Valerie Peterson

P.O. Box 1874 New York, NY 10013 USA
Website: http://petersonsbackstory.com/freelance.html
Contact

Professional Experience

I'm a broadly-skilled food writer, recipe developer, journalist, humorist and webisode producer, specializing in lifestyle content & holidays. The author of four well-reviewed books (cookbooks, humor), I've written for publications ranging from The New York Times (food, cocktails, Op-Ed) to glossies like Dessert Professional. My work as a filmmaker, my experience in film/video production, and my corporate background (brand marketing, campaign ideation & development, and strategic planning) makes me a thoughtful, effective and informed freelance writer and webisode producer. I am budget-minded, flexible and collaborative and can efficiently direct staff, vendors and talent. Im also adept at writing promotional copy, press releases, presentations, ads and point-of-sale displays. I blog as well as publish my own Peterson's e-newsletter, which contains robust, original, useful and "entertainingly irreverent"* content. (*from Associated Press review for Peterson's Holiday Helper)

Expertise

Book Author
5 Years
Writer
15 Years
Other, Specify
6 Years

Specialty

Food
15 Years
Humor
15 Years
Lifestyle
15 Years

Industries


Book Publishing Consumer
15 Years
Short Film
5 Years
Newspaper - National
2 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

15 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

The New York Times (6-10), Scholastic Book Company (3-5), Storey/Workman Publishing (1-2), Clarkson Potter (1-2)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Goldman Sachs (1-2), Pitney Bowes (1-2)

Other Work History

SELECTED IN-HOUSE WORK HISTORY WILEY PUBLISHING, INC., Hoboken, NJ Assoc. Marketing Director, Cooking, Gardening & Travel - Directed marketing for $50+ million list, including bestselling authors & brands (Betty Crocker, Frommers Guides). Consistently exceeded revenue targets. Developed & allocated budgets. Directed staff. DOUBLEDAY/RANDOM HOUSE, INC., New York, NY Assoc. Director of Marketing - Developed & implemented strategic marketing plans for fiction & non-fiction titles, including NYT bestsellers (James Lee Burke, Robert Crais, etc.). Wrote, directed & produced seasonal sales videos & audiotapes. Directed staff. PITNEY BOWES Stamford, CT Mgr, Program Planning & Analysis Managed strategic planning, primary research & marketing, including trade shows, sales conferences & advertising. Assoc. Producer, Sales Leadership Conferences Produced motivational business meetings, including 10-act musical, sales awards & promotional materials; wrote executive addresses.

Technical Skills

Photoshop, Kompozer, some FinalCut

Unions

Author's Guild

Computer Skills

Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Equipment

I'm skilled with the digital camera (my photography has been published in the New York Times)

References

on request

Awards

The Maid of Honor - Narrative short film - writer, director, producer, editor Official Selection, Sedona International Film Festival The Jane Austen Syndrome - Feature screenplay Honorable Mention, More Magazine screenplay competition Third Place winner, Big Apple Film Festival (early draft) Honorable Mention, Cinequest (early draft) Second Rounder, Austin Film Festival Screenwriters Competition Promotional Products Association International Gold Pyramid Award, Sales Incentive Programs - Sunset Limited Tackle Box Promotion Pitney Bowes model 7100 Direct Mail Certificate of Special Merit - Association of Graphic Arts Crocodile Slide Card Promotion Certificate of Special Merit - Association of Graphic Arts Gummy Bears Direct Mail Benjamin Franklin Award -- business-to-business category Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association

Associations

Author's Guild, IFP (Independent Feature Project)

