Client Testimonials
ART HISTORY HISTORY/CULTURAL STUDIES OTHER AREAS PERSONAL STATEMENTS BUSINESS MATERIALS
ART HISTORY & VISUAL ARTS
The Barnes Foundation, 2023
“I appreciated Emily Bowles’s flexibility in working with our shifting deadlines during the production of William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision. She asked good questions along the way, was thorough in her proofread, had sound editorial suggestions, and delivered the project on time. ”
The Barnes Foundation
“I’m particular about the quality of my written projects. In addition to getting the content right, I want them to be clear, accurate, engaging, and accessible to my readers. Emily Bowles is the ideal editorial partner. She has a meticulous eye and an impressive command of the styles and grammar rules appropriate for varied types of writing. She always finds the mistakes (they’re inevitably there). When passages of text are awkward or unclear, she makes thoughtful suggestions and makes them with kindness. Emily takes text I’ve grown frustrated with and helps to transform it into something I’m excited to finish and present.”
Ackland Art Museum, UNC-Chapel Hill
“We three—first-time book co-authors—contacted Emily Bowles following strong recommendations from others in the museum field. Emily graciously accepted our project with a tight schedule, and created an organized workflow to manage the process. Her communication was always both prompt and clear, and she was unfailingly helpful—a boon to writers on a deadline. When writing our respective chapters, we each made intentional, and differing, style choices. We appreciated that Emily thoughtfully supported this variety while also establishing consistency within and across chapters. As museum educators we appreciated her sensitive textual solutions for recounting dialogues in gallery
teaching that still satisfied our publisher’s style guide. Emily is an excellent copy editor and her attention to myriad details greatly strengthened our book as well. Upon receiving her edits, it was easy to clarify our own intentions and to make the right choices. This was invaluable. Finally, Emily has extensive knowledge of art, artists, and museums including museum education. She was an enthusiastic supporter of our goals and our work, and understood its value and importance.”
Ray Williams, MA, MEd
Corinne Zimmermann, MA, MEd
American Alliance of Museums, 2023
West Margin Press, 2021
“Emily Bowles read my manuscript, Sisters in Art, with great attention to detail, and her broad knowledge of art history was extremely helpful. Her thoughtful suggestions helped me to determine when I needed to provide more information for the reader and when I was going off on a tangent that would be better discussed in a footnote. After Emily’s careful copyediting, my manuscript was much more concise and accurate.”
2021 New Deal Book Award Nominee
Curator, “The Bruton Sisters: Modernism in the Making”
“To progress in a timely manner through an academic career in this day and age, one needs a support structure. I knew that having an efficient copy editor for my book manuscript would be the difference between applying for promotion this year versus waiting. My application deadline for full professor was looming when I found Emily Bowles. Thankfully, I hired Emily as my copy editor and I could not be happier with the results. My book manuscript, Burnished: Zulu Ceramics Between Rural and Urban South Africa, was well received by my editor at Indiana University Press [and] sailed through external reader remarks.”
Associate Professor of Art History, UNC Greensboro
CAA Millard Meiss Publication Grant recipient, 2022
Indiana University Press, 2022
“I worked with Emily Bowles during the final stages of preparing my dissertation, ‘Remixing the Archives: Indigenous Interpretations of History and the Future,’ which centered on issues of race and visual sovereignty in U.S. history and popular culture, Indigenous studies, and contemporary art—a challenging combination of topics that not a lot of people are well versed in. She got behind the project immediately, understood what I was saying, provided insights and helpful suggestions, and helped me give my dissertation active voice and powerful structure. Her work ethics are truly genuine, and her work is precise, thorough, and fast. I cannot express how helpful and supportive Emily’s editing services were. I am happy to say that my dissertation passed with distinction and is on its way to a book contract! I will definitely be recommending Emily Bowles to my colleagues—for editing academic essays, dissertations, and book manuscripts in art history especially. I hope that I can continue working with Emily for a long time.”
