I’m eager to help you tell your story.
I’ve done it for supermarkets and snack foods and the top young university in the United States—both in print and online. Here’s what you get when we work together:
• Versatile writer: I specialize in longform copy: articles and advertorials, brochures, annual reports, e-newsletters and magazines, books, and more. I’ll dive into your topic to discover a story angle that will engage, delight, and surprise readers. And I enjoy the challenge of telling one story in multiple ways for print, web, and social media.
• Seasoned editor: An advertising background helps me shape copy that cuts to the point and zips along, carrying the reader toward a pivotal moment or compelling call to action. And nothing beats the thrill of coming up with a perfect snappy headline. For you I can edit existing copy, organize and outline projects before writing begins, and even help set up a magazine or e-newsletter.
• Ace proofreader: Your copy will arrive clean and polished. I double and triple check spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. (It’s been a habit ever since I competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee at age 13.)
• Rich experience: I have managed award-winning magazines for Leadership Birmingham, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and I have written for Forbes, the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, Berry College, and Macalester College, among others. My ad copywriting spanned print, web, direct mail, radio, and video—for clients including UAB advancement (philanthropy) and student enrollment, the UAB Health System, Bruno’s supermarkets, Birmingham Olympic Soccer, and Golden Flake Snack Foods. I also have authored three books: Fading Ads of Birmingham (2012: The History Press), Fifty Years of Dreams and Discoveries (2019: The University of Alabama at Birmingham; coauthor and editor), and Las Colinas: 50 Years of Building the Future (2022: Las Colinas Association).
Click to read writing samples:
Power in the Pages: A UAB educator helps choose America’s top children’s books.
An Artistic Nature: An alumnus breathes life and sustainability into design.
Maternal Mortality in Black and White: UAB physicians seek lifesaving solutions for an enduring, heartbreaking disparity.
Destination Innovation: Two students have an idea to revolutionize health care. Will it survive a journey of discovery?
Click to see editing samples:
Leadership Birmingham newsletter: I led a publication transformation that gave graduates of Leadership Birmingham, which educates local rising stars about the community’s challenges, the space to continue their conversations and celebrate their bond with each other.
50 Ways We’ve Changed Birmingham, Alabama, and the World: For UAB’s 50th anniversary, I skipped an old-school timeline in favor of a feature pinpointing ways the university has made life better. This story helped make the fall 2019/winter 2020 issue the most popular UAB Magazine to date.
What Will $1B Do for You?: When the record-breaking Campaign for UAB ended, I didn’t want anyone to think the university was sitting on a $1-billion pile of cash. It was important to show those dollars already at work on campus and in the community.
Blazer Beginnings: Let’s do a fun piece about the history of beloved UAB traditions! Easy, right? Wrong: Some traditions, including the school colors and team name, have competing origin stories. So I wove them all together, knowing this article would become a definitive account for future generations of Blazers.