links to writing and editing

Below you'll find a sampling of my work that I hope will be helpful. 

First, a little context:

• I can't always share the writing I've done for clients, so the links you see here don't reflect the full spectrum of the work I've done in recent years. At GSK, for instance, I worked on internal communications, and that work was, by definition, internal/confidential.

• I primarily work with business clients and rarely pitch freelance features to magazines and online publications, so you won't see those kind of "clips" here. I do post essays to my Medium page and to personal blogs, and I have included a few of those.

• My work has always gone beyond the final written product to include creative strategy, magazine/publication editorial management, marketing work and corporate communications. For examples of that all-around work, I hope you'll read the stories in this project portfolio.

If you're looking for help with a certain type of deliverable, and you don't see anything comparable here, please get in touch via carla.atkinson@atkinsonwords.com; I can likely provide you with an example of something similar that I've worked on in the past. 

magazine work

I write or edit all of the content for PROfiles, the quarterly magazine of the Cabinet Makers Association (CMA), a Chicago-based trade group for US and Canadian cabinet makers. 

To see my Profiles work, you can flip through recent issues of the magazine; I took over as of the Summer 2017 issue. I collaborate with the executive director on finalizing the lineup for the issues, set up and conduct interviews, write features, ensure that we have high-res images, map out the issue, review and provide feedback on the layouts and proof the final pages. 

To get a big-picture feel for what I bring to the table in producing and/or re-thinking the content and design for magazines and other publications, you can compare the Profiles issues prior to Summer 2017 to the ones I’ve overseen since then.

I worked as a full-time magazine editor for many years, and it's been fun to jump back in thanks to this project.

small business & Corporate web content, blogging

I've written and edited content for company websites for many years. As mentioned elsewhere on the site, Dark Horse Woodworks, a high-end custom cabinetry studio in Atlanta, is a longtime client and a great example of the web content work I do. For Dark Horse blog posts and project stories, I usually get on the phone with Chris, the owner and founder, and do quick interviews; I find that this is the best way to ensure that his voice comes through in all of the content. The list below is a representative mix of the writing I’ve done for Dark Horse: 

• Our story

• Our modern-historic Murphy bed + a little furniture history

• Dark Horse featured in the New York Times

• 3 tips to take to heart before you start your dream project

• You really do get what you pay for

• Join an industry group for an instant network and plenty of great ideas

You can read a bit more of the backstory on our collaboration here.

ARTICLES AND ESSAYS

A LinkedIn series I wrote about effective business communication:

• Charlie Brown’s Teacher Syndrome, Part 1: Boring bios

• Charlie Brown’s Teacher Syndrome, Part 2: Please do not utilize your learnings

• Charlie Brown's Teacher Syndrome, Part 3: Do you over-ACRONYM at the office?

A few personal posts and essays:

• 'Maybe stories are just data with a soul ...' (Storytelling, communication)

• New habit: Virtual awe (Technology/lifestyle)

• Soundtrack by George (In memory of my first newspaper editor, music dealer and friend)

• Favorite things: The Bangor, Maine, Police Department Facebook page (Communication)

• Favorite things: Go to your happy place with this sound mix app (Technology/lifestyle)

• Grief on wheels (Loss, end of life)