Academic Editing · Journal Compliance · AI-Literate
Your science is ready.
Let's make sure your writing is too.
Expert manuscript and grant editing from editors who have worked inside AJE, Cambridge Proofreading, MDPI, KGL, and Elsevier — with the STEM domain knowledge to understand your field.
Editorial standards developed working with
10 years of publisher-side editorial experience · MSc Computer Science · AI/ML · Biomedical · Computational research
Why Fine Line
The gap between a desk rejection and an acceptance is usually not the science.
Publisher-side credibility
Our editors have held positions inside major academic publishers, not simply edited manuscripts for them. That means we know how editorial decisions are made, what gets flagged at the desk, and what signals a well-prepared submission. This institutional knowledge is not replicable from a style guide.
STEM domain expertise
Editing a biomedical informatics paper or an ML systems paper requires understanding the field, not just the grammar. Our editors bring genuine STEM literacy — including computational research backgrounds — so your technical argument remains intact and accurate throughout the editing process.
Transparent AI use
We use AI-assisted tools at the consistency-checking stage, under close human supervision, and we disclose every instance in writing. You receive a full AI disclosure statement with every project. Transparency about AI is not a courtesy — for journal compliance, it is increasingly a requirement.
Journal compliance
Every manuscript we edit is checked against the target journal's author guidelines — formatting, reference style, section order, word count constraints. We have worked inside submission systems at five major publishers and know exactly what creates friction at the editorial desk.
GDPR-compliant storage
Your research files are stored with geographic separation and access controls that meet GDPR requirements. For projects requiring additional confidentiality, we offer a local-processing tier with no cloud-assisted tooling. Your intellectual property and your participants' data are protected at every stage.
Async-first workflow
No intake calls, no intake questionnaires that take longer than the project briefing. You submit your manuscript and requirements in writing, we return a quote within one business day, and editing proceeds without scheduling overhead. Built for researchers in different time zones with different deadlines.
Services
Every project. Every field. Every deadline.
01
Journal Manuscripts
Line editing, structure review, clarity improvements, and journal-compliance checking. We work at the level of argument and paragraph flow — not just surface grammar — so your case for publication is as clear as your data. Formatting to author guidelines and reference checking included.
$240 – $625
02
Grant Editing
Substantive editing and compliance review for NIH R01, NSF, SBIR, and equivalent funding mechanisms. We work through specific aims, significance, innovation, and approach sections with attention to reviewer criteria and scoring rubrics. Cover letters and budget justifications available as add-ons.
$650 – $3,800
03
Dissertations
Chapter-level substantive editing through to full-document proofreading for STEM and computational research dissertations. We understand the conventions of thesis argument structure across disciplines and can work to institutional or departmental style requirements as needed.
$1,950 – $4,800
Proofreading from $0.030/word · Copyediting from $0.045/word · Substantive editing from $0.065/word · ESL STEM polish from $0.055/word · Minimum fee $150 · Hourly consulting $125/hr
The Workflow
Three stages. One deliverable package you can act on immediately.
01
Consistency Pass
We run a systematic consistency check across your entire document — terminology, abbreviations, citation formats, and internal cross-references. This stage catches the errors that accumulate invisibly across long documents and multiple revision cycles.
02
AI-Assisted Editing
Under direct human supervision, we use AI tooling to accelerate the detection of language-level issues — sentence structure, passive constructions, wordiness, and register inconsistencies. Every AI suggestion is reviewed and accepted or rejected by a human editor.
03
Human Judgment
The substantive editing pass is entirely human. Argument flow, framing of results, section transitions, and discussion of limitations require editorial judgment that AI cannot provide. This is where publisher-side experience becomes most visible in the output.
04
Delivery
You receive a complete deliverable package formatted for immediate action. Everything you need to submit is included and clearly labelled. No follow-up emails required.
Tracked-changes document
Clean accepted copy
Style sheet
Editor memo
AI disclosure statement
“We know what the editor on the other side of your submission is looking for. That is not something you can learn from a style guide.”
Fine Line Academic Agency
Who we work with
Built for researchers who take both the work and the stakes seriously.
Postdocs
Postdoctoral researchers
STEM, AI, and medical researchers navigating the submission cycle alongside lab responsibilities and career milestones. We deliver journal-compliant manuscripts without requiring calls or back-and-forth.
ESL researchers
ESL researchers in US STEM labs
Researchers writing in English as a second language, particularly in US-based STEM and computational biology labs. Our ESL polish service preserves your technical precision while lifting the language to native academic register.
PIs / Faculty
Principal investigators
Faculty managing NIH R01, NSF, and SBIR grant cycles who need substantive editing and compliance review under tight deadlines. We understand scoring rubrics and reviewer psychology — and we work to your timeline.
PhD candidates
PhD candidates
STEM and computer science doctoral students preparing dissertations and first-author papers. We work chapter by chapter or on the full document, to institutional requirements, with clear tracked changes so you understand every edit.
Your manuscript deserves an editor who understands the field.
Get a quote in under two minutes. No intake call required.
Get a quote