Developmental Editor Needed for Humanities Journal Article

I’m looking for an experienced academic editor to act as the fresh pair of eyes that every long-term writing project eventually needs. I’m preparing a journal article (currently stuck at just under 15,000 words) for submission to a humanities journal. Over the past year I’ve rewritten it more times than I care to admit, trimmed nearly 6,000 words, and reached the point where every remaining paragraph feels precious and impossible to cut. Whenever I think I’ve found another 250 words to lose, I can almost hear the ghosts of peer reviewers past whispering, “More context", "Too few examples to demonstrate the author is truly au fait with the subject matter", and "Have you considered engaging with X and Y...” I’m sure that’s perfectly healthy and I'm not traumatised at all. I’ve simply become too close to the manuscript to see it clearly. I’m not looking for someone to proofread grammar, standardise my bibliography or rewrite my work. I’m looking for an experienced scholar who enjoys engaging with arguments and isn’t afraid to tell me where the paper is working, where it could be stronger, leaner, or more convincing. I’m specifically looking for a genuine human reading of the manuscript. Please don’t use AI to generate an editorial report or identify issues. I could do that myself—and, frankly, it wouldn’t be what I’m paying for. I’m looking for your judgement, experience, and close reading as a fellow academic. Constructive criticism is very welcome! As you read, I’d particularly appreciate your thoughts on: 1. Sections that could be substantially condensed or removed. 2. Repeated arguments, theoretical moves, or examples. 3. Places where the discussion loses momentum. 4. Opportunities to merge sections or simplify the overall structure. 5. Evidence or examples that are doing redundant work. 6. Practical suggestions for reducing the word count. I know getting from 15,000 words to a typical humanities journal limit will be challenging, but I’d like to get as close as possible without weakening the paper’s central contribution. Ideally, I’m looking for: 1. Comments and suggestions in the manuscript using Track Changes and/or margin comments; 2. A short editorial overview discussing the paper’s principal strengths, weaknesses, and overall structure with practical recommendations for making the article more concise while preserving the integrity of the argument. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in Visual Studies, Visual Culture, Photography Studies, Media Studies, Art History, or closely related humanities disciplines. If this sounds like the sort of manuscript you enjoy getting your teeth into, I’d love to hear from you. Please tell me a little about your academic background, your editing experience, and why you think you’d be a good fit for this project. Lastly, please let me know: 1. Your estimated fee for a project of this nature (my budget is flexible for the right person and level of experience); 2. A guesstimate of how long you think a careful developmental review of a manuscript like this would likely take; and 3. When you would realistically be able to begin. I’m much more interested in finding the right editor than the fastest one.