I work with nonfiction and academic authors at every stage of the writing process, from developmental editing and book proposals to coaching and research.
My clients have published award-winning books with Knopf, Random House, Simon & Schuster, W. W. Norton, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, and Little, Brown, as well as Cambridge University Press, Stanford University Press, MIT Press, and more. Tell me about your project!
“With analytical sharpness, perceptiveness, and telepathy-like insight, Tyler intuitively understood the ideas and goals for my writing.”
—Sa’ed Atshan, Swarthmore College
“Tyler helped me to trim, see the important pieces, and sharpen my argument…. My only regret is not getting in touch with him sooner.“
—Marie Sarita Gaytán, University of Utah
JOURNALS & REPORTS
“Tyler took my book proposal from half-way there to over the top. I am forever grateful for his insights and edits.“
—Molly Beauregard, University of Michigan
INSTITUTIONS
Let’s talk
Tell me where your book, article, or proposal stands, what kind of help you’re looking for, and what your timeline looks like. You don’t need a finished draft, or even a clear idea of what you need, to get started. We’ll set up a short introductory call to talk it through.
I am currently accepting new projects. Answer a few questions about your project in this inquiry form, or email me directly at edit@tylerloveless.com.
“Tyler is an expert at crafting a book proposal…. Working with him was seamless and lightning-fast.“
—Ruth Angus, American Museum of Natural History
My services
Developmental Editing
Looking for thorough, in-depth feedback? I’ll look at the foundations of your text—argument, organization, narrative, structure, pacing—and provide detailed editorial recommendations to guide substantial revisions.
Line Editing
Is your manuscript in need of a tune-up? I’ll provide edits and comments on paragraph and sentence structure, clarity, concision, organization, and word choice to ensure your manuscript reads as smoothly as possible.
Doctoring & Collaboration
Wish someone would take a stalled project off your hands? I’ll work directly on your manuscript to implement substantive revisions and rewrites (so you don’t have to). This service is for projects in need of decisive, hands-on intervention.
Book Proposal Evaluation & Development
Ready to pitch your manuscript to agents and publishers? They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. My most popular service, I write, develop, and consult on proposals for both trade and academic books.
Coaching
Don’t know where to start or what to do next? I’ll meet with you regularly throughout the life of your project, providing support and guidance during each stage of the writing and publishing process.
Research & Fact-Checking
Trying to fill in the gaps? I’ll add depth, context, and accuracy to your project by sourcing records from archives, newspapers, university collections, courthouses, genealogical resources, journals, historical societies, and more.
Rates
Exact rates vary based on length, timeline, and the kind of work involved. Once you’ve told me about your project, I’ll send a written proposal outlining the scope, schedule, and fee.
Fixed-scope projects, such as a two-round edit of a chapter, article, or manuscript, are quoted as a flat fee based on word count. Ongoing work, including coaching, research, consulting, and collaborative editing, is billed hourly.
“I have no words to express how much my paper was advanced thanks to Tyler’s fantastic editing!”
—Tali Jaffe-Dax, Rutgers University
FAQs
What kinds of projects do you work on?
Mostly nonfiction and academic manuscripts and book proposals. My clients include professors, journalists, scientists, activists, political figures, graduate students, biographers, and essayists, as well as first-time authors. I love working on deeply researched or reported books.
What academic fields do you work in?
I’ve worked with authors coming from sociology, anthropology, history (especially the American South), political science, education, ecology, philosophy, comparative literature, area studies, and more.
I’m at home in qualitative research methods and the theoretical traditions that cross disciplines, like phenomenology, hermeneutics, critical theory, structuralism and poststructuralism, deconstruction, Marxism, psychoanalytic theory, and postcolonial, critical race, and gender studies. These turn up everywhere, and I’m comfortable editing in them whatever your department.
How long does an edit take?
A full-length developmental or line edit typically takes four to six weeks, depending on the length and complexity of the project and what else is on my schedule. Articles, papers, and reports take less. The first round of a proposal evaluation takes about two weeks.
What’s the difference between developmental editing, line editing, and doctoring?
Line editing focuses on improving readability, with attention paid to word choice, flow, and pacing at the sentence and paragraph levels. Developmental editing may also address some of these things, but it mostly focuses on the big picture: whether the subject has been thoroughly explored, the argument is clear, the structure is logical, and the style suits the intended audience.
Doctoring goes beyond editing to include active writing and rewriting. The primary difference between editing and doctoring rests on who is implementing the suggested revisions. With editing, the author implements the revisions; with doctoring, I take the wheel.
In practice, though, these services exist on a gradient, and most projects need some mixture of the three.
