Studio Blog
We are excited to introduce you to our first LS Featured Contributor, Jenny Mulligan.
For more information please visit this forum thread.
Thanks and congratulations once again to Jenny Mulligan!
"Oh, sh*t, my eHow Home & Garden rewrite about how to hang holiday lights is expiring tonight!" - Pamela Goldstein
Congratulations on your winning entry, Pamela! Be sure to send us a private message so we can send you your prize. And thank you to everyone for your participation.
Happy holidays!
Please join us in congratulating this month's winners!
Our Professional Resources grant goes to writer Sandi Bush. Sandi is a single mother who devotes a majority of her time caring for her son with autism. Currently working on a computer that is over eight years old and beyond resuscitation, we are awarding her the resource grant to help her work more efficiently. Being able to work faster will increase her productivity and free up more time to spend with her son. Congrats Sandi!
Our first Work/Life Balance grant goes to writer Cricket Webber. Cricket will use the grant funds to treat her husband to a spectacular dinner for their third wedding anniversary. Having to postpone any anniversary plans in the past, they will finally get to take the time to celebrate together. Have fun, Cricket!
The second Work/Life Balance award goes to writer Lawrence Adams. Lawrence enjoys his flexible work hours as a freelancer but does not always find the time to get out and exercise. He will use the grant award to join a gym near his home. We are happy to help Lawrence reach his health and exercise goals and wish him all the best.
Our third Work/Life Balance winner is writer Patti Richards. Patti’s son was diagnosed with a tumor of the adrenal gland this year, and while not cancerous, it required a major surgery. Patti was not able to work much during this time while also amassing large medical bills to help her son. Patti will use the grant funds to help pay off some of those bills.
The final Work/Life Balance award will go to writer Lisa Sefcik. A newly signed novelist, Lisa has had a busy and hectic year. She will use the grant funds to escape her home office and attend the Romance Writers of America annual retreat. This will allow her to bond with fellow members and receive critiques from established authors. Have fun, Lisa!
Congratulations to all the winners - our last of 2011. We will be revamping the grant program for 2012 so be on the look out for more details. Thanks for a great year everyone!
With our new focus on topic sections, we have enlisted a team of industry experts to help build and manage their respective sections. With years of experience in their fields they will play an active role in shaping these sections and will be available as a resource for writers and editors. So without further ado, meet our content consultants!
Home: Phil Schmidt
Philip Schmidt worked as a professional carpenter for six years until he decided to hang out his shingle as a full-time writer. He has since written about home improvement, design and décor, and green homes, authoring 17 books, including Decorating with Architectural Details and Black & Decker’s Building & Finishing Walls & Ceilings and The Complete Guide to Greenhouses & Garden Projects. He also writes articles and other content for online publishers and edits how-to books of all descriptions.
Tech: Sarah Pike
Sarah Pike has been a professional technology editor and writer since 1998, focusing primarily on software reviews and how-to articles. Her work appears on PCMag.com, Top Tech Dog and Consumer Reports’ semiannual Electronics Buying Guide. Sarah has been a copy editor with Demand Media Studios since 2009.
Food: Kathleen Stebbins
Kathleen Stebbins is a former food and beverage professional who has been writing and editing professionally since 1999, specializing in travel, food, outdoor recreation and general features. She won awards as a food critic and features editor for Gannett that included multiple "Best Food Section" designations from the Association of Food Journalists and a nomination by the James Beard Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Southern California.
Auto: Pete Gatlin
Pete Gatlin worked as a professional mechanic for more than 15 years on everything from 396 El Caminos to Massey Ferguson farm tractors. Pete’s career included stints at local garages and repair shops from Tampa to Mt. Shasta as well as three years as the chief mechanic at an automotive machine shop in Steamboat Springs and four years as the head of ground vehicle maintenance for a commuter airline in Connecticut. A love of the English language eventually drove Gatlin down a different road to an editing career.
