“Working with Ideas on Fire was an oasis, an opportunity to receive affirming, consistent, and constructive academic editing feedback on my writing. I trust my scholarly voice more consistently, have discarded the perfectionism that comes with long writing projects, and have more confidence with my capacity as a writer and thinker from their edits.”
“I recommend Ideas on Fire’s services to all of my colleagues who do critical cultural work. Too often colleagues have had folks who don’t understand their perspectives. In contrast, I don’t have to explain to IoF why the B in Black should be capitalized, for example—they already know. Working with IoF gives me comfort knowing my work won’t be misunderstood because of a lack of understanding of my intersectional fields.”
“I am so very grateful to Ideas on Fire for their expertise, professionalism, and prompt assistance. They get right to the heart of a chapter’s workings, and I’ve found their suggestions again and again to be absolutely on point. My manuscript is so much stronger for their excellent reading and advice. I feel I have a smart, subtle reader in my corner; it’s like a superpower.”
“When I came to IoF, I was feeling stuck and not sure what I needed to do to my book manuscript and proposal to make them suitable to send to presses. IoF made excellent suggestions to help me strengthen and clarify my argument and also gave me confidence with positive feedback on the things I did well. My book was accepted by Duke University Press thanks to Ideas on Fire’s editing.”
“Through working with Ideas on Fire, my manuscript has a consistent feel across chapters; it is cleaner and ready to be sent to the publisher. IoF fixed grammar and narrative flow issues; edited my citations/bibliography; renumbered the figures; pointed out gaps in argumentation; and allowed me to see my own writing in a new light. IoF was precisely what I needed.”
“Like many academics, I struggled with conceptualizing my second book project and getting it in motion. I felt like I was spinning my wheels in a sea of wonderful, scattered ideas that would take forever to sift through and synthesize into a completed manuscript and book proposal. Working with Ideas on Fire, I gained a pragmatic game plan for completing my proposal and project, and academic writing feels fun again.”
“Worlds apart from a standard book index, IoF’s index was creative, conceptually-oriented, and drew the reader’s attentions to key ideas that animated my manuscript, including those I couldn’t see myself. I especially appreciate their commitment to deadlines, professionalism, transparent pricing, and communication throughout the process.”
“Working with Ideas on Fire was an incredible experience. I have new expectations for copyeditors and indexers now, thanks to their work. I recommend IoF to all the academics and writers I know.”
“This was my first book, so the very idea of an index was overwhelming. But IoF made the entire experience feel seamless. I have an index that feels true to my book. I’m not sure that anyone except an incisive interdisciplinary scholar could produce that.”
“I specifically sought out IoF because of their interdisciplinary expertise and they came highly recommended. I appreciate the thought, care, and labor that went into my carefully crafted index. I recommend Ideas on Fire to all colleagues and friends who are working on book projects, especially if they are interdisciplinary.”
“I recommend Ideas on Fire to everyone working on critical studies of culture or on social justice. Having someone who was not only excellent at editing tasks but knew the intellectual traditions of my work resulted in a really wonderful experience and a top-notch index.”
“IoF is especially skilled at working with interdisciplinary scholars. They were able to engage my book with an attentiveness to and care for the methods, sources, and theories I use. IoF not only pulled out concepts and themes I knew were central, they also identified ones that never would have occurred to me. They were incredibly communicative with me about what I could expect and set a clear timeline that kept everything on track.”
“I had never had to index a book before, and I didn’t know what the process was or what it really involved, so I was a bit unsure how it would go. I was very relieved when my colleague recommended Ideas on Fire and said they were great. It was so great to have an expert to do this.”
“After getting developmental editing by Ideas on Fire, I feel much more confident about my project. The questions, suggestions, and probes are so helpful that I feel a sense of buoyancy about my project. I have more direction and clarity.”
“Working with Ideas on Fire was terrific. They were incisive and clear, and they could identify strengths and weaknesses in my manuscript. The book got much better because of their editing and very helpful comments. I was able to trust their judgement and comments and know that they understood the project and was making it better.”
“I am very grateful for Ideas on Fire’s quick and efficient work on my index. They zeroed in on the essential concepts of the book and produced an index that is thorough, comprehensive, and detailed. It was a huge relief to turn over this part of the interminable book completion process to such capable hands, and not have to worry about it at all.”
