More than 300 happy clients around the world
CALL US: 0204 502 0344
CALL US: (713) 465-6860

Looking Beyond HARO/Connectively for Link Building and Visibility

Home >> Blogs >> Looking Beyond HARO/Connectively for Link Building and Visibility

Looking Beyond HARO/Connectively for Link Building and Visibility

December 2, 2024

Connectively began in 2008, as many business concepts likely have—through a Facebook group that brought people together to meet mutual needs. The group served as a hub where journalists could query experts on nearly any topic, and those with answers (sources) provided quotes that journalists could use, often gaining publicity for their own companies in the process.

This was something journalists throughout history would have gladly traded their quill pens for! It was also a new marketing concept for companies and marketing departments. The Facebook page eventually evolved into a platform called HARO (Help a Reporter Out), which streamlined these connections more systematically.

Since its inception, businesses and experts have prized HARO as a tool for acquiring backlinks and publicizing themselves across various publishing outlets. Not long ago, the platform relaunched as an app named Connectively.

As the originator of this concept and due to its widespread recognition, Connectively remains highly popular—and free! (The only exception is its Premium plan, which costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year.)

In recent years, journalists have sought access to larger pools of sources covering a wider range of expertise. The primary reason is simple: they prefer to receive fewer, better-matched pitches. Quality over quantity!

A number of new platforms have emerged to meet this demand. Below, in alphabetical order, we provide details on six of the most popular and highly regarded HARO/Connectively alternatives:

  • Featured
  • Help a B2B Writer
  • Just Reach Out
  • ProfNet
  • SourceBottle
  • Qwoted

FEATURED

Helps niche brands target their pitches efficiently

Highlights:

  • Ascending in popularity as a source for thought leader-sourced content
  • Eliminates needle-in-a-haystack searches for appropriate queries to pitch to
  • Experts report having significantly more of their pitches selected by publishers
  • Tracking and analytics included
  • Free to journalists/publishers
  • Pricing scale for businesses tailored to business size and needs
  • Pitch to publishers looking for expert content, including firms like UpWork, Entrepreneur, and GoDaddy

Summary:

Featured bills itself to journalists and publishers as “Your human-powered content machine.” It excels at matching company experts seeking exposure with queries that align with their field of expertise and business space. The platform also allows experts to track mentions across the web and use analytics to fine-tune their tactics.

Publishers submit queries well in advance—often weeks before deadlines. Experts looking to gain exposure for themselves and their brands have three ways to do so:

  1. Provide answers to client questions,
  2. Write bylined articles, or
  3. Submit executive interview profiles.

The latter two options are distinct forms of “pitching” that may differ from what you’re used to.

Why We Picked It

Although Featured is not a traditional pitching platform, we see it as valuable (and so do many others) because it offers a unique route to getting publicity for your brand through its Q&A pitching format. We also appreciate that the best-matched queries for your business are delivered directly to yo

What They’re Saying

Harolinkbuilding.com says, “The content generated through Featured.com is evaluated on criteria such as experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. This ensures that only the most relevant and well-crafted content is passed on to publishers, allowing for an output that stands out for its quality and reliability. A critical aspect of this is that content is not just sourced; it’s matched to the right publisher to maintain content excellence.”

Best For

  • Businesses that occupy a definite niche and want to save themselves the trouble of sorting through lots of queries that don’t apply to them.
  • Those who like the process of answering questions as an expert rather than writing traditional pitches.
  • Busy experts/business owners who love the idea of having well-matched opportunities arrive via email.

Pricing

HELP A B2B WRITER

Highlights:

  • The platform caters to writers
  • It is also helpful to experts, offering “Tips for Sources”
  • Writers can also be listed as sources
  • The platform recommends that writers credit their sources via links.
  • Free to both sources and writers
  • Offers “Help a B2B Writer API” to companies who find expertise for their clients or run a tool that does so

Summary:

Experts and sources trying to gain exposure through Connectively/HARO face a daunting task, as so many others are trying to do the same. This means everyone must sift through volumes of irrelevant queries. In contrast, Help a B2B Writer helps sources by limiting the “source requests” they receive to those that match their specified areas of expertise.

Why We Picked It

Help a B2B Writer simplifies the process of gaining exposure for your business. It offers many options for areas of expertise and is open to adding more upon request. Additionally, it is free, and as the platform’s webpage states, it is run by “The team at Superpath, the world’s best content marketing community.”

