Doug Ropa

I've always written about the successes