Melissa Denchak

Brooklyn, NY USA
Website: http://www.melissadenchak.com
Contact

Professional Experience

The Guatemalan highlands. Private African safari camps. Rhubarb preserves. Iconic watches. For eight-plus years, I have promoted a variety of people, places, and products in the travel, food, and lifestyle sectors. I'm a storyteller and love finding just the right angle to engage just the right audience, whether in print, online, or via social media. I've worked as an editor for Fine Cooking, Departures, and Black Ink magazines. My writing has appeared in those publications, as well as in American Way, Digital Nomad, Budget Travel, and Food & Wine. I've provided copywriting services for travel companies like Viaventure Central America and Abercrombie & Kent. I'm an avid traveler and have lived in and explored much of Latin America and Europe. (Hablo espanol.) I'm an avid eater with a culinary diploma from New York's Institute of Culinary Education. Looking for a writer, copywriter, editor, or recipe developer? Please get in touch! www.melissadenchak.com

Expertise

Copywriter
3 Years
Editor
8 Years
Writer
8 Years

Specialty

Food
8 Years
Lifestyle
8 Years
Travel
8 Years

Industries


Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines
8 Years
Marketing (in-house) - Small to mid-sized corp. cl
3 Years
Newsletter - Consumer
3 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

8 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Adventure Travel Magazine (1-2), Fine Cooking Magazine (3-5), American Way Magazine (1-2)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Viaventure Central America (10+), Abercrombie & Kent (1-2)

Other Work History

Viaventure Central America, Media Relations Manager (October 2012 to present) Fine Cooking Magazine, Contributing Editor (April 2012 to present) Fine Cooking Magazine, Associate Editor (April 2010 to April 2012) Departures/Black Ink Magazines, Assistant Editor (September 2007 to April 2010) Publishers Weekly Magazine, Book Reviewer (January 2007 to March 2008) SpaFinder, Inc., Assistant Editor (April 2007 to September 2007) Budget Travel Magazine, Assistant Editor (January 2007 to April 2007) Food & Wine Magazine, Editorial/Event Coordinator Intern (February 2006 to December 2006) Peace Corps, Small Enterprise Development Volunteer (May 2002 to August 2004)

Foreign Language Skills

Fluent in Spanish

Computer Skills

Proficient in Constant Contact, InCopy, QuarkXPress, Windows XP, and WordPress

Equipment

Laptop and Canon EOS Rebel T2i

References

Available upon request

Showcase

Style

In Defense of $870 Jeans
(Departures Magazine 9/1/2008)
Kiton CEO Antonio De Matteis presents his case for a suitmaker's classic denim.
Panoramic Bracelets
(Black Ink Magazine 12/1/2008)
A look at three new creations from Van Cleef & Arpels.

Recipe Development

Fine Cooking Recipes
(Fine Cooking 11/1/2013)
A variety of sweet and savory recipes that I developed.

Travel

Hiking the Guatemalan Highlands
(Adventure Travel Magazine 1/1/2014)
Exploring the Guatemalan highlands on foot.
Six Cool Attractions Opening This Year
(Budget Travel Magazine 5/1/2007)
New family-friendly attractions.
Hybrid-Friendly Hotels
(Budget Travel Magazine 4/1/2007)
Provencal Style
(Black Ink Magazine 7/1/2008)
Three historic places in stay in the heart of Provence.
Private Safari Camps
(Black Ink Magazine 7/1/2008)
Exclusive-use camps in Africa.

Lifestyle

Date Night, Reinvented
(American Way 2/1/2014)
Curated dates for couples.

Copywriting

The Viaventurer
(Viaventure Central America 1/1/2014)
I produced travel company Viaventure's 2014 marketing brochure, which took the form of a glossy magazine. Articles like "3 Must-Visit Eco-lodges" and "A Taste of Honduran Farm Life" used storytelling as a device to sell Viaventure's tours, hotels, and destinations.
Belize & Guatemala
(Abercrombie & Kent 10/1/2013)
I wrote this article for travel company Abercrombie & Kent's magazine, The Sundowner. The goal of this story was to inspire clients to travel to Guatemala and Belize by billing these destinations, when paired, as a microcosm of Central America's top draws.
The Viaventurer
(Viaventure Central America 11/1/2014)
I research, write, and edit "The Viaventurer," a company newsletter that is distributed to approximately 10,000 tour operators, travel agents, and members of the press and general public.

Food

Try This: Pomegranates
(Fine Cooking Magazine 11/1/2012)
A must-try seasonal food find.
Great Finds
(Fine Cooking Magazine 4/1/2012)
Fine Cooking's latest buys for the kitchen and table.
Barbecue Central
(Fine Cooking Magazine 6/3/2012)
A sneak peek at grill guru Bruce Aidells's stunning outdoor kitchen.
Preserving the Season: Fresh Nuts
(Fine Cooking Magazine 10/1/2010)
A delicious way to preserve one of fall's favorite ingredients.
Try This: Garlic Scapes
(Fine Cooking Magazine 6/2/2012)
A must-try seasonal food find.