Making It Work: OVM and Ventana Medical Systems
When hard times hit, sometimes economics will dictate what stories you cover. Such was the case with this story. Our editorial department was told by management that we had to do a story on Ventana Medical Systems. So, we scratched our heads and tried to figure out how on earth to squeeze a biomedical company with a very specific focus into an issue all about art.
We met with their rep and talked about how we needed to angle the story, and after a visit to the campus, it all came together. As it happened, Ventana was a company that depended on creativity to stay ahead in their field. They hosted local works of art in galleries throughout their campus, and the campus itself was situated to make the most of the views and provide space for the employees to get out from under the fluorescent lights to think and ponder.
Our photographer was able to get shots of how the campus architecture complemented the views, as well as photos of some beautiful pieces on display that were painted by local artists, including our prize shot. We found a painting of the entrance of the campus, which helped convey both that our issue covered art and Ventana.
We had originally taken it for granted that we would cover a local gallery for the local business section of the art issue, but as it turned out, Ventana was a great and unexpected choice, regardless of how it came to be.
Writers: Google to Punish Overly Optimized Sites
At South by Southwest last week, the head of Google’s Web team, Matt Cutts, announced that Google will be making some changes to how pages get ranked in search results:
“The idea is basically to try to level the playing ground a little bit. So all those people who have been doing, for lack of a better word, over optimization or overly doing their SEO – compared to the people who are just making great content and trying to make a fantastic site, we are trying to level the playing field a bit. We try to make the GoogleBot smarter, try to make our relevance more adaptive, so that if people don’t so SEO we handle that.”
For years, SEO has been ruining headlines for years, making search king of all content. It didn’t matter what kind of dredge people wrote as long as it had those sought-after searchable terms or links in it. Now, technology is catching up with that strategy.
People do look at photos and video, but websites have to have the words to go with them. People need information that helps, teaches, informs. And yet, so many writers are out of work right now. Every day, I wonder how that can be.
Google is saying, there are no shortcuts. Bots will get smarter, harder to fool. You have to work harder. You have to provide real, readable content, and do it consistently to get ranked and stay there. That is great news for writers everywhere.
Now back to my job search.
Corporate Profiles
The first magazine writing assignment I ever had was writing advertorials. Advertorial is a bad word among writers and editors, but a marketer’s dream come true. What could be sweeter than combining the beauty of prose with selling? Nothing.
I really enjoyed getting to speak with business owners. These people owned a business that was the culmination of all their studies, all their passion–their entire livelihood. I had always worked for big media companies, so I had never been around anyone who felt so strongly about their business. That kind of passion can be contagious.
From the Ground Up: FreeCareerInfo.com Information Book
The first magazine-sized project I ever took on was a freelance gig for an ad agency. They bought a domain name and were sending information books promoting technical careers out to people who registered there after seeing their commercials on MTV and other places.
My job was to fill this book with information on technical careers, salary information, projected demand for the job, different modes of education, and ways to pay for it all.
Each section of the book profiled a technical college specialization, such as paralegal, criminal justice, or nursing. It covered what the specialization was in real-world terms, what kind of people fit best in that field, what kind of jobs you could get, and how long education or training would take to complete. I started each section off by calling attention to something in popular that referenced this field to give students a frame of reference for the job or industry.
My favorite part of the project was the “career horoscopes” in the back. It was just for fun, but I got to write a horoscope that aligned each astrological symbol with potential career matches — and I had to use every career mentioned in the book.
Now that’s creative writing.
Writing What I Know: Desert Dog News
Working in the news business in Tucson, it was common knowledge that people there REALLY loved their pets. To the point that stories about children got fewer hits or attention than a good animal story, or even a terrible animal scandal, such as hoarding or puppy mills.
A doggy fashion show was the staple of one charity’s annual fundraiser, where local “celebrities” — the quotes are necessary because we’re talking about Tucson, seriously — walk the runway with their pets, and local publications always have a pet issue. Animal-related charities are among the most popular and powerful in town.
My husband and I had adopted a miniature dachshund (a breed he loved and a name I loathed to spell) so I began writing for Desert Dog News as we began discovering cool things to do with our dogs around town.
I wrote this article after dreams of owning the first-ever racing wiener dog were dashed. I knew they were probably not the best dog to take on a jog, but ours turned out to especially hate the outdoors. So, I began to research which dogs would make great running companions and would also still fit my other pet criteria–small, doesn’t shed or bark too much, and doesn’t freak out when we away from home. And that’s how we ended up with an Italian Greyhound, probably the most insecure, nervous breed ever invented — this dog startles if we laugh too loud.
