Manuscript Editing for Music Theory Spectrum Journal Articles
An official publication of the Society for Music Theory, Music Theory Spectrum publishes critical studies across music theory and analysis. It welcomes interdisciplinary work where theory meets ethnomusicology, historical musicology, and other fields. Oxford University Press publishes it, and its editor is at Emory University.
Articles are of moderate length, 5,000 to 10,000 words, with musical examples, tables, and artwork only where needed. Citations follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, author-date, with footnotes for manuscripts under review. An abstract of 25 to 100 words accompanies the article. Musical examples are numbered, labeled, and captioned, and every image needs alt text. Gendered language follows the society's guidelines. Review is anonymized. Off the Grid Editing applies Chicago author-date and checks that each example is cited where your prose discusses it. Submissions go through ScholarOne as a single PDF.
Our Promise
We will ensure that the final draft you receive is completely ready to submit to Music Theory Spectrum. We work with you until it is ready or refund your payment in full. That commitment has held since 2002.
Our editors do not have access to your manuscript until an order is placed. Your draft is secure until you decide to proceed.
Manuscript Editing and Proofreading for Music Theory Spectrum
We offer three levels of manuscript editing depending on what your manuscript needs. Each is described below so you can choose the service that fits where your draft is right now.
Grammar and usage, awkward phrasing, repetition, and passive voice corrected, then clarity, concision, sentence structure, transitions, and tone, with your style manual applied throughout and a final proofread. For authors whose argument and structure are settled.
Clarity, emphasis, and paragraph structure: topic sentences, transitions, and sentences reordered within a paragraph, with every fact and claim kept as you wrote it. Includes copy editing and a final proofread.
Spelling, punctuation, typos, capitalization, grammar, and usage corrected with minimal wording changes, for manuscripts that have been edited and need a last check before submission to Music Theory Spectrum.
OUP's general instructions cover length, examples, and citations. If you have reviewer comments from an earlier submission, send them with your manuscript and we will address each one. If you have questions about which service is right for your manuscript, contact us directly. We respond to every inquiry the same day during business hours.
Our journal article and essay editing page explains how we edit music scholarship, and academic proofreading is the final pass. If English is your second language, see English language editing for researchers. For books, see Oxford University Press manuscript editing. We also prepare articles for the Journal of the American Musicological Society and Music & Letters.
Instant Manuscript Editing Invoice
Ready to prepare your manuscript for Music Theory Spectrum? Use our secure portal to generate an immediate, word-count-based quote and secure your delivery deadline.
Our editors do not have access to your manuscript until an order is placed.
Direct Support
Reach our editorial team directly to discuss your manuscript, your Music Theory Spectrum submission timeline, or which service is right for your project. Initial consultations of up to 15 minutes are complimentary.
608-535-6324
editors@offthegridediting.com