Beth Porter On Critical Communication Skills

Editing:

As managing editor of a trade magazine in the medical manufacturing industry, I worked with professionals whose levels of expertise and information were of great value to our readers. Yet, these individuals often lacked the writing ability and the confidence to put their ideas and recommendations on paper. We worked together to create concise articles that allowed readers to quickly assimilate the information. Writers included company CEOs, specialized consultants, and service providers. Most of the article authors I worked with displayed initial reluctance to write their articles. After my editing, they were thrilled with the results, especially as I am able to separate multiple story lines or foci the writers provide into a cohesive article that keep readers interested in and get message out.

Editing experience: 5 years. APEX awards for editing and overall ability to communicate.

Writing:

Profiles: As managing editor for a trade journal during a time of industry crisis, we often featured controversial individuals on our covers. Because the project needed a deft touch and an understanding of the subtleties, I was assigned these interviews. Finding the balance between fairness to the industry and to the individual profiled was a stimulating challenge.

Profiling experience: 5 years. APEX awards for feature writing.

Human Interest Stories:

My first successful human interest story would have to be the one I wrote when I was 12 years old, and won the Grand Prize in a nationwide contest with over 50,000 entries. Most recently, my articles have been published in local magazines and newspapers.

Human interest stories experience: 30 years.

Advertising campaigns:

Radio advertising copy: 5 years and still going strong. As an independent rep for a local radio station and a local cable TV station, I have worked with hundreds of businesses to develop and implement their advertising campaigns in electronic media. I also keep current with evolving advertising trends through annual professional copy writing seminars and trade publications. I work directly with customers to develop the advertising ideas and schedules, write the copy and often voice the message. Seeing the campaign come alive and return the desired results to the customer is a kick!

Advertising experience: 14 years.

Product Marketing:

Successfully managed a $12 million dollar product line. Responsibilities included pricing, product development and promotion. While I no longer wish to manage a product line, my experiences give me valuable insight into the realities of product development, release and maintenance when writing for manufacturing companies.

Product management experience: 5 years.