I specialize in helping my clients to show, in words and images, why their work matters.

I developed this story about USAID-funded youth programs in Haiti during a 2003 visit to Port-au-Prince. There I interviewed program staff and advised Family Health International’s in-country staff on how best to publicize their important work by working with local news media.

WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU

1. •  Articles, including feature stories, profiles, commentary/op-ed and journal articles, such as those I have reported and written as a freelance journalist for the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and many other publications.
   
   

2. •  Books, “works for hire,” such as the history of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Club, and the top-selling Art of Fine Cigars I authored for LittleBrown & Co.
   
   

3. •  Fact sheets, such as those I’ve developed with AED for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   
   

4. •  Marketing collateral, such as the annual reports and brochures I produced for Family Health International and other clients.
   
   

5. •  Monographs, such as the one I developed for PATH on the role of NGOs in implementing new medical technologies in the developing world.
   
   

6. •  Newsletters, such as those I wrote and edited for the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA).
   
   

7. •  Proposals, such as the winning $35 million USAID proposal I wrote for Family Health International.
   
   

8. •  Reports, such as the meeting summaries I’ve prepared for SAMHSA, Veterans Affairs and NIH-sponsored national medical conferences.
   
   

9. •  “Success stories” profiling individuals and programs implementing donor-funded projects, such as those I wrote for the Futures Group.
   
   

10. •   Technical writing that requires “translating” medical or other  technical information into “plain English” for nonspecialized readers.
    
    

11. •  Training manuals, such as those for use in the developing world I developed for Family Health International.
    
    

12. •  Web content, such as what I developed, wrote, and managed for Family Health International.

CORE COMPETENCIES

1. • Write and speak clearly, credibly, persuasively
   
   

2. • Target written products to affected/interested readers
   
   

3. • Identify, access, interview leading experts
   
   

4. • Synthesize information into engaging narratives
   
   

5. • Translate specialized information into ‘plain English’
   
   

6. • Edit others’ work to make them shine
   
   

7. • Manage projects, staff, vendors
   
   

8. • Conceptualize “big picture," execute details
   
   

9. • Teach, train, mentor, inspire others
   
   

10. • Work well in culturally diverse settings

WHAT OTHERS SAY

“John was a part of a team I assembled to promote the work I was doing on HIV in Africa. My team presented a series of papers at a regional meeting in Zambia. John worked with the team to ensure that the presentations were of high quality, communicating a consistent set of messages. John also worked on a manuscript with the group that later appeared in a peer-reviewed journal. He was delightful to work with, highly knowledgeable, and skilled. I recommend him both as a strategic thinker to guide your communications efforts and as a technical consultant with many skills to produce your communication tools.”

Gregory Pappas, M.D., Ph.D., Deputy Director for HIV/AIDS, District of Columbia Department of Public Health

“It is a pleasure to work with a professional. That was my experience with John. I benefited greatly from his journalistic experience, his writing skills, his knowledge of the HIV and AIDS world and his creative approach to our projects. I recommend him highly.”

Frank Webb, Ph.D., Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Engineering World Health

“John-Manuel is an excellent writer and researcher. His books--Victory Deferred: How AIDS Changed Gay Life in America, and Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco-- demonstrate his talent as a chronicler of social and cultural movements of the 20th century. John has the rare capacity to write both scholarly and "lay" texts that are well-researched and a joy to read.”

Judith Auerbach, Ph.D., Vice President, Science & Public Policy, San Francisco AIDS Foundation

SAMPLE ‘SUCCESS STORY’

CONSULTING