I am a freelance writer.
I’ve written for consumer magazines, trade journals, custom publications, websites and e-zines, including Sacred Fire, the Performance Menu: Journal of Health and Athletic Excellence, the B-word, Ultimate MMA and Spezzatino, to name a few.
In addition to my work as a freelance writer, I also work with small businesses on search engine optimization (SEO), copywriting and communications.
I’m also a seasoned copyeditor and proofreader, helping polish book proposals, manuscripts, articles and sales copy before it hits the shelves or mailboxes.
I’ve been working with independent print media since I started self-publishing in 1991. I spent two years serving as a National Teen Correspondent for the now-defunct Blue Jean Magazine. I’ve also worked in public access television and in the public school system.
I primarily cover health and wellness, fitness and nutrition. However, I’ve also been known to cover everything from business to social issues and everything in between. Please check out my portfolio for some writing samples, or take a look at my testimonials to read what previous clients have to say.
Latest Blog Entries
Friday Musings: Hodgepodge
I didn’t not muse last Friday, and the Friday before had very truncated musings. So now I have tons of deep thoughts to make up for it. That was said sort of tongue in cheek. But here’s what’s on my mind.
The good:
- Watching The Girl Who Played With Fire. It was worth the nightmares.
- Watching Dylan Ness pin Schmitt at the wrestling meet after that BS call in Ohio State.
- Paying for registration to go to the ASJA Writers Conference in New York!
- Getting breakfast with friends.
- Having awesome clients.
- Writing ad copy that makes me want to buy what I’m selling.
- A steady stream of fun work.
The hard:
- Watching Haywire. My boyfriend tells me that Jason Ellis walked out of the movie (even though he’s friends with Gina Carano) and I can see why. I already reviewed it, so I’ll stop there.
- People I like losing fights.
- Going to my bank and getting asked a lot of questions. (Even extroverts prefer anonymity sometimes!)
- Being allergic to something–I think.
- Thinking about the value of withdrawing, reflecting, recalibrating. Even though it is the total opposite of what I usually want to do.
- People trying to tell me to do things without having built rapport with me first, which makes me immediately want to not do it. Then realizing later they were probably right.
- Trying to explain to people that quoting an athlete’s sponsor’s comments directed to someone else in a facebook conversation taking place in a private (secret) group is not good journalism. Probably not comparing them to people blogging from their basement in their underwear might’ve helped me prove my point better.
Musings
None this week; just a quote to ponder from Byron Katie: “Until you look forward to criticism, your Work’s not done.” Interesting food for thought.
Feel free to leave your own musings or update on your week here, or drop me a line!
Yael’s Variety Hour: Fitness Resolutions & MMA Controversies
So this is the BONUS variety hour, as yesterday’s was supposed to post LAST Wednesday and this would’ve then posted yesterday. As we have it, it’s almost all MMA links. Feel free to go back to yesterday’s post for posts on lots of other topics… and enjoy!
Health & Fitness
- Resolution Resolve. Having trouble keeping your New Year’s fitness resolutions? Here’s some tips to help you on your way. I wrote this for YOUR WELLNESS.MN.
- Moving in sync makes people think alike, study finds. No wonder I’d do anything my gym teacher said…
MMA Controversies: Steroids! Pirates! Media Mayhem! And More!
I never get invited to the real MMA link party, so I’m throwing my own. Here’s my favorite MMA links from the past week.
- Lorenzo Fertitta wrote a letter to congress supporting SOPA, and we have it right here. I totally have an e-crush on Zeus at MiddleEasy. I’ve never met him or even seen a picture, but I hear he has a lot of tattoos. Anyway, he gets the best scoops and writes about them in a way that’s always entertaining. In this piece, he manages to dig up a letter that UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta wrote in support of SOPA. He also gets in touch with his activist site and writes about why SOPA sucks. It’s really quite charming. Or I’m really weird. Probably both.
- Editorial: The Curious Case of Ms. Ronda Rousey. Women’s MMA Round Up’s Kristin Usry explains why she (and other people covering MMA) are taking a bit of an issue with current events in the sport surrounding Olympic fighter Rowdy Ronda Rousey. I share Kristin’s sentiments, and like the way she laid out all the issues with such clarity.
- ESPN’s John Barr on UFC pay report blowback: “It’s not our charge to do your public relations.” If you don’t have time to listen to the 90-minute interview on Outside the Lines, Zach Arnold sums it up really nicely on Fight Opinion.
- Former WADA President and IOC VP Says Zuffa’s New Drug Testing Policy is a Farce. The UFC will now be screening fighters for PEDs before offering them a contract, but is this enough? Cage Potato explains why Dick Pound says it’s illusory.
MMA News
- Fight Breakdown: Weidman vs. Maia at UFC on FOX 2. My analysis on why wrestler Chris Weidman is a dangerous change in opponents for BJJ whiz Demian Maia. This is on InterMat Fight, which is a really cool new site to follow.
- Weekly Women’s MMA Wrap-Up: January 23, 2012. My latest column for FighterGirls.
Yael’s Variety Hour: Motivation, Body Image, Fitness & Ice Cream
What an assortment of topics… I guess it’s called the Variety Hour for a reason! I did not post this column last week–so this week, there will be a bonus Variety Hour tomorrow. This is what I intended to post last week… but I took a break on Wednesday for the PIPA/SOPA blackout, and then the end of the week ran away from me as I was subsumed in some last-minute projects. So here you go!
Food For Thought
- Best Motivation Video Ever. Inspiring, without the cheese factor.
- Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus. I am not a Christian, or even a theist…but something about this poem spoke to me.
Body Image
Freelance Writing, Journalism, etc.
- 25 Ways to Improve Your Freelance Writing Business in Under 5 Minutes. You know you want to.
- Spying on Journalists is Easy. Burn all the letters…
- Hunter S. Thompson’s 1958 cover letter for a newspaper job. If only we could write with such candor and sass and still find work
Health & Fitness
- Lose Stress . . . and the pounds will follow. I wrote this for Taste for Life a while back.
- Exercise Hormone May Fight Obesity and Diabetes. You mean it’s good for you?
- How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body.
- Shit Yogis Say. (While we’re at it.)
Martial Arts
- A black belt at age 78. And you thought you were getting old.
- Highway 85 shut down due to car with possible explosives inside. Good samaritan catches a bank robber, gets him to the ground, puts him in an armbar and calls the cops with his other hand.
- Weekly Women’s MMA Wrap-Up: January 16 edition.
