Anna-Lisa Ptolemy

Working on an academic paper, memoir, book manuscript, or a story you just need to tell? Are you struggling to turn your rough notes into an annual shareholders’ report or professional newsletter content? I can’t wait to make you feel proud of the finished version and confident to show it to the world. 

I am an experienced editor who provides structural and stylistic editing, copy editing, and proofreading services for many different kinds of content. I believe that editing is far more than just looking for errors (although of course I do that too); it is a collaboration between me and an author who trusts me to understand their intentions and make their writing as clear and polished as possible. There is nothing more rewarding than the excitement of an author who sees exactly what they meant to say take perfect shape because of our work together.

Services Offered 

Structural editing: Big-picture feedback to help shape and strengthen your manuscript, article, or story. I’ll make sure your ideas are clear, well-organized, and free of repetition.

Stylistic editing: Review of flow, clarity, readability, and general style. I’ll smooth out wordy sentences, awkward phrasing and clichés. I’ll also ensure your writing has an audience-appropriate tone and an interesting variety of sentence types.

Copy editing: A careful check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency. From correct usage of hyphens and dashes to swapping out overused words, I’ll make sure your text is sharp and polished.

Proofreading: Consider this your project’s final double-check! I’ll catch typos, formatting errors, and other minor oversights so your copy is professional and clean.

Ghost writing: Got the ideas, but not the time or skill to write about them? Want your AI-written draft to sound human instead of recognizably ChatGPT-generated? Send me your notes and I’ll turn them into clear, compelling content in your own voice. Perfect for blog posts, social media, newsletters, website copy, and more.

In a world of AI, let me help you be yourself, human being to human being!

My Background 

The bulk of my experience is material in the Science and Religion arena that explores the relationship between the Theory of Evolution and Christian faith. However, I enjoy editing all sorts of content, from blog posts about workplace safety to newsletters about the latest advances in animal training, and more! I particularly enjoy helping people tell their own stories well. I love learning as I edit, and my genuine interest in understanding new concepts and experiences will help you achieve maximum readability for your audience.

I have a linguistics degree and 16 years of editing experience. My degree includes a minor in Spanish, and I have taken graduate-level courses in ancient languages such as Hebrew and Greek. I have experience as an academic editor, an improver of memoirs, and as a collaborator on social media and blog content. I have also worked in script and voiceover writing. In short, I love language and everything it can do!

I look forward to working with you on your next project, big or small.