MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION

• Directed editorial development, working with management, programmers and sales to implement new features for emerging e-commerce site.
• Developed and managed interdepartmental online projects for editorial/e-commerce companies, including websites, e-mail newsletters, content procurement, documentation and training.
• Created communications departments (web and print) for tech start-ups.
• Managed publications, budget, staff and contract employees for an international membership organization and a publicly held telecommunications company.

EDITING & WRITING

• Developed annual reports, advertising copy, business plans, internal and external news stories and websites as a corporate senior staff writer.
• Copy-edited for major daily newspaper, software companies, web publishers and specialty firms.
• Edited, wrote and managed technical documentation and production for IT, hardware and consumer-software companies.
  
• Wrote articles, reviews and columns for magazines, newspapers and websites as a freelance journalist.

MARKETING & PROMOTIONS

• Developed marketing strategies and oversaw direction of brochures, websites, press kits and other publications for established and growing companies.
• Consulted with and created corporate identity packages for fledgling businesses.
• Marketed songs nationwide, produced demos and coordinated publishing for aspiring songwriters and performers.
   

THE DETAILS

Senior writer, editor, digital content strategist - IBM, Austin. 2003-present.
(Read my IBM narrative here.)
- Digital Content Strategist and Senior Writer (contract and permanent)
Worked with product teams to create messaging and copy for the award-winning IBM home page and IBM product pages, and oversaw its weekly publication. Managed homepage CMS. Wrote articles for the signature Smarter Planet series, emphasizing SEO and social media compatibility; managed the Smarter Planet home page. Chosen for a new marketing initiative to enliven run-of-the-mill pages about watsonX and other products in IBM's artificial intelligence family. Results: +150x longer visit time, triple the scroll depth, and double the click-through rate in paid media.
- Content Editor - IBM Design
Edited verbal and video content, managed music licensing, provided copy, and mentored designers in IBM editorial style and standards.
- Senior Writer and Editor (contract) - ITSO Global Content Services
Wrote, edited and laid out white papers, case studies and marketing collateral. Edited IBM Redbooks. Won a Bravo Award for work in launching my division's marketing initiative.

Writer, editor and project manager for marketing, technical, promotional and non-profit companies. 2000-2004.
Clients included:
 LANWrights: project management of books and user guides, wrote IT articles and an online Photoshop course
 Legacy Publishing: series of profiles about Austin and Houston businesses
 Motion Computing: user guides and packaging docs for new Windows-based tablet
 Knowbility: direct-mail fundraising package (writing and layout) for Internet-accessibility organization

Content Director and Managing Editor - MaterialNetwork.com, Austin. 2000. Was responsible for all online content (industry news, B2B transactions, site re-design, acquisition) for this former industry/e-commerce website. Worked closely with CTO, Chief Architect, sales and content coordinators to upgrade site and improve usability, and managed staff.

Editorial Project Manager - pennNET, Houston and San Mateo, Calif. 1999-2000. Turned ideas into reality for the online division of PennWell Publications, from concept through production to finished products. Managed the editorial end of Oil & Gas Journal's content management system conversion to Vignette. Created prototypes for series of e-newsletters. Wrote user documentation for projects. Managed or collaborated with editorial, business and technical development, sales and fulfillment.

Editorial and marketing consultant for print and new media - Austin, Dallas and Becket, Mass. 1997-99.
 - Ads, brochures and websites
 - Articles, newsletters and scripts
 - Catalog and collateral layout
 - Copy editing
 - Editorial project management 
 - Technical writing, editing and management

Empress of Publications - ACTIVE PAPER / ACTIVERSE, Austin. 1995-97. Managed publications and website for growing software company. Translated tech-talk into user-friendly English, brought documentation and marketing collateral to print, and oversaw smooth transition of MarCom materials during product acquisition.

Writer and consultant - WRITE NOW, Dallas and Austin. 1991-95. Produced quick, quality, creative copy, articles, newsletters and scripts, and worked as a newspaper and corporate copy editor, web content editor, software trainer and desktop publisher for business, journalism, advertising and entertainment. Specialized in making the familiar fascinating.

Senior Editorial Associate - YOUNG PRESIDENTS' ORGANIZATION, Dallas. 1989-91. Marketed international conferences, seminars and leadership activities to 7,000 CEOs worldwide. Wrote and edited members' magazine, annual reports and collateral materials; provided desktop publishing design; produced daily, on-site newsletters for conferences in Sydney, Buenos Aires, Palo Alto and Acapulco.

Writer, Dallas. 1983-89. Specialized in writing features on topics from hunger to Elvis for newspapers, magazines and wire services. Reviewed film, theater, books and restaurants; wrote weekly humor column. Published short fiction in hardcover.

SOFTWARE/LANGUAGES
Framemaker, InDesign, Quark, Photoshop, Acrobat, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, and the usual office/productivity programs

EDUCATION
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY, Dallas
        BFA, Communications (broadcast/film)
        MBA coursework (marketing, finance)
STEPHENS COLLEGE, Columbia, Missouri

ETCETERA - because every writer's resume has amusing odds & ends
Volunteer for and enthusiastic promoter of HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians)
People's Choice Award, AIR Austin for creating an accessible website for Sara Hickman
Marketing coordinator, first Texas Black Invitational Rodeo & Folklife Festival, Dallas
Produced songwriter demos and marketed to A&R in Los Angeles and Nashville
Executive producer, Brave Combo's "World Dance Music" and "No Sad Faces"
Finalist, National Ten-Minute Play Contest, Actors Theatre of Louisville
Creator/co-writer, "Love, Lust and Other Facts of Life" at The Improv
Neighborhood newsletter writer/editor and WordPress blog manager
Semifinalist, Writers' Network National Screenwriting Contest
Writer of one-minute biographies for Meals on Wheels clients
First prize, Breakup Girl's Valentine's Day Haiku Contest
Promoted a mock Texas-secession marketing campaign
Worked at the very first Blockbuster video store
Radio announcer (Dallas, San Antonio)
Gourmet/macrobiotic chef
TV production assistant
Photographer

References and portfolio available on request.