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SUSAN LORIMOR

Award-winning editor and writer. Copywriter.
                 .

Work Experience
About Me

About Me

I am an award-winning editor and writer who has led international and national magazines to success. Clients include Stanford University School of Medicine's Stanford Anesthesia, Michigan State University and Gallaudet University. I am a longtime editor of the120-page membership quarterly, The Magazine of Sigma Chi. In 12 years, I led my team to win 14 honors for editorial excellence from the Fraternity Communications Association. Simultaneously, I was senior director of (marketing) communications for Sigma Chi International Fraternity, a 260,000-plus organization. Both roles taught me how to create a team of outstanding talent to make visually appealing, engaging print and digital communications pieces. Now, I not only write stories about health care and how alumni are making a difference in the communities, but I coach writers to do the same. I am an accomplished editor, copywriter and journalist, whose stories have appeared in Stanford Anesthesia, Cancer Wellness magazine, Consumers Digest, Modern Restaurant Management and more. I have been a copywriter for universities, startup health companies and more.

Education and Awards

Work Experience

2022 to present

Editor,

American Bar Association

As editor, I collaborate with our in-house designer, production and web experts, as well as leading attorneys, to create five quarterly publications: Family Law Quarterly, The Air & Space Lawyer, The Construction Lawyer, Infrastructure and The Procurement Lawyer. I also edited books from flagship authors, or leading legal experts, coaching them to further develop their work. One book was a silver Nautilus Book Award winner.

My responsibilities as publications editor include:

  • Review all articles to ensure they maintain high standards and are ready for publication;

  • Meet with editorial board of volunteer lawyers;

  • Oversee and outsource copyediting of articles;

  • Collaborate with volunteers (who are lawyers) to determine order of article line-up;

  • Edit proofs, digital articles and emails;

  • Oversee financial budgets for publications;

  • Collaborate with designer;

  • Coordinate publication schedules with digital and print specialist;

  • Write metadata and ensure high-performing SEO of articles.

2019 to present 

Freelance Editor and Writer

Award-winning editor and writer for clients such as
Stanford University

School of Medicine's anesthesia department AIM Lab; Cancer Wellness magazine; Gallaudet University's Gallaudet Today, Paloma Health, a D2C startup; CCI Media; andThe Delta of Sigma Nu. I have also contributed to Wildfire magazine, for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

My services: 

  • Managing the creation of magazine issues, blogs and other editorial/marketing pieces;

  • Leading a team of writers, photographers and graphic designers to create high-quality work;

  • Blog, article and website editing; 

  • Writing articles, blogs, press releases and other PR materials and social media content; 

  • Ghost-writing letters and articles for leaders; and 

  • Content marketing. 

2019 to present 

Blogger, Founder of takethatbreastcancer.com

As a breast cancer survivor, I provide:

  • First-person accounts of the challenges and experiences of being a cancer survivor.

  • News about cancer research.

 

2006 to 2019

Senior Director of Communications and Editor,

The Magazine of Sigma Chi.


In this role, I oversaw all marketing communications for a 250,000-plus member leadership development organization, as well as brand management.
 

Communications

  • Kept messages from past and present international presidents clear and on-point by creating story lines for their letters.

  • Edited the messages.

  • Scripted major banquets, awards ceremonies and business meetings. 

  • Conceptualized the inaugural Celebration of Giving Back with fraternity/foundation execs, writing script to honor volunteers and donors.

  • Cut costs and negotiated vendor contracts to stretch an annual budget of $500,000-plus.

  • Mentored an associate editor, copyeditor and social media manager/digital journalist.

  • Oversaw the creation of video stories.

Editor

  • Oversaw all aspects of production of a quarterly, 120-page magazine, greatly improving value to the reader.

  • Edited and wrote stories.

  • Renegotiated contract with magazine printer and implemented co-mailing, saving $32,000/year. 

  • Brainstormed story ideas with staff, leadership, volunteers and experts to ensure diversity of thought.

  • Solved concerns regarding print quality and InDesign file construction as related to production.

Marketing
• Created strategic, integrated marketing plans to promote the organization.
• Surpassed the registration and attendance goals for key events by selling members on how events would benefit them.
• Wrote ad copy for email and print, working with designer on visuals, including ones for social media.
• Increased the number of impressions for our Instagram account by at least 11,349 in one week and 22,187 on Twitter.

Brand Manager
• Drove the creation of a social media policy to protect organization's brand and intellectual property.
• Ensured that chapters utilized proper brand elements.
• Safeguarded brand by investigating T-shirt and other designs for word choice, graphics and messaging.
• Evaluated weekly contest and sponsorship to promote our brand.

     2015 to 2019 

Alumnae Public Relations Coordinator (volunteer),
​Sigma Kappa Sorority

  • Drove discussion surrounding the organization’s communications and how they can be improved by serving on national communications task force.

  • Helped grow Facebook group for alumnae to 6,800 members in 30 months

  • Increased engagement through strategic social media plan I created with national headquarters staff

  • Disseminated useful tips to alumnae members on PR, branding and event publicity.

2004 to 2006

Associate Editor, Consumers Digest magazine

  • Leveraged my daily news reporting experience to increase newsworthiness of stories within five consumer magazine departments. 

  • Grew the number of stories within each magazine news department. 

  • Spearheaded production of departments, collaborating with designer to make visually appealing sections.

  • Coached novice reporters to become confident in their newswriting skills.

Education and Awards

Education

Loyola University Chicago

MBA in marketing.

Inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society.

Northwest Missouri State University

B.S. in journalism and political science

Awards

2nd place, Fraternity Communications Association (2018)

1st Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2016)

1st Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2015)

2nd Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2015)

Fred F. Yoder Award for Best Overall Magazine,

Fraternity Communications Association (2014)

1st Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2012)

1st Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2013)

3rd Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2011

Fred F. Yoder Award for Best Overall Magazine, Fraternity

Communications Association (2010)

2nd Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2010)

1st Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2009)

2nd Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2009)

2nd Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2009)

2nd Place, Fraternity Communications Association (2007)

1st Place, Indiana APME Newswriting Contest (2002)

2nd Place, Indiana APME Newswriting Contest (2000)

1st Place, Hoosier State Press Association (1999)

Finalist, Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism (1999)

Post-Tribune Employee of the Month (1998)

Memberships

 

Association of Health Care Journalists

American Marketing Association

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