Freelance Writer, Editor, & Content Manager

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Talk to Me about Freelance Writing and Editing Services for the Social Impact and Creative Sectors

“I had a fantastic experience working with Heather. Her editorial insight is top-notch and greatly enhanced my manuscript. She is knowledgeable, communicative, and thorough, and my work flourished as a result. I would highly recommend Heather’s services to anyone hoping to take their writing to the next level.”

– Author Jacob Thomas Austin

I love to write poetry, fiction, and personal essays, but I am also an editorial professional with 30 years of experience helping social impact organizations tell their stories. And I am now available as a freelance writer, editor, and publications manager for both social impact organizations and creative writers. I excel at crafting compelling stories out of challenging content and at helping authors refine their language. And I am ready to help you!

My Story: After my former employer needed to cut more than half of its staff (1500+ people) due to the illegal dismantling of USAID, I found myself without a job for the first time in decades. As the only breadwinner for a household of four, a sudden job loss late in my career came as quite a shock. But I know my worth. Like thousands of other DOGE casualties, my layoff had nothing to do with the quality of my work.

BUSINESS WRITING & EDITING SERVICES

SEE MY PORTFOLIO HERE

My employer and colleagues valued me for my ability to improve content operations while translating complex ideas into clear, engaging publications that build credibility and drive engagement. I have partnered with hundreds of subject matter experts in public health, education, law, international development, and the arts. I bring clarity, structure, and strategy to every stage of the publishing process.

Experience Highlights

  • Directed production of 100+ publications annually for global health initiatives, elevating content quality and production efficiency.
  • Established editorial standards and streamlined content operations across 300+ international and domestic programs.
  • Regularly strengthened stakeholder engagement through targeted knowledge-sharing efforts, such as a newsletter reaching over 20,000 practitioners, policymakers, and educators.

CREATIVE WRITING & EDITING SERVICES

I love to help creative writers of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction hone their language and see their work from a different perspective. As someone who has published work in all of these genres, I can offer developmental and copy editing. I have reviewed the work of poets, authors of short fiction and essays, and children’s book authors.

Experience Highlights

  • Provided feedback and edits for chapter books published by Capstone and middle grade fiction published by Penguin
  • Edited poems for national award-winning poets
  • Edited personal essays and blog posts
  • Edited book of speculative horror short fiction

Contact Me!

I’m now seeking a freelance work in 1) communications or editorial strategy within associations, universities, think tanks, NGOs, foundations, or health systems, and 2) as a copyeditor for creative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

If you or your organization values clarity, creativity, credibility, and efficient publishing, let’s connect: hdavis349@yahoo.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherdaviswriter/

Testimonials

“Heather Davis is a champion of clear and concise communication with whom I have worked for more than 10 years. As my editing colleague, I turned to Heather, who has also been my informal mentor, for clarification and confirmation. When uncertain, Heather finds answers by rapidly scanning and disregarding numerous unreliable sources and identifies those that are credible. She excels at synthesizing and organizing information and has used these skills develop and finalize project-specific and company-wide style guides. She is highly organized and manages scores of deliverables with competing priorities. As a supervisor, Heather is calm in situations in which others panic. She responds immediately and is extremely patient. In addition to all her practical skills, Heather is extremely reliable and ethical.” —Julie Ray, Senior Editor, JSI

“I first worked with Heather when she was the Editorial Director of a complex, multi-country nutrition project. I was so impressed with the content and publications management systems and tools she had created and the resulting publications. I had the opportunity to work more closely with Heather when she brought that strategic thinking to the organization’s communications team to help refine and lead our editorial processes. I’ve learned a lot from her technical writing and editing expertise as well as her ability to bring people and teams together.” —Shaina Bauman, Senior Communications Advisor, JSI

Headshot of Heather Davis--smiling white woman with dark blonde hair to shoulders wearing black shirt in front of light green background.

