What gives me the right to, well, write?
Award-Winning Writer & Editor
*cough cough*
With over 10 years of experience in writing, editing and creating content, I’ve learned how to craft the kind of prose that can transform an altruistic albeit grumpy old curmudgeon into a neighborhood hero, convince all of my Facebook friends (including my mother) that I tattooed a jellyfish onto my right shoulder and delicately inform those reading an ad for a shared RV at Burning Man that no orgies were allowed. That last one should be considered art.
As the above paragraph of oversharing and my resume will reveal, my favorite part about my job is the variety.
I am very humble and capable of the following:
Writing | Blogging | Copywriting | Team Collaboration | Research | Editing | SEO | Google Analytics | Social Media | News Reporting | Marketing | Keyword Research |
Professional Experience
Digital Editor, San Diego Home/Gardens Lifestyle Magazine, 2020 to 2020
I was hired on to help SDH/GM elevate their online presence. While I accomplished a lot in my short time there, unfortunately, the magazine folded due to the coronavirus pandemic. My responsibilities included:
Teasing content from the print magazine on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest).
Reformatting print articles for the website.
Managing the website and creating exclusive digital content as well as paid advertorials.
Managing all social media and creating exclusive social media content.
Curating and managing the weekly newsletter.
Managing Editor, La Jolla Village News, 2019 to 2020
I started with San Diego Community Newspaper Group as a freelance writer. Within a month I was hired as a staff writer and within eight months I was promoted to managing editor. For this bi-weekly newspaper, my primary responsibilities are managing a team of staff writers, freelancers, and interns and working with our design team to layout the newspaper. Specifically, that includes:
· Assigning, editing, and publishing 15-20 stories per issue.
· Writing 5+ stories per issue on topics such as community events, human interest profiles, local crime and politics, schools and education.
· Updating our regional website, SDNews.com, with stories from the print edition as well as breaking news and briefs.
· Laying out and designing the newspaper.
· Updating and managing our social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News Editor, YourTango, 2017 to Present
I started with YourTango as an editorial intern. After my internship, I was promoted to a part-time editorial fellow and was later asked to come on full-time as an editor. In this role, I managed a team of seven freelance writers and interns and assigned content to fill our entertainment and news verticals. Specifically, my responsibilities included:
· Publishing 10-12 news stories a day from my team.
· Writing two news stories a day for my managing editor.
· Checking that every story was optimized for SEO.
· Tracking each article's performance via Google Analytics to help decide what future topics we would cover.
· Scheduling and promoting my team's stories on our Twitter and Facebook pages, one of which I managed myself and grew to 130,000 fans.
· Hosting a weekly advice-style Facebook Live show where I talked to our audience directly about our content and answered their questions about love and relationships. Those shows held an average of 1,000-3,000 views.
Contributing Writer, The Bolde, 2017
Researched and generated article ideas to meet production demand and publication schedule. Reviewed contributing writers list and created articles based on appealing topics and knowledge base. Researched information for articles, completed interviews of qualified subject matter experts and ensured proper grammatical structure.
· Created up to 7 unique articles a week about relationships and dating.
· Responsible for timely completion of internal linking to promote articles.
Editorial Fellow, YourTango, 2015 to 2017
In this role, I edited articles for our team of experts and wrote 15+ SEO-optimized stories a week on a variety of topics, including love and dating, entertainment news, true crime, branded content, health, and wellness. I also managed and drove the performance of our social media marketing, including Facebook and Twitter feeds, that targeted key demographics for promoted content. My biggest accomplishment in this role was writing two articles that gained national attention on “The View” and writing multiple articles that earned re-publication by HuffPost, PopSugar and Elite Daily.
Editor/Columnist, Ormond Beach Observer, 2013 to 2017
I started with the Ormond Beach Observer as a staff writer. Within a year, I was promoted to Community Editor and later took over the role of News Editor. In this role, I reported on stories that connected with our 13K+ weekly readers within the city. I covered all aspects of local government, including city and county commission, police department, fire department and the school board. Specifically, my responsibilities included:
· Researching, conducting interviews, photographing, writing and publishing 20+ stories a week for both print and online.