But he is fast.
At Work or Play: Oro Valley | Marana Magazine
Readers — and advertisers — always loved our Family Issue, and it was always one of the most fun issues to do. One of the anchor sections of this magazine was Spaces, a section in which we covered homes and home design.
As anyone with kids knows, it’s hard to keep an area clean with children around. So, we talked to experts about how you create a functional playspace that also lends itself to a natural order.
We tracked down a local home with an awesome and tightly themed space and talked to the owner about how they created such a beautiful and useable playroom.
I also requested images of the types of furniture and accessories that we talked about in the article from local and national retailers to give readers ideas on how to create a playroom in their own home, since the items in the playroom we photographed were not for sale.
Eat to Live: Oro Valley | Marana Magazine
This article was slated for the “Living Well” section of Oro|Valley Marana Magazine, a lifestyle magazine targeting the northwest section of Tucson. This area was the fastest-growing part of Tucson at the time, filling subdivision after subdivsion with young families and upper-class singles.
For this article, we found some local health experts and came up with five foods that anyone could begin incorporating into their diet to begin eating healthier. When doing stories like this, I like to pick a manageable number of points and give people encountering the subject matter for the first time a good place to start.
All of the foods we used could be found at local retailers, and we posted recipes on the website to give readers an opportunity to take the information they learned a little further. We also provided information on a healthy eating seminar that would be happening that month at a local hospital.
It didn’t hurt that the hospital happened to be owned by the health care provider that was advertising on the facing page.
Make It Work: Tucson Bridal Magazine
Tucson Bridal Magazine is a biannual publication put out to support the Tucson Bridal Expo, which is the longest-running bridal show in Tucson. I was the Publications Manager over this publication and had the responsibility of planning the content, assigning content to freelance writers, and then editing and assisting my team with layout and production.
At the time content was due for this issue, I contacted a writer who had been assigned to write about bridal jewelry trends and had not turned in her piece. She had bailed on the story. So, I took it on at the last minute.
The first thing I did is research current trends and plan out what we were going to cover. Then, I found a local jeweler to work with on content. They helped confirm the trends I had noticed and provided product for our photographer. The story came together by deadline, and our graphic designer did an excellent job creating interest with beautiful details and stylized call outs.
De-Loused
This piece was accepted into Border Senses Spring 2005 journal, and also Unhoused Voices from Sabellapress.
The poem was crafted as a result of a writing assignment distributed in a poetry group I contributed to for about two years.
I’m not posting images from the second journal because homeless is misspelled on the cover (!)
Facelift: Tucson Newcomer and Tourist Guide
I really enjoy taking something that works — or maybe just might work if it was done right — and turning it into a real success. This was the case with the Tucson Newcomer and Tourist Guide, formerly the Tucson Relocation Guide.
Published annually in partnership with the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, this guide had strictly been intended for newcomers to the community in the past.
When we got the project, my supervisor wanted to update the look, include great sections for tourists, and increase useability. I was given the old book and told to come up with a plan.
First, I wanted to incorporate lots of lists. Phone books don’t exist anymore, and the Internet can be overwhelming if you are new to the area and don’t know anything. So we aimed to create several different directories that could help people find their way around. More than anything, I wanted a guide that would make both newcomers and tourists feel like they had the inside track to the city.
We came up with all the information you would need to learn more about Tucson: Where is the best nightlife, shopping, or sports action? What kind of health care facilities are here? What and when are the big, local events? What is the economy like? Who are the biggest employers? Is there a major university here? Who are all the local utilities?
Then I hired writers and had them create these lists, as well as an introductory article that would accompany their subject matter. Articles included information on Tucson’s history, the local housing scene, unique Southwest features like a primer on safety around Tucson’s unique fauna and flora, e.g. cactus and snakes, and the monsoon.
The model I developed included updating the lists every year, while either adding to the article section, or removing the old article and inserting a new one. The articles were designed to be evergreen and reusable. That way, if one section needed to accommodate more ads, we could use the article from this year and last year to fill the additional pages needed. If not, we could hold the old article and insert a new one. This way, the book changed and updated easily every year for repeat tourists, while always providing the same basic information for newcomers.
The revised version of the book got a great response. The Chamber loved the updated look, and it’s currently the fastest-moving magazine at Tucson International Airport. Even current residents who read it said they learned new things about Tucson from it.
The revised guide is currently in it’s fourth year of the new format.