About First Person Editing
Trusted by clients worldwide, Heather Taylor's freelance editing and writing solutions have been boosting small business owners, academics, scientists and government projects into the limelight since 1986. Heather gets you noticed for your ideas and products, not the mistakes in your documentation.

Heather made New Zealand her home in 1995, and since then, she has learned what it takes to be a professional hunter, a small business owner, a biologist, a winemaker, a government executive, a health & safety officer and a conservation advocate. That's why Heather has dedicated First Person Editing Ltd. to making the “hard stuff” easy for professionals from around the world, no matter what they do. Imagine the freedom of being able to achieve success and still spend time with friends and family. That's the kind of result First Person gives you.

Editing and writing services

The First Person Editor works with individuals and organisations. Company values are about delivering quality outcomes. Heather focuses on working flexibly to give you peace of mind, no matter what happens to a project. Deadlines are guaranteed, no matter how urgent. First Person editing and writing services include:
  • Expressions of interest (EOIs) & tenders
  • Health & safety compliance (HSWA 2015)
  • Contracts, terms & conditions
  • Standard operational procedures (SOPs)
  • Research reports & journal submissions
  • White papers (government & industry)
  • Fact sheets & public information
  • Science & technical manuscripts
  • NZQA unit standard learner notes, assessments, & marking guides
  • Website proofreading

Come and see the First Person Editor anytime for a good cuppa and a chat about your writing project. Or pick up the phone, get on WhatsApp, or email.

Recent testimonials

First Person editing clients include botanists in Argentina, tertiary educators in Auckland, and local government team leaders right here in Whangarei. Heather is proud to have helped professionals publish online and print documents that earn respect, funds, friends, and kudos.

"I handed Heather a draft report on the origins of kauri dieback that was a monster. She tamed it."
-Travis Ashcroft, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Kauri Dieback Team Leader

"I just couldn't get my head around proofreading our website. I wasn't making any headway. I couldn't bear staring at it anymore, but I knew there were lots of mistakes that would ruin our credibility. So I got Heather to do it, because she understands what being in business is about. And wow, what a great job she did. The website we have now is slick, professional, and showcases who we are."
- Terri Boote, Virtual Assistants NZ Company Director

"Heather spent umpteen months designing, rewriting and making our Soil Fact Sheet series attractive to Northland landowners. She gave us what we needed to get a major project underway. We were seriously stalling! With Heather's dedicated help, we have now published the fact sheets online and in book format."
- Duncan Kervell, Team Leader Land Management, Northland Regional Council (NRC)

"I landed a contract with Hancock Forest Management and expected my health and safety policy to get low marks because I didn't have a track record with the company yet. But Heather pulled off some kind of magic, and I got the highest ranking a new contractor has ever received - 96%!"
- Trevor Bullock, Director, Trev B Contracting Ltd., Whangarei

"Heather always does a sterling job. I'm so glad I get to work with someone so professional."
-Trish Sutton, Department of Conservation Administration Team Lead, Central Districts

"Heather wrote a 10-year strategic plan for Blue Orb Charitable Trust. It was a mission. She did a fantastic job."
- Clea Gardiner, Blue Orb Trustee, Whangarei

"Wow, we had trouble getting our heads around aligning DOC's 10-year Recreation & Historic Strategy with Treasury requirements, but with Heather's skills, my team nailed it."
- Lynnell Greer, Technical Advisor, Department of Conservation (DOC)

"The learner notes, assessments and marking guides Heather wrote for Papa Taiao Earthcare ticked all the boxes for the NZQA moderators."
- Marty Taylor, Papa Taiao founder

"My health and safety plan went from dud to awesome just like that. After I spent two days getting nowhere."
-Derek Hammond, forestry contractor, Whangarei

"Thank you Heather for your professional work. I could not have completed my research papers without you."
-Raj Kumar Koirola, The Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation