Science and Technology Writing
As a freelance writer, Mertz has written for nonprofit institutions and organizations, for commercial enterprises, for various magazines and other publications, and for publishing outlets. Using her knowledge of science and her years of experience as a writer and editor for a major research university and in newspapers, she is able to create engaging articles from technical material, from interviews with scientists, IT specialists and medical professionals, and from her attendance at conferences and meetings. She has written articles in nearly every scientific field and on a wide range of technology topics, and for every audience from the lay public to scientific and other targeted groups. She produces articles for printed publications, web content and press releases, as well as entire newsletters, brochures, booklets, magazines, annual reports and book chapters. Samples of her work are available here. She will also provide additional samples on request.  

Environmental Writing

Mertz's academic background is in both communication and in biological sciences, which gives her particular insight into environmental and ecological topics. In addition, she is a field-biology instructor for two Michigan universities, and teaches summer courses to undergraduate and graduate students, and in-service science teachers. She has written extensively on invertebrate and vertebrate animals for a major publisher, has authored five books and co-authored a sixth on animals, has written chapters for a major high-school biology textbook, and has written scores of other articles covering such topics as animal behavior, conservation, ecosystem management, evolution, ecology, and many others. Samples of her environmental work are available here.

General Writing

A former newspaper reporter and editor, and freelance writer for commercial clients, Mertz has considerable experience writing business, lifestyle, and all manner of general-topic articles. For a food-services client, for example, her articles have covered such topics as restaurant staffing, menu development and pricing, upselling, stress management, and customer service. Samples are available on request.