Suzanne Gardner
SKILLS
- Superior communication skills:
- Written: press releases, blog posts, news articles, newsletters, and website copy.
- Verbal: conducting phone and in-person interviews and being interviewed for print, radio, and TV.
- Hard-worker with proven experience executing engagement campaigns using social media, including blogs and social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, etc.).
- Creating profiles and promoting author presence on leading online bookseller sites (Amazon, Chapters) and reading-centred social networking sites (Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Shelfari).
- Experienced in event planning for fundraisers, conferences, lecture series, and workshops.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office, Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, in both Mac and PC environments.
- Advanced knowledge of WordPress, Blogger, and other online tools; basic knowledge of HTML.
- Familiar with the Canadian Press Style Guide, the Chicago Manual of Style, and standard editorial markup.
RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
| Author, Freelance Writer and Freelance Editor | September 2009 - present |
| Various publications and companies, Toronto |
- Co-wrote Don't Stop Believin': The Unofficial Guide to Glee for ECW Press, published in September 2010. Promotes book through Glee fan blog and by working closely with publicist to explore opportunities for promotions.
- Writes feature articles and reviews of adult and children's books for Quill & Quire magazine.
- Writes reviews of products and businesses for Sweetspot.
- Writes encyclopedia entries on Canadian authors for The Canadian Encyclopedia.
| Community Coordinator | January 2011 - August 2011 |
| Applied Arts Magazine, Toronto |
- Coordinated and created editorial content for the magazine's website, daily blog, bi-weekly e-newsletter and social media channels, and expanded and engaged the magazine's online community through these sites.
- Managed and created content for the magazine's social media channels (primarily Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
- Developed new digital strategies to increase online traffic and print magazine readership.
- Tracked social media and website metrics and compiled regular reports on this data.
- Attended events in the creative community to develop offline relationships and promote the magazine.
| Web Writer and Social Media Assistant | May 2010 - October 2010 |
| Joe Pantalone 2010 Toronto Mayoral Campaign, Toronto |
- Wrote 3 to 6 posts per day for the Mayor Joe blog about Joe's policies, accomplishments and upcoming events, as well as about Toronto events and organizations.
- Managed and created content for the campaign's social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo) and engaged and attracted supporters and potential supporters through these sites.
- Tracked social media and website metrics and compiled weekly reports on this data.
- Attended events in support of Joe to take photos and videos, livetweet, and talk with supporters and potential supporters.
| Social Media Intern | April 2010 - July 2010 |
| Vestiigo, Toronto |
- Wrote 2 to 3 original, high quality posts per week for the Vestiigo blog in order to drive traffic to the site, including at least one member profile and one employer profile.
- Shared content from the blog through social media channels (primarily Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Sprouter) and generates conversations based on these posts.
- Brainstormed and researched new opportunities and channels through which Vestiigo can increase its member levels and user engagement.
| Author Assistant | January 2009 - February 2010 |
| Chantel Simmons, Toronto |
- Promoted Chantel's online presence by managing her Twitter feed, as well as her profiles on book social networking sites Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Shelfari.
- Completed fact checking research, performed substantive edits, and assisted with creating and executing marketing plans for her second novel, published in February 2010.
- Created ideas and solicited designers to help in redesigning her personal website and iheartintoronto.com, a fashion, beauty, and Toronto-oriented blog. Also acted as a co-contributor to i heart.
| Editorial Intern | May 2009 - August 2009 |
| Quill & Quire magazine, Toronto |
- Wrote feature articles, reviews of adult and children's books, and various small pieces for the print magazine.
- Wrote 2-4 news articles per week about the Canadian book industry for the Quill & Quire Omni newswire, and wrote 4-6 blog posts per week on the Quillblog.
- Conducted phone, email, and in-person interviews, and attended literary events, such as the Griffin Poetry Prize, on behalf of the magazine.
- Edited and proofread articles daily for the blog, newswire, and print magazine.
| Director of Communications and Co-Founder | September 2007 - June 2009 |
| Laurel Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Waterloo |
- One of the lead organizers for events including conferences, lecture series, and workshops.
- Garnered media coverage of events and acted as the main point of contact for all media inquiries.
- Drafted event press releases as well as specialized joint press releases for event sponsors.
- Proofread and oversaw all communications materials, such as posters and the Laurel Centre website.
| Marketing Assistant | January 2008 - August 2008 |
| Paradigm Electronics, Mississauga |
- Updated internal product plan, used to document all information regarding products currently in development.
- Proofread internal and external marketing documents, such as product catalogues, manuals, instruction sheets, advertisements and e-memos.
- Completed market research on competitive products and current trends in the home electronics world.
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
| Co-creator and Baker (volunteer) | June 2009 - October 2009 |
| CupcakeCamp KW, Waterloo |
| Senior Editor (volunteer) | October 2008 - March 2009 |
| On the Danforth magazine, Toronto |
| Assistant Editor-in-Chief & other editorial roles (volunteer) | September 2006 - April 2007 |
| Imprint Publications, Waterloo |
| Special Events Coordinator and Administrative Assistant | Summer 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| Canadian Cancer Society, Brampton | September 2007 - January 2008 |
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
| Graduate Certificate in Book and Magazine Publishing, Centennial College September 2008 - April 2009 |
- Received a Graduate Certificate with Honours in Book and Magazine Publishing.
| Bachelor of Arts in Honours English Literature, University of Waterloo September 2003 - August 2007 |
- Received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Honours English Literature.