“Ideas on Fire’s advice to maintain rather than resolve the tensions embodied by the fraught position of my research subjects helped to draw out my book’s critical framework and gave me important direction for revising and reorganizing chapters. They are wonderful readers who offer exactly the right amount of critical feedback and positive nudging forward.”
“Cathy Hannabach at Ideas on Fire is an outrageously talented researcher, editor, and indexer. She takes meticulous care with every detail; no aspect of a project escapes her laser-like focus, yet her sights are always trained on the big picture. It is truly a gift to be able to lean into Cathy’s wide-ranging expertise, and my work has benefited enormously from her help at all stages. She is thorough, quick, and always knows how to make things on the page better.”
“I have never seen such an impressive index before. Moving forward, I am going to now have much higher standards for an index. I recommend Ideas on Fire’s services to all my colleagues and fellow academics.”
“Before we started, I was anxious, overwhelmed, and nervous. IoF’s attention to detail calmed my fears and reassured me of the merit of my work. I recommend Ideas on Fire to all scholars, academics, and socially conscious writers.”
“Ideas on Fire was highly recommended, and their index made me understand my book in a new way. I love the range of services, advice, and dialogues they offer and I recommend IoF to all other scholars and non-academic writers as well, especially those working on their first book.”
“I was concerned about being able to hire an experienced and skilled indexer who could create an index within my publisher’s production schedule. IoF created a thoughtful and insightful index. I recommend their services to faculty and students in humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies.”
“Ideas on Fire was exceptionally approachable, efficient, interested, and professional. My sentences—all too often circuitous or digressive—are now much more precise and to the point. From line edits to macro-level organizational suggestions, their contributions to the manuscript undoubtedly made it stronger. They also boosted my own confidence in the book’s capacity to communicate clearly and effectively.”
“Ideas on Fire’s indexing exceeded my expectations. I was thoroughly impressed with their understanding of the concepts that I was working with, and they even realized some more concepts that I didn’t know that I was working with. Ideas on Fire is meticulous in their work because of their genuine passion for the material at hand.”
“I felt confident working with Ideas on Fire because of recommendations from friends and colleagues. I appreciated the quick turn-around and prompt communication throughout the process. The index was completely in a timely manner, and it looks great.”
“Ideas on Fire made me a fabulous index! It is thorough, and it shows the thoughtfulness and nuance of a team that really understands the nature and goals of the content. It is an index with personality. I would recommend IoF’s indexing services in a heartbeat to anyone who is looking for a professional indexer.”
“My chapter and book proposal have now been transformed, thanks to the very helpful editing by the IoF team. I have a clear idea of what to keep, what to cut, and how to move things around to maximize impact and reduce repetition. I recommend Ideas on Fire to anyone looking to write a book but specifically those at the early stages.”
“Ideas on Fire constructed the indexes for three of my recent books, and I’d be delighted to hire them again. They’re prompt, efficient, effective, and very good at what they do. They did an excellent job working under a tight deadline. Their work is thorough and precise, and collaborating with them is a pleasure.”
“I had heard great things about Ideas on Fire from friends and colleagues, and I was looking forward to working with them. Ideas on Fire was clear, professional, prompt, and the work was impeccable. I was able to save time to work on other parts of my manuscript by virtue of them doing such an excellent job with my index.”
“As a first-time academic author, it can be overwhelming to figure out who to hire for help with your book, whether for copyediting, indexing, or anything else. I feel confident that hiring a team of experts—and feminist experts, at that—was the right choice, and I recommend IoF to any friends and colleagues.”
“It was reassuring to have someone else, who was not familiar with my project, read my book proposal and offer feedback. I am now able to more concretely envision what the book should look like. I recommend IoF to all researchers, academics, and recent graduates needing guidance on turning dissertation projects into books.”
“I’m so grateful that I chose Ideas on Fire; they are organized, have a keen eye for detail, and are well acquainted with the particularities of publishing an academic book. They created a comprehensive, consistent, and clearly organized index well ahead of schedule—and even caught errors the copyeditor overlooked!”
“I was looking for a good indexer and I knew that Cathy is super intelligent, pays attention to detail, and is familiar with my research areas. Ideas on Fire even gave me some additional proofreading revisions to improve the manuscript. Ideas on Fire is thorough, efficient, and professional, and did an excellent job with my index.”
