My Services

Content Development

 

Storytelling is a dynamic tool for mobilizing support, engaging donors, fostering brand recognition, raising awareness, and building trust. I help nonprofits, health care organizations, and universities create strong community relationships through story-focused content creation.

I write and edit copy for websites, magazines, newsletters, blogs, annual reports, direct mail, proposals, case statements, bios, and more. My expertise includes distilling complex topics in science and health care into compelling, digestible stories for different audiences. I draft material from scratch—incorporating interviews and research—and work with existing content in any shape or form. 

Your organization has moving stories to share, stories about hope, ingenuity, discovery, rebirth, determination, resilience and overcoming adversity.

What story can I help you tell? 

Storytelling not what you need? While powerful, a story-centric approach may not always be appropriate. I also write clear, straightforward, fact-focused content. Contact me to learn more. 

 
Content Development Testimonials

“Meredith is a complete joy to work with. Her writing is beautiful, intelligent, and clear. And her editing skills are top-notch. I can't wait to scheme up another opportunity to work with her again.”

— Gail Hudson
Writer and Life Coach; Coauthor of
Harvest for Hope and Hope for Animals and Their World;
Coeditor of I Wanna Be Sedated

“Creative, affable, and dedicated—Meredith exceeded our expectations for a copywriter. We hired her to help us craft content for a new website featuring Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and clinic services. Meredith was able to quickly grasp what we needed and delivered high-quality work that gave voice to our brand. She was easy to work with and always open to feedback to ensure we got the content just right. I wouldn’t hesitate to hire Meredith again.”

— Maura Kate Hallam
Manager of Content Services, MultiCare Health System

“If you’re looking for a reliable writing and editing professional who can communicate complicated material in a fresh, story-centric way, I highly recommend Meredith. She conducted interviews, wrote and edited several articles for Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). Whether the subject matter was about community healthcare events or breakthroughs in immunotherapy, Meredith tackled each piece with thoughtfulness, tenacity and diligence.”

— Karen Brandvick-Baker, MBA, PMD
Senior Consultant; Former Communications Project Manager, SCCA

“Meredith wrote a series of donor appeal letters for UW Medicine’s multi billion-dollar fundraising campaign. We couldn’t be more pleased with Meredith’s work. Her copy was compelling and crisp, conversational and story-focused—she demonstrated an ability to really connect with the people she interviewed and share their experiences in a meaningful way. Meredith was a pleasure to work with, and definitely made a positive difference in the ongoing success of our campaign.”

— Alison Merchant
Fundraising Professional; Former Assistant Director
for Annual Giving, UW Medicine

“Easy-going, detail-oriented, and hard-working are among Meredith Bailey's many attributes. I recommended hiring her and supervised her work as gatekeeper of website content at Antioch University Seattle. She was a careful and efficient editor and a pleasure to have in the workplace.“

— Annie Beckman
Freelance Writer and Editor; Former Lead Writer and
Editor, Antioch University Seattle

Manuscript Editing

 

Editing is a collaboration. You bring the vision, and I help you shape that vision into a cohesive, meaningful whole. I work with people of all backgrounds, with a particular focus on writers of memoir and other forms of nonfiction. Whether you are an expert in your field with little writing experience or a seasoned author, I focus on elevating your voice and bringing order, depth, and clarity to your project. 

  • Manuscript Evaluation: This service is a high-level review of your manuscript that discusses strengths, opportunities for improvement, and strategies for revision in a detailed letter. It’s ideal for an early draft of a manuscript. 

  • Developmental Edit: Similar to a manuscript evaluation, a developmental edit examines how well big-picture elements within a manuscript, such as tone, pacing, and structure, are working together. However this type of edit is more comprehensive; in addition to providing a detailed letter, I pose questions, suggest edits, and make specific comments within the manuscript itself using Track Changes. 

  • Line Editing: This service is a very focused, sentence-by-sentence review of the way you use language. The goal is to make the writing shine and help you tell a more compelling story. Line editing is ideal for subsequent drafts of a manuscript, once the bones of a story are in place. 

Unsure of what you need? Don’t see the right service listed here? Contact me and we can customize a plan for working together. Let’s bring your creative vision to life.