Pets: Michelle Rivera
Michelle Rivera is the author of numerous books about animal issues, including Hospice Hounds: Animals and Healing at the Borders of Death and Canines in the Classroom: Raising Human Children through Interactions with Animals. She attended the University of Missouri Animal Cruelty School and is certified with the Florida Animal Control Association. She is a licensed Delta Society Pet Partner Evaluator, humane educator, dog trainer and veterinary technician.
Business & Personal Finance: David Fisher
David Fisher has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years, including six years as a managing editor and three years as a business reporter, covering the real estate market and banking industry. His career has included reporting jobs with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Associated Press. In addition, he has served as a licensed financial adviser and an investment representative.
Visit this forum thread to ask questions, and get more information on DMS Topic Sections.
Regards,
The DMS Team
Congratulations Laura, great work!
Congratulations to this month's winners!
Our Professional Resources grant goes to writer and copy editor Andrea Reuter. Andrea is a Tech Beta writer and editor working on a very old laptop. A new laptop will allow her to keep up to date on the latest software and operating systems which will benefit her a great deal as a writer and editor. Recently diagnosed with breast cancer and unable to afford a new laptop at this time, this grant will also allow her to get work done while in the hospital. She will then have more time to rest, relax and be with her family when she is home without worrying about writing or editing articles after treatment.
Our first Work/Life Balance grant goes to writer Marcy Brinkley. Marcy and her husband are both retired military nurses approaching 60 years old. Marcy will use this grant to celebrate the beginning of a new decade with her husband by night snorkeling with manta rays at Keauhou Beach Resort. This will allow them to check something off their bucket list and we are happy to help. As an aside, Marcy's husband taught her to swim at the age of 50, making this an extra special celebration for the two of them. We can’t wait to see pictures!
The second Work/Life Balance award goes to copy editor Kip Allen. His wife of 30 years has become terminally ill and Kip divides his time between editing and caring for her. This grant will allow Kip to spend more time with his wife during this difficult time.
Our third Work/Life Balance winner is writer and filmmaker Melissa McCormick. Melissa and her fiancé plan to marry in 2012 and we are thrilled for the both of them. While this is a very exciting time in her life it is also financially straining. Melissa will use this grant to purchase her fiancé’s wedding band for him as a Christmas present. We are happy to help Melissa purchase such an important gift.
The final Work/Life Balance award will go to writer Linda Kent. Linda is in charge of planning the annual Light My Fire auction following the Scott Firefighter Stair Climb held each year to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Linda puts in countless hours to organize the event and will use this grant to help offset some of the income she gives up to run this charity auction. We wish Linda all the best in what will be her 5th year organizing this event. She even provided us with some pictures from the event last year.
Please join us in congratulating the winners!
We like to give kudos to those DMS community members who go above and beyond what is asked of them to make our community great. We want to spotlight those who are active and positive contributors in our forums, on our Blog, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. It's our creators who make us great and you deserve to be recognized!
This week we want to give Community Kudos to Studio writer and titler Billie Nordmeyer.
Billie has been writing with Demand Media Studios for a little less than a year and her presence as a member of the community is already catching our eye. Billie's interactions in the community are always supportive. She regularly shares her insight into not only being a creating professional, but also her technology insight as an industry veteran. She is always positive and professional, and her voice is quickly becoming a staple in the Demand Media Studios community.
If you see Billie in the forums, be sure to give her kudos of your own. Thanks and congratulations, Billie!
PM us with your contact info & we'll send you a DMS T-shirt & some other goodies to say,
Thank You!
We like to give kudos to those DMS community members who go above and beyond what is asked of them to make our community great. We want to spotlight those who are active and positive contributors in our forums, on our Blog, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. It's our creators who make us great and you deserve to be recognized!
This week we want to give Community Kudos to Studio writer and titler Vickie Ferguson.
Vickie has been working with Demand Media Studios for well over three years now. As a constant voice in the community forums, Vickie is always ready and willing to answer questions for both new and seasoned members of the Studio community. She is always encouraging and willing to provide her insight as a Demand Media Studios veteran.