What They’re Saying

“Help a B2B Writer: These daily emails ask you for insight on topics on which you are an expert. Simply respond, and you can get coverage and a backlink in sites across the web.” — Entrepreneur Magazine

Best For:

  • Businesses and experts who like working with freelance writers
  • Small businesses with cost constraints who need free access
  • Any business or expert who wants to streamline the process of getting exposure
  • Writers who also want to be used as expert sources

Pricing

JUST REACH OUT:

Highlights:

  • Helps businesses reach journalists and prominent bloggers who write in their sector
  • Employs an AI-based system for building pitches, included at all 3 plan levels
  • Also provides email templates
  • Offers Analysis Tools, viewable at any time you log in
  • Facilitates outreach through a guest-posting tool that connects to 1,000s of blogs
  • 7-day free trial, but no free plans, higher rates than some other platforms
  • Some of the more sophisticated features are only available at higher price points

Summary:

When you choose this platform, you’re committing to the long-term process of building your reputation strategically. As the website states, “If you are looking for quick press in a month or two, we’re NOT the right solution for you… consistent and repeatable results take time.” Similarly, you’ll find that using this platform is more expensive than using Connectively or some other alternatives.

Why We Picked It

AI-powered assistance for writing strong pitches helps this platform stand out. Over 5,000 businesses have used it, and user feedback suggests it is successfully helping them achieve greater exposure. The platform emphasizes building relationships with journalists and publishers over time, which we see as an effective way to promote yourself

What They’re Saying

“JustReachOut has delivered and exceeded our expectations when it comes to PR tools. If you’re seeking exposure or publicity for your company, JustReachOur is the best in business.” –Matthew Barby, Director of Acquisition at HubSpot.

Best For:

  • New entrepreneurs
  • Small or moderately-sized companies
  • PR departments and teams

Pricing

SOURCEBOTTLE:

Highlights:

  • Started in Australia, works with six countries
  • Is noted for similarities to HARO/Connectively
  • Used by journalists from a list of prominent media outlets
  • “Digest” style emails sent to sources daily
  • Free basic service, very low cost for “expert profile”
  • Ability to notify the platform of spam responses from emails containing them

Summary:

As its name suggests, SourceBottle connects sources with journalists. However, it also provides business owners, experts, and PR professionals an opportunity to become those sources and gain publicity. You’ll receive two emails daily listing queries that match your selected subjects (choose from 11), categories, and locations. Locations are limited to English-speaking countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S. If your goal is to become known to English-speaking audiences worldwide through reputable media outlets, SourceBottle is a solid platform to achieve that.

Why We Picked It

SourceBottle is easy to use for any business, source, or expert familiar with HARO/Connectively, as it also filters queries by topic. Unlike Connectively, the platform specializes in sample reviews, which allow businesses to publicize their products, and case studies that let them showcase their expertise. The cost for using this feature or for getting your “expert profile” in front of the media is only $25.

What They’re Saying

“Thanks again Sourcebottle! Our business was quoted in 3 national magazines this month. Really appreciate being able to connect with media so easily.”

–Dr. Joann Lukins

Best For:

  • Subject matter experts
  • Those in the PR business.

Pricing

PROFNET:

Highlights:

  • Especially serves public relations pros who want exposure for their companies
  • You may receive some of the same queries found on HARO/Connectively
  • Frequently refreshes queries
  • Lets parties interact
  • Free option for journalists, but substantial fees for “Experts”
  • Was started in 1992

Summary:

Interestingly, ProfNet is owned by Cision, the same company that owns HARO. This platform specifically serves PR firms and PR departments looking to connect with journalists and provide expert content. You can customize the queries you receive by frequency and subject matter, and opt in or out of the types of organizations from which you receive queries. Some users report that navigation could be improved.

Why We Picked It

We chose ProfNet partly because of its connection to HARO/Connectively through ownership. Additionally, since we’re addressing you as an expert, ProfNet’s target audience—experts—aligns with your needs. For example, you can send “Expert Alerts” to journalists when news breaks in your industry, directly pitching story ideas. ProfNet also offers a “Speaker Service,” providing professional speaking opportunities. With a reputation built over three decades, ProfNet is a trusted choice for PR firms seeking exposure.

