Editing

Advice across the spectrum from secondary school essay to Masters thesis, press release to job application personal statement –

• structuring
• grammatical clarity
• word choice
• technical accuracy
• impact

“When I completed the penultimate draft thesis for my Masters in Education, I was pretty convinced that it was highly polished; a lustrous little piece of literature that had something important to say and said it with some pretty decent prose for an academic work.  I had wrestled with the ideas for the best part of a year, and full-time, and equally I worked and reworked, over and over, the communication of the ideas. It was succinctly written, yet longer than the official word limit; complex in places but clearly conveyed; rigorous enough for academic purposes and evocative of persons and places and with my own authorial voice. I was satisfied. Nevertheless, Paul’s careful scrutiny of my lengthy text demonstrated that, despite my best efforts, it took a second pair of practised eyes to forensically detail every single error, page after page, section after section. The detection of so-called ‘surface feature’ errors, helped me create and submit the final polished piece I had been striving for. I highly commend Paul’s editing abilities and recommend his services; this from someone who takes pride in their own ability to craft, check, and correct their own words.”

Adam Driver. Recipient of the University of Auckland’s The Habens Prize in Education 2016, for his Masters thesis.

“I am extremely grateful to have had Paul critique and edit my writing while undergoing university study at both postgraduate and Masters level. His highly advanced academic and literacy skills along with his professional approach and attitude enabled me to produce my best work and to achieve A grades. Without altering my main intent he was able to offer sophisticated critique and advice that advanced my writing to a higher academic level than what I could produce on my own. This included developing my ability to think analytically, to compare, summarise and synthesise my ideas and research information.  With Paul’s support I was able to structure my work in a focused and concise manner. He emphasised the importance of creating logical and precise sentencing and paragraphing with a clear flow. I wholeheartedly recommend Paul as an editor – he is personable, caring, sensitive and focused”.  

Wendy Hemi, Masters in Counselling

“Knowing Paul’s qualifications, I asked him to take a look at a book I’m writing which has its focus on astroscience, geoscience, and bioscience, whilst telling a story. What I got back was a fully edited electronic copy of my work. Paul does more than correct grammar and punctuation. He has the knack of getting to the core of a subject. He can spot any illogical ordering or discontinuities. He knows where a topic needs amplification or clarification, and has his eye on overall balance. He can also advise on ‘chaptering’, succession, and overriding continuity and structure. Such feedback on a first draft enables clarity of vision, detailed planning of the project, and saves valuable time and resources – so much so that I asked him if he wanted to be co-author”

Charles Luther – BSc (Hons.) Geoscience, BA (Hons.) Environmental Studies