For fifteen years, I’ve helped media outlets, nonprofits, arts organizations and community groups share victories and challenges, reach new and existing donors, compile research into compelling and concise narratives and much more.
I approach all my consulting projects through the lenses of diversity, equity and inclusion. My direct experiences in feminist, queer and anti-racist movements inform my storytelling and change-making work.
I’d be thrilled to support you on projects small or large to tell stories that matter.
Selected projects
Organized a panel discussion about pandemic burnout that brought together New England educators and leaders. Hosted by the Boston Globe and Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Recording here »
Lead writer, editor, project manager and vendor liaison for this multimedia microsite, which tells the story of real students navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. View it here »
Drafted this web-based annual report, which narrates client and team successes while acknowledging challenges wrought by the pandemic. Check it out »
Coauthored and edited a first-of-its-kind report on the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the education sector. Read here »
Services
Copy Writing & Editing
I’ve written op-eds, policy briefs, white papers, feature-length articles, tweets, solidarity statements and much more. I approach my work through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens, centering the voices of those impacted by policy action — or inaction. I have also edited important work with multiple authors to streamline the voice and structure.
Content Strategy
Are you trying to change public opinion, public policy or human behavior? Not sure what language, format or packaging to use to reach your desired audiences? I can help. I’ve turned research into impact through microsites, on-the-ground-reporting and focus groups — and can help you do the same. By asking structured questions, I’ll help you understand how best to shape your public-facing work.
Writing Coaching
I help policy analysts, researchers, evaluators, organizational leaders and others gain confidence, find their voice and avoid writing procrastination. My style is interactive, empowering and tactical, whether your final piece is a blog post, letter, op-ed or book-length work. I’d love to work with you!
Project & Production Management
Whether you’ve hired a videographer, web developer, graphic designer or animator, I have the skills to help translate technical terms into understandable action items for your team. I’ve led website launches and interfaced with talented portrait photographers. I can help you get to the finished product without needing to sweat the small stuff.
Outreach & Promotion
Launching a new initiative, hosting an important fundraiser or trying to promote your new book? I’ve helped authors, organizations and community initiatives draft promotional language, get events placed in local press and community calendars and garner coverage or book reviews from regional media.
Speaker Management
I’ve secured speaking gigs for editors at Feministing.com and members of a New England education foundation speakers’ bureau. My support can include creating speaker profiles, brainstorming event/workshop offerings, pitching campus and community groups, negotiating rates, and more. This work typically includes a commission fee in addition to the hourly rate.
Testimonials
“As a writing coach, Tanya walks the fine line with authors of both supporting and encouraging their creativity and productivity and holding a high bar for quality. Through her gentle pushes and suggestions, she enables writers to find new, better, and more concise ways of communicating their messages and ensures the result is pitched appropriately to the intended audience. In my experience, Tanya’s feedback has been insightful and foolproof, and has served to improve whatever piece I’m working on and expand my own awareness of what is possible with the written word. And let me not ignore the relational trust Tanya fosters that is imperative to this work. Tanya fosters this trust with her confidence and gentle touch, and ensures writers leave the coaching experience doing better work and feeling empowered to conquer whatever assignment comes next.” —Allison Crean Davis, Ph.D.
“Tanya is a pleasure to work with. Writing is personal, whether it’s an op-ed or a research paper, and Tanya’s tailored approach to both coaching and editing always starts with the author as an individual. As a coach, she provides bite-sized, actionable feedback and highlights opportunities to quickly build those techniques into upcoming assignments or projects, securing wins and building skills. As an editor, she’ll address the micro and the macro — Tanya is detail-oriented, and can wrangle hyphens in her sleep, but she’ll also dig into focus, target audience and desired call to action.” —Kirsten Schmitz
“Tanya is an incredibly talented writer and editor who provided coaching to me as I worked on a range of writing deliverables, including policy white papers, strategic growth plans, senior leadership presentations and informal blog posts. I appreciate how Tanya’s coaching continues to serve me today even though I’m now working as a product manager at Amazon, where I frequently write to communicate product ideas/proposals. Lessons from Tanya that I still use today include how to think about my audience, identify early on which exact points I wanted to get across,and trim out flowery or vague words (although we call them ‘weasel words’ at Amazon!).” —Carolyn Chuong
“I worked with Tanya on everything from blog posts to in-depth research projects, and she always made my work clearer, more concise and powerful. No matter where I was in the writing process — from ideation to copyediting — she could jump in with poignant questions and tactful suggestions to push my thinking and move the work forward. She’s responsive, empathetic and principled, which makes her delightful to work with.” —Jason Weeby, education consultant
Tanya Paperny 