Professional Editing Services for Academic and Non-Fiction Publishers
Helping publishers and their authors improve manuscripts, journal articles, and professional content to the highest editorial standards.
Professional Editing Services for Academic and Non-Fiction Publishers
Helping publishers and their authors improve manuscripts, journal articles, and professional content to the highest editorial standards.
Who We Are
Passionate Content Editors and Creators
Blue Leaf Editing specialises in professional editing for academic and non-fiction publishers, including traditional, hybrid, independent, and publishing service providers. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, our core team brings over 15 years of combined experience in editing, publishing, bookselling, writing, and content creation.
“Editing is our craft and our passion. We immerse ourselves in your content, balancing precision with readability, and we take pride in delivering edited text that meets professional publishing standards.”
– Michelle Meyer, Director and Editor
Download Our Company ProfileOur Editing Principles
Our mission is simple: to help publishers produce professionally edited content. Our work is guided by three principles that matter in academic and non-fiction editing.
Consistency
We apply style guides, terminology, and formatting rules with care, ensuring manuscripts and journal articles meet your publishing standards.
Accuracy
We check language, facts (where required), references, and DOIs. Our focus is on producing publication-ready work that supports authors and strengthens your editorial process.
Communication
We work closely with publishers to understand their requirements and keep the editing process transparent. No fuss, no ambiguity. Just a collaborative approach that respects your workflow.
Our Editing Services
We specialise in academic and non-fiction editing services for publishers and their authors.
Every project is handled with a practical understanding of the publishing process, from early manuscript development to final proofs.
Below is an overview of our core services. If you have a project that falls slightly outside these areas, feel free to ask. We take on some fiction and digital content projects each year, but only when they’re the right fit.
Academic Editing
We work with academic publishers, journal editors, and authors to prepare manuscripts for publication. Our goal is simple: make the research readable without diluting its rigour.
Whether we’re editing a journal article, monograph, book chapter, or an entire edited collection, we focus on overall structure and consistency across the text.
We respect disciplinary conventions and the author’s voice, and we edit with a deep awareness of how academic arguments are built and sustained.
A large part of our academic editing service includes reference checking, verifying in-text citations, ensuring style-guide consistency, checking DOIs, and reviewing endnotes and footnotes. This level of detail often makes the difference between a manuscript that’s “nearly there” and one that’s publication-ready.
Typical academic projects we handle include:
Typical academic projects we handle include:
- Journal articles
- Academic books and monographs
- Academic edited collections
- Book chapters
- Research-based reports and case studies
Note: We do not edit student theses or dissertations. Our focus is on published scholarship and professional academic content.
Non-Fiction Editing
For non-fiction publishers, we help bring structure, style, and substance together so that ideas land clearly with readers.
From trade titles to policy papers, research-based books, and professional content, we edit with an understanding of what makes non-fiction work.
Because our backgrounds span bookselling, publishing, and marketing, we know how non-fiction needs to function, not just on the page, but in the wider marketplace.
We edit with the reader in mind, but we also keep your publishing objectives front and centre.
We offer several levels of non-fiction editing, depending on where the manuscript is in the process:
Manuscript Assessment
Manuscript Assessment
A high-level review of your manuscript’s readiness for publication. You’ll receive focused, practical feedback on what’s working, what needs refining, and what your next steps should be.
Line Editing
Line Editing
A detailed edit that looks at tone, rhythm, and flow. We refine sentences and transitions, bringing clarity to the writing while keeping the author’s voice and intent intact.
Language Editing (Copy editing)
Language Editing (Copy editing)
An in-depth check of grammar, style, and consistency. We correct errors, tidy phrasing, ensure terminology is used consistently, and flag anything unclear. Ideal for manuscript drafts that already have a solid structure and message.
Proofreading
Proofreading
The final tidy-up before publication. We check for typos, formatting slips, spacing issues, punctuation errors, and any inconsistencies that may have snuck through earlier rounds of editing.
Selective Projects
We occasionally take on:
- Fiction manuscripts (limited availability)
- Online and digital content editing for publishers and established clients
These projects are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If it’s a good fit for our skills and your goals, we’re happy to discuss options.
Our Partner Leaflet
Others Who Made the Write Move
Pricing
We keep our pricing transparent and straightforward. Because every project is different, we quote on a per-word basis after reviewing your material and understanding the level of editing it needs.
Please email us at info@blueleafediting.com for a custom quote.
When preparing your estimate, we consider:
The total word count of your document.
The inclusion of tables, figures, or other artwork.
The presence and complexity of references, footnotes, endnotes, or DOIs.
The depth of editing required.
Any specialised services you need.
