Here’s what authors and publishers say about the services I’ve provided to them:

Praise from Authors

“I am . . . extremely grateful for the close and constructive investment in the manuscript . . . by copyeditor Robert Banning.”
—Brian Brock, author of Joining Creation’s Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness (Baker Academic, 2025).

“Bob was everything an author could ask for in an editor. He met every deadline (and they were tight), he was personable and easy to work with, but most importantly, he improved the manuscript while still keeping my voice and style.”
—Liza F. Carter, author of Moving with the Seasons: Portrait of a Mongolian Family (Saltwind Press, 2013), winner of a Silver Award in the Multicultural category from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Ben Franklin Awards

“Robert expertly shaped not only each sentence but also entire chapters. Some of the prose that I delivered to him was both inchoate and unorganized. After Robert, it was elegant and clear. I could not have been happier.”
—Kelly James Clark, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Ibn Haldun University (Istanbul)

“Bob Banning’s skill as an editor illuminates the maxim that ‘every writer needs an editor.’ [In editing Stories from Palestine] Bob not only demonstrated exemplary copyediting skills regarding syntax and style but also provided invaluable substantive edits that in many instances clarified and enhanced my intended meaning. Bob communicated with me in a clear, timely and efficient manner, and we developed a professional but warm rapport. I will request that he serve as manuscript editor on future book projects.”
—Marda Dunsky, author of Stories from Palestine: Narratives of Resilience (University of Notre Dame Press, 2021), awarded an Honorable Mention in Multicultural Studies by the INDIES Book of the Year Awards for 2021

“Bob Banning is a master. I write a great deal and have learned that a superior editor is critical to turn initial efforts into publishable works. The manuscript my coauthors and I had written had been read so many times—including by a serious editor I brought in before sending it to University of Notre Dame Press; and yet Bob has the magical touch, a sensitive eye to nuance and an ear to the beauty of language. He found numerous ways to elevate our writing to a much richer and clearer book. His work was masterful, meticulous, generous, thoughtful—in short, breathtakingly excellent. And beyond the skill of editing, working with Bob was pure pleasure—he was supportive, coaxing, imaginative, and able to get the best out of me. I am proud of the book that I published and owe a piece of that pride to Bob Banning, to whom I remain indebted and grateful.”
David M. Elcott, coauthor (with C. Colt Anderson, Tobias Cremer, and Volker Haarmann) of Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy (University of Notre Dame Press, 2021), winner of the Bronze Award in Political and Social Studies from the 2021 INDIES Book of the Year Awards

“Copyediting a systematic theology over a thousand pages is a lot to ask of someone. Bob Banning not only spared me many mistakes in The Christian Faith but in its sequel, Pilgrim Theology. I highly recommend his editorial skills to anyone looking for superb quality.”
—Michael Horton, author of The Christian Faith (Zondervan, 2011), recognized by Christianity Today as the best book of the year in Theology/Ethics.

“Bob Banning proofread one of my books and copyedited two others of them. The two that he copyedited were both lengthy and not in particularly good shape when he received the manuscripts. He did a superb job. He is theologically and biblically erudite, in addition to being skilled at the basic elements of copyediting. I recommend him highly to others, and I hope to work with him again soon myself.”
—Matthew J. Levering, Professor and James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, University of Saint Mary of the Lake, author of Aquinas’s Eschatological Ethics and the Virtue of Temperance (University of Notre Dame Press, 2019), awarded First Place in Theology by the Catholic Press Association Book Awards.

“Bob’s editing helped me improve my doctoral thesis to such an extent that my university in Australia ranked it among the top 5 percent of dissertations submitted in 2015 and honored it with two awards. Bob helped me write clearly and concisely and guided me through the arduous process of formatting my documentation in Chicago style. He also found an excellent designer for me.”
—David Mwambari, associate professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Professor Mwambari’s thesis was published as Navigating Cultural Memory: Commemoration and Narrative in Postgenocide Rwanda (Oxford University Press, 2023).

“It was a great pleasure to work with Bob Banning. He made the editing process for my book Thinking Prayer (University of Notre Dame Press, 2015) absolutely carefree. His attention to detail was impeccable. He was adept at handling complex citation questions. He was undeterred by dense or technical aspects of the work. I never felt that his editorial remarks were compromising my argument, voice, or style. Rather, they were helping me express my ideas with force and clarity. I would highly recommend his editing services to anyone in the midst of polishing up an academic manuscript.”
—Andrew Prevot, senior fellow in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University. Dr. Prevot’s Thinking Prayer (University of Notre Dame Press, 2015) received the Best Book in Theology Award from The College Theology Society.

Praise from Publishers

“Bob Banning is an excellent copyeditor. His careful attention to detail, his command of style, and his awareness of academic writing expectations all combine with his professionalism to produce outstanding editorial work. The University of Notre Dame Press has been fortunate to work with Bob for nearly fifteen years, and we will continue to work with Bob not only because of his good work but because authors ask for him by name.”
—Matthew Dowd, Managing Editor, University of Notre Dame Press

“I’ve used Bob as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader for over a decade, and we’ve worked together on dozens of projects. I find his work to be consistently thoughtful and conscientious. He is respectful of the author and of the language, bringing thoughtful improvements and helpful consistency and conformity to style. And he’s great to work with.”
—James Korsmo, Senior Editor, Baker Academic and Brazos Press

“Spectacular, detail-oriented editor—and great to work with.”
—Quentin J. Schultze, founder and CEO of Edenridge Press; professor emeritus of communication, Calvin University; recipient of Calvin University’s Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching (2000); author of Christianity and the Mass Media in America (Michigan State University Press, 2003)