What They’re Saying

“I got quoted in an article on Forbes.com this week. I love your service. Not counting the press release (which was picked up on over 100 websites), I’ve been quoted eight times in the first month I’ve been signed up with you … not to mention the quality of the media I am in with your service is vastly superior to anything I did before. Thanks.”

— Phillip Wilson, Labor Relations Institute:

Best For

  • PR professionals seeking publicity for their companies
  • Sources who want a tool for reaching out to journalists
  • Experts who wish to find speaking opportunities.

Pricing

QWOTED:

Highlights:

  • A tool to help journalists and bloggers get authoritative quotes to use
  • Employs “advanced tech and AI” for “Pitch Intelligence”
  • Advanced filtering for journalists, which means you get appropriate queries
  • Journalists/writers can signal you that they would like you to pitch
  • Journalists and writers must be verified as a trustworthy outlet for news
  • Free Basic Plan is very limited, Pro PR and Team plans are paid
  • As a source, you get an email each day that alerts you to opportunities
  • Maintains an “Expert” database for journalists and “The world’s largest free media database” for experts to access

Summary:

Although not as well-known as HARO/Connectively, Qwoted has a reputation for delivering quality results for journalists’ queries, albeit in smaller quantities. This can be beneficial for both you as a source and for journalists. As always, quality over quantity!

Why We Picked It

Qwoted stands out for its openness and transparency—you won’t be communicating with anonymous publications. As a PR professional or expert source, you can build a profile that demonstrates your reliability within your industry, becoming part of the Expert Database. The platform also allows you to receive notifications and respond quickly to relevant media opportunities for your business.

What They’re Saying

“The team at Qwoted continues to amaze me. So professional and helpful.
I’ve used their team on several occasions, to find experts in a variety of arenas, as well as guests for my show. Bravo!–Michael Levitt

Best For

  • Experts and PR Pros who want publicity in the right places
  • Small business owners

Pricing

Which Platform is Best for You?

HARO/Connectively, as the original place for businesses to connect with journalists and publishers, is still working for lots of people on both sides of the process. Even so, other entrants to the field have updated and improved upon HARO’s concept.

Below, we conclude with a combined chart for a quick comparison of the six platforms we’ve described.

Author Information

Looking Beyond HARO/Connectively for Link Building and Visibility

Shelley Harrison Carpenter

Shelley’s love of words began in first grade, composing poems for her dear teacher and mentor, Mrs. Blanchard. Her writing career began with several years as a county newspaper reporter, where she developed a love for interviewing all sorts of people. Besides feature writing, her news beats included city government, education, and nonprofits of every stripe. As a determined “adult student,” Shelley graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2010 where she also wrote profiles of outstanding adult students for a “Web Weekly” newsletter and edited a grant proposal for a campus office. After college, she wrote English instructional materials, website copy, product copy, and blogs before joining two construction and development ezines as a staff writer, happy to be conducting interviews for each assignment. Several years of intervening employment in corporate merchandising and HR deepened Shelley’s understanding of the workings of larger companies and the written content they require. She now loves being part of the writing teams at The Writers for Hire. When not at a keyboard, she can be seen jogging in her Southern neighborhood or found holed up with a biography, a vegetarian cookbook, or a vintage TV show.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request A Quote

OR Call 713-465-6860

What Kind of Author Are You?

Choose as many as apply.


Subject matter expert
Academic
Executive
Speaker
Businessperson
Consultant
Politician
Brand advocate
Founder
Autobiographer
Company representative
Tribal representative
Family historian
Someone with something to say
Creative
Thought leader
Influencer or celebrity
Gift giver (I’m shopping for someone else)

Next Question  Close Quiz

What Qualities Do You Value Most in a Ghostwriter?

Rank from 1 to 20


Superb planner and organizer
Great listener and interviewer
Detail-oriented
Background knowledge in my subject
Fun to work with
Proactive in making suggestions
Good at following directions
Energetic and upbeat
Unflappable
Quick-witted and clever
Stickler for factual accuracy
Easily understands complex technical, financial, or business subjects
Similar belief system (religion, politics, etc.)
Creative
Clear and concise writer
Inspiring writer
Engaging storyteller
Collaborative
Cares about the project

Back  Next Question  Close Quiz

What Type of Book Do You Want?

Choose all that apply.


