About our founder, Miriam Raftery
Writer Ink president and founder Miriam Raftery is a uniquely qualified expert at creating award-winning media, also producing a wide variety of writing projects for businesses and nonprofits.
Summary of experience: In addition to owning Writer Ink, Miriam is the creator and editor-in-chief of a successful nonprofit media outlet East County Magazine, which has won major journalism awards and has attracted strong community support. Her background also includes extensive experience as a corporate marketing manager, media services consultant for companies, political media director, national award-winning journalist, photographer, ghostwriter, editor and author. Media services and corporate consulting: As a media services consultant, Miriam has organized training programs such as a media day for a local chamber of commerce, training businesses how to improve media access. She has worked with many corporate, nonprofit and individual clients on a wide variety of professional projects over the past 30 years, from ghostwriting books for CEOs to writing ad copy, press releases, brochures, corporate reports and more. |
Marketing: Miriam served as Regional Marketing Director of ConAm, a national property management/development corporation where she headed up marketing for 33 properties in two states. As a freelance consultant, she has prepared marketing materials for clients ranging from an internationally famed swimming pool designer to a prominent dentist. She has also interviewed dozens of prominent business executives on their marketing success secrets as contributing editor and reporter for Nutrition Business Journal, a trade publication covering international business trends in nutrition, health and medicine.
Grant writing: She wrote a successful grant to San Diego Foundation for Change that established East County Magazine, an independent, nonpartisan news site that has won 116 major journalism awards since 2008. Published by the nonprofit Heartland Coalition, today the popular news site attracts 6 million hits and 250,000 readers each month. Miriam also wrote successful County of San Diego Community Enhancement grants as well as other grants that funded.
Journalism: In addition to founding the award-winning and successful nonprofit news outlet, East County Magazine, Miriam has published over 2,000 by-lined articles in national, international and regional media, winning over 250 awards. These include Arizona Highways, Birds ‘n Blooms, California Real Estate Journal, CityBeat, Copley News Service, Décor & Style, East County Magazine, Environmental Business Journal, Friendly Exchange, Gannett News Service, Nutrition Business Journal, Ranch & Coast, Raw Story, San Diego Home/Garden, San Diego Women’s Day, Women’s E-News, and Writer’s Digest .
She has covered major issues from California wildfires to election integrity, politics, the environment, multicultural issues, health and nutrition, business, homes/real estate, and much more. She has had many articles published on nutrition and health issues for the Nutrition Business Journal. Miriam authored the “Small Change” remodeling column for the San Diego Union-Tribune, worked as a correspondent for the California Real Estate Journal and got her start in journalism as a copy assistant for the Idaho Statesman.
Photography: Her photographs have appeared in prestigious news publications, travel guides, catalogs, corporate projects, governmental publications and more.
Writing awards: Miriam has won hundreds of major writing awards. The American Society of Journalists and Authors honored Miriam with the prestigious national Arlene Award for community reporting. She also received San Diego Press Club’s Best of Show award plus top honors for news, investigative reporting, multicultural, environmental and political reports, columns and feature stories. She received the Sol Price Award for responsible journalism and is a three-time recipient of the James Julian Award for public interest reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists in San Diego.
Event organizing: She has also organized special events, from a celebrity tennis tournament to benefit children’s cancer research to a Media Day for a local Chamber of Commerce, as well as a Wild West Fest, a Mardi Gras party and more and more.
Speaker and instructor: She has taught courses on media marketing, writing, and photojournalism in a variety of venues. She has also addressed professional associations including the American Society of Journalists & Authors national conference.
Ghostwriting: She has served as ghostwriter on projects including travel guides,magazine/trade journal articles, fiction and nonfiction books. Her collaborations include High Voltage Success, a motivational business book featured on the Montel Williams TV show. She has also organized author book signings and literary panels.
Editing: Editor in Chief of East County Magazine, Miriam is also a past nonfiction editor of San Diego Writers’ Monthly and a national contributing editor for Nutrition Business Journal.
Author: Also an author of both nonfiction and fiction, Miriam received critical acclaim for her nonfiction book, 100 Books That Shaped World History. Her historical novel, Apollo’s Fault, was honored by San Diego Book Awards. She has also published short stories in literary magazines.
Radio: In 2013, Miriam also launched the East County Magazine radio show on KNSJ 89.1 FM, a public radio station. The show, which she hosts, brings award-winning public interest news that is aired across our region in prime-time drive time. Miriam also has experience in radio commercial production and sound editing.
Interviews: She has interviewed many prominent people, including political leaders, national corporate leaders, authors, artists, musicians, religious leaders, fire chiefs, and medical researchers.
Political experience: She has experience in politics as a legislative aide and media representative for two legislators in California’s capitol, as a political consultant to campaigns, and served as media director for a Congressional and State Senate campaign.
