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The Discourse is an extremely valuable digital community news platform, partly based in my hometown of Nanaimo, BC. I had been a subscriber to its newsletters since its launch, so was naturally pleased to be approached in October 2022 to contribute a piece about Marian van der Zon, a friend and musician with a remarkable and often harrowing backstory. The assignment tied in neatly with a publicity materials project I had just completed for Marian, neatly capping it with uncanny timing! With an open contract with The Discourse, it is possible I could contribute further articles in the future.
Freelance contributor, October 2022 - present |
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In late 2021 I was approached by Blackberry Creative - an 'advertising, communications strategy, and design team' based in the Oceanside region of Vancouver Island - with a view to writing for one of their clients, Passions magazine. Published quarterly, the magazine serves the Fairwinds community. After agreeing to come aboard as a freelance contributor I was handed a choice of assignments. I opted to write about canoeing, allowing me to interview an experienced canoeist friend. The piece was published in the Summer 2022 issue, and I hope it will be the first of many assignments for this magazine.
Freelance contributor, January 2022 - present |
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I always enjoy projects that push me out of my comfort zones of knowledge and experience, so working for this Brighton, UK-based skincare products company was definitely an education. Although a short-term gig that may be resurrected in the future, during my few months producing blog posts for Balmonds I wrote about the qualities and uses of rosehip oil, as well as skin conditions such as keratosis pilaris, rosacea, and chlorine rash - about all of which I previously knew nothing!
Freelance blog contributor, March - September 2020 |
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In February 2018, while in conversation with her at my workplace, Shalema Gantt (President) of the Nanaimo African Heritage Society voiced the need for help editing several articles to appear in the forthcoming issue of her NAHS magazine. I stepped into the breach, and with Shamela liking my work it appears there could be plenty more moving forward!
Freelance contributor, February 2018 - present |
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The Wall Papers was an e-newsletter showcasing the collaborative, creative and innovative interdisciplinary research of the scholars at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of British Columbia' in Vancouver. I was approached by the Institute's Communications Manager in 2016, subsequently delivering three feature articles to The Wall Papers, concluding in June 2017. Not having written for an academic readership before I relished and accepted the challenge.
Freelance contributor, August 2016 - June 2017 |
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Following an appeal for contributors in July 2015, I started writing for this leading British folk and alternative music webzine/radio station the same month. Although things may change in the future, my intention - via reviews and interview features - is to cover independent Canadian folk releases that may not otherwise gain international exposure. My work for Folk Radio UK can be found here.
Contributor, July 2015 - present |
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In September 2012 I became unexpectedly reconnected with an old colleague from my Webplacing days in Brighton, England. Our email and subsequent telephone conversations were initially of a purely social nature, but this renewed contact led to an invitation for me to become involved with a website project my old friend was working on. Consequently, from October 2012 until December 2018 I created assigned copy for the Compare The Financial Markets website. Based in London, UK, the site was aimed at UK and overseas investors looking for high-end traditional and alternative investment opportunities.
Internet Copywriter, October 2012 - December 2018 |
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In August 2012 I was asked by Marian van der Zon of the excellent Cowichan Valley folk band, Puzzleroot, to revamp content for their existing website. I subsequently rewrote the band members' individual and collective biographies, freshened up the homepage and contact page content, and advised as to various other general improvements in content placement.
Internet Copywriter, August - October 2012 |
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In July 2011 I was approached by Gabriola Island Patent Illustrator, Steve Bishop, to collaborate on the creation of content for his brand new website. As someone totally unfamiliar with the highly technical intricacies of Steve's line of work, I found the project both interesting and educational. I always enjoy a project where I learn something! The Illustrator Steve website launched on November 21, 2011.
Internet Copywriter, July and November 2011 |
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In May 2011 I was approached by Porter & Wood Gravel Mart of Parksville on Vancouver Island to create the content for a brand new website. With such 'dry' material to work with it was a challenge, but one I enjoyed! The site was launched in October 2011.
Internet Copywriter, May 2011
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Formerly known as Madman McKay's, McKay's Home Theatre Centres, and McKay's Electronic Experts, this business is now know as Andre's Electronic Experts, and is Vancouver Island's leading independent home electronics and car audio retailer. In February 2011 the company approached me to create several pages of content for a forthcoming website overhaul. Although my work was fully approved, due to changes in McKay's plans for the functionality of the new site not all of the content I produced was used upon its launch in early 2012, and with the company's rebranding has now been removed entirely.
Internet Copywriter, February and March 2011 |
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Founded in Calgary in 2004, BeatRoute Magazine is a primarily music-oriented publication with a circulation of 10,000 in Alberta. BeatRoute began producing a West Coast edition in 2009, also distributing 10,000 copies in Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo. I contributed an interview with Tim Rutili of Califone in August 2011.
Freelance contributor, August 2011
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Formerly published as Coastlines by Tugboat Media Inc. of Vancouver, then published by Page One Publishing in Victoria, BC, Harbour Air Magazine was the in-flight bimonthly for the Harbour Air seaplane airline from August 2009 to December 2010.
Freelance contributor, October
2009 - December 2010
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Distributed nationally in Canada and to selected outlets in the US, this high-end architectural/interior design digest was published by the Dauphin Media Group in Creemore, Ontario. In May 2009 I was approached by DMG to write for them, consequently contributing a total of three articles across the July/August and September/October 2009 issues.