Two Poems on Lancaster City Buses

Thanks to Word Hive and the City of Lancaster for displaying two of my poems on local buses in 2024. Art in public places helps us slow down and feel, which is critical to cultivating our humanity in a turbulent world. I hope readers of all the poems in this program felt a measure of connection and hope as they took in the words of local poets. Read this article about the program in Lancaster Online.

We Could Have Stood for Days

where waves kissed sand, your
small hand in mine, the curled water
crashing, the sun brash, gulls lithe
as brush strokes in the air, our bodies
loose and light, our bodies magic, beckoned
by the line between ocean and sky.

–Heather L. Davis

*****

May This Day Be

the Susquehanna, gliding soft over mossy rocks
to burble jazzy tunes. May it play
with sun and shadow, sparkling everywhere,
then twist and turn, greening the landscape,
making new life, its current unstoppable, hitting
all the right notes.

–Heather L. Davis

Spare No Detail: Three Poems about Gaza

Thanks so much to Vox Populi for publishing three poems I wrote about the ongoing genocide in Gaza. No words can save the thousands of innocent people who have been murdered in Gaza or stop a regime bent on total destruction and slaughter, but speaking up matters. We must all speak and act to stop atrocities our government insists on supporting.

Mother Countries Lancaster Launch

Poets Le Hinton, Andy Fogle, Heather L. Davis, Jose Padua, and Brian Gilmore at The Candy Factory, Lancaster, PA

I was honored to host a poetry reading at The Candy Factory on April 12, 2024 in Lancaster, PA. Many thanks to Andy Fogle, Brian Gilmore, Le Hinton, and Jose Padua plus our 11 open mic readers. As always, the wonderful Candy Factory supported the arts community by allowing us to use their beautiful space. Check out Andy’s new book of poems, Mother Countries, here. Brian’s book Come See about Me, Marvin can be purchased here. Le Hinton’s work can be found here. See Jose Padua’s A Short History of Monsters here.

The Candy Factory Hosts Delaware Poets

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the reading at The Candy Factory in Lancaster, PA on May 5. It was an amazing gathering. Hope we can do it again soon. Thanks to The Candy Factory for hosting and to Dana Kinsey, Ruth O’Gara, and Jose Padua for reading and for all their help. Here are the evenings readers. Thanks to Linda Adams Blaskey and Jane Miller for the beautiful poems.

Thank You, Poetry in Transit Luzerne County, PA

Hope folks riding buses in Wilkes-Barre, PA enjoy my little poem about Intention. Thanks to Jennifer Judge and the entire staff who make Poetry in Transit possible. Many beautiful poems will greet bus riders this fall.

What Does Your House Mean to You?

My poem “Houses” highlights a certain spouse’s obsession with finding houses that dream. Thanks to the ASP Bulletin for publishing it.

A Poem about the Edges of Things

Thanks to the Quartet Journal for publishing a poem about leaving and edges and the gifts children give you without even trying. “The Pale Pink Ceramic Mug for Instance” appeared in the Summer 2022 issue.

Two Poems Published in Written in Arlington

Thanks to Katherine E. Young for choosing my poems “Green Card” and “Folk Art” for the anthology, Written in Arlington, Poems of Arlington, Virginia. Although I live in D.C., I have worked for 20 years in Arlington–first in Rosslyn and now in Crystal City. This is a rich anthology on a myriad of topics, but all tied in some way to this diverse and unique area. I was also able to read my poem “Folk Art” at an online event hosted by the Arlington Public Library series, “From Diane’s Livingroom.” We had a great discussion about poetry and Arlington. See the YouTube Video of Arlington Public Library Poetry Reading: Live From Diane’s Living Room! Ep. 9: Written in Arlington with Poet Katherine E. Young and Friends, December 18, 2020.

Three Poems Published in Marsh Hawk Press Review

These poems have been cooking for a long time and finally found their true shape and audience in the Marsh Hawk Press Review, Spring 2021, edited by the incomparable Eileen R. Tabios. The eco-poem, “Porch Sitting,” about the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains haunted me for a long time. Having lived in the Shenandoah Valley for 10 years, I can still hear those mountains.