Genealogy
Family history
Company history
Guidebook or reference
Cookbook
Coffee table book
Non-fiction
Trade specific
Fiction
Autobiography
Memoir
Including photos
Including illustrations
Including graphs or charts
>200 pages
100 to 200 pages
<100 pages
For friends and family
For mass publication
For technical or niche audience
For young adults or children

Back  Find Answer  Close Quiz

Answer

What Type of Ghostwriter Do You Need?
Well, a ghostwriter from The Writers Hire, of course!

Ok, so we didn’t produce a magic auto-generated name based on your answers.
But, we do have a real human who will review your responses and gather an amazing writing team, just for you.

Input your contact information below. We’ll review your personal communication style, goals, and preferences to find the best match among our team of over 25 writers, editors, and project managers.
Back  

Thank you


Stay tuned for a text, call, or email. We can’t wait to talk to you about your new book!
Back  Close Quiz

Wintress Odom - Owner / Editor-in-chief

Wintress founded The Writers For Hire in 2003 after freelancing for several years as a copywriter and editor. She has overseen, edited, proofread, or written copy for over 100 clients and is happy to have maintained long-term relationships with many of her first customers. Wintress is an exceptional proofreader and editor and has a gift for organizing large projects, including large technical manuals and manuscripts. Her educational background includes graduating cum laude from Rice University in 2000, studying at Cologne Gymnasium in Germany, and graduating valedictorian from The Science Academy of South Texas in 1994.

Kathleen Kimm-Rinchiuso - Office Manager

Unofficially, Kathy is known around the office as “the other half of Wintress’ brain”: In her capacity as office admin, she helps Wintress keep track of projects and meetings; reminds her of upcoming deadlines; and serves as the point of communication between Wintress and the rest of the TWFH team. In her more official role of office administrator and project manager, she keeps tabs on all current projects, from drafting proposals and project timelines to working directly with writers and editors to keep projects on track. Kathy is particularly awesome at making sure that all of our website projects run smoothly, and she’s got a gift for translating potentially confusing web development jargon into plain English, so our website clients always know exactly what’s happening and why. When she’s not at work, Kathy loves singing along to musicals with her two daughters.

Brittany Hardy - Project Coordinator

Brittany is our resident Project Coordinator and serves as the liaison between writer and client. She also helps assign the team for each project, create project timelines, gather resources and information, schedule meetings, ensure each project stays on budget and within scope, and guarantee client satisfaction. Oh, and she does all of this at lightning speed with a smile on her face, without ever dropping a ball. Brittany developed many of her management and leadership skills working as an office manager for a lawn care company and as an assistant manager for an apartment community. But she attributes her superhuman organizational abilities to the years of practice she’s had managing 4 kids, 11 piglets, 3 dogs, and a dozen chickens.

Dayna Bargas - Accounts Manager

Since joining The Writers For Hire in 2022, Dayna has seamlessly stepped into the role of Accounts Manager, overseeing functions such as Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, collections, billing, and all tasks in between. With a keen eye for detail and strong communication skills, she efficiently manages all aspects of financial operations for TWFH. Dayna takes pride in her ability to navigate with a smile, displaying strong professional skills and fostering a positive work environment. Beyond her role with TWFH, she enjoys entertaining, traveling, and (most importantly!) spending time with her family.

Stephanie Hashagen - Senior Editor

Stephanie’s expertise in English and writing spans over a decade in freelancing and teaching. Stephanie worked as a staff writer and editor for The Houstonian, contributed to The Huntsville Item, freelanced for The Houston Chronicle and spent four years teaching English and reading at the junior high and high school level. She has a Master’s Degree in English from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Sam Houston State University. Stephanie has also ghost-authored several non-fiction and fiction manuscripts, numerous fashion and travel articles, and countless press releases, pitch letters, taglines, and print ads. Her copywriting and journalism experience includes technical copy for Tyco Flow Control and customer communications copy for a major American credit card company. Stephanie has also worked on copy and campaigns for Hilton and Carpet One Floor & Home, North America’s largest floor covering retailer. At The Writers For Hire, she has overseen, edited, proofread, or written copy for over 50 clients. Stephanie is an exceptional proofreader, writer, and editor and has a gift for adding a creative flair to projects while keeping copy professional and concise.