“We always appreciate Emily’s thoughtful edits and depth of understanding of arts-specific writing. Would highly recommend her services!”
and 2020 recipient of the Rabkin Prize for Arts Writers
“Emily Bowles did a full and careful copyedit of my dissertation, ‘The Body Politics of Decoration and Handicraft: Re-visioning 1970s Feminist Art.’ Her work was thoughtful, detailed, and meticulous. She made constructive revision suggestions that enabled my arguments to be clearer and easier to follow. As an ESL author writing a 200-page dissertation under the supervision of four committee members, I was blessed with Emily’s help. I would highly recommend her work for a dissertation or book project.”
“Upon reaching the final stages of my thesis draft, it was imperative that I find an editor sensible to the nuances of my area of study and adept in grammar and citation conventions as well. Emily Bowles went beyond my expectations over the course of editing my manuscript. I was working on a tight deadline, and Emily’s communications were prompt, professional, and accommodating. Her feedback addressing grammatical and stylistic weak points in my writing was generous and clear, which ultimately helped me clarify my ideas and strengthen my argument. Lastly, she provided the edits for my manuscript ahead of schedule, which was invaluable. Overall, I would highly recommend Emily’s services and plan to work with her again. ”
HISTORY / CULTURAL STUDIES
University of Washington Press, 2023
“I am a historian of forty years standing and have already published a number of books. I am absolutely delighted that I came to hear of Emily Bowles and that she agreed to edit my manuscript Ecologies of Empire in South Asia, 1400–1900. I had a rush of other work while preparing the draft, so she received a messy manuscript full of loose ends, some sentence fragments, and even a few typos. I hired Emily to do a development edit and she met the deadline. She brought to the task a wonderful capacity to take a bird’s-eye view, suggesting important structural changes and the need for some smoother paragraph transitions. She did a meticulous job, flagging missing references and inserting questions, notes, and explanations of the changes that she had either made or recommended. I accepted almost all of her edits. I recommend her highly, even to experienced authors.”
Frances Higginbotham Nalle Centennial Chair in History
The University of Texas at Austin
West Margin Press, 2022
“Emily is sharp, thorough, and very thoughtful in her editing work. It is a pleasure working with her, as I feel assured every time that a manuscript is with her that it is in good hands.”
Editor, West Margin Press
West Margin Press, 2022
“I had Emily Bowles copyedit my book, Never Caught Twice: Horse Stealing and Culture in Western Nebraska, 1850–1890, before I sent it off to my publisher and I am very glad I did. Although not a Western historian by trade, Emily’s deep knowledge of the editorial craft enabled me to translate the text for a non-academic audience, while also identifying numerous errors, irregularities, and various other butcherings of the English language. Her insights, comments, and corrections made my manuscript much stronger; I am now confident enough in the final product that I plan on applying for several book awards.”
Nebraska Book Award Winner, 2021
University of Nebraska Press, 2020
“After two years of research and writing, I was stuck and struggling with how to move my [dissertation] manuscript forward. I reached out to Emily Bowles and shared my writing concerns and frustrations. She listened to my goals and objectives and helped me to shape and sort my ideas and data, always responsive to my questions and concerns. Emily is amazing. With her guidance and recommendations, my writing got back on track and progressed to completion. Thank you, Emily. I could not have done it without you.”
OTHER AREAS
Science, Math & Technology
Cambridge University Press, 2023
“Before submitting the final draft of my book for publication, I needed a reliable copy editor, one who would be meticulous and yet flexible enough to allow for my voice, one who would correct my millions of errors yet keep my narrative intact. This was not an easy task and I had tried several editors. Emily Bowles was the best. Although my book is at times very technical, she navigated it well. She is also very prompt and sticks to a deadline, which is very important. In short, my next book will be edited by her as well.”
“I wholeheartedly recommend Emily Bowles as a copy editor to any writer requiring a second set of eyes. Most people have blinders to their own writing; we think what we have written will make perfect sense to a reader. I contacted Emily 48 hours before a 15,000-word, 40-page document was due. She graciously accepted the project and made a tangled mess much more readable. Her feedback process was perfect—where she suggested I use alternative language or provide additional background, I did. She is very professional, punctual, and most importantly helped me produce a finished product that my boss and client liked reading. Really, that is the main reason you should work with Emily: satisfied readers.”