What is book proposal evaluation and development?
An evaluation of your current draft, if you have one, with in-text edits, comments, and recommendations, and a memo with high-level feedback. We’ll discuss how to frame and pitch your book, what to include in the proposal package, how to write a query letter, how to find an agent, and the submission process. For authors starting from scratch, full proposal writing is a separate service with its own pricing.
“Tyler is one of the most gifted and tireless researchers I’ve had the privilege to work alongside.”
—Evelyn Duffy, Open Boat Editing
About me
I’m an editor and researcher trained in philosophy. That training shapes how I read: for the argument, implications, and assumptions beneath the prose.
Since launching my practice, I’ve served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities, contracted as a writer and editor for the Smithsonian Institution, and completed a four-year term as technical editor of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Earlier in my career, I wrote about Southeast Asian labor rights and trade policy at Sorini, Samet & Associates (SSA), and I led communications for three years at the Institute for International Economic Policy (IIEP).
I hold a B.A. and M.A. in philosophy from George Washington University, where I was a Loker–Rice Graduate Fellow and teaching assistant. And I studied critical theory at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris and at Birkbeck, University of London.
My research has appeared in Cultural Sociology, Puncta: Journal of Critical Phenomenology, Epoché Magazine, and the edited volume Problematizing the Profession of Teaching from an Existential Perspective, and my poetry has been selected for exhibition by Golden Haiku.
I’m a longtime member of the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP), the International Merleau-Ponty Circle, the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), and the American Copy Editors Society (ACES).
Originally from Mississippi, I live and work in Washington, DC.
“Tyler is well-organized and timely, and I am grateful to have worked with him.”
—Donald Kizza-Brown, Harvard University
Awards
Silver Nautilus Book Award, 2026
Heroic Journeys
Phantom Paradise, Kay Enokido
NAACP Image Award, 2025
Outstanding Literary Work in Nonfiction
Love & Whiskey, Fawn Weaver
John T. Crissey Prize, 2023
Skin Disease and the History of Dermatology, Scott M. Jackson
Testimonials
“My experience working with Tyler could not have gone better or more smoothly. With analytical sharpness, perceptiveness, and telepathy-like insight, he intuitively understood the ideas and goals for my writing. Tyler approaches his craft as a developmental editor with love and care. I am deeply grateful for his support.”
—Sa’ed Atshan, Swarthmore College
“I contacted Tyler to help me with a 134-page document that I had lost control over during the pandemic. I honestly could barely look at it. During our weekly meetings, Tyler helped me to trim, see the important pieces, and sharpen my argument…. My only regret is not getting in touch with him sooner.”
—Marie Sarita Gaytán, University of Utah
“Holy cow! Tyler took my book proposal from half-way there to over the top. I am forever grateful for his insights and edits, and I am delighted with the proposal. Thank you, thank you!”
—Molly Beauregard, University of Michigan
“Tyler is an expert at crafting a book proposal, and his advice ranged from small-scale to big-picture. His experience in science writing is clear—he understands both the science and the audiences that read science books. Working with Tyler was seamless and lightning-fast.“
—Ruth Angus, American Museum of Natural History
“Thank you…so much for sharpening the proposal and, as a first-time author, helping me clearly communicate my vision to the publisher.”
—Damien A. Joyner, Move for Life
“Tyler’s editing and rewriting were very good—very much what I hoped for. Back when I helped start the underground newspaper The Great Speckled Bird in the 1960s, I learned that having an editor could really help. Even still, I was struck by how much Tyler improved my book.”
—Gene Guerrero, Civil Rights Activist
“Tyler Loveless and Ben Gambuzza contributed rigorous archival and genealogical research and a keen understanding of Middle Tennessee, the whiskey industry past and present, and countless topics in between. Their diligence, intellectual curiosity, and investigative skills were instrumental to building a bridge between past and present.”
—Fawn Weaver, Love & Whiskey
“I can’t tell you how much we appreciated Tyler’s assistance with this historical research project. He located new material that helped humanize the soldiers in the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry beyond a mere statistic, and his communication with our office was excellent.”
—Jimmy Cunningham, Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission
“I have no words to express how much my paper was advanced thanks to Tyler’s fantastic editing and insightful reading!”
—Tali Jaffe-Dax, Rutgers University
“Tyler is well-organized and timely, and I am grateful to have worked with him. I would definitely work with him again.”
—Donald Kizza-Brown, Harvard University
“Tyler is an absolute gem! He’s thoughtful, responsive, kind, and thorough. He works hard and quickly. I highly recommend his services and will definitely hire him again if the need arises!”
—Cynthia Lamontagne, Confidential Book Project
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