Barbara Adams - Copywriter

Barb Adams is an award-winning writer with more than 30 years of B2B and technical writing experience. She understands and closely follows the changing dynamics of the oil and gas industry – E&P, midstream, and upstream – and therefore needs minimum ramp up for any new O&G copywriting endeavor. Her portfolio includes hundreds of white papers, case studies, trade articles, op-eds, books, and brochures. Adams has also held positions as staff writer for a Houston agency, public relations manager for a Houston-based retail franchisor, and the advertising and promotions coordinator for a Minnesota-based hospitality company. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism.

Stacy Clifford - Copywriter

Stacy Clifford is a wearer of many hats, both literally and figuratively. Having earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996, his career has covered environmental cleanup, software testing, web development, technical support, copy editing and proofreading, and martial arts instruction. He has been proofreading since 3rd grade English with Mrs. Barry, corrected every stripe of web copy for over 15 years, copy edited both fiction and non-fiction books, and written on subjects as diverse as volcanology, sword fighting, and space colonization. A fixer by nature, Stacy is a stickler for structure and form and enjoys a good challenge whipping a document into shape. When not tackling the worlds problems or teaching people how to stab each other, Stacy enjoys pencil drawing and hiking in the national parks.

Flori Meeks - Copywriter

Flori, who has more than 25 years of writing experience, began her career in suburban Detroit as a community newspaper reporter. She has worked as a neighborhood news editor for the Houston Chronicle and as a copywriter for Powell Public Relations. During more than 10 years as a freelance writer, her projects included newspaper and magazine articles, press releases, brochure and website copy, Request for Proposal (RFP) responses, and grant applications. Her clients have included Galveston Monthly magazine, Weddings in Houston magazine, Judy Nichols & Associates (public relations) and NCIC Phone Services, along with nonprofit organizations, Lifeway International and Newspring. Since joining The Writers For Hire, Flori has assisted with social media campaigns and written blog posts, articles, press releases, brochures, and web copy.

Flori has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Oakland University.

Jessica Stautberg - Lead Copywriter

Jessica joined The Writers for Hire after several years of technical writing for two Department of Defense contractors, where she created software documentation and online help, as well as material for the company websites and newsletters. Since joining The Writers for Hire, Jessica has become the company’s resident “Wiki guru,” and manages most of the Wikipedia projects. She also manages social media campaigns for several local businesses, provides copy and layout options for website projects, writes blog posts on topics that include the oil and gas industry, web hosting, and fashion, and writes articles, brochures, books, and press releases. Jessica has a Master’s in Technical Communication from Texas State, where she also edited and proofread articles for Center of the Study of the Southwest’s academic journals while working as a ghostwriter for Infobooks.com. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Southwestern University.

Jennifer Rizzo - Copywriter / Genealogist

Jennifer, also known as "Rizzo," is a Denver-based writer and genealogist with a passion for history, travel, and languages. She studied Spanish at the University of Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico and also lived and studied in Ancona, Italy. She also holds a certification for International Tour Management through the International Guide Academy, as well as a Genealogy certification from IAP Career College. Since joining The Writers For Hire, Jennifer has tackled a vast array of projects—from RPFs and SOPs to memoirs and company history books— and has done many in-depth genealogical research and family tree projects. She has also worked as Project Manager for various client projects, including family history books, websites, RFPs, blogs, autobiographies, and SOPs. Jennifer is our resident historian and genealogist, and can often be found examining 200-year-old books in various archive sites around the globe. She enjoys working closely with clients, and loves any opportunity that allows her to indulge her creative side.

Peter Albrecht - Copywriter

After putting in enough time as a busboy, a cheesesteak artist, a medical courier, and a nightclub bouncer, Peter took the logical next step—securing a position at a bicycle shop. While serving as a mechanic and a salesman, his incriminating degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona got him assigned to every additional duty that had anything to do with words. Between all the wrenching and selling, Peter wrote website copy, emails, blogs, digital and print ads, press releases, articles, advertorials, and scripts for radio and television commercials. What started as a summer job evolved into an 18-year career in the cycling industry, gaining him experience in corporate communications, public relations, social media management, event planning, marketing, and retail advertising. Since joining The Writers for Hire, Peter has branched into ghostwriting, op-eds, RFPs, SOPs, and producing work for aerospace and engineering firms, public utilities, oil and gas companies, real estate developers, and the entertainment industry. At his home base in New Jersey, Peter spends his free time souping up cheap vintage guitars, admiring his dog, and talking about moving to the Adirondacks.