“The index created by the Ideas on Fire team is a work of art. I was particularly impressed by some of the broader, big-picture entries they crafted. From the smallest details to the largest conceptual frameworks, this index will make my book easier for anyone to use. I’d recommend these indexing services to anyone but especially to interdisciplinary scholars.”
“It was such a good experience to have someone edit my journal article with the amount of detail and care Ideas on Fire provided. I’d recommend IoF to all fellow junior scholars.”
“When I came to Ideas on Fire for editing help, I was feeling insecure about my writing and especially the quality of my English as I am not a native speaker. Working with the Ideas on Fire team, I felt understood and appreciated. I also learned that getting help with my writing doesn’t mean I am a bad scholar. On the contrary, getting professional help makes my research have a bigger impact.”
“Ideas on Fire came highly recommended and I needed a quick turn-around on my book’s index. For this book I needed conceptual smartness and I got it with IoF.”
“Ideas on Fire was a dream to work with. They are smart, organized, responsible, and extremely detail-oriented. In preparing my index, they consulted with me regularly and were patient and available. I was extremely pleased with the final result and I have recommended them to all my friends.”
“Ideas on Fire’s excellent skills and impeccable professionalism made the experience a complete delight. They delivered a thorough and pithy index on time and within the space constraints of our book design. I’d recommend IoF to anyone!”
“I was very glad to work with Ideas on Fire in the final stages of my book manuscript. I would recommend them and their services to anyone, from recent PhD grads and early academics to veteran scholars. The opportunity to have a fresh set of eyes on a project—particularly if those eyes are well-versed in academic culture and theory—is a gift.”
“Ideas on Fire’s comments have been incredibly generative, and their development editing has enabled me to start rethinking the framing of the project as a whole. It’s led to great insights that I wouldn’t have had without some fresh eyes to fill in the gaps between fits and starts of writing the project.”
“Catalyst’s editorial board members were very excited to work with Ideas on Fire, which was recommended by a board member. Working with the group on copyediting our journal was straightforward and hassle-free. We are extremely happy with the results of our joint effort.”
“This was my first book and everything was new and confusing! I was very glad to have someone more experienced take over on indexing duties. I realized that I really benefit from having outside eyes on my work; the work itself gets better and I feel more confident with it. I recommended Ideas on Fire to all colleagues seeking developmental editing and indexing services.”
“After receiving IoF’s substantive and thoughtful feedback, I understand my own argument better and am able to communicate it to others. I am excited to return to and continue the process, feeling more clear and confident. I recommend IoF to all first-time authors, those with imposter syndrome, and anyone who feels stuck.”
“Handing the index over to Ideas on Fire allowed me to concentrate fully on my final proofs. It was such a relief to receive the index. This made the last stage of production, which can be nerve-wracking, so much more pleasurable!”
“Ideas on Fire cleaned up the formatting, specified specific areas for improvement, and indexed the book—making my life a whole lot easier. Their services have improved my productivity immensely. I recommend Ideas on Fire to any colleague on tenure-track looking for more productivity and manuscript editing.”
“The valuable suggestions that Ideas on Fire gave me informed my arguments and gave me more nuanced and critical ways of thinking about my writing. IoF is very professional, bringing fresh and critical ideas to the project, but also knows a lot about publishing—so they are able to hold the shaky hands of someone like me through the whole process.”
“Our project was a bit out of control when my co-author Lisa Cartwright and I started working with Ideas on Fire. We were worried about it being too long, too repetitive, and too wordy. Now our book is trimmer, more concise, and clearer.”
“I really like Ideas on Fire’s editing services, as well as being able to get help with my writing developmentally in the early stages. I recommend Ideas on Fire to other colleagues looking to get help with their writing.”
“I felt like I was just spinning my wheels on an article when I sought Ideas on Fire’s help. Afterwards, I am very excited to get back to work on it. I have a brand new perspective on the piece and very clear suggestions for discrete steps I can take. I recommend IoF to all colleagues, particularly junior colleagues.”
“After receiving IoF’s edits, I have been able to revise the manuscript based on the targeted feedback and detailed editorial report, all of which fully addressed my issues. My new version is much more cohesive and clear thanks to this process. I recommend the team to any colleagues preparing a book or other important manuscript.”
“Working with IoF has cut the time I will have to spend preparing my book for production in half. This frees me up to be able to focus on polishing the manuscript itself as I work toward my final submission. I recommend Ideas on Fire to everyone, especially junior colleagues with manuscripts to prepare for submission before tenure.”
