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Writing Portfolio
"Industry Series" white papers for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Professional Practice Curriculum, the
Society's leading career development resource. The series provides background and job prospect information on leading industries and is designed
to assist engineers who were new to the field or established engineers looking for new challenges. Papers include:
I am currently manager and co-author of
The Fabulous Foodie, a culinary blog where my focus is food history, food trivia and finding connections between food and the world at large. Highlights include:
My life-style and news commentary writing can be found at
Greater Gotham, where I mix 7 years of blogging experience with 23 years living in one of the greatest cities of all time. Highlights include:
Other recent writing:
For more writing samples, please see the Modern Parlance Reading Room where you will find articles on communication and marketing as well as opinion pieces on language
and words. For information on indexes as well as offline or older projects, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Indexing Background
As an indexer at Cohen Carruth Inc (7/03-9/06), I created original indexes for a wide range of non-fiction books, including major trade titles, social, historical and academic works.
I was also responsible for editing and proofreading of
indexes by others , the trafficking and distribution of projects to contractors and I continue working with them as an indexer on a freelance basis.
Marketing and Interactive Experience
Freelance Consultant: I have served as marketing and interactive consultant in a wide variety of industries .
Telecom: as interim Marketing Director and Executive Operations Manager, I was responsible for the creation of multicultural marketing strategies for up a start-up telecom company who needed aggressive,
grassroots campaigns to reach new and underserved markets in the NYC metro area.
Entertainment: worked as publishing consultant for this entertainment production company on the production of their first book and upon launch, devised an integrated
marketing plan that resulted in an increase in press interest as well as in site traffic.
Consumer Retail: Served as web and content consultant for this upscale home decor retailer in San Francisco.
Publishing: Created book development proposals for e-publishing programs for a specialty literary agency.
Sports and Gaming: Developed information architecture as basis of marketing and registration website for multi-venue sporting event.
Non-profits: I have always made a point of being available as a consultant to non-profits looking for guidance, quite often on a pro-bono
basis. What makes these projects important to me is that they are satisfying not only on a "job well done" level
but on the "doing good for others" level as well. It's hard to beat that combination. It has been my pleasure to work with educational non-profits on websites and marketing campaigns as well as
with artists in a variety of media and fields. I am always interested in hearing how I can help with a worthy cause.
Striking out on your own is a scary proposition at any time but I'd enjoyed success and happiness as a freelancer on the projects above. When it became clear that this was how I worked best and how I best served the clients I wanted to work with, I went freelance full time and started Modern Parlance. It
is my greatest challenge yet and my proudest achievement. Interactive Producer: As senior producer at two fast-growing design firms in New York City, it was my pleasure and good fortune
to work with excellent designers, writers and technical teams. The projects were challenging, wide ranging and ultimately met and exceeded client expectations every time.
- Developed a series of extranets serving corporate and institutional clients of leading mortgage lender. Sites involved extensive on-line maintenance, development of dynamic database
driven content, high-level personalization and security, as well collateral materials to educate a nationwide sales force. After site launch, continued to work with the client to find ways to add value to the
sites and develop other related interactive initiatives.
- Managed development and maintenance of new Web site for the major environmental not-for-profit who sought to serve more diverse audience and raise their public profile. In
addition to restructuring of the site itself to meet the needs of each unique group of end users, a series of Web-based content management tools were developed to allowed staff members to maintain site updates
and extensive online content archive, customize news feeds, and manage membership and mailing lists with greater ease. Devised long-term strategy for site expansion that was responsive to the users needs and
met or exceeded expectations.
- Supervised branding of business papers; created collateral materials as well as the architecture and design for an optical e-commerce superstore site.
- Guided in-depth restructuring and redesign of a hospitality industry portal and newsletter from a big five consulting firm. Redesign reflected changes in industry to better reflect the
global nature of the site's audience. The restructuring made updating and maintenance more efficient. Continued to work with the client to develop additional site features for the same audience.
- Managed password-protected on-line community and multi-level collateral system designed to facilitate communication between major IT equipment manufacturer and its most significant
customers worldwide. Solicited licensed content, managed site updates, incentive programs, live events, and membership lists . Played major role in expanding site and collateral materials to additional
audiences.
Publishing Experience: My many years in marketing departments at major scholarly and trade presses has shown me how to promote and market to the consumer market
as well as how to craft targeted distribution strategies to optimize sales and increase adoptions of academic titles in college market. These efforts include, but are not limited to, the design and execution of direct mail and
advertising campaigns, creation of promotional materials, presentations at sales conferences, serial rights negotiation, book club sales and management of company presence at exhibits and conferences.
Additional Information
Education: Bachelor's Degree at Sarah Lawrence College (Bronxville, NY), 1989
Professional Affiliations:
Communication and Management Skills:
Exceptional research and analytical ability
Strong project and team management skills
Ability to meet tight deadlines
Strong written and oral communication skills
Experience in dealing with media and public relations
Computer and Internet Skills: Having managed the development and maintenance of database-driven sites, content management systems, e-commerce initiatives, client-server environments, intranets, and
extranets, I have the skills needed to manage web-based projects of all sizes and scopes. In addition, this past experience means that I bring a thorough knowledge of web applications and environments, internet industry best
practices, and technology trends to any project team. I am thoroughly comfortable in both PC and Macintosh environments and have experience with an extensive array of software.
WRITING | INDEXING | MARKETING & INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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I'm an independent writer, blogger and indexer who delivers "words that work." The words might be funny or serious, meaningful or light but they will always be on time, on budget and on target. I've written on
topics such as career development, food, travel, and education; indexed everything from biographies to pet care manuals and edited everything from business proposals to websites for everyone from retailers to movie producers.