Discover how I copyedited TE Anyansi’s fascinating, yet deeply disturbing, history of Nigeria in Nigerians, Unshackle Yourselves.
Key facts
Author: TE Anyansi
Book: Nigerians, Unshackle Yourselves
Genre: Non-fiction political history
Project: Copyedit
No. of words: 63,000
Client
TE Anyansi is a medical doctor, specializing in radiology, then psychiatry. He is proud to be an African, EU citizen, and a permanent resident of Canada. Tochi has lived on three continents and in three countries. He is a member of the African diaspora living in North America and proud of his heritage. He considers himself lucky to be living in a western country where the trials and tribulations of his African brothers and sisters may seem far removed. But he thinks about them every day and wants to give back through this book.
Brief
The project was to copyedit this well-researched, comprehensive account of the history of the area of land we know as Nigeria, taking us through the origins of slavery (which may surprise you), British rule and Independence, then up to the present day.
TE Anyansi lays bare the corruption that has been endemic for many years amongst much of the ruling elite, causing millions of Nigerians to live without products and services that people in most Western countries consider basic essentials (organised health service, national infrastructure for water, gas and electricity etc).
In the final chapters, TE Anyansi offers his solutions to the longstanding issues of Nigeria, ending the book with a call to action to his fellow countrypeople, both within the country and in the diaspora.
This was Tochi’s first book, so he needed a considerate editor who would provide constructive feedback in a respectful way. I feel honoured that he put his trust in me to edit his manuscript, as I wouldn’t have missed this project for the world.
Project
We communicated via online chat and email, discussing decisions to be made around spelling and phrasing of certain words. I recorded these decisions in a style sheet that I sent to the author at the end of the project, for him to use in the future as he wishes.
The copyediting was in Microsoft Word and involved checking the text for issues with spelling, grammar and punctuation, using tracked changes and comments to make my suggestions. I also looked out for repetition, confusing terminology and ways to improve flow and word choice in places.
End result
Nigerians, Unshackle Yourselves has 100% five-star Amazon reviews:
- TE Anyansi’s book on Amazon UK
- TE Anyansi’s book on Amazon.com
- TE Anyansi’s book on bookshop.org (support independent bookshops)
Tochi wrote a generous testimonial about working with me:
Interested in finding out more?
If you’d like to find out more about what I can do for your book, visit my editing and proofreading services page or send me a message. I look forward to hearing from you!
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