Editing Johann Heinrich Zedler (section)

===First major publishing project===
[[File:Zedler - Luthers sämtliche Schriften.jpg|thumb|left|Zedler's first major publishing project: ''The dear man of God, Martin Luther''. Title page of the first volume, Leipzig 1729.]]

In 1727, Zedler and his wife moved to the university and trade fair city of Leipzig. That year his name appeared in a list of sixteen publishing booksellers in Leipzig.{{sfn|Quedenbaum|1977|p=31}}
In September, Zedler announced his first published works after moving to Leipzig.{{sfn|Quedenbaum|1977|p=36}}
The ad appeared just before the Leipzig Michaelmas Fair in October and was aimed at the many visitors to the city for this event.{{sfn|Quedenbaum|1977|p=37}}

Early in 1728 Zedler published a notice of "''A new enlarged and revised edition of all the German journals and Works of the Blessed Luther''".<ref name="NeueZeitungengelehrtenSachen.60/63">''Neue Zeitungen von gelehrten Sachen'', Januar 1728, S. 60 und 63.</ref>
Unlike the previous work by theologian [[Johann Gottlieb Pfeiffer]], Zedler's book did not follow a chronological sequence, but organized the material around themes.
This was the first of seven volumes of work designed for high school use.
The work was financed through [[Praenumeration]], a common practice at the time.
Interested parties would pay for two sections in advance at the Easter Fair in 1728, with a discount, and then receive delivery at the following Michaelmas Fair in early October. Zedler offered a particularly attractive price, making reprint by other booksellers unprofitable.<ref name="NeueZeitungengelehrtenSachen.60/63"/>

Since Zedler could not expect to raise enough funds for publication in this way, he also took a loan of 2,665 thalers from his brother-in-law David Richter.
It is clear that this was a time of considerable uncertainty. Although Zedler had committed to publication on October 1728, as a precaution the year 1729 was printed on the title page.
However, he met the deadline and fourteen days before the fair announced that the book was ready and no new subscribers to the Praenumeration plan would be accepted.<ref>''Neue Zeitungen von gelehrten Sachen'', September 1728, S. 744.</ref>
Within a year Zedler had built a viable publishing business based on the success of the Luther series.

Each volume in this series, as well as those of later published works, was dedicated by Zedler to high notables according to the practice of the time. The person named in the dedicatory preface and depicted with an engraved portrait often responded with a financial gift or an honorary title. The first such title was given to Zedler by [[Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels]], to whom he dedicated the first and third volumes of Luther's writings. The Duke was an important supporter of the Protestant church and also a great hunting enthusiast.
Zedler presented the first book to the Duke in person on his birthday.{{sfn|Gross Lexicon - Zedler|1749|pp=309-311}}