Mission & Me
Before I knew my passion for helping authors of content that helps foster a more connected, healthier world, I'd been a lab tech at veterinary facilities, a grad. student and cancer researcher, a public relations rep, a magazine manager, and a health and science writer. A proud Austinite, reading sates my curiosity about people and the world, and practicing a mindfulness-related martial art called Aikido has grounded me for 35 years.
Who do I help?
Self-published and traditionally published writers who want to create transformational content that helps foster more connected, engaged communities while touching on societal and environmental topics. That includes personal development content (self-help or memoir), and big idea works that help a group develop a healthier lifestyle or mindset, nature essays, how to books on sustainability, and historical fiction that promotes our connection with nature, or that explores stereotypes, covers overlooked cultural perspectives, or a society’s cultural evolution.
Why work with me?
I have the big picture sensibility to help writers unearth their book's focus early on from the pile of competing options, or when struggling to make a book proposal gel, plus the eagle eye to help with polishing content and to guide the query letter and agent outreach process of traditional publishing. My clear, in-your-corner input for thought leaders of transformational content is informed by decades as a strategic communicator of succinct, compelling content about complex topics (see below for experience details), and is founded on a passion for projects that foster healthier lifestyle choices or healthier community perspectives.
Barbra A. Rodriguez
The CV Skinny
I previously spent 15+ years working with university faculty and staff to present their life-science, medical and other discoveries in print, while freelancing for state and national outlets. I write for conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, and ghostwrite nonfiction on neuroscience, spiritual development, healthy living topics, and more.
5 freelance recognitions
Two national awards for magazine health writing, and a state award for a profile of conservationists, plus travel fellowships to global science journalism, and ecological research, conferences
100+ press releases
Developed releases that drew national and state media coverage about advances in areas such as biology, genetics, nanoscience, psychology, and sustainable landscaping
8 national publications
Freelanced for the AARP's Segunda Juventud, Diabetes Self-Management, a newspaper supplement, etc., plus the general science journals, Nature and Science
4 meeting summaries
Wrote three recaps about meetings on the mental health needs of higher education students of color, and one about Latin American science journalism initiatives
4 years of coaching
I've helped writers refine ideas for fitness, historical fiction, memoir, and career-development books, develop self-help book proposals, memoir manuscripts, and learn to pitch his. fic. and big idea books.
3 coach certifications
Over 500 hours training for book coach certification for Nonfiction, for Memoir, and for Fiction by Author Accelerator, whom I work independently of
3 competitions judged
Of nonfiction books in national and state competitions for the National Assoc. of Science Writers, and Writers League of Texas
2 related certifications
I aced the copyediting certificate program of UC, San Diego, and also hold a certificate in Science Communication from UC, Santa Cruz, plus have pursued coursework on memoir structure, publishing routes, etc.
Coaching Cred
A full-time book content guide since 2016, I've provided direct, in-your-corner coaching for authors of nonfiction, memoir, and historical fiction that promote intentional living and healthier communities. My services include book idea and outline refinement, manuscript reviews, book proposals, and teaching the steps to prepare to pitch to literary agents.
In 26 years of editing, I've managed and written university magazines, overseen a trade journal, and worked on 20+ book projects for six publishers and independent authors, using my big-picture sensibility and eagle eye
More than a dozen self-help/how to books + 8 memoir edited
Projects since 2016 include edits of structure and style for a sustainable agriculture book for MIT Press, and an award-winning hybrid memoir for Stanford U., and copy/line editing of Spanish dialogue in an indie memoir
4 conservation clients
Editing clients include the TX chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and the Ecosystem Sciences Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
4 publications managed
Two life science magazines managed for Washington Univ. School of Medicine, and the Univ. of Texas at Austin, and a conservation magazine managed for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, as well as executive editing of thirteen issues of a trade engineering journal (Deep Foundations of the DFI).
16 health modules developed
Updated fifteen physician education web modules (research and editing) since 2017, and written another module for the State of Texas
Certifications & Memberships
