Who am I? You want to know who you are doing business with, what kind of person they are and what their qualifications are, so that you can determine whether they are the right person for the job.
I grew up in Vermont, where my dad started churches, supporting our family with a small print shop and small engine repair. I began working in his shop when I was ten, learning to pay attention to spelling, character spacing, line leading and paragraph/page formatting--composing each brochure, flyer, poster, by hand--letter by letter, using a compositing stick.
I grew up in Vermont, where my dad started churches, supporting our family with a small print shop and small engine repair. I began working in his shop when I was ten, learning to pay attention to spelling, character spacing, line leading and paragraph/page formatting--composing each brochure, flyer, poster, by hand--letter by letter, using a compositing stick.
By the time I reached high school I was working nights, weekends and summers with dad, running the letterpress, offset press and graphics camera. I was at home with, and fell in love with, words and the printed page. Throughout high school, I typed all of my homework on dad's electric typewriters, with wide margins, plenty of white space and no spelling errors. Teachers loved it. It made their work easier, and more pleasant. And I am sure it contributed to my higher grades.
In my spare time I wrote poetry and short stories, full of the angst and rebellion of teenage frustrations and yearnings.
Fast-forward. On to college, where I majored in English, then Theology, Philosophy and Psychology; finally graduating with a B.S. in Religion with a Psychology minor. Of course I was the editor of the school yearbook, and founded a rather edgy and investigative campus newspaper in a very conservative religious college.
I interspersed my college education with a very practical 3 years in the United States Marines as a surveyor and a member of the Military Police force, as well as some time in California and stints as Childhood Education Director and Youth Pastor at a large urban Pentecostal churches in Portland Maine and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1977 I moved to California and began my paid writing career in the insurance industry, writing user guides for the new Electronic Data Processing systems, the precursor to today's modern IT industry. I participated in the beginnings of the internet as a member of several bulletin boards, Compuserve and AOL. Always writing, writing, writing. And loving it. After my love of words, I loved computer technology best.
Long story short. After 35 years writing and publishing manuals and help systems, my technical writing has been published to over half a billion users, in 24 languages, as help systems and administrator guides for IBM, Dell, HP and Toshiba software. However, the global software industry is becoming more competitive, the pace of development often frantic, and the stress level constantly on the rise.
I am now in the process of moving part of my life into a more gentle, personal sphere; coaching individuals and small businesses in writing and publishing. After publishing two anthologies of poems and short stories with a couple of friends, and assisting a few others in publishing their books, I started noticing how many people want help with their writing or need help getting their writing ready for print or publishing, I decided it was time to create a new business focus in my life.
So here I am, offering my services to you. Do email, text or call me to discuss how I can help you.
Thanks for listening,
Len
In my spare time I wrote poetry and short stories, full of the angst and rebellion of teenage frustrations and yearnings.
Fast-forward. On to college, where I majored in English, then Theology, Philosophy and Psychology; finally graduating with a B.S. in Religion with a Psychology minor. Of course I was the editor of the school yearbook, and founded a rather edgy and investigative campus newspaper in a very conservative religious college.
I interspersed my college education with a very practical 3 years in the United States Marines as a surveyor and a member of the Military Police force, as well as some time in California and stints as Childhood Education Director and Youth Pastor at a large urban Pentecostal churches in Portland Maine and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1977 I moved to California and began my paid writing career in the insurance industry, writing user guides for the new Electronic Data Processing systems, the precursor to today's modern IT industry. I participated in the beginnings of the internet as a member of several bulletin boards, Compuserve and AOL. Always writing, writing, writing. And loving it. After my love of words, I loved computer technology best.
Long story short. After 35 years writing and publishing manuals and help systems, my technical writing has been published to over half a billion users, in 24 languages, as help systems and administrator guides for IBM, Dell, HP and Toshiba software. However, the global software industry is becoming more competitive, the pace of development often frantic, and the stress level constantly on the rise.
I am now in the process of moving part of my life into a more gentle, personal sphere; coaching individuals and small businesses in writing and publishing. After publishing two anthologies of poems and short stories with a couple of friends, and assisting a few others in publishing their books, I started noticing how many people want help with their writing or need help getting their writing ready for print or publishing, I decided it was time to create a new business focus in my life.
So here I am, offering my services to you. Do email, text or call me to discuss how I can help you.
Thanks for listening,
Len