Bio: Marya Smith

As a newspaper and magazine journalist, I’ve written hundreds of feature articles, profiles, essays and columns for a wide range of publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Prevention.com, Ladies’ Home Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Runner’s World, Ms. Magazine, The Rotarian, Inquiry and many more. A true generalist, I’ve covered topics from angels to Zorro and plenty in between, including spiritual retreats, mentoring teenagers, affirmative action, education trends and lots more, and I’ve interviewed a host of profile subjects, from a funeral director to an IRS auditor (death and taxes) to authors like Sonia Choquette and Cesar Milan (psychic and dog whisperer respectively). Variety is definitely addictive.

As a marketing copywriter and content creator, I’ve written newsletters, press releases, website copy, corporate magazine articles and profiles, brochures, blogs, catalog copy and more for a diverse client list that includes Allstate, Sauder Woodworking, Hunter Warfield, United Airlines, the Composite Panel Association, Hyatt Hotels, the University of Chicago Press, Surtex, Country Walkers, Sears Home Fashions, American Leather, Drexel Heritage and many others. As a result, I can write authoritatively on a variety of topics and in a variety of formats: from tips on organizing your home office to overviews of the latest trends in a given industry, I do it all. And I’m always ready to learn about something new.

I’m also guilty of writing fiction. My two novels for children (middle grade and older) were published by Little, Brown and Company/Arcade Publishing. In addition, I’ve had two full-run productions of my plays (both comedies) in Chicago. I’ve also won playwriting, essay, and poetry awards. These pursuits have not damaged my ability to write solid pieces of journalism and vivid commercial copy, and in fact, I believe every kind of writing enhances every other.

Let’s see what we can do if we put our heads together.

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