 
Editing Testimonials

“Meredith's patience and wonderful personality put me at ease immediately. She is adept at keeping the writing focused, knowing what needs more explanation and what detracts from the main points. She also has a great ability to capture my voice in her suggestions. My transitions flow smoothly between paragraphs and chapters because of her attention to detail. She's made it possible for me to transform very rough, disjointed writing into a manuscript I am proud of. I highly recommend her!”

— Mitchell Green
Author of Education for Some...Tales from the Classroom and the Pursuit of Equitable Reform

“Meredith is a terrific editor, and I recommend her highly. She has edited several of my books, most notably a thorough developmental edit of my memoir. She gave me valuable feedback on the main tensions in the story, clarification of central themes, character development, inconsistencies in the text, and the need for more parallels between my personal story and the story of China. She pushed me to explore connections and themes more deeply and to articulate “takeaways” that would make the book relevant to readers today. No question, my book is far better because of her work.”

— Dori Jones Yang
Author of When the Red Gates Opened:
A Memoir of China’s Reawakening

“Meredith’s feedback was both perceptive and direct. At the same time she displayed a sensitivity to my creative process as an artist and art therapist. I did finish the book with Meredith's skill, encouragement and guidance. I highly recommend her to anyone needing an editor or writing coach.”

— Barbara Skelly MA, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Author of
Treasure Houses: Stories of Precious Gems and
Diamonds in the Rough

“Meredith is an exemplary professional writer, editor, and tech-savvy manager. We worked together on self-publishing an anthology—from editing and tracking the revisions of 25 writers to creating a LinkedIn group for our social media campaign. She is, in addition, a dynamic and creative leader. I look forward to collaborating with her on another successful project.”

— Wendy Noritake
Marketing Communications Executive

“I asked Meredith to edit my memoir about searching for my lost brother, and she did so with great sensitivity and skill. I was consistently amazed at how her subtle and perceptive comments improved my work, at once deepening and clarifying. Meredith is an exceptionally talented writer in her own rights and a pure delight to work with as an editor: responsive, thorough, and timely. I hope to have a long working relationship with her.”

— Lizbeth Adams
Author of If I Knew the Way, I Would Bring You Home

“During the past couple of years, while I was working on another book about my life, I enlisted Meredith to help me with the process. I found her to be extremely skilled in restructuring some of my sentences to be more readable and making my thoughts clearer to the reader. She is very supportive—I recommend Meredith to any aspiring writer.”

— Mary Matsuda Gruenewald
Author of Looking Like the Enemy and
Becoming Mama-San: 80 Years of Wisdom

Writing Coaching

 

What is a writing coach? Your editorial ally. 

In this role, I offer encouragement, provide constructive, respectful feedback, and help you refine your goals. Coaching is ideal for those who are struggling to start or complete a project. It can also be useful for writers who are looking for regular feedback on short pieces, such as flash fiction or personal essays. Typically, it involves written comments on pieces of your writing, perhaps a nonfiction outline or a few chapters of a manuscript. We can also schedule phone calls, video conferences via Zoom, or in-person meetings (depending on where you live) to supplement the written feedback. 

Writing coaching can be tailored to fit your needs. What untapped stories do you have inside of you? 

 
Coaching Testimonials

“It was amazing to me how Meredith could help me find the implicit meaning, words, and structure for what I really wanted to say. She walked me through creating the proposal, writing my book, and organizing the material for an international publisher with exceptional skill, grace, ease, and wisdom. Her assistance made it possible for my book to come into the world. I am deeply grateful and hoping to work with Meredith again.”

— Dr. Sharon Stanley
Author of Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma: Lifting the Burdens of the Past

“I've had the opportunity to know Meredith both as a writing colleague and a student exploring the spiritual art of Aikido. In both arenas she is competent, creative, kind, and scrutinizing. Meredith's ability to simultaneously attend to details and see the larger picture makes her both a valuable editor and a remarkable student of mindfulness practices. When I enlisted her help with my writing, I didn't envision that she would inspire me to discover secrets about my story I didn't know existed. She asked questions and provided feedback that encouraged me to think about my story in new ways. I highly recommend her to those seeking a talented and accessible writing coach.”

— Kimberly Richardson
Chief Instructor at Two Cranes Aikido and
author of Gus Learns to Fly

 

Ready to get started?

Contact me for a free consultation and a fee quote. We can chat about what your needs are and see if we’re a good fit.