Profile photo of Natalie Craig, professional writer and editor.

Need words that work?

I’m an Australian Accredited Editor and former Age journalist with more than 20 years’ experience producing clear, compelling content.

I offer a range of professional writing and editing services to help you:

  • inform, involve and influence your readers

  • explain complex information to a broad audience

  • tell moving stories about the impact of your work on real people

  • produce professional, timely publications.

Services

  • My editing services range from straightforward proofreading to major surgery. Most often, however, you’ll find me copyediting – carefully refining expression, tone and flow to better engage a target audience.

    As a hybrid writer and editor, I combine analytical and creative skills to ensure content is not only grammatically correct, but clear, precise and interesting.

    Recently, I have:

    • rewritten press releases for a research organisation to boost media attention

    • improved the readability of a book chapter on military institutional abuse

    • refined teacher manuals to make them consistent and easy to use

    • ensured an annual report meets industry standards while still telling an inspiring story

    • copyedited the book Minum Barreng: The Story of the Indigenous Eye Health Unit (working with editor Linda Doherty).

  • I draw on my journalism background to develop must-read articles, press releases and web content, as well as succinct, user-friendly guidelines and workbooks.

    While I have some subject-area expertise (including as an education reporter), I adapt readily to work on any content.

    After clarifying your brief, I put myself in the shoes of your readers. ‘What does this mean?’ and ‘Why should I care?’ are key questions most readers want answered.

    Plain English is important in holding readers’ focus. But I’m also attuned to context, tone, nuance and originality — qualities lacking in AI-assisted writing.

    Recently, I have:

    • drafted a public ‘vision statement’ for a Victorian Government department, drawing on disparate internal documents to create a fresh, coherent, positive outlook

    • written an opinion piece about Blinkist — an app that offers to distil entire books into 15-minute reads

    • ghost-written a series of news articles on behalf of a community health CEO.

  • Case studies elicit empathy and connection, showing readers why your work matters, rather than telling them.

    I have rich experience building rapport with people from different walks of life, conducting relaxed interviews and conveying their unique voice and story.

    Recently, I’ve developed case studies about:

    • people benefitting from community health services

    • education scholarship recipients

    • award-winning teachers and school programs.

    Contact me for samples of case study writing.

  • I frequently partner with Melbourne design firm Nikki M Group to provide writing or editing services in combination with graphic design, illustration, typesetting, photography or printing.

    Recently, I’ve:

    • collaborated with Nikki M Group to edit, typeset and design the report Optimising Health Care for Tasmanians. This included carefully translating academic language to plain English and combining words and design to powerfully convey research findings and recommendations.

What clients say

  • We engaged Natalie to copyedit several of our public reports for the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching surveys. Specifically, we asked Natalie to improve the readability of the reports for the general reader. Natalie did an excellent job with them. In addition, Natalie also prepared a Style Sheet for us to refer to in future reports. I found Natalie great to work with – the quality of her work was excellent; she delivered on time and communicated with us promptly whenever she needed clarification. I have no hesitation in recommending Natalie to anyone needing a good copyeditor.

    Cynthia Kim

    Senior Director QILT
    Social Research Centre

  • Natalie, thank you again for your amazing input … We appreciated so many thing about the way you worked. You were well organised … accommodating to our needs … offered us advice to improve our end-stage report production processes … paid excellent attention to detail [and] delivered under considerable time pressure.

    Jenny Jelbart

    Office for the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability

  • Natalie is responsive, thoughtful and creative. Working to understand our needs and vision, she tailored the writing for our niche audience and we now have tools to help maintain a high standard of editorial output.

    Ryan Smith

    Accessible travel writer and advocate, and founder of Freewheel Weekends

  • The team and I were very impressed with the recommendations you made and your ability to succinctly, yet eloquently, convey our guide’s key messages … The vast majority of your edits were incorporated immediately, and you demonstrated sound judgement of where (and where not) to reword/rework sections of text.

    Senior Project Officer

    Victorian Department of Education [with permission; details on request

  • Natalie has wrangled a range of complex content projects with us. Her clear thinking and easy-to-read style can make the longest toolkit or an impenetrable quality improvement workbook a joy to read. Natalie has a unique talent and creates eloquent and engaging results.

    Julie Sucksmith

    Brand and Digital Communications Manager, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network

  • Natalie is a skilled, versatile and reliable editor. She has helped us prepare a variety of documents, showing great judgment and flexibility … She is quick to respond and meticulous in her approach. I have no hesitation in recommending Natalie on the strength of her attention to detail, her understanding of language and style, and her passion for education.

    Lindsay Crump

    Director of Marketing, Communications and Engagement, Ravenswood School for Girls

  • Nat, your writing added so much value to the document, from the initial draft to the edits last weekend. You understood the brief really well and we also appreciated how quickly you turned the work around each time. I only have positive feedback, it was great to work with you!

    Senior Project Officer

    Victorian Department of Education [with permission; details on request]

  • I went to Natalia Craig with a complex historical journal article that needed work on its structure, flow and formatting. Natalie provided a great outcome, professionally edited with many comments and explanations regarding what needed changing and why. Natalie took to the time to do some subject area research, providing direction on issues in the paper that needed further explanation. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

    Professor Ben Wadham

    Director of Open Door: Improving the Wellbeing of Veterans, Public Safety Personnel and their Families, at Flinders University

  • Natalie Craig recently provided proofreading and copyediting services to Croakey Health Media for a book, Minum Barreng: The Story of the Indigenous Eye Health Unit ... Natalie has an excellent eye for detail and was extremely responsive to changes in timelines. Her work was meticulous and prompt, and her feedback was thoughtful and considered.

    Laurell Grubb

    Croakey Professional Services

  • I highly recommend Natalie. Her experience is immediately obvious. Whether writing fresh copy or refining existing text, she delivers exceptional quality, strategic insight and flawless execution every time. Professional and reliable – she is an asset to any project.

    Nicole Melbourne

    Managing Director, Nikki M Group

  • I was leading a particular project whereby I had to compile nine written testimonials from recipients who have engaged in our program (Master of Inclusive Education). I struggled with amalgamating the responses and reached out to Nat Craig for assistance. Not only did she complete all nine testimonials, but she took the initiative to call each of the recipients to flesh out their responses. She was extremely patient with me and the team and understood exactly what we were after from the get-go ... She is now our unit’s on-going editor for any projects moving forward.

    Senior Project Officer, Victorian Department of Education [with permission; details on request]

Photo of Natalie Craig holding a voice recorder as she interviews José da Costa on the set of Beatriz's War, near Dili in East Timor.

Interviewing actor José da Costa on the film set of Beatriz’s War, near Dili.

I can help you tell inspiring stories about real people, showing readers why your work matters.

Need professional editing or writing?

Let’s chat.

natalie@nataliecraig.com.au
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Based in Melbourne, Australia