“Working with Ideas on Fire was a dream. From providing detailed and accurate information about services to timely and thorough attention to detail and final delivery of the product, I was so delighted to know that the work was in capable hands. Ideas on Fire gave me the space to think through my ideas and I knew they would take care of the details at the final stages.”
“After working with the IoF editors, I have a clearer sense organizationally of how to restructure sections and methodologically revise particular chapters, and I now have the confidence that I am almost there! I recommend Ideas on Fire to all other academics looking to publish manuscripts, whether first-time or experienced authors.”
“I’d heard great things so I was already excited to work with Ideas on Fire. But the index their team produced exceeded my expectations. It was smart, thorough, and made connections that I had not articulated myself but understood intuitively. The index was so good that I plan on working with them in the future on writing drafts and development. I recommend IoF to colleagues of all sorts—graduate students, professors, and writers in general.”
“My mentors were very encouraging about working with IoF, and based on their work I have received a book contract from University of Michigan Press. I recommend IoF to those looking to transform their dissertation into a book project through developmental editing, peers who need assistance with copyediting, and colleagues looking for help in sharpening the cohesiveness of an article.”
“IoF was very responsive and clear over email, and both their indexing and proofreading were done so well! The index captures concepts and nuance as well as attention to detail in naming conventions in Khmer. I’m very grateful.”
“Ideas on Fire’s editing was even better than I expected, which is why I’ve used their services repeatedly. I particularly like how timely they are, how clear and detailed they are with feedback, and the various types of editing they provide.”
“I have always been amazed at the broad range of interdisciplinary scholarship that Ideas on Fire has worked on. Working with the team was one of the most beneficial decisions I made to ensure that my book and its index would be useful and accessible to readers in diverse fields. I am so pleased with the index that Ideas on Fire created. It was so clearly thoughtful and demonstrated a rich understanding of and engagement with my work both on my own terms as well as in envisioning a broad potential of readers.”
“I had the greatest of confidence that IoF would do a brilliant job on my index—and they exceeded my expectations! Their magnificent index was delivered on time and in perfect condition: thorough, rich, and incredibly helpful to readers.”
“IoF’s developmental editing for our co-written article was very helpful. Now, I’m more willing to ask for help and developmental editing has made such a difference. I recommend IoF to all my colleagues, but particularly other assistant professors.”
“Ideas on Fire has always provided timely copyediting for our journal’s manuscripts, saving us precious time for editorial work. I highly recommend their services!”
“Working with IoF helped to revise my work substantively. The IoF team’s deep developmental work in the first phase and then careful copyediting in the next helped immensely to sharpen and clarify my writing. I recommend them to any academic looking to bring clarity and shine to their written work.”
“I was looking for assistance on how to turn a dissertation into a book proposal. As a result of working with IoF, I now have a better understanding of what is needed for a book proposal, with specific action items. I recommend IoF to other first-time authors in the arts and humanities, especially if working interdisciplinarily.”
“Working with IoF was a smooth and easy process. I appreciate the guidelines offered, and I felt confident that the work would be done effectively and in a timely manner, which it was.”
“Ideas on Fire has been a vital partner in launching and sustaining Feminist Anthropology. The thoughtfulness and deep intent that go into the copyediting process are reflected in the content expertise of the team and the clear communication with our editorial team and authors. Transparency has been a steady component of this relationship: journal style is revisited and articulated as necessary, and timelines are always honored. Working with IoF gives us confidence in the quality of our journal.”
“Ideas on Fire has a superb team of editors who handle interdisciplinary scholarship with rigor and care. It was a pleasure working with them on a special issue on visual evidence for First Monday. The scope of the issue was ambitious. Ideas on Fire helped me bring this ambitious vision to fruition, copyediting articles from psychology to journalism studies.”
“I recommend Ideas on Fire to literally anyone writing a book. They were quick, efficient, easy to work with, and, most importantly, really understood my project and its audience.”
“I’ve received excellent feedback that I can use to continue to improve my work. Ideas on Fire gets to see a lot of academic writing in the ‘before stages,’ which gives them a wealth of information regarding academics’ writing foibles. They leverage that to help academics not only strengthen their writing but also to approach the writing process with greater confidence and equanimity.”
“I had heard great things about Ideas on Fire from friends and colleagues before working with them. The results were even better than expected. I particularly like how timely they are, how clear and detailed they are with feedback, and the various types of feedback they provide.”