Arielle Emmett - Copywriter

Arielle Emmett joined The Writers for Hire after a 30-year career in science, technology, and international journalism education. Early in her career, during the Watergate era, Arielle was selected as a journalism intern for The New York Times columnist William Safire, and she was a correspondent for Newsweek. She has worked as an editor for Science Digest, as a reporter and features staff writer for the Detroit Free Press, and as a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and The American Journalism Review. She also has held senior editor and editor-in-chief positions at leading technical magazines and was a 10-year contributing editor at The Scientist. Arielle’s work has been published in Parents, Ms., OMNI, and Toronto Globe & Mail, among other publications. In 2011 she completed her doctoral dissertation in visual media and iconic photography at the University of Maryland. Since then, Arielle has taught science communications and online journalism at Temple and Drexel Universities, International College Beijing, and University of Hong Kong.

Erin Larson - Copywriter

With a Bachelor of Science in Language Arts from Georgetown University and 20 years of editorial experience, Erin brings a passion for words and well-crafted writing to every project. As a writer, she revels in the opportunity to create vibrant original copy and rejuvenate tired text. She has written on a range of topics, in a variety of styles, and for an array of platforms. As an editor, proofreader, translator, and trusted second set of eyes, she has helped clients from around the world enhance their writing. A self-proclaimed editorial perfectionist, Erin once canceled a credit card because of a grammatically incorrect form letter, which she edited and promptly sent back to the company. (Incidentally, she wasn’t surprised to receive no response.)

Devin Lawrence - Copywriter

Devin is a writer from Richmond, Virginia. He’s been an avid fan of fiction literature ever since he was young, and spent most of his adolescence pouring over one book series after another. Some of his favorites from back in the day include Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow, and The Edge Chronicles. He began pursuing creative writing when he was twelve, hoping to someday emulate his favorite authors. He has since spent more than ten years continuing to hone and expand the skills of his craft, graduating from Old Dominion University with a degree in Professional Writing in 2022. He has written on topics ranging from technology trends, to criminal justice, homeland security, self-defense, hiking and camping, workplace operational analysis, the challenges of eldercare, and data privacy. Creative by nature, Devin also dabbles as a graphic designer with particular interest in infographics and flowcharts.

Chris DeLange - Copywriter

Chris is a London-based writer with a strong background in HR/Learning & Development. He has held senior positions at large corporations in London as both Talent Development Business Partner and Head of Learning and Development. Chris graduated top of his class when he completed his MSc in Industrial Psychology at the University of Leicester in England. He also holds a TEFL/TESOL qualification in teaching English as a Second Language from Global Language Training. Chris is a big foody and is always exploring new dishes and creating new recipes. He became a qualified Chef in 2012 when he studied Culinary Arts at the International Centre For Culinary Arts in Dubai. He is very passionate about writing and is working on multiple team projects. Chris joined The Writers For Hire in 2022 and is settling in very well.

Morgan Pinales - Copywriter

Morgan has worked in marketing and communications for more than eight years, with a primary focus on copywriting and content creation. Throughout her years of experience, she has written and edited almost every kind of copy imaginable – magazine articles, blog posts, website copy, brochures, press releases, nonfiction books, newsletter articles, brand guidelines, and more – for both B2B and B2C audiences in a wide array of industries, including energy, technology, finance, healthcare, education, travel, retail, and more. In addition to her creative skills, Morgan has technical expertise in HTML coding and utilizing content management systems (e.g. WordPress) and email platforms, such as MailChimp, ExactTarget, and Constant Contact. With a lifelong interest in language, it is not surprising that Morgan has a bachelor’s degree in German and Linguistics from Rice University, where she studied more than eight languages. In 2011, she received her master’s degree in Advertising from The University of Texas, where she was accepted into the elite Texas Creative Program for her copywriting skills. In her free time, Morgan enjoys writing personalized picture books for friends and family.

Shelley Harrison Carpenter - Copywriter

Shelley’s love of words began in first grade, composing poems for her dear teacher and mentor, Mrs. Blanchard. Her writing career began with several years as a county newspaper reporter, where she developed a love for interviewing all sorts of people. Besides feature writing, her news beats included city government, education, and nonprofits of every stripe. As a determined “adult student,” Shelley graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2010 where she also wrote profiles of outstanding adult students for a “Web Weekly” newsletter and edited a grant proposal for a campus office. After college, she wrote English instructional materials, website copy, product copy, and blogs before joining two construction and development ezines as a staff writer, happy to be conducting interviews for each assignment. Several years of intervening employment in corporate merchandising and HR deepened Shelley’s understanding of the workings of larger companies and the written content they require. She now loves being part of the writing teams at The Writers for Hire. When not at a keyboard, she can be seen jogging in her Southern neighborhood or found holed up with a biography, a vegetarian cookbook, or a vintage TV show.

