The Write Design

Writing, Editing, Desktop Publishing

 

 Susan M. Branting

 sbrant1@hotmail.com

 (919) 859-4004

4200 Pepperton Dr., Raleigh, NC 27606

 

Twenty years experience in writing and editing for magazines, newspapers, public relations, and technical fields.

Proficient in Adobe PageMaker, familiar with Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe PhotoShop.

Master's Degree in Journalism, University of Colorado, 1979

Bachelor's Degree in Art with a minor in Journalism, Black Hills State College, South Dakota, 1977

 

Technical Writer

SOTAS, Inc.

October 2000 – June 2001

Sole technical writer for a manufacturer of telecommunications software. Interviewed software engineers and wrote, edited, and designed the layout for all end-user documentation.

Senior Editor
College of Arts and Sciences, University of Wyoming
September 1994 - June 1998 and August 1999 - July 2000
Responsible for the design, editing, and writing of a 12-page quarterly newsletter for college alumni, and a four-page quarterly newsletter for undergraduate students in the college. Also responsible for the design and editing of a six-times-a-year, 16-page in-house newsletter. Responsible for design and editing of all publications generated by the Dean's Office of the college, including various programs (such as for the Honors Convocation, the Outstanding Graduates and the Awards Banquet), brochures, posters, flyers, student publication information, Christmas cards, postcards, and promotional materials such as a CD cover, bookmarks and magnets. Maintained web site for one year. Duties included overseeing photographers, supplying information for the university's news service, working with printers, and acting as liaison between the Dean's Office and University Publications. This position required expertise in Adobe PageMaker, and a working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe PhotoShopLE. This was a part-time position.
Reference: Lois Gelb, Executive Director of College Advancement.

Free-Lance Editor
December 1998
tech:inno, a German software company specializing in intelligent e-commerce and e-solutions for businesses using case-based reasoning.
* Edited copy for web site that had been translated from German. The goal was to make the copy friendly to American business people. Edited for American vernacular and style, as well as to make the information clear to English speakers.

January 1999
* Edited Developing Industrial Case-Based Reasoning Applications, a book written by German and Irish researchers for American business people. The German contributors to the book were nonnative speakers who had written in English. All the contributors had been trained in British English. Edited copy for consistency, American vernacular and American style.

Free-Lance Writer/Editor
January 1991 - September 1994
For University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences:
* Wrote, edited, and designed alumni newsletter.
* Designed and edited in-house newsletter and commencement program.
* Edited, designed, and laid out UW newsletter for parents.
* Edited, wrote, designed, and laid out graduate recruitment brochure for the Department of Computer Science.
* Designed alumni newsletter for the Department of Geology and Geophysics.

Other:
* Designed and laid out the International Association for Artificial Intelligence and Law newsletter.
* Designed newsletters for Albany County Habitat for Humanity and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laramie.
* Edited journal articles and dissertations for faculty and students at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Texas Department of Computer Science.

Technical Editor
Fisher Controls, Inc., Austin, Texas
July 1989 - December 1990
Editor for technical writers and engineers in Austin branch of an international corporation. Responsibilities included all levels of editing and rewriting using Interleaf publication software. Took the initiative to create a style book for the writers because one appropriate to the specific needs of the company was not available.
Reference letter from Johnny Dunlap, Manager of Technical Documentation.

Free-Lance Writer/Editor
October 1986 - July 1989
* University of Texas Department of Computer Sciences: Edited journal articles, technical reports, and dissertation proposals for faculty and students at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
* The Psychological Corporation: Wrote/edited software documentation for The Psychological Corporation
* Sematech: Wrote and edited quality control documentation for Sematech.
* Xanthus: Edited end-user documentation and formatted documentation on Interleaf for Xanthus.

Technical Writer/Editor
Texas Educational Consultative Services, Austin, Texas
November 1985 - October 1986
Wrote, edited, and designed documentation for student and financial-accounting software.

Free-Lance Writer/Editor
March 1984 - July 1985
* Clinical Reference Systems, Inc., a Denver, Colorado, software company:
Medical/technical editor responsible for compiling and editing information from text books and physicians' drafts for use as a computerized medical data base, and writing user's manuals and other technical materials.

Editorial Consultants, Boulder, Colorado.
Wrote a manual on time management for operating room managers.

Associate Editor
Club Ties magazine, Denver, Colorado
August 1983 - March 1984
Responsible for writing articles for lifestyle magazine; editing articles submitted by other staff and free-lance writers; proofreading and ensuring quality of all editorial material; acting as liaison between the editorial and art departments and between the magazine and typesetters. Ensured deadlines were met and copy flowed.

Assistant Manager of Media Relations
National Jewish Hospital/National Asthma Center, Denver, Colorado
February 1982 - August 1983
Responsible for national publicity of fund-raising dinners across the country; writing medical stories and patient stories, brochures, annual report article, speeches, scripts; editing and laying out President's Newsletter; writing and editing a special section of the hospital's newsletter.

News Editor
Glenwood Springs (Colorado) Post
February 1980 - December 1981
Responsible for editing local stories and AP wire copy on computer, designing layout of daily newspaper, meeting deadlines, selecting copy and photographs, working with paste-up department, and editing and laying out special sections.

Reporter/Photographer
Eagle (Colorado) Valley Enterprise
June 1979 - February 1980
Primary reporter and photographer for weekly county newspaper. Responsible for shooting and printing all photographs; writing majority of hard and soft news; covering county commissioners, police, courts, and several town councils; assisting in layout and headline writing.