· Updating our website and social media channels with any breaking news.
· Managing the editorial content for the special sections of our publication and our sister publication, the Palm Coast Observer. Special sections would come out once a month and would cover broad topics such as holidays, home and garden, back-to-school, and health. I collaborated with other members of the editorial and sales team to create content and events promoting the sections.
· Writing a weekly community opinion column called "Big Girl Now," that won 2nd place for Best Column Writing by the Local Media Association in 2015.
Education & Professional Development
Bachelors of Art (B.A.) Journalism, University of Central Florida, 2013
Motivated, confident, and personable journalist with 7+ years of experience in writing and editing is currently seeking a new and challenging opportunity utilizing her existing skill set and strengths to impact an employer’s editorial content. Her stellar interpersonal skills are exemplified in fast-paced and demanding work environments, and her driven and determined mindset makes for a highly-focused writer who tackles any project assigned with zest and enthusiasm.
She's very humble and capable of the following abilities:
Writing | Blogging | Copywriting | Team Collaboration | Research | Editing | SEO | Google Analytics | Social Media | News Reporting | Marketing | Keyword Research
Professional Experience
News Editor, YourTango, 2017 to Present
Directly engage clients and consumers via social media marketing, including the production of live online video content. Leverage knowledge of market and performance of past articles to focus writers’ efforts on material to support organization’s brand and message.
· Produced and edited 20+ articles per week focused on celebrity, trending and entertainment news.
· Tracked article performance, reviewed data and metrics via Google Analytics.
· Assigned and edited 10+ articles a week to a team of three interns, created headlines for articles prior to publication.
· Identified trending topics and news stories, produced articles for web publication.
· Trained interns in scheduling and posting for the brand's Facebook page, and posted to the brand's Instagram page on a weekly basis.
Contributing Writer, The Bolde, 2017
Researched and generated article ideas to meet production demand and publication schedule. Reviewed contributing writers list and created articles based on appealing topics and knowledge base. Researched information for articles, completed interviews of qualified subject matter experts and ensured proper grammatical structure.
· Created up to 7 unique articles a week about relationships and dating.
· Responsible for timely completion of internal linking to promote articles.
Editorial Fellow, YourTango, 2015 to 2017
Edited articles for experts and covered top trending news. Actively managed and drove the performance of social media marketing, including Facebook and Twitter feeds, that targeted key demographics for promoted content.
· Wrote 3+ stories per day on a variety of lifestyle topics including relationships, food, beverages, travel and other personal interest stores.
· Optimized articles and web pages for search engines using keywords and cross-linking.
· Authored social media content that gained national interest and re-publication by The Huffington Post.
· Ran the Twitter and Facebook accounts for the brand and posted and scheduled content to social media channels on a daily basis.
Editor/Columnist, Ormond Beach Observer, 2013 to 2017
Weekly columnist for a community paper, reporting stories that connected with 13k+ weekly readers within the city. Covered all aspects of local government, including city and county commission, police department, fire department and the school board. Fostered ideas and new content for special sections of the publication; collaborated with other members of the editorial and sales team to see projects to completion.
· Promoted to the role of news editor and coordinated the monthly special sections that ran in the publication as well as the Palm Coast Observer.
· Wrote 10 to 20 stories a week, took photos and came up with any other design elements for print.
· Maintained relationships with high-profile local sources for stories and conducted interviews/fact-checking on information prior to publishing.
· Authored a weekly lifestyle column about living the community, called “Big Girl Now.”
Education & Professional Development
Bachelors of Art (B.A.) Journalism, University of Central Florida, 2013
Awards & Recognition
Breaking News Story – 1st Place, Florida Press Association 2017
Profile Feature Story – 2nd Place, Florida Press Association 2017
Spot News Photo – 1st Place, Florida Press Association 2017
Journalist of the Year - Honorable Mention, Local Media Association, 2016
Best Performance - Ambassador, Observer Media Group, 2015
Best Column Writing - 2nd Place, Local Media Association, 2015