Pause for a moment.
Before you hit send, take a breath, and grab a pair of cold eagle eyes for a quick once-over.
Those eagle eyes are mine.
You’ve got a cornerstone document to disseminate. A research paper to submit. A politically-sensitive letter. Specialized info that needs to be “translated” for the lay person. Any kind of educational material on any topic for any age range. Application essays. Maybe a newsletter for your group. Or just a tricky email – even something personal and complicated.
Pause. Send it my way first.
Whatever it is – be it humble, personal, complex, official, earthshaking - I’ll give it a brisk shake and a glow-up, with piercing focus on mechanics, voice, rhythm, consistency, audience, and accessibility.
SERVICES
My expertise and experience mesh with all types of writing on any subject:
- Emails: quick emails, tricky emails
- News: announcements, newsletters
- Articles and papers: medical, scientific, technical
- Letters: corporate, editorial, personal letters
- Books: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoirs
- Application essays and diversity statements
In any document, my eyes are tuned to:
Audience & Accessibility
The transformation of complex text and concepts to best meet the intended reader, so that the message is clear, relatable, and retainable.
Flow
Smoothing out elements that might trip up the reader like surprise changes in voice, tone, or word choice – anything that might distract from the natural flow of language and information.
Proofreading
The mechanics and foundation of writing including typos, bloopers, grammar, spelling (oh Spellcheck…), vocabulary, and punctuation. And when it makes sense to bend or shred the rules…
Continuity
Checking to see that dates, data, and other details are consistent throughout the document, and that the narrative unfolds with some logic.
TESTIMONIALS
What People Say
Caity has assisted me with all manner of editing and documentation work (letters, research papers, safety campaigns, etc.) since 2007 when I was a pediatric surgery fellow at SCH, through my current role as Professor of Surgery and VP, Medical Affairs. She is a creative and meticulous editor and wordsmith, going far beyond grammar mechanics; her edits bring life to the document. I can always count on Caity’s thoughtful edits and expect a much-improved document.
Jeffrey Avansino, MD, MBA
VP Medical Affairs | Seattle Children's
Pediatric Surgeon | Seattle Children’s
Professor of Surgery | University of Washington
Caity Gerhardt brings consummate professionalism and expertise to the page as both writer and editor. While her understanding of grammar and mechanics is impeccable, it is Caity's keen sense of audience that most guides her work. The result is pitch-perfect!
Nicole Swedberg, EdD
Educational Consultant
I worked closely with Caity for five years writing a blog about the life and work of a pediatric surgeon. The blog was distributed weekly to thousands of members of the workforce at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Caity was amazing and had a flair for understanding our audience. She was able to make a tired surgeon’s writing really stand out to our audience who, to this day, still asks for more content.
Patrick Javid, MD
Pediatric Surgeon & Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Director | Seattle Children’s
Professor of Surgery | University of Washington
Caity Gerhardt made tangible improvements in every paper she reviewed, and she always got the job done on short notice. Best of all, she always made me sound smarter.
Kenneth W. Gow, MD, MHA
Pediatric Surgeon | Seattle Children’s
Professor of Surgery | University of Washington
Caity Gerhardt is the person you want for any project that includes writing, editing, or proofreading. Caity’s work (including her vision and willingness to help) is the best I’ve ever seen. There’s a magic to Caity’s work that one rarely if ever sees. I’d recommend Caity Gerhardt for any editing, proofreading, or writing project. Her work is that good.
Jim Sawyer, CHS-Diplomat, CPP, CHPA
Director of Security Services | Seattle Children's
About Caity
Once when I was a little kid, I went with my mom into San Francisco to drop off a piece of completed artwork with a client in a skyscraper, in an office, wearing a black suit. My mom was a commercial artist, and she ran a successful, long-established commercial art studio with my dad. So there we were in this shiny office and my mom was chatting with her client as she handed over the finished art. The headline word in cartoon-style was “California” – and abruptly I saw a typo. Thankfully, I had just enough little-kid sense to wait until we had said good-bye and were out in the hallway... When I told her about the typo, my mom chortled and then turned and knocked softly on the office door. I remember that the client was gracious and my mom brought the artwork back home to her studio for fixing.
Point being? I’ve been working with language one way or another all my life. Believe me, it helps to have a cold pair of eyes on your written words before you hit send.
Website photography by Caity Gerhardt and artwork by Jeanne Gerhardt | 1920-1996
Sketch of Elfenbein (here) and Illustration from "Scareboy" (top)
(Children's book written by Jeanne McGahey Hart, 1957)
