What does James do?
James Does...
Copy Editing & Proofreading
What I've done: my experience
I'm a native English speaker with years of writing and editing experience in various formats, including academic (writing and marking essays, dissertations and theses), professional (minutes, reports, emails and website content), and creative writing.
I have carried out research for a PhD that involved transcribing audio recordings of interviews and focus groups, devising an online questionnaire, creating graphs and charts to display my data, and then writing and referencing the resultant thesis. I am also the author of a series of Disney reference books.
I began proofreading and copy editing on a self-employed basis in 2016, and since then I have grown my business year-on-year.
I have proofread and copy edited numerous PhD theses, Masters dissertations, articles, job applications and more for postgraduate researchers and academics, as well as works of fiction, museum exhibition texts and professional reports for non-academic clients. I have also transcribed over 60 audio interviews for West Yorkshire Queer Stories.
What I do: my work
I offer a friendly, affordable and personal service that combines elements of copy editing and proofreading. As well as correcting spelling and grammar errors (using Track Changes in MS Word, so you can see the changes made), and checking that references, citations, footnotes and headings are correctly and consistently formatted, I include comments and suggestions about word usage and sentence clarity - my aim is to help you to produce the best version of your work for submission, publication or presentation. I help those who are not native English speakers polish their work so that it reads more naturally to a native English reader. I can also address formatting issues to meet your particular submission guidelines.
A 10,000 word article can take between 2 and 4 hours to review and format, while a 100,000 word thesis could take 15-25 hours (these estimates are based on previous experience; times vary depending on the writer's standard of English).
I charge an hourly rate rather than a flat fee, so that you only pay for the time I actually spend on the work. I provide an estimated time up front, and on completion of the work I provide an invoice that reflects the actual time spent on the work, which is payable within 30 days.
What I charge: my costs
From 1st January 2020, my standard rate is £20 per hour.
My minimum charge is £10 for any individual piece of work that takes up to 30 mins.
My charging structure works in 15 min increments; for example, work that takes between 61 and 75 mins is charged at 1.25 hrs.
Urgent work, required back to the client within 24 hours, will incur an additional surcharge.
To find out how I can help with your copy editing and proofreading needs, please email me:
JamesDoesProofreading@outlook.com
Copy Editing & Proofreading Testimonials
"James has helped me in proofreading about a dozen documents (articles, research papers, grant applications and the like), including my PhD thesis. In all cases, he has provided me with professional, efficient and excellent work. He has very good organisation skills and his comments and suggestions are always useful. Additionally, he is able to work with tight deadlines and maintain high standards of work. I recommended his work widely."
Dr Julieta Brambila, Assistant Professor,
Universidad de las Américas, Mexico
"I've started going through the document you sent me. Sterling work Dr. Mason. Not only are the corrections spot on, but the comments you added are leaving me with the feeling that we're having an informal chat about the document, and that makes working a lot less stressful. I'm really enjoying it."
[Extracted with permission from personal email communication]
Dr Andreas Rauh Ortega,
University of Leeds, UK
"When I first started writing up my PhD thesis I had a little bit of a headache with my English language grammar and spelling. “My God! I need proof-reader!” - I realised. Fortunately, James, one of my colleagues at the time, was sitting right next to my desk. He provided a professional service and excellent value for money. He not only checked spelling mistakes and inconsistencies of writing conventions, he also provided insightful comments on clarity, coherence and content of the text. Lucky me!"
Dr Luca Antoniazzi, Post-Doctoral Fellow,
Leeds Humanities Research Institute, University of Leeds, UK
James Does...
Disney
I have always been a fan of Disney films and the wider Disney world, and on returning to postgraduate study I found myself becoming more and more immersed and interested in the subject. I spent three years researching and writing about Disney films and their audiences in order to earn a doctorate (PhD) - over 3,500 people completed my online survey about Disney, and I gathered and analysed data about 390 Disney films.
You can read my PhD thesis online (for free) here:
Disney Film Genres and Adult Audiences:
A Tale of Renegotiated Relationships.
Towards the end of my PhD I began writing the first volume of Disney Connections and Collections.
Hear me discussing my research and Disney Connections and Collections on the Notably Disney podcast here.
You can also listen to me discussing Disney's Treasure Planet (2002) on the Beyond the Box Set podcast here.
To contact me about my research or writing, email me:
JamesDoesDisney@outlook.com
Disney Connections & Collections
Volume One: Movies
The first volume in the Disney Connections & Collections series was published by Theme Park Press in March 2019 and is available now from Amazon.
The Definitive Guide to Disney Films
From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, through the films Disney plans to release through 2019 and early 2020, Dr. James Mason delivers a cinemaphile's treasure trove of pertinent and often hard-to-find information about each of Disney's animated and live-action films.
Mason's chronological, cross-referenced collector's companion to Disney theatrical features is unmatched in its detail, providing not just release dates, cast and crew, and literary sources, but also the film's connections to comic strip adaptations, soundtrack albums, and non-fiction books, with cross-references to relevant Disney theme park rides, sequels, TV shows, and other media.
In this comprehensive all-in-one guide—over 500 pages!— you'll have at your fingertips up-to-date information about not just the classic and modern Disney films, but Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars releases, as well. Want to know comic strips and comic books feature Dumbo? Which TV series and video games star the Avengers? Where to find obscure features like Condorman or The Littlest Outlaw on DVD, Blu-ray, or Laserdisc? It's in here!
For Disney fans, collectors, and historians alike, this is your front-row ticket to the cinematic magic of Disney.
Disney Connections & Collections
Volume Two: TV Movies & Anthologies
The second volume in the Disney Connections & Collections series was published by Theme Park Press in July 2019 and is available now from Amazon.
The Definitive Guide to Disney Television
From 1950's One Hour in Wonderland in 1937, through the TV movies that Disney plans to release through 2019 and early 2020, Dr James Mason delivers a treasure trove of pertinent and often hard-to-find information about Disney's television movies and anthologies.
Mason's chronological, cross-referenced collector's companion to Disney TV movies is unmatched in its detail, providing not just release dates, cast and crew, and literary sources, but also the show's connections to comic strip adaptations and books, with cross-references to relevant Disney theme park rides, video games, and soundtracks.
In this comprehensive all-in-one guide, you'll have at your fingertips virtually every movie that Disney produced for the small screen, from long-ago (and sometimes obscure) features like The Walt Disney Christmas Show and I Captured the King of the Leprechauns to modern airings of High School Musical, Kim Possible, and Halloweentown.
For Disney fans, collectors, and historians alike, this is your front-row ticket to the televised magic of Disney.
About me
After growing up on a farm in North Yorkshire, I obtained a BA in American Studies & English from Keele University; studied several courses, including Creative Writing, with the Open University; picked up an MA in Film Studies from the University of Bradford; and then earned a PhD from the University of Leeds.
I have also gained much administrative and professional experience from employment in local government and academia between my undergraduate and postgraduate studies. I now live in Leeds, West Yorkshire where I balance my copy editing, proofreading and writing work with part-time jobs as a TV and movie extra and as an attendant at Leeds Playhouse.
When not working (COVID-19 restrictions permitting), I'm usually with my friends doing something cultural like watching films, playing board games, or visiting the theatre.
Or I'm on holiday with my husband, probably somewhere in Europe, Japan or the USA.