Danielle Jernigan
Danielle is a forever doula, writer, editor, and founder of BirthWork Press. Sometimes she calls herself an amateur anthropologist who is passionate about language, birth work culture, maternal mental health, and survivors of childhood abuse.
Writing & Editorial Creds
Danielle Jernigan writes about birth work culture, Love, self-regard, and the quiet interior work required to move from healing into restoration. She has served as a book review editor for Literary Mama and spent 20 years in scientific research editing and co-authoring manuscripts and textbooks. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times Parenting Newsletter (Jess Grose), MadameNoire, YourTango, and Nourishing Word. Her most recent essay A Sister's Salve is forthcoming in the anthology No Contact: Writers on Estrangement edited by Jenny Bartoy and published by Catapult Books (April 28, 2026).
Editorial Services for Birth Workers
I offer limited editorial services to birth workers and maternal health professionals. I coach non-fiction book proposals and provide personal essay pitching and guidance.Book Proposal DevelopmentI work privately with a small number of birth workers each year to develop professional book proposals and publishing strategies.*Proposal development
*Concept refinement
*Strategic publishing decisions
*Query and submission strategy
*Agent targeting (if this isINVESTMENT: From $1800
*Requires a 6 month commitment.
Pitch Your EssaySometimes the goal isn't a book, its one well-placed essay on a topic you are passionate about. If this is the case this service is for you. This service includes a thorough read of a work-in-progress or complete manuscript with an emphasis on large-scale edits, a feedback letter (1-2 pages), and thirty-minute follow-up meeting (by phone, email, or video chat) to discuss the manuscript further.INVESTMENT: Starting at $150 depending on essay word count.
About BirthWork Press
Founded in 2025, after years of saying no, I decided to dedicate my time to supporting birth workers in a holistic way so they can write amazing books and essays to claim their authority. But also center them as the intellectuals and experts they are so their ecosystems can be built with ease. BirthWork Press is the first hybrid press to center the birth working profession. We have our first two books in gestation: Why Every Doula Must Write a Book and an anthology challenging the negative narratives around birth in the black community. Our website is being built and should launch in June. Want to know more sign up for our first newsletter/periodical, Birthing Authority Magazine. Link is below.
Join the Community
If you want to know what I am doing, reading, writing, and all the behind the scene details, including news about BirthWork Press, invite me into your inbox and you will receive our first publication called Birthing Author-ity. It started as a bi-monthly letter and is building into a hybrid professional/literary magazine for birth workers.Or...You can email me and invite me to tea. I live in the Midwest so it can be virtual tea.