Val Gerard

Medical and Science Editor

I have been editing biology manuscripts, and manuscripts in many other areas of science and medicine, as a freelance editor for over a decade. Prior to becoming a freelance editor, I edited biology manuscripts for several decades as a university professor, mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. I also edited quite a few biology papers as part of teaching scientific writing and other courses that required student papers. So, how did I learn to edit biology manuscripts, and what made me realize that I was a competent editor?

Throughout college and graduate school, my professors gave me positive feedback about my papers, leading me to believe that I was a good writer. However, my first attempt at publishing was not successful, and the reviews included negative comments about my writing style. I was determined to improve. As a postdoctoral researcher, I asked colleagues to read and comment on my manuscripts. One friend, in particular, was heavy-handed with his red pen.

At first I resented, but ultimately, I really appreciated his efforts. The hardest part of learning to be a good scientific writer is learning how to edit your own writing. The best way to do that is to have someone else point out the problems, until you can see them for yourself.

Once I learned how to edit my own biology manuscripts, I revised each one multiple times before submitting it to a journal. By the time I was a tenured professor, most of my manuscripts were being accepted for publication with no revisions – a fairly rare occurrence in the world of scientific publishing. That is what made me realize that I had become a competent writer. When my students’ papers were published with few revisions, and my colleagues asked me to review their manuscripts, I realized that I was also a competent editor. One of my goals as a freelance editor is to help my clients become better writers. Hiring a competent editor is good first step toward learning how to edit your own biology manuscripts.

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