Storytelling has always been at the heart of my business. From the high school newspaper to journalism school to launching a PR firm to help companies tell their stories, I have always been drawn to the art of sharing stories. In fact, that inspired The MomTini Lounge 10+ years ago when I started reporting on parenting topics. My latest chapter/addition is Power Hour Editing where I work as a writing coach to help college and grad school bound students tell their best stories in the competitive admissions process. If you want to connect more on this topic, check out my Facebook page, full of tips & articles of interest. Here’s an overview with some background, and I look forward to sharing more college-related stories in the years ahead!
The Story Behind Power Hour Editing
The approach, “What’s your story?” has not changed since our parent company, Write Ideas PR, took flight 20+ years ago. Its mission is to help companies identify, craft, and communicate their stories to traditional and social media outlets. Compelling, interesting, and creative, these finely-tuned stories have earned clients millions of dollars in value-added media impressions.
College- and graduate school-bound students face the same storytelling challenge. With increasing competition and an unprecedented number of applications, the stakes have never been higher. Essays are an opportunity to humanize the applicant, to impress and distinguish beyond grades and test scores that are written in permanent ink but don’t tell the whole story.
Power Hour Editing is a one-on-one approach that helps students find and amplify their own unique voice. Founder/Editor Amy Smith works with applicants to brainstorm essay topics, provide candid feedback, and communicate ideas in an authentic and genuine way. Smith feels strongly that editing should provide polish to grammar and punctuation without muting the writer’s voice. Smith explains, “I meet students where they are in the process. Whether it’s exploring topics, writing the first draft, or editing online to eliminate careless errors in a final draft, the approach is tailored to the student’s unique ability and personal interests.” She has an extensive track record in getting to the heart of the story fast to communicate messaging that sticks.
Fun fact: Smith wrote an article in 1985 for The Winston Churchill High School Observer about offbeat tactics students used to catch the eye of admissions officers. She updated that article on a college internship at The Virginian-Pilot and Ledger Star, where it ran on the paper’s front page and placed first in the William Randolph Hearst “Pulitzers of college journalism” contest. For more information, visit www.PowerHourEditing.com.
Journalism Background – Amy Smith
Power Hour Editing’s founder Amy Smith brings a unique blend of experience to the table: journalism, public relations, freelance writing, digital publishing, and broadcasting. Smith graduated in the top 10% of her class from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Featured on The Today Show, ABC National News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and multiple TV stations, Smith is a prior national wire columnist. Four times, Write Ideas was part of collaborative efforts that achieved Public Relations Society of America’s Silver Anvil award. Smith authored an essay in Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex & Work in Our ‘40s and was featured in I Love Mondays…and Other Confessions from Devoted Working Moms. She was an invited panelist at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference. She founded two online ventures, The MomTini Lounge, a parenting site, and Powerlines, a PR blog.
Leave A Comment