Melanie Green - Copywriter

Melanie Green is a Tampa-based writer and editor, with a focus on digital marketing content. She has more than 15 years of experience writing professionally, including time spent as a full-time employee of McKinsey & Company, Nielsen, and The Business Observer. She loves to write blog posts, website pages, press releases, RFPs, and whitepapers for companies of all sizes in the United States. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a concentration in screenwriting from National University in La Jolla, California, and her Bachelor of Arts in Writing from the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida. 

Carol Kim - Copywriter

Carol Kim is a versatile freelance copywriter who specializes in content marketing, blog posts, website content, and email marketing for business clients. She especially enjoys diving into research and discovering what makes every company unique. Carol holds a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and a Master’s in Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Carol is also a children’s book author, having written several fiction and nonfiction books for the educational market. She especially loves helping kids learn about the environment and social sciences. Her first nonfiction picture book from a trade publisher is due to be released in fall 2021. 

Martha Scott - Copywriter

Martha Scott’s technical writing career began on a contract at Houston’s Johnson Space Center. She edited papers for scientific journal publication, documents for departments across the site, and a book about a proposed crew escape vehicle. She produced a yearly booklet describing Shuttle contract cost-saving measures, the mission managers’ Flight Data Pack, and a 45-page booklet called Charting a Course to the Year 2000 and Beyond describing plans to develop additional space vehicles and prepare for manned Mars explorations. At Invesco, Martha edited and contributed to two company newsletters (online and hardcopy). She wrote software user manuals, Help files, Training and Benefits department documents, and, finally, shareholder reports. She returned to aerospace for the Shuttle Program’s last 5 years where she attended and produced detailed descriptions of presentations and subsequent discussions at the Orbiter Configuration Control Board’s weekly meetings. She also documented crew debriefings for 17 flights. Martha’s most recent experience was on Jacobs Engineering’s contract with a Texas City refinery for which she wrote and edited Engineering, Safety, Inspection, and Information Systems documents.

Suzanne Kearns - Copywriter

Suzanne knew she wanted to be a writer at the age of ten when she wrote her first story, and has spent the past 2 decades writing blog posts, magazine articles, nonfiction and fiction books, sales letters, white papers, press releases, website copy, and anything else that can be put in written form. She has written for Intuit, Avalara, NerdWallet, GoPayment, and as a ghostwriter for a few well-known CEO’s. Her work has appeared all around the internet, including on sites like World News and Reports, Entrepreneur.com, and Forbes. She loves nothing more than being presented with a bunch of data and asked to break it down into digestible content for readers. Most days you’ll find her sitting on her porch with her laptop, writing to the sound of the ocean, and marveling that life can be this stinking good.

Jennifer DeLay - Copywriter

Jennifer has a background in journalism and Russian area studies. She holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MSFS from Georgetown University. While in graduate school in the mid-1990s, she developed an interest in the oil and gas industry of the former Soviet Union and launched a free newsletter covering the subject. She then spent more than 20 years researching, analyzing and writing about related topics, working for multiple weekly publications and a private consulting firm. Her areas of professional interest also include energy and power in China, Iran and the Eastern Mediterranean, and for fun she researches linguistics, neuroscience and disability-related issues. She has experience in copy-editing and has frequently worked with both native and non-native English speakers, helping them to produce clear, easily understandable articles on complex political, economic, legal and technical topics. Additionally, she has managed many time-sensitive typesetting projects for community institutions. Jennifer enjoys writing personal essays and lives in Atlanta with her family.

Dana Robinson - Copywriter

Dana Robinson has been writing and editing professionally for 10 years, publishing her first article in 2007. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of a local online magazine and is a contributor to various Houston print publications. She honed her experience writing newsletters and managing social media for small businesses and non-profits before moving on to e-books, magazines, and non-fiction books for print. She also enjoys teaching creative writing workshops for children. Dana received her formal education at the University of Houston–Downtown, where she majored in professional writing, minored in creative writing, and was the recipient of the Upper Division Writing award for best essay. She completed internships with Writers In The Schools and The Bayou Review.

Brenda Hazzard - Copywriter

Brenda Hazzard has over 30 years’ experience working as a writer and editor in the private and public sectors. She spent over 20 years working for the US Government in Washington and abroad, and spent several years working with the CIA during which she managed a team of writers producing internal briefs on international news, events, and politics. She writes on a variety of topics but loves opportunities to work on projects that cater to her keen interest in international affairs. She considers herself to be an empathetic editor, one who improves a draft but lets the spirit of the writer shine through. She has also worked on dissertations, white papers, newspaper articles, and family histories.

Adelia Ritchie - Copywriter

Adelia is a scientist, educator, technical writer and editor, poet, and blogger about her Pura Vida lifestyle in Costa Rica. She has more than 40 years experience writing professionally, including her years at Science Applications International Corp., Bechtel Corporation, Defense Acquisition University, and the Department of Defense. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Organic Chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida.

Carey Miller - Copywriter

Carey brings more than 20 years of writing and editing experience to The Writers for Hire. A lifelong writer and reader, she holds a B.A. in English from UCLA. Her background includes writing and editorial positions with both book and magazine publishers. She has worked as a copy editor and proofreader for major advertising agencies including Ogilvy & Mather and Rubin Postaer. Her experience includes magazine feature writing and editing as well as manuscript development and editing. A former advertising sales executive, she has crafted a wide range of business, sales, and marketing communication for leading magazine publishers including Conde Nast and Hearst. She has worked with major consumer brands including Nike, Visa, Levi’s, General Motors, Microsoft, Charles Schwab, and Neutrogena.

Coralee Bechteler - Copywriter

In the past, Coralee has been an organic farmer, a chicken herder, a zipline administrative assistant, and an ESL teacher for kids. Today, she's living her childhood dream of being a writer. She currently resides in New York with her cat (and muse) Hermes and a miles-long TBR list that gets longer every day. If she's not reading or crafting, you can usually find her pulled over on a country road writing something down or picking wildflowers. Coralee holds a bachelor's degree in English, an associate's degree in Horticulture, and multiple internationally recognized software testing certifications.

Cecile Brule - Copywriter

Cecile enjoys the challenge of discovering each client’s unique strengths and presenting them to a wider audience. Since joining The Writers For Hire, she has worked on blogs, newsletters, RFPs, end-user documentation, email, social media, sales pages, biographies, op-eds, and fiction.

Previously, she taught in Shenzhen, China and obtained an HSK3 (Intermediate Mandarin) certificate. Cecile enjoys gaming, drawing, producing short films, and growing fifteen different varieties of apples with Serenity Orchards.

Rosalind Stanley - Copywriter

Rosalind Stanley grew up on the Coast of Maine and then accidentally spent fifteen years in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, before moving to the Midwest. She graduated from Lynchburg College in 2008 with a B.A. in Creative Writing (and a minor in Theater Performance); ever since, Rosalind has endeavored to make writing a part of her daily life, whether creative or technical, whether as a volunteer or an employee. She has tutored students, taught workshops, edited fiction and non-fiction books, and worked as a beta reader and a legal writer. She also publishes a newsletter on Substack, where she releases her own fiction serially. When not writing, Rosalind is busy homeschooling her four children and raiding the local library for new fiction.

Sean Patrick Hill - Copywriter

Sean has been a professional writer for more than 25 years, and has an M.A. in Writing from Portland State University and an M.F.A. in Poetry from Warren Wilson College. He's the author of five books, and his writing has won him grants and fellowships from the Kentucky Arts Council, the Vermont Studio Center, the Elizabeth George Foundation, and the Regional Arts and Culture Council. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also works at his photography.

Wintress Odom - Owner / Editor-in-chief

Wintress founded The Writers For Hire in 2003 after freelancing for several years as a copywriter and editor. She has overseen, edited, proofread, or written copy for over 100 clients and is happy to have maintained long-term relationships with many of her first customers. Wintress is an exceptional proofreader and editor and has a gift for organizing large projects, including large technical manuals and manuscripts. Her educational background includes graduating cum laude from Rice University in 2000, studying at Cologne Gymnasium in Germany, and graduating valedictorian from The Science Academy of South Texas in 1994.
Wintress