If the project involves words, ANGELA K. DURDEN has probably chosen them f
or it.
“I can’t help it. I’ve loved words since I knew what a word was,” Durden said. “I
was hooked on using them from the time I found out that letters formed words and words
formed sentences and sentences formed paragraphs and those paragraphs strung together
formed stories that would make people smile and laugh and cry and get mad.”
Then in December 2010, words spoke to her again. This time in the form of
telling stories through song. Durden shook her head in amazement at what life will throw
your way. She explained, “It’s like my whole love affair throughout life has led me to
this point. I did not choose music. Music chose me. The message was loud, clear,
definitive, and could not be ignored.”
To that end, she eventually formed Second Bight Publishing to serve both
her and the song publishing needs of busy, part-time, or occasional songwriters. Both
that company and she, as a songwriter herself, are affiliated with SESAC, the premier
performing rights organization.
Multi-book author and songwriter, Angela is dedicated to helping companies,
authors, music artists, and musicians find success and profitability, and looks for
opportunities to do that in a variety of ways.
Because of serving a broad array of businesses through the years — from writing
columns in newspapers to articles in trade publications; from internal and external
communications for large and small corporations to bios for authors, CEOs, musicians,
and artists; from business, children’s, and fiction books to songwriting — Durden
sharpened her abilities to manage the life cycle of the word.
That management includes: The placement of words within the design scope.
Photography to accompany the words. Choosing the words to best serve the project. For
almost four years, Angela was managing editor for an international nonprofit trade group
association. For six more, she guided the manufacturer-mandated dealer validation
process for a multi-location retail new and used commercial truck dealership.
Angela won national attention in 1999 for her first published book, Nine Stupid
Things People Do To Mess Up Their Resumes. On her first radio appearance, she
advised nationally syndicated host G. Gordon Liddy about how to best cover up the
extended gap in his resume caused by his long yet controversial prison term.
In 2006, she launched the Mike and His Grandpa series of children’s books with
Heroes Need Practice, Too. The Balloon That Would Not Pop! came next in the series.
The release of the first children’s books was followed by Eloise Forgets How to Laugh
and others. (www.amazon.com)
In between teaching creative writing workshops at schools, she was project
coordinator and graphic designer for a four co-author book entitled Opportunity Meets
Motivation, about why and how four women from different walks of life created thriving
businesses. She edits and designs books for authors.
Her memoir, Twinkle, and crime novel, Whitfield, Nebraska, will soon be
published. In development is a series of crime novels set in Georgia and branded as From
the Case Files of Smith and Jones.
Angela is also a member and former board member of the nonprofit Georgia
Music Industry Association (www.gmia.org); member of Georgia Music Partners
(www.georgiamsuicpartners.org), film-business-oriented Georgia Production Partnership
(www.georgiaproduction.org), Atlanta Writers Club (www.atlantawritersclub.org), and
The Recording Academy (www.grammy365.com).
“One thing I’ve noticed in the songwriting business, is that there are often
brilliant hooks, but not much of a story to go between,” she said. “I like to work with
those people and help them take a song and blow it up into something that feeds the souls
of their listeners and makes it memorable. What does the artist or songwriter bring to the
table by way of experience and how can we tell that story in less than four minutes?”
She noted that sometimes people have a difficult time putting their knowledge
into words. Yet that is a process she is intimately acquainted with.
She loves to meet people who are engaged in life, have a positive mindset, and
never say die. “That’s true,” she said. “Creeps, charlatans, and cheats will find no help
from me. And once they show their true colors, they better watch out. But those sincerely
seeking to honor their craft by working to improve and getting the help they need to do it:
Those are my people.”
If your goal is moving your career forward by improving your lyrics, spoken
word, screenplay, or book manuscript, Angela K. Durden is the one to help you.
Second Bight Publishing
PO Box 1143 • Decatur, Georgia 30031
Office: 404.315.7740
Fax: 770.454.0029
Direct: 404.358.0951
angeladurden@msn.com
www.angeladurden.com
http://twitter.com/lovedoggey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/angela.durden1
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