Martin Zibauer
Professional editing, proofreading, and writing
Martin Zibauer
Professional editing, proofreading, and writing
YOU KNOW YOUR STUFF. But your ideas, no matter how good, need a skilled editor for effective, high-impact communication. If your business depends on written materials to persuade, advise, report, or promote, I can sharpen your message and eliminate the subtle errors that damage your credibility.
With more than 20 years of professional editing experience, I know exactly how to clarify and strengthen your document while refining its message to speak directly to your audience.
Why hire an editor?
Errors in your written materials damage your brand and erode client confidence.
Seeing weak spots in your own writing is difficult.
Your time is valuable. Spend it doing what you do best—and what you can bill your clients for.
Your documents must have impact
The written materials you produce represent you and your company. If your words will be read by clients, the public, your colleagues, or government officials, they deserve to be professionally edited.
Client reports
Training materials
Annual reports
E-newsletters
Website copy
Presentations
White papers
Media releases
Promotional brochures
Advertising
Trade magazine articles
Email marketing
Packaging
RUSSELL MATHEW
Co–Chair, Toronto Land Economics Weekend, Lambda Alpha International
“The guide that Martin wrote for the Toronto Land Economics Weekend is smart, insightful, and a great read.”
STEVE MAXWELL
Writer, columnist, and DIY expert
“Most of the time when editors change my writing I’m annoyed because they weaken it. With Martin, I’m jealous because I wish I had written it that way myself.”
CHRISTINE SISMONDO
Writer, cocktail expert, and author of America Walks into a Bar
“He’s probably my favourite editor to work for. Does that sound like kissing up? I hope not, since I mean it quite genuinely.”
RUTH GANGBAR
Food stylist and recipe developer
“You showed me what a great editor really does—coaxing copy, focussing the nuance, listening to and culling from my creative rants about people and places.”
Selected clients
What does your document need?
Stylistic editing
EARLY DRAFTS, READY FOR REFINING
When your document is in an early draft, stylistic editing revises sentences and paragraphs for clarity, flow, impact, tone, and readability. In a stylistic edit, I apply judgment and craft to hone your writing and make it more effective.
Copy editing
FINAL DRAFTS, FIXING ERRORS
Copy editing fixes grammar, punctuation, and syntax, so you can be confident that your message and credibility isn’t weakened by errors. Copy editing corrects fine-grained issues, rather than looking at the big picture.
Proofreading
DOCUMENTS IN LAYOUT, THE FINAL CHECK
Proofreading is a final look, the last opportunity to catch remaining errors in your formatted or designed document before it leaves your hands. In proofreading, I often catch inconsistencies that have been introduced by the design process.
> NOT SURE WHAT YOU NEED?
For advice about the editing that’s appropriate for your documents and an estimate of my fee, please get in touch.
1. You get in touch
When your document is ready for editing—or close—contact me. Send me your file (or a sample), and I can assess the level of editing it requires.
2. You approve my quote
I’ll send an estimate of my editing fee. You’ll get a firm quote if you send me the full document, an estimate if you send me a sample.
3. I edit, and you get sharpened documents
I’ll edit your document and return marked-up files. If you send Word files, I’ll send one file showing tracked changes (so you can see my suggested edits) and a “clean” version with the changes accepted. If you send a pdf file for proofreading, I’ll return a version marked up using Acrobat’s commenting tools.