Libby Gontarz Word Services
Libby Gontarz
Silver Member of the Christian PEN
As a freelance writer and editor, Libby Gontarz draws on her vast experience in education and business.
Following a successful career teaching in public schools at the fourth grade and middle school levels, Libby moved into corporate training, working with school districts across the United States to improve student test scores. Subsequently, she has written and edited educational materials for instruction and assessment of student learning at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. These print and online materials are currently in international use in public classrooms as well as private Christian schools and homeschools.
Libby has also worked for a weekly newspaper, writing and coordinating articles on local businesses and politics, penning a weekly column, and editing the community and business sections. She has provided website copy for multiple schools and other businesses.
A devout believer and Christian speaker, Libby had the opportunity in 2008 to recommend for publication and edit a Christian book, fulfilling a childhood dream. Speaking at a church service where she was the master of ceremonies, she testified that God does, indeed, give you the desires of your heart when you place Him first (see Psalm 37:4), even if your dreams have been buried so deeply that you yourself have forgotten what they were! She recalled that in her early years of elementary school, she had been amazed and excited to learn about book editors. Imagine how wonderful it would be to make your living making books even better!
Since that first experience in book editing, Libby has helped multiple Christian nonfiction and personal memoir writers to bring their own dreams into focus and reality. She continues to contract with book publishers and corporate clients as well.
Libby has recently won the 2022 Excellence in Editing Award for copyediting Thomas G. Stewart's On Wings like Eagles. Published by Redemption Press and content edited by Sarah Barnum, the award honors the entire project's excellence.