The Writer at Large / Portfolio

Sssshhhhh ... sneak preview of one of Coldwater Creek's holiday catalogs

I have to admit – I love this editorial (and the sweaters). Living in Idaho has truly shaped my creative perspective, in a great way. 

Saving the world, one top at a time

Since I've been back at Coldwater Creek as a senior copywriter for the catalog division, I get to combine two of my best skills: writing and shopping. 

 

Now, if only they sold cheese.

Sunset Books Catalog Copy

I love working on Sunset Books' twice-yearly sales catalog. My part is to write the descriptive copy and key features for new titles, sometimes two dozen or more, based on the editors' notes plus the number of words allotted for each edition. This copy also appears on the Sunset Books website, on Amazon.com as the book description, and in other collateral and promotional materials.

Here are a few of recent  favorites:

The Edible Garden

Putting delicious food on the table doesn’t get more fulfilling—or fresher—than this! Whether you have a tiny rooftop plot or a serious chunk of dirt, The Edible Garden is packed with practical advice for designing a horticultural haven that’s as tasty as it is beautiful—just think of it as art you can eat! This appealing text covers tried-and-true methods as well as more avant garde approaches to growing herb gardens, vegetable plots, fruit trees, edible flowers, and more.

Key Features

* Easy how-to instructions for 70 tasty plants, from apples to zucchini

* Artful design options to maximize color and fragrance

* Small-space gardens and contemporary container plantings

* Kid-friendly ideas include creating a bean teepee and growing popcorn

* Quick and easy recipes throughout

Before and After Kitchen Makeovers

Welcome to Sunset’s all-new tell-all, in which a multitude of decorating secrets are revealed as one kitchen after another goes from dull and dysfunctional to dynamite. Whether your taste runs to French country or cutting-edge contemporary, you’ll marvel at the transformations these kitchens undergo. But this beauty is more than skin deep—designers and homeowners share the why and how behind the sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic before-and-after changes in kitchens large and small.

Key Features

* 40 kitchens shown in before-and-after format

* A full range of makeovers, from small-budget miracles to hang-the-expense dream kitchens

* Design details home in on innovative ideas and the touches that personalize a kitchen

Curb Appeal

Whether you’re cashing out of the hot housing market or staying put for the next 30 years, make your home’s first impression a spectacular one with Curb Appeal. Dozens of before-and-after pictures show how a few improvements like new paint, landscaping, and lighting can spruce up your house with a look that says "pride of ownership." Covers basic repairs plus how-to projects for arbors, planters, and more.

Key Features

* Great photography of houses in every style, size, and shape offers hundreds of ideas for improving the exterior of your home and front yard

* Before and after photos show how to improve the look of any home

* Includes projects for improving doors, windows, roofing, and siding, plus building simple window boxes, installing outdoor lighting, building walls and fences, and decorative driveway effects

Ideas for Great Bathrooms

Let’s face it—much of our best thinking (and singing) is done in the bathroom, so it deserves special attention. Now, with Sunset’s all new version of this Ideas for Great classic, you get the most au currant trends in contemporary design combined with the latest in practical functionality. Whether building from scratch or remodeling, this book covers everything you need—from layout to lighting, from flooring to fixtures—to plan and orchestrate the master suite, kids’ bathroom, or guest bathroom you’ve always wanted.

Key Features

* Photo gallery beautifully illustrates what’s new in bathrooms—from family bathrooms to powder rooms, and master suites to kids’ bathrooms

* Floor plan sketches give a clear picture of the layouts for selected bathrooms

* How-to information covers the practical aspects of creating a bathroom you’ll love, whether you’re working with an existing layout, new construction, or a room-expanding remodel

Weber’s Real Grilling

For sublime outdoor cooking and entertainment, who better to turn to than the foremost authority on grills? With the experts from Weber taking you through the basics and beyond, you’ll be sizzling in no time. Over 200 recipes—each with a mouthwatering photo—are simple to follow and feature common ingredients found in the local market. You’ll also find, can’t-miss techniques and substitution tricks. Mark your favorites—and there’ll be plenty—with the handy enclosed page flags. And yes, once they’ve sampled the savory results of your newfound grilling skills, friends and family will be begging for your secrets. Just nod and say, “It’s all in the technique.”

Key Features

* One-of-a-kind grilling cookbook with over 200 original recipes, each with a color photos

* Photos illustrate tips and techniques throughout

* Recipes are big on flavor with easy to find ingredients

* Tabbed chapters and included page flags to mark your favorite recipes

* From basic preparation to advanced fire-tending methods, Weber’s Real Grilling™ has all the tools for successful grilling

Note:  Weber's Real Grilling, is also featured on Sunset Books' website.  I have written 99.99% of the book descriptions that appear on the website. 

Thunder Bay Press/Catalog

Client: Thunder Bay Press, a division of Advantage Publishing

Project: Sales catalog for new book titles

Scope of work: copy/copy for book descriptions

Laurel Glen/Catalog

Client: Laurel Glen, a division of Advantage Publishing

Project: Catalog for new book titles

Scope of work: copy/book descriptions

Silver Dolphin Publishing/Catalog

Client: Silver Dophin, a division of Advantage Publishing

Project: Catalog for new children's books

Scope of work: Headlines, book descriptions

Sunset Books Publishing/Catalogs

Client: Sunset Books Publishing

Project: Bi-annual sales catalog showcasing new book releases from Sunset Books and its associated publishing partners (Leisure Arts)

Scope of Work: Working from descriptions provided by editors, wrote copy for new book series and new titles. Types of books include cooking, gardening, home decorating, building, and crafts. Catalog projects could included as many as 30 titles at a time. Copy was also reused in sell sheets and online.

Page/copy samples:

Jostens Learning/Classroom Essentials Catalogs

Project: Classroom Essentials Catalog
Client: Jostens Learning
Scope of Work: Create concise, compelling descriptions of over 70 education software programs; wrote cover copy, section headlines, ordering information, introductory letter, and inside cover ads

Hartley Catalog/Educational Sofware

Client: Hartley, a division of Josten's Learning
Project: Catalog of educational software products; provided to teachers and school administrators responsible for purchasing decisions
Scope of Work: Provided all copy for 40 page catalog, include page headings, introduction, order info, and individual software project descriptions

Sample pages/catalog software descriptions:

With so many books and so little retail shelf space, how does a book buyer decide what’s going to be a hit with readers? Sunset stacks the deck in their favor with a gorgeous, glossy, four-color catalog, reeling in buyers with persuasive copy that’s as entertaining as it is descriptive (if I do say so myself). These book blurbs are later repurposed for other Sunset Books marketing materials, used on Sunset’s website, and they also surface as general descriptions on mass merchant retail websites like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.


Client: Sunset Books
Project: Fall ’04 Sales Catalog, Sunset’s biannual catalog targeting buyers for major bookstores, mass market distributors, membership stores, and other retail booksellers. Included writing descriptive copy for 40 new titles in the categories of cooking, gardening, home improvement, decorating, health and wellness, needlework, and crafts. This amazing literary achievement was fueled over several marathon weekend writing sessions by countless cups of Laguna Coffee's finest dark French roast.

Here are some pages from the current catalog, followed by representative copy samples:

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