Education
“As a copy editor, Emily Bowles was a tremendous help to me while I was finalizing my dissertation. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had Emily’s spectacular editing abilities on my side. I would have not been able to meet my deadlines and graduate with my doctoral degree in education if she was not such an amazing editor—punctual, thorough, considerate, and skillful.”
PERSONAL STATEMENTS
“Emily is professional, prompt, and thorough. When I reached out to her for help with my graduate school application, she neatly outlined the editing process, including required materials, timeline, and cost. Her edits were clear and logical, and made my personal statement more focused and persuasive. I would choose her again and again as my editor! Thank you, Emily!”
“Emily Bowles did a fantastic job editing my personal statement for my medical school application. I asked Emily to improve my essay’s overall flow and clarity, and she far exceeded my expectations. Despite making numerous edits, I was most impressed by how she preserved my voice throughout the essay. Emily was also very professional in every email, and I could tell she genuinely wanted to improve my writing. I was so pleased with her personal statement edits that I later reached out to her for help on other essays, and she did an amazing job with those as well. I would highly recommend Emily to anyone who needs an editor!”
“When I urgently needed assistance with a personal statement, I contacted Emily Bowles and everything was smooth from there. She provided professional editing services and informative comments on my statement, both of which improved my writing. I highly recommend her and look forward to working with her in the future.”
“I couldn’t have been happier with my experience working with Emily Bowles. She helped me edit a personal statement for a competitive grant, and her feedback was informative, clear, and very helpful. It is evident that she has both the skill and the personal insight to elevate a wide variety of genres. Her editing work took my statement to the next level, and I would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for editing services. Thank you, Emily!”
“As an editor, Emily is very professional and kind. She helped me with my application essays and made my points clearer and more concise. Her work was high quality and efficient. I had a great experience working with her and I would recommend her.”
“I reached out to Emily Bowles to assist me with my personal statements for my graduate school applications. She did a wonderful job editing my materials, and even took the time to research some of the institutions I wrote about in my statements. Her editing was very professional and thorough, and she finished within the quoted time. I would definitely recommend Emily for your editing needs.”
“When I needed help with a personal statement, as part of an application for a post-graduation internship, I sought Emily Bowles’s help. She provided me with wonderful insights about my essay’s structure and suggestions for better storytelling. She teased out of my draft a much more nuanced statement. Her editing was thorough and thoughtful, and it was clear from her comments that she genuinely cared about making my writing better. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to help me during this stressful period—Emily helped me bring my writing to the next level!”
BUSINESS MATERIALS
“For the longest time, we struggled to find an editor—someone who understood our unique voice and brand promise while also being firm, confident, and kind with critical feedback. Working with Emily Bowles has taken our products and marketing copy to the next level. Every piece of writing that Emily touches becomes clearer and more compelling. We feel fortunate to get to work with Emily and look forward to working together for the years to come.”
Co-Founders, Holstee
“Emily Bowles was the consummate professional helping us edit content for our new WordPress website. She was thoughtful, thorough, and detail-oriented. She also went above and beyond by proactively bringing issues to my attention and keeping detailed records of the work she did and where we needed to follow up. In addition, she is an excellent editor/proofreader, and I wholeheartedly recommend her work.”
“When copyediting the Carolina Friends School’s biannual magazine, We & Thee, Emily Bowles brings both an eye for detail and a good sense of how to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences. Her ability to ensure finely tuned grammatical accuracy, as well as give excellent suggestions for clarity and flow, has really elevated the professionalism and readability of our publication. In addition, her thorough feedback has also been very helpful in projects with a wide variety of tone and voice, as she’s able to respect creative differences while providing a sense of continuity.”
“I had the good fortune to work with Emily Bowles on several editing projects recently: a newsletter for my employer, The Devilish Egg, and my personal Etsy shop page. Her work was thoughtful, detail-oriented, and insightful. She corrected for grammar and tone, resulting in much more readable content. All edits were completed in a timely manner and she was communicative and easy to work with every step of the way. Should the need arise, I will absolutely work with Emily again. Highly recommend.”
Contact me and let’s get started.