Writers' Rough Drafts

Geraldine DeRuiter is the hand and mind behind Everywhereist.com, listed as one of TIME Magazine's Top 25 blogs of 2011, and Forbes Magazine's Top 10 Lifestyle blogs. She describes her enterprise as "a travel blog for the accidentally adventurous" and is known for her self-deprecating and hilarious stories and impeccable tourist attraction and restaurant reviews. A former freelance editor and copywriter, Geraldine now spends most of her time straddling across the globe with her husband, Rand Fishkin. She has explored and written about several destinations across Americas, Europe and Asia and pens down her experiences in various forms like blogs, infographics, photographs, tips, advices, and open letters.

Ann Handley is a veteran of creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. Ann is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller  Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content (September 2014, Wiley) and co-author of the best-selling book on content marketing, Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (2011, Wiley). She is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs; a columnist for Entrepreneur magazine; a LinkedIn Influencer; a keynote speaker, mom, and writer. - See more at: http://www.annhandley.com/about/#sthash.5o64NlwH.dpuf

Abby Kerr is a creative and freelance writer who owns and serves as the Creative Director of The Voice Bureau, a boutique copywriting and branding agency that specializes in small, sensitive, subtle businesses. Through The Voice Bureau, she created the Voice Values Self-Assessment which asks content creators and business owners to make a series of statement that most represent their values and brand foundation. The result does not only break down their most prominent Voice Values, but also how to apply them to writing and marketing.

An ever-evolving business woman, she began offering online courses through her agency. The most recent ones focusing on email marketing and crafting your most authentic about page. She's constantly on the lookout for the next brilliant writing or business opportunity, all while managing writing masterminds and encouraging her peers to pursue their writing passions while working away at her own.

Sam Davidson is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, writer and all-around massive proponent of changing the world by being a leader and standing up for the things you believe in. He started his first company, Cool People Care in 2006 after a short stint in the nonprofit world taught him he loves helping others but hates working for them. He's gone on to found three companies since -- most recently, Batch and Onward -- and often consults with companies and organizations to get their start and reach out to younger generations.

The author of the books New Day Revolution, 50 Things Your Life Doesn't Need and Simplify Your Life, Sam is an authority on focusing on what matters and doing something big with it. A frequent speaker at non-profit events, business conferences and college campuses across the nation, he loves inspiring the thoughts of today through the generations of tomorrow. Speaking of inspiration, in addition to his own blogging and article work, you can subscribe to his short Daily Dose emails, a quick and thought provoking way to start each and every day. 

Jamie Varon is an entrepreneur, graphic and web designer, writer, app developer, author, traveler, curator, course creator – seriously, she’s a woman of so many talents, one feels intimidated just trying to read her bio, let alone keep up. In 2009, when personal branding is at the height of being personal branding, she launched the website, Twitter Should Hire Me to make a big splash on the scene. She's been splashing all over the place since then: starting the hugely popular and successful Shatterboxx web design boutique, traveling to and then living in Paris and Rome, being bold enough to try her hand at any pursuit or passion she’d wanted. She moved to LA last year to become a Hollywood screenwriting superstar, only to discover she really just wanted to be a writer who was able to state her own truth. Wrangling a fabulous position as the West Coast Producer of Thought Catalog, writing and publishing two books in 2014 filled with personal essays and hilarious stories -- all while rocking the characteristic sass and wit that garnered an audience that has followed her around the world and back again. 

Paul Jarvis is a freelancer, entrepreneur, web designer, bestselling author, course creator, podcaster and all around jack of creative trades. With a library of books on his virtual and physical bookshelves including The Good Creative and Write Your Damn Book, he has garnered an audience of writers and artists who devour anything he has to say about all things innovative, as evidenced by his popular weekly Sunday Dispatches Newsletter which are exclusive letters about freelancing, creativity and life delivered direct to your inbox, or his weekly podcast Invisible Office Hours with Jason SurfrApp specifically for unconventional thinkers who don't spend their time confined to an office. His most recent offering, The Creative Class is an online course designed specifically to help thoughtful freelancers master the pragmatic details of running a one-person business.

Lise Cartwright is a freelance writer, blogger and social media consulant. In June 2012, she decided to quit her administration job and started her own company, Outsourced Freelancing Business where she helps make a difference in the way small businesses brands are represented to the world through engaging copy, great blog articles and shareable social media content. She has also written and self-published three bestselling eBooks on Amazon including the how-to guide, Side Hustle Blueprint: How to Make an Extra $1000 in 30 Days Without Leaving Your Day Job!

Sean Platt is a bestselling author with over 60 titles to his name on Amazon. Primarily a fiction writer, Sean’s world of words has a very entrepreneurial arm. As the founder of multiple imprints and publishing projects including Collective Inkwell, Realm of Sands, and his newest Sterling and Stone, he works with business partners Johnny B. Truant and David Wright to create and put out multiple series of stories in a plethora of genres, from children’s books, through to fantasy and full out dark horror.

The voice behind the popular Sterling and Stone Podcast that used to be called The Self Publishing Podcast and website, he offers advice and insights to folks interested in self-publishing to help them set up their own entrepreneurial adventures. He has also penned the go-to guide for self-publishing success, Write. Publish. Repeat. In 2013, which continues to shine with over 400 five-star reviews on Amazon.

In 2014  with Johnny B. Truant, he completed and published an entire fiction book in just 30 days with their Fiction Unboxed Kickstarter project. And went for it again in November for NaNoWriMo with their Fiction Unboxed 1.5.

Sarah Peck is a writer, storyteller and a designer with a background in communications and publishing for various urban landscaping businesses. In other words, she works to share narratives about how to make concrete jungles beautiful. She's able to transition that ability to perfectly pinpoint the important things we should take from our worlds, and apply to our writing and businesses.

Her popular courses on writing and content strategy for thought leaders are a massive draw to her website, ItStartsWith.com, which is filled with such profound personal essays, you'll be stuck there for hours. She has also appeared on stages around the world, and facilitates storytelling and writing workshops to help people find their own unique stories.

A woman never shy away from a good challenge, she raised over $29,000 for Charity Water on her 29th birthday by pledging to and then actually swimming naked to Alcatraz at the end of October -- brave woman right there.