Education: She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with an emphasis in political science, as well as an Associate of Arts degree from Grossmont College in El Cajon.
Media reform: Also an active community volunteer, she has attended a national media reform conference and been a leading voice in the media reform movement to establish more independent media outlets to fairly reflect all voices and viewpoints in our communities.
Wildfire alerts founder: After the 2007 firestorms in San Diego County, Miriam founded the East County Alert service, warning people across our region about wildfires and other emergencies, drawing praise from fire chiefs, public officials and grateful members of the public. Currently the alerts service has over 10,000 subscribers.
Professional memberships: Miriam’s professional memberships currently include the Society of Professional Journalists and the San Diego Press Club.
Grant writing: She wrote a successful grant to San Diego Foundation for Change that established East County Magazine, an independent, nonpartisan news site that has won 116 major journalism awards since 2008. Published by the nonprofit Heartland Coalition, today the popular news site attracts 6 million hits and 250,000 readers each month. Miriam also wrote successful County of San Diego Community Enhancement grants as well as other grants that funded.
Journalism: In addition to founding the award-winning and successful nonprofit news outlet, East County Magazine, Miriam has published over 2,000 by-lined articles in national, international and regional media, winning over 250 awards. These include Arizona Highways, Birds ‘n Blooms, California Real Estate Journal, CityBeat, Copley News Service, Décor & Style, East County Magazine, Environmental Business Journal, Friendly Exchange, Gannett News Service, Nutrition Business Journal, Ranch & Coast, Raw Story, San Diego Home/Garden, San Diego Women’s Day, Women’s E-News, and Writer’s Digest .
She has covered major issues from California wildfires to election integrity, politics, the environment, multicultural issues, health and nutrition, business, homes/real estate, and much more. She has had many articles published on nutrition and health issues for the Nutrition Business Journal. Miriam authored the “Small Change” remodeling column for the San Diego Union-Tribune, worked as a correspondent for the California Real Estate Journal and got her start in journalism as a copy assistant for the Idaho Statesman.
Photography: Her photographs have appeared in prestigious news publications, travel guides, catalogs, corporate projects, governmental publications and more.
Writing awards: Miriam has won hundreds of major writing awards. The American Society of Journalists and Authors honored Miriam with the prestigious national Arlene Award for community reporting. She also received San Diego Press Club’s Best of Show award plus top honors for news, investigative reporting, multicultural, environmental and political reports, columns and feature stories. She received the Sol Price Award for responsible journalism and is a three-time recipient of the James Julian Award for public interest reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists in San Diego.
Event organizing: She has also organized special events, from a celebrity tennis tournament to benefit children’s cancer research to a Media Day for a local Chamber of Commerce, as well as a Wild West Fest, a Mardi Gras party and more and more.
Speaker and instructor: She has taught courses on media marketing, writing, and photojournalism in a variety of venues. She has also addressed professional associations including the American Society of Journalists & Authors national conference.
Ghostwriting: She has served as ghostwriter on projects including travel guides,magazine/trade journal articles, fiction and nonfiction books. Her collaborations include High Voltage Success, a motivational business book featured on the Montel Williams TV show. She has also organized author book signings and literary panels.
Editing: Editor in Chief of East County Magazine, Miriam is also a past nonfiction editor of San Diego Writers’ Monthly and a national contributing editor for Nutrition Business Journal.
Author: Also an author of both nonfiction and fiction, Miriam received critical acclaim for her nonfiction book, 100 Books That Shaped World History. Her historical novel, Apollo’s Fault, was honored by San Diego Book Awards. She has also published short stories in literary magazines.
Radio: In 2013, Miriam also launched the East County Magazine radio show on KNSJ 89.1 FM, a public radio station. The show, which she hosts, brings award-winning public interest news that is aired across our region in prime-time drive time. Miriam also has experience in radio commercial production and sound editing.
Interviews: She has interviewed many prominent people, including political leaders, national corporate leaders, authors, artists, musicians, religious leaders, fire chiefs, and medical researchers.
Political experience: She has experience in politics as a legislative aide and media representative for two legislators in California’s capitol, as a political consultant to campaigns, and served as media director for a Congressional and State Senate campaign.
Education: She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with an emphasis in political science, as well as an Associate of Arts degree from Grossmont College in El Cajon.
Media reform: Also an active community volunteer, she has attended a national media reform conference and been a leading voice in the media reform movement to establish more independent media outlets to fairly reflect all voices and viewpoints in our communities.
Wildfire alerts founder: After the 2007 firestorms in San Diego County, Miriam founded the East County Alert service, warning people across our region about wildfires and other emergencies, drawing praise from fire chiefs, public officials and grateful members of the public. Currently the alerts service has over 10,000 subscribers.
Professional memberships: Miriam’s professional memberships currently include the Society of Professional Journalists and the San Diego Press Club.