Showcase

Journalism

"A Drop of Cream, A Scream, A New Year"
(New York Times Op-Ed page 1/1/2009)
Following the publication of my cocktail/humor book, Peterson's Happy Hour, I was asked to write a New York Times Op-Art about New Year's traditions around the world.
"Spirits (Liquid, Not Ghostly) for the Holidays"
(The New York Times 12/20/2009)
A report on hoiiday cocktails and how cutting-edge mixologists combine traditional flavor profiles with up-to-the-minute trends.
"Cocktails and the Pastry Kitchen"
(Dessert Professional Magazine 6/1/2010)
An informative and prescriptive report on how the growing trend of well-crafted cocktails can be used to complement and/or enhance restaurant dessert menus.
A Taste of the Emerald Isle
(The New York Times 3/12/2009)
A St. Patrick's Day-timed review of Butcher's Fancy, an Irish grocery store in Yonkers, New York--including a survey of its house-made delicacies as well as the foods and flavors imported from Ireland.
"Tart or Sweet, Ways to Drink to Romance"
(The New York Times 2/8/2009)
A Valentine's Day-themed overview of purported aphrodisiacs and legendary "romantic" ingredients and how they're being utilized in cutting-edge cocktails.
"Lentils and Spices for a Dal All Your Own"
(The New York Times 7/12/2009)
A survey/review of Indian grocers in Westchester County, New York--including descriptions and uses for exotic Indian delicacies.
"Cocktails on Deck: Scenic Overlooks for Sipping Drinks"
(The New York Times 8/3/2008)
An extensive survey/review of outdoor cocktail bars and summer drinks in Westchester.

Online/Web Writing

Salute to Father's Day
(Peterson's Happy Hour e-newsletter 6/18/2010)
Each issue of this e-newsletter -- a mini magazine -- contains original, informative content and a recipe, all with Peterson's signature "entertainingly irreverent"* tone. *Associated Press
Peterson's Happy Hour blog
(personal blog 6/18/2010)
Lifestyle-themed blog with a focus on cocktails, books, media and entertainment...

Recipe Development

Hot Chocolate Valentine
(The New York Times 2/8/2009)
Cocktail developed to accompany Valentine's Day-themed New York Times article, "Tart or Sweet: Ways to Drink to Romance."

Video/Film/Photography

Hot Chocolate Valentine - photo
(The New York Times 2/8/2009)
Photograph styled and taken to accompany Hot Chocolate Valentine recipe.
The Maid of Honor
(self-produced 7/27/2024)
An Official Selection of the Sedona International Film Festival, this short, narrative comedy was shot on Super16mm film. It features a beleaguered Maid of Honor who is dealing with a demanding bride--and, when pushed to her limit, shows just how resourceful she can be.

Books

Peterson's Happy Hour
(Clarkson Potter book publishers 6/1/2010)
A follow-up to Peterson's Holiday Helper, this book presents more than 50 common everyday "stressors" and their cocktail antidotes. When the daily grind begins to grate, lifting your spirits can be as simple as lifting a glass of spirits! Whether you need to cool off after a computer meltdown, dilute a deer-icidal impulse when Bambi's relatives are eating your garden, or subdue the sticker shock of your grocery bill, the refreshing solutions and helpful tips in this book will keep your mood afloat. Peterson's Happy Hour prescribes the perfect liquid antidote for your household hindrances, workday worries, playtime problems, or vacation vexations.
Peterson's Holiday Helper
(Random House/Clarkson Potter 11/1/2009)
"An attractive, nostalgic, kitsch- crammed cocktail book that holds the cures for most Advent meltdowns." --The New York Times "Entertainingly irreverent." --The Associated Press How to recapture those blissful holidays of yore? What's the secret? I searched and searched and after a whole hour on the Internet, I found the answer: liquor." Yes, the antidote to holiday stress is, quite simply, to keep good spirits in you. Whether you need to ease the friction at the Thanksgiving table, dull the guilt of smashing one of Great-Grandmama's heirloom Christmas ornaments, or take the bite out of a New Year's Day hangover, the collection of more than 50 cocktail recipes and tips the mood afloat. With festive, original concoctions (such as Pilgrim Sangria and the Ginerous Regift) as well as time-honored classics (Mulled Wine and Eggnog), Peterson administers easy and delicious pick-me-ups for holiday humbugs and soothing calm-me-downs for the inevitable celebratory crises.
Cookie Craft
(Storey Publishing/Workman 10/1/2007)
"A must-have..."? --The Washington Post "Wow... The cookies are gorgeous and the level of detail is stunning... If cookies are your thing, this book is your lifeline." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune "[A]nyone who wants to make beautiful cookies will find [Cookie Craft] jammed with ideas and advice."? --Associated Press Cookie Craft gives readers access to the entire world of decorated cookies, beginning with an inspirational gallery of 150 colorful cookies guaranteed to start those creative juices flowing.