If you see Vickie in the forums, be sure to give her kudos of your own. Thanks and congratulations, Vickie!
PM us with your contact info & we'll send you a DMS T-shirt & some other goodies to say,
Thank You!
Congratulations to this month’s winners!
Our Professional Resources grant goes to writer Chrissy Carol. In July her apartment building was destroyed in a major fire. Living on the top floor, all of Chrissy’s personal belongings were destroyed, including her computer. She is currently using her boyfriend’s computer but is need of a long-term solution. We are happy to help Chrissy get back on her feet, and get back to writing, after the ordeal and destruction of the fire last July. We wish you all the best Chrissy! Some photos of the apartment fire are included below:
Our first Work/Life Balance grant goes to writer Zoe Glass. Just finishing her Master’s in Creative Writing at Glasgow University, she hopes to attend her graduation ceremony this November. Currently living with her family back in the US, she is saving up to travel back to Scotland for the occasion. The first member of her family to earn a post-grad degree, we want to help Zoe celebrate. Zoe will use the grant award funds to purchase a new dress to make her big day even more memorable. Congratulations Zoe!
The second Work/Life Balance award goes to writer William Kinsey, who has a full-time job and writes for Demand Media Studios to support his family. With two young children, William and his wife work hard to keep their house in order which often means they don’t get time to themselves, outside the home. His wife home schools the kids, supports William and keeps their house in order. William wants to treat his wife to a night out on the town to say ‘thank you’ for all she does and we are happy to help!
Our third Work/Life Balance winner is writer Anita Dualeh. A LIVESTRONG.COM and Home & Garden writer, Anita hopes to raise her own chickens. What would be a welcome change of pace away from the computer, investing in laying hens would allow her and her family to enjoy fresh eggs and would enhance their collective gardening endeavors. From cultivating the soil, providing manure for fertilizer, to foraging weeds and garden pests, raising chickens would allow Anita to strengthen her health/ home & garden expertise and we cannot wait to see the results!
The final Work/Life Balance award will go to filmmaker Jay Windland. A stay-at-home dad, Jay would like to use this grant to support his professional endeavors. With their previous access to inexpensive childcare no longer an option, Jay has found himself caring for their two children (ages 1 and 4) which leaves little time for himself to pursue his filmmaking career. Jay will put these funds toward childcare in order to free up some time for himself and his career.
We are also excited to announce our newest All Access winner, DMS writer Shannon George. Shannon wrote to us expressing her desire to attend the Southern California Writer’s Conference in San Diego this winter. A creative non-fiction writer, Shannon hopes to publish a book and has written several creative essays- one of which will be published in the next issue of the literary journal “Two Hawks Quarterly.” Attending this conference will allow Shannon to attend writing workshops, panels, and networking events. The workshops will help Shannon refine her craft while the networking events will allow her to meet and connect with editors and agents. We wish Shannon all the best as she pursues her professional goals and we can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Remember, if you didn’t win a grant this time, you can apply twice more with the same application. We also accept All Access applications on a rolling basis and we look forward to reading yours! It was a tough decision to select this month’s winners, so don’t get discouraged.
Please join us in congratulating the winners!
DMS & Booklr: Exclusive Offering for DMS Community
Posted by Kaitlyn | October 4, 2011 | Comments (1)
With Booklr, you can share your writing with others, read and review your peers' work, publish eBooks, as well as market and socialize your own published works.
We know that many of you are working on your own creative projects and we are excited to work with Booklr to help you reach your goals. Going forward, all DMS contributors will receive three months of free access to Booklr's Premium Writer Tools (a $297 value!). These tools will be especially beneficial to those who have published, or are hoping to publish, their own books.
With this service, you can track your social media interaction and influence via Twitter and Klout, get detailed geo & demographic data on your fans and followers, and track your book sales and review data. This unique data will help you better understand your readers and sales trends as you market your books.
For information on how to get 3 months free of Booklr's premium service please visit this forum thread. We hope you'll take advantage of this awesome perk!
