Annika Hipple
Freelance writer, editor, travel photographer

Websites:

• My website: www.annikahipple.com
• My international travel column at Examiner.com

Effective communication is about connecting with people in a way that resonates with their needs, concerns, and interests. At its heart, it's about telling a good story. That's where I come in.

I am a freelance writer and photographer specializing in travel, environmental issues, philanthropy, international development, and meetings and events. As a journalist, I write about these topics for a variety of magazines, newspapers, and online publications.

As a copywriter, I work with businesses and organizations who want to stand out in a crowd. Through articles, website content, brochures, reports, and other written products, I help you inform, engage, and inspire your target audience. Simply put, I find the words to show the world who you are and how you are different.

My clients include travel, hospitality, and outdoor recreation companies; cultural organizations; nonprofit organizations working on global issues; and businesses that are striving to be sustainable and socially responsible.

I write a column on international travel for the Seattle edition of Examiner.com. I also write two travel-related blogs. Crossing Time Zones covers such topics as sustainable and responsible travel, voluntourism and other issues-related travel, noteworthy sustainable development projects, and people and organizations around the world that are doing interesting work on global issues. Real Scandinavia focuses on travel, news, and culture in the five Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.

In addition, I am a travel photographer with a portfolio of images available for editorial and/or commercial use. Like writing, good photography is about storytelling. A photograph captures a particular moment in time that may represent a larger story. I have been capturing such moments in locations around the world for many years.

My academic background is in environmental studies, international development, geography, and Latin American studies. On a personal level, I'm half Swedish, half American and equally at home in both countries. Beyond that, I'm a voracious reader, an avid salsa dancer, a folk and world music addict, and an enthusiastic explorer of the great outdoors.

I offer crisp, clear writing with style and flair to help target your message to a particular audience. I am particularly good at bringing together multiple sources of information and transforming complex ideas into clean, accessible copy.

As an editor and proofreader, I am an expert at fixing grammatical errors, catching typos, and smoothing out stylistic issues to create a quality editorial product. I can clean up a document without losing the individuality of the writer or streamline a product with multiple authors so that it speaks with a single voice.

In addition, my multilingual background enables me to work easily with clients whose native language is not English. I can improve and enhance existing English text or create new English content from materials in Swedish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese.

I am looking for referral partners, particularly those with connections in the following fields: travel, hospitality, outdoor recreation, environmental issues, sustainable and socially responsible business, international development, philanthropy, nonprofits, and cultural organizations. It would be great if we could help each other!

M.A., Latin American studies (concentrations in geography and political science), The University of Arizona, 2000.

Fulbright grantee in international development studies, Uppsala University, Sweden, 1995-1996.

B.A., environmental studies (focus on human ecology) with minors in creative writing and Spanish, Middlebury College, 1995.

College semester in Ecuador, Comparative Ecology Program, School for International Training, 1994.

Samples of past projects (for more details, see my website):

Frequent contributor to Northwest Meetings & Events, Conscious Choice, and GreenSceneUSA.com. Published articles and essays in Trip, The Christian Science Monitor, Colors NW, Borderlines, Middlebury Magazine, Prudence International Magazine (known as the Pulse of Africa), Iranian.com, and other publications and websites.

Ethical Traveler, Berkeley, CA: As news editor, work with volunteer writers to develop story ideas and produce monthly e-newsletter about responsible travel.

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Norwalk, CT: Write newsletter articles, press releases, web content, and marketing and development materials for blood cancer research and advocacy foundation.

Travel Channel Media, New York, NY: Wrote descriptions and supplementary information about 120 points of interest in Stockholm, Sweden, for downloadable travel guide.

RenewComm, Washington, DC: Copyedited solar energy proposal for a client of this green communications firm.

AMEC Geomatrix , Inc., Seattle, WA: Edited technical reports and proposals for environmental and geotechnical consulting firm.

Expedia, Bellevue, WA: Researched and wrote content for online hotel infosites.

REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), Kent, WA: Wrote backpacking clinic outline. Edited product information guide and online expert advice article. Proofread catalog items.

National Network of Forest Practitioners, Providence, RI: Translated forestry-related articles from English into Spanish.

The Scandinavian Living Center, West Newton, MA: Wrote promotional articles for newsletter and press kit.

The Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, Tucson, AZ: Compiled and co-edited directory of research at the University of Arizona related to the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Research experience:

The Nature of the News: Environmental Organizations and the Mass Media in Mexico. M.A. thesis, including interviews and archival research in Mexico City.

Land-use change in northern and central Mexico. Co-author of draft discussion paper prepared for the World Wildlife Fund Chihuahuan Desert Conservation Workshop.

Public-private partnerships in natural resource management. Research for project on water policy in the Texas-Mexico border region, Latin American Area Center, The University of Arizona.

Ecotourism as a conservation tool in the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico. Research for working paper for The Nature Conservancy Mexico Program.

Peru's Shining Path: Sendero Luminoso's Rise...and Fall? Research paper as part of Fulbright studies in international development, Uppsala University.

Crisis and Conservation: Environmental Issues and Awareness in Ecuador. B.A. thesis, including study of environmental awareness in a middle-class suburban community near Quito.

Other experience:

Tour manager: I lead several international trips per year for museum, nonprofit, and university alumni travel programs. Tour experience includes Egypt, Mongolia, the Galapagos Islands, Patagonia, Easter Island, New Zealand, Japan, China, Central Europe, Italy, the Baltic region, and more. Upcoming travel includes a return to Chile and Argentina. Previously, I led tours throughout the U.S. and Canada for mainstream tour companies. Occasionally I guide visitors locally in the Seattle area.