Linda Christie Jirka, M.A.
Cell 402-203-0684 (CST)

An award-winning business and technical writer and the owner of Write Solutions, Inc., Linda Christie Jirka researches and writes proposals, marketing communications pieces, white papers, Web content, computer and operations manuals, video scripts, training programs, quality assurance documentation, newsletters, and grant proposals. With her extensive technology expertise, corporate marketing communications and training background, Linda is well prepared to speak to the needs of both sophisticated and naïve audiences.


Grant Proposals: Linda has researched and written grant proposals for nonprofits, research institutes, and small- and medium-sized enterprises -- raising over three million dollars internationally. Serving as project manager, Linda locates and screens potential government and foundation grant opportunities, outlines the timetable and deliverables specified by the grant application guidelines, researches background, state-of-the-art, and methodology information, recommends strategies that will optimize the project for funding, prepares the project budget, and ensures that deadlines are met. Her clients include the State of Nevada (Bass & Associates), Alegent Health, Swanson Russell Associates, Boys Town National Resource and Training Center, Fundamental Solutions, and Pro Support in The Netherlands. As a result of our efforts, the State of Nevada received $6.1 million for their State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program (2009), Alegent Health was awarded a $384,000 USDA DLT grant for rural telemedicine (2008), and three European Union Framework Programme research and development grants received over one-million Euro each.

As a Director on the board of the Douglas County Health Center Foundation in Omaha NE, she's written numerous pro bono grant proposals to help improve the quality of life for hundreds of indigent, long-term care residents at the Douglas County Health Center.

Published Author: Linda has a masters degree in industrial psychology and is the author of 11 technical and business books released by top New York publishers including: The ABCs of Microcomputers, The Encyclopedia of Microcomputer Terminology, and Human Resources¾ a Hidden Profit Center, Prentice Hall; The Simon and Schuster Guide to Microcomputer Peripherals; Software Learning Series: dBASE III Plus, Wiley/Chambers; Managing Today and Tomorrow With On-line Information, Dow Jones-Irwin; and Miracle Babies, Rawson Associates. (See also Bibliography on this site.) Recently, Linda coauthored and copyedited Mastering Microsoft Word and the FP7 Coach: vehicle to success, an eBook published by EureBooks and Pro Support, the Netherlands-based firm that assists innovative companies with their R&D efforts by obtaining European CRAFT grant funding.  Recently, she served as a copy editor for Geophysics, a technical journal published by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Information Technology: Linda has served as contributing editor for TechTarget.com. Boasting over 2 million registered members, TechTarget.com operates a portfolio of Websites targeted to IT professionals in specific vertical market segments. She contributed tips and case studies covering IT Service Providers, storage solutions, customer relationship management and EBusiness technologies. Her feature article, "Selecting a VPN Solution: Think security first,"  got the highest page-view count during its first week on SearchNetworking than any other original piece posted. Linda also researched and wrote "Storage Management" (circ. 35,000), a bimonthly e-newsletter published by SearchStorage.com that covered the latest industry tips on storage optimization strategies, data security, and storage service providers (SSPs). (See also IT Tips on this site.)

Linda served as the features editor and senior writer for Cooper Marketing Solutions, the publisher of The Computer Journal (circ. 200,000), Enterprise Technologies, IT Solutions and Strategies, and CAD Technologies. These newsletters inform non-technical business owners as well as enterprise-level data center managers on the latest client-server IT technologies that can improve their business competitiveness. Features and news range in content from enterprise-level data center management and security to e-commerce, network administration, telecommunications, and a myriad of other cutting-edge topics.

Marketing Communications: As a contract writer for Hoffman Marketing Communications, Linda helped rewrite much of  the product literature for the revamped SonicWall Internet security website. In addition, she helped developed an array of marketing materials for OneSecure, a new managed security company, including Web content, white papers, and marketing collateral. (See also OneSecure Flier on this site.)

Small Business Advice: As the Editorial Director for the McManus Group, a firm that publishes specialized small business newsletters (Flowers and Profits, The Successful Travel Agency, The Successful Travel Agent and Hardware Business Advisor), Linda wrote and edited hundreds of articles providing advice to small retailers and business owners. She also served as contributing editor for Oklahoma Business Magazine and wrote numerous articles for Tulsa Magazine published by the Chamber of Commerce. (See also Small Business Advice writing samples on this site.)

Documentation and Training: Linda project managed and wrote the Dowell Schlumberger 200-page, 5-color Equipment Catalog, Tubular Corporation of America Manufacturing Operations Manual, Ketema Heat Transfer ISO-9000 Quality Supplier Audit Program, Ford Motor Company Tulsa Glass Plant Quality Assurance Manual, Sheehan Pipe Line Construction Company Safety Manual, Snappy Car Rental Customer Service Training Manual, and numerous other works including over 50 training and marketing video scripts. (See also Writing Samples and Training Guide on this site.)

Education: Linda has a masters degree in industrial psychology and and has completed numerous post-graduate classes and seminars in writing, video production, and systems analysis; and is a graduate of National Training Lab’s Program for Specialists in Organization Development. In 1990, she received a foreign journalist grant from the Japanese government’s Foreign Ministry to interview over 25 career women and entrepreneurs in Tokyo, Japan. 

Educator:

Writing III (Business and Technical Writing, junior level), Introduction to Psychology and Statistics I (Industrial Psychology) - The University of Tulsa.

In June, 1996, at the University of Oklahoma’s Fifty-Eighth Writing Short Course, she conducted workshops on Writing a Selling Query Letter for Magazine Articles and Writing a Selling Non-Fiction Book Proposal. She was a contest judge for the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Annual Conference published and unpublished non-fiction book categories.

How to Write Successful Grant Proposals, Writing Nonfiction Articles and Book Proposals, Business and Technical Writing, and 25 Ways to Make Money with Your Writing - Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE

She has also conducted business/technical writing, magazine article writing, grant writing, telephone techniques, and computer classes for The University of Tulsa [Writing III (junior-level technical/business writing)], Metropolitan Community College (Omaha NE), Tulsa Community College (Tulsa OK), Tulsa Technology Center (BITS), The City of Tulsa, Central and South West Services, Memorex Telex, CITGO, LORI/Nordham, OXY U.S.A., and many others.

Business and Technical Writing/Grant Writing/Newsletter Publishing/Selling and Writing Magazine Articles/ and Telephone Etiquette - Tulsa Community College (Special Programs), Tulsa Technology Center (BITS), Tulsa Public Schools (Continuing Adult Education), City of Tulsa, Central and South West Services, CITGO, LORI/Nordham, Ford Motor Company, OXY U.S.A., and others.