Freelance contributor, July
- October 2009 |
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Based in Brighton, England, Benstar
was founded by an old friend and former
music industry colleague. A creative music agency
specializing in the placement of music in movies,
advertising campaigns and so forth, Benstar was officially
launched in June 2008. I acted mainly in a consultancy
role in respect of the creation of content for Benstar's
website.
Content consultant and contributor,
May 2008
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Since 1969, The Navigator
has been the student newspaper for Vancouver
Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College).
In April 2008, I contributed a profile of a
CHLY
radio programmer to this publication on behalf
of the station. While this was a one-off project,
it may be resurrected in the future.
Freelance contributor, April
2008
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Based in Nanaimo
on Vancouver Island, Dueck General Contracting
is a family business providing residential and
commercial building contractor services. In
January 2008 I was commissioned to create simple
relevant content for the company's new website.
Internet Copywriter, January 2008
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Based in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, More Living was a bi-monthly lifestyle magazine published by Bonnie MacQueen's Mac Publications. I wrote for this publication from the July/August 2007 issue to the final issue in November/December 2011. I contributed locally-focused, wide-ranging articles featuring individuals, businesses, events and other topics of interest from the Central (Vancouver) Island region.
Contributor, Contributing Photographer and occasional
Contributing Editor, 2007 - 2011
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Known as The Beacon until the February 2012 issue, the title was relaunched as EyesOnBC Magazine in March 2012. Based in Bowser on Vancouver Island, the good people behind this publication also used to publish The Baynes Sound Current, to which I also contributed a few articles during its short run.
EyesOnBC Magazine ceased publication upon the sad passing of publisher Linda Tenney in October 2019
Contributor, 2007 - October 2019
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Launched in 2006, Coastlines
was the bimonthly magazine published by Tugboat
Media Inc. in Vancouver for Harbour
Air - the world's largest seaplane airline.
Rich in fascinating content and beautiful photographs,
this peculiarly west coast publication was dedicated
to the people and places that make British Columbia
the wondrous province it is. I contributed humour
columns, historical profiles and travel-based
articles on essential BC destinations from
2006 to the final issue in spring 2009.
Contributor, 2006 - 2009
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Jo-Ann Lapointe left the
real estate business in late 2008 after an award-winning
career as a RE/MAX realtor in Nanaimo on Vancouver
Island. I undertook a total overhaul of her
website content as my first big Internet copywriting
job after arriving in Canada. Her change of
career direction means her website has been
taken down, but you can see how Jo-Ann rated
my work on the Testimonials
page.
Internet Copywriter, May - July 2007
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Until its founder, Judy Clark,
moved to Australia in the summer of 2008, Speke
Management Services was a professional speakers
consortium (or bureau) in Nanaimo on Vancouver
Island. I created all content with which her
website launched in June 2007. The site still
exists, but the content has been replaced and
updated to reflect Judy's new professional direction.
You can read how she rated my original work
on the Testimonials
page.
Internet Copywriter, June 2007
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Not a client, in fact, but
a search engine optimization and Internet marketing
company in Brighton, UK, that employed me as
an Internet Copywriter between May 2005 and
August 2006. During this period, I was instrumental
in the formation of a dedicated Internet copywriting
division of the company called Web
Writing and created copy for a diverse range
of clients. Webplacing Ltd. ceased trading in 2012.
Internet Copywriter, 2005 - 2006
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In an overcrowded marketplace,
Newsquest publication The Source
was the leading free monthly arts and listings
magazine for Brighton, England, until it came
to the end of its run in 2008. The publication subsequently returned as an independent concern, The Brighton Source, with former Sub-Editor, James Kendall, at the helm.The print edition finally closed to shift online in February 2014. Initially unpaid,
I contributed mainly concert previews from 1998
to 2006, but was occasionally called upon to
write features. My contributions were originally
in dedicated column format on my own page, then
retitled and merged with other contributors'
content following a redesign.
Contributor, 1998 - 2006
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Cheeky Guides is
the Brighton, UK company responsible for producing
six editions of The Cheeky Guide to Brighton,
plus similarly irreverent handbooks to love,
student life and the city of Oxford! I edited
and contributed to the music section of The
Cheeky Guide to Brighton: Fourth Edition,
published in 2006, and am credited in the book
to this end.
Contributor, 2006
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The London, UK-based Comes
with a Smile was a greatly revered, independent
music magazine of high design, content and production
values. Although each issue was published in
a limited run, it remained an internationally
distributed magazine boasting highly collectable,
cover-mounted CDs of exclusive tracks from featured
artists. I contributed album reviews and interview
features from issue # 6 in 2000 to the final
issue, # 20, in 2006. Passionately sharing the
vision of editor Matt Dornan, everyone who contributed
to Comes with a Smile did so without
renumeration beyond the occasional free CD or
gig guest list place.
Contributor, 2000 - 2006
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The Latest was a
longstanding, monthly Brighton, UK arts and
listings magazine that morphed into the monthly
property listings / entertainment dos a dos
publication Latest Homes / Latest
7 in 2002. I contributed music reviews
to its original incarnation from 1998 to 2000.
L.U.V. (Latest Underground Vibe) was
a short-lived music offshoot; I was commissioned
to contribute twin features to the 2003 launch
issue.
Contributor, 1998-2000
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