Experience

Forbes Advisor

• United States
• Consumer Services
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Deputy Editor

  • May 2022 - Present

  -Work with managing editor and SEO manager to ideate and outline content for Forbes Advisor's education vertical -Collaborate with managing editor and data team to construct and apply methodologies to produce school, degree, and bootcamp rankings -Hire, manage, assign content to, and deliver regular feedback to a globally distributed team of freelance writers and copy editors -Edit education content for clarity, concision, style, grammar, and compliance with SEO best… Show more -Work with managing editor and SEO manager to ideate and outline content for Forbes Advisor's education vertical -Collaborate with managing editor and data team to construct and apply methodologies to produce school, degree, and bootcamp rankings -Hire, manage, assign content to, and deliver regular feedback to a globally distributed team of freelance writers and copy editors -Edit education content for clarity, concision, style, grammar, and compliance with SEO best practices -Manage and continually update the style guide for Forbes Advisor's education team -Write and edit rankings content for Forbes Advisor's Best Of Awards Show less



Brenna Swanston | Writing & Editing Services

• Writer and Editor

  • Jul 2014 - Present

  As an independent contractor, I provide writing, editing, and content management services to a variety of clients. Ongoing projects include: -Ghostwriting B2B copy for major tech companies via Archetype, a global branding agency -Writing SEO-driven web content for Assurance IQ, an online health insurance marketplace Past projects include the following: -Wrote and edited SEO web content for Jerry, a car insurance comparison app -Wrote a three-part feature series… Show more As an independent contractor, I provide writing, editing, and content management services to a variety of clients. Ongoing projects include: -Ghostwriting B2B copy for major tech companies via Archetype, a global branding agency -Writing SEO-driven web content for Assurance IQ, an online health insurance marketplace Past projects include the following: -Wrote and edited SEO web content for Jerry, a car insurance comparison app -Wrote a three-part feature series exploring racial and socioeconomic segregation in North Carolina public schools for a Charlotte-based alt weekly -Contributed, renovated, and assigned SEO web content for Leaf Group partner sites (including USA Today, Chron.com, Career Trend, Sciencing.com, and 10Best) -Proofread social media posts for Social Practice, a Texas-based social media management agency -Wrote and edited blog posts, press releases, product descriptions, and general web copy for a California-based e-commerce firm -Wrote landing page content, Facebook and Google ad copy, and YouTube video scripts for a Vietnam-based architecture and planning startup -Crafted social media posts for a Netherlands-based sustainable lifestyle brand -Edited communications for the president of a San Francisco marketing firm Show less



Red Ventures

• United States
• Technology, Information and Internet
• 700 & Above Employee

• Copy Editor II

  • Aug 2021 - May 2022

  -Copyedited SEO and news content for Red Ventures Education (EDU) -Maintained and continually updated EDU style guide -Created and continually updated EDU's conscious language guide to ensure the use of inclusive, appropriate language across all EDU content -Developed training and feedback system for EDU writers to keep them current on EDU's style guide, sourcing best practices, and other writing processes -Helped develop quality control process by which EDU copy editors audit… Show more -Copyedited SEO and news content for Red Ventures Education (EDU) -Maintained and continually updated EDU style guide -Created and continually updated EDU's conscious language guide to ensure the use of inclusive, appropriate language across all EDU content -Developed training and feedback system for EDU writers to keep them current on EDU's style guide, sourcing best practices, and other writing processes -Helped develop quality control process by which EDU copy editors audit published content across domains on a monthly cadence

• Copy Editor I

  • Sep 2020 - Aug 2021

• Web Content Editor, HigherEducation.com

  • Jun 2018 - Sep 2020

  Red Ventures acquired HigherEducation.com in 2019.



Landing Pads Brunswick

• Australia
• Hospitality

• House Captain

  • Oct 2019 - Mar 2020

  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia -Planned and executed social events for hostel guests on a weekly basis -Acted as liaison between guests and management to enforce house rules and ensure a safe, clean, and fun environment for everyone staying at the hostel -Worked reception to field questions, process rent payments, and check in new guests -Assisted in onboarding and training new hostel staff -Provided housekeeping services



Queen City Nerve

• United States
• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Contributing Writer

  • Mar 2019 - Mar 2019

  -Wrote a three-part feature series exploring how public schools in Charlotte, North Carolina impacted school segregation on a national level -Analyzed the current state of segregation in Charlotte's public school district -Placed second for long-form news story in the 2020 Association of Alternative Newsmedia Awards -Placed second for education reporting in the 2019 North Carolina Press Association Editorial Contest



The Sun

• Staff Writer

  • Jan 2016 - Jun 2017

  Santa Maria, California -Wrote news briefs and long-form enterprise stories covering education, agriculture, and environment for Northern Santa Barbara County's alt weekly newspaper -Copyedited the Sun's news section -Backfilled for proofreader and managing editor when OOO -California Newspaper Publishers Association Better Newspapers Contest 2016: first place, agricultural reporting; honorable mention, profile feature story; honorable mention, coverage of education



Business Plus Magazine

• Ireland
• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Editorial Intern

  • Sep 2015 - Dec 2015

  Dublin, Ireland -Wrote and updated web stories reporting on Ireland-based startups -Contributed longform feature pieces for Business Plus' monthly magazine



CP Mustang News

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Arts Editor

  • Nov 2014 - Jun 2015

  -Managed a team of reporters, assigning and editing all arts content -Published fresh content online daily and developed innovative storytelling ideas for web and print -Contributed longform feature pieces to the arts section -Placed third for arts and entertainment stories at the 2015 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards -Placed third at the 2015 CNPA Campus Excellence in Journalism Contest.

• Copy Editor and Reporter

  • Jun 2014 - Nov 2014

  -Copyedited all content for Mustang News -Contributed content to Mustang News' arts and news sections

• Arts Reporter

  • Sep 2013 - Jun 2014

  San Luis Obispo, California Reported on arts at Cal Poly and in the San Luis Obispo area



California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)

• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Writing Tutor

  • Jul 2013 - Mar 2015

  San Luis Obispo, California -Assisted Cal Poly peers with writing projects, including class assignments, job applications, graduate school applications, and writing proficiency exam preparation -Proctored writing proficiency exams



McClatchy

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Intern

  • Apr 2014 - Jun 2014

  San Luis Obispo -Worked with the San Luis Obispo Tribune's city editor to report and write news stories -Aggregated and condensed newsworthy press releases into content for the Tribune's "County Roundup" section