Ryan Perks

I was referred to Ryan for revising the English translation of my book, and in turn I now enthusiastically recommend him to my colleagues. Ryan demonstrates exceptional professionalism and a meticulous attention to linguistic precision—an increasingly rare quality in an era when writing is often rushed at the expense of clarity. Thanks to his efforts, I watched my manuscript, originally written in “correct” English, transform into what I would call “authentic” English—writing that is idiomatic, accurate, and fluid. Throughout the process, Ryan collaborated with me as a true partner in revision. He frequently consulted me with thoughtful and precise questions to ensure he fully understood my intent. In many cases, his questions were so perceptive that they prompted me to further refine my own ideas. I would also add that Ryan is courteous and personable, making him a pleasure to work with.

— Guillaume Sauvé, author of Suffering Victory: Soviet Liberals and the Failure of Democracy in Russia, 1987—1993 (Cornell University Press)

Ryan's editing work on my book manuscript was fantastic. He understood what the book was about and could see how to sharpen the wording to better surface the analysis and make the writing more concise. He also did the detailed cross-checking and copyediting necessary to give it polish. His work process was clear and straightforward, and he always met his deadlines. It was an absolute pleasure working with him.

— Joshua Barker, author of State of Fear: Policing a Postcolonial City (Duke University Press)

I've worked with a good many copyeditors over the years—none better than Ryan. He patches up my prose where needed but doesn't get in the way of how I want to express myself. Moreover, he goes beyond simply dealing with text and takes an active, insightful interest in the topic I'm writing about.

— Graham White, author of “We Are in Charge Here”: Inuit Self-Government and the Nunatsiavut Assembly (University of Toronto Press)

Ryan helped to prepare my book manuscript for publication, and in the time since has edited several journal articles for academic publication. I continue to ask for Ryan's editing support as he works efficiently, professionally, and is a great communicator. Most importantly, however, I trust his editorial advice. I highly recommend him!

— Sheri Gibbings, author of Shadow Play: Information Politics in Urban Indonesia (University of Toronto Press)

Ryan copyedited both of my books with the University of Calgary Press. He did such a great job on the first one that I requested him for the second. His work is fastidious, and he has a remarkable sense for strengthening the tone of the particular writer he is editing. He is prompt; I have never known him to be late for a deadline. I particularly appreciate his sense of humour—working with him is an enjoyable experience. I will look forward to working with him as a book editor again.

— Kathleen Scherf, editor of Creative Tourism in Smaller Communities: Place, Culture, and Local Representation and Adventures in Small Tourism: Studies and Stories (University of Calgary Press)

Good copyeditors are worth their weight in gold, and as an editor of volumes of essays and a scholarly journal for long periods of my career, I know only too well just how much can go wrong. My book was studded with complex archival references, and there are few people who could have steered me through their formal documentation with as much assurance as Ryan did. He is one of the very best copyeditors with whom it has been my privilege to work (and working with Cambridge University Press in the past, I have had some good ones). He is always prompt, thorough, attentive, thoughtful, well-informed, and very smart. I highly recommend him.

— Eva-Marie Kröller, FRSC and CM, author of Writing the Empire: The McIlwraiths, 1853–1948 (University of Toronto Press)

I hired Ryan to copyedit my second monograph. He did a fantastic job. The book manuscript was challenging, incorporating texts and references to print and archival material in three different languages. It is always surprising to see how many errors remain in a manuscript in the final stretch of production, after multiple verifications by so many readers. Ryan noticed missing words, grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inconsistent capitalizations. He also flagged style issues while always taking care to maintain my voice. I really enjoyed collaborating with him, and was especially grateful for his professionalism and eagle eye at such a critical point in the publication process. After Ryan's corrections, I felt much more confident about seeing my monograph arrive in the world.

— Susan Dalton, author of Gender, Mediation, and Popular Education in Venice, 1760–1830 (Routledge)

We've published a much better book thanks to Ryan. He enriched the prose. He helped us clarify our arguments. And, finally, he made sure that the material presentation of our manuscript was impeccable.

— Vincent Pouliot and Jean-Philippe Thérien, authors of Global Policymaking: The Patchwork of Global Governance (Cambridge University Press)

Working with Ryan was simply a pleasure from beginning to end. I will forever be grateful for the care and attention he brought to my manuscript, which improved greatly thanks to his thoughtful suggestions and contributions. Ryan was prompt, professional, and cordial in all of our communications. I can't recommend him highly enough for anyone looking for a knowledgeable, skillful, and talented editor.

— Lisa Gasbarrone, author of The Sense of the Sacred in the Early Novels of Quebec (McGill-Queen's University Press)

It's been a pleasure and an education to work with Ryan as an editor on my two latest English-language books. Highly professional and focused on delivering a polished, fact-checked final product, Ryan understands the needs of both academic and lay readers.

— Frédéric Mérand, editor of Coping with Geopolitical Decline: The United States in European Perspective (McGill-Queen's University Press) and author of The Political Commissioner: A European Ethnography (Oxford University Press)

Ryan made my work better. His edits were always constructive and suggested in clear and encouraging ways. I look forward to working with him again.

— M. Todd Bennett, author of Neither Confirm nor Deny: How the Glomar Mission Shielded the CIA from Transparency (Columbia University Press)

Working with Ryan was an extremely smooth and collaborative experience from start to finish. He explained every step of the process clearly, handled my manuscript with great care and professionalism throughout, and delivered on an efficient timeline for completion of the work. I was extremely pleased with the end result and could not recommend his services highly enough. Ryan is a real master of his craft.

— Andrew Payne, author of War on the Ballot: How the Election Cycle Shapes Presidential Decision-Making in War (Columbia University Press)

Our collaboration was for me a pure delight. Ryan was a pleasure to work with and never missed a deadline. Even though our stylistic instincts are different, it was not hard to find common ground, and his contribution unquestionably made the text a better read.

— David Beatty, author of Faith, Force, and Reason: An Armchair History of the Rule of Law (University of Toronto Press)

We couldn't ask for a better copyeditor for our collection of essays, The Contemporary Leonard Cohen. Ryan went above and beyond our expectations, ensuring accuracy and consistency throughout the manuscript. He moved gracefully between each of the contributors to the volume, making nuanced and clarifying suggestions that showed his care for the academic content and understanding of the individual styles of the authors. Ryan is the complete professional, an affable and encouraging editor whose work is sharply focused on ensuring accurate writing and approachable style, all with timely delivery.

— Kait Pinder and Joel Deshaye, editors of The Contemporary Leonard Cohen: Response, Reappraisal, and Rediscovery (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2023)