polish the final product?

Know what you want and respect the outcome. If you buy a hamburger, do not expect a steak.

Always interesting to see how students view their work: is it a mere product or a creative process. A product approach usually wants the editing done cheap and fast. A creative approach understands that the process is actually dynamic and flows and could take longer.