Michael Chotiner
911 Davis Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
michael.chotiner@gmail.com
202-306-5707
Summary
Hands-on home-improvement writer and editor with more than 20 years leadership experience in Internet, magazines, books, audiovisual media, marketing communications and technical writing. Strong project manager and process innovator. Versatile writer, strong prose stylist and excellent grammarian with a keen graphic sense and the full range of print, Internet and desktop publishing skills.
Objective
Freelance writing assignments in which I can add value by applying my extensive editorial experience with homebuilding, remodeling and architectural design
Professional Experience
Government Services Integrated Process Team, Lanham, MD
Design Studio Product Manager, March 2008 to present
- Writing and editing technical documents related to construction management for government clients, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and NASA
- Created comprehensive manual of style for internal use by the firm’s technical writers and editors
- Created training materials for firm’s project managers
- Designed and coded Microsoft Excel forms for development of fee proposals, project management and tracking
- Wrote and edited solicitation responses and proposals for new business
ebuild, Hanley-Wood, LLC; Washington, DC
Director of Content, 2000 to 2007
- Designed a product classification system and managed content aggregation to launch an online catalog of homebuilding products with more than 300 categories and 300,000 product records.
- Designed a product selection system to enable users of the site to search using plain-language, generic specifications and find products by brand, name and model number accompanied with images, descriptions, price information
- Led redesign effort in 2007 by coordinating user focus-group feedback with input from information architects and GUI designers. Added new content categories, created wire frames reflecting new site architecture and wrote business requirements
- Senior manager in public relations and marketing firm specializing in building products and building-related trade associations
- Managed media relations and wrote press releases for the Allied Signal Corp. Roofing Division, Copper Development Association, Fiberlux Windows, MAC Tools, Proto Industrial Tools, and Vidmar Storage Systems
- Produced text and video content for the Copper Development Association Web site
- Wrote and produced promotional/instructional video for an Allied Signal commercial roofing product
Sumner Rider & Associates, New York, N.Y.
Vice-president, 1998-2000
Bob Vila’s American Home, Hearst Magazine Enterprises, New York
Editor, 1996-1998
- Developed concept and managed editorial operations of celebrity-based magazine with special interests in traditional architecture, furnishings, and building crafts. Cited as one of the top 10 magazine launches of the year by MIN
- Produced Bob Vila’s appearances on CBS news programs
Home Mechanix, Times Mirror Magazines, New York
Vice-president, Editor-in-Chief, 1991 to 1995
- Repositioned and redesigned flagging 1 million-circ consumer magazine focused on home improvement and family cars. Supervised staff of 14
- Strategic improvements lifted the title from eighth to third place among its corporate peers
- Member of a corporate management team that planned and supported strategic marketing initiatives for advertising sales, circulation, manufacturing and franchise extensions
Executive Editor, 1989-1990
- Day-to-day supervision of the editorial staff, including assignments, article development, content, and production editing
- Turned around habitually late, inefficient production system with improved planning and process improvements to achieve 100 percent on-time performance and improved quality
Homeowner, Family Media, New York
Managing Editor, 1987 to 1989
- Overall editorial production responsibility for a 750,000-circulation consumer magazine
Publications
Editor of:
- Lighting & Electricity, Time-Life Books “Fix-it-Yourself” series, 1998
- Major Appliances, Time-Life Books Fix-it-Yourself” series, 1997
- Popular Mechanics Book of Home How-To, Wiley, 1989
Author of:
- Building Crafts Series, TPC Publications, Chicago, 1981
- Math for the Healthcare Worker, Activity Records, Baldwin, N.Y., 1980
- Math for the Carpenter, Activity Records, 1980
Education
B.A., Comparative Literature, Rutgers University
Proficiencies
- Project management
- Writing in virtually any style and format, including narrative prose, outline-format technical text, proposals, magazine articles, optimized Web copy, marketing copy, audio and video scripts, presentations and speeches
- Designing, styling tables and charts
- Line-editing, copyediting and proofreading
- Keen eye for layout and graphics
- Reads architectural drawings
- Microsoft Word, including style sheets and auto-formatting
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- InDesign (some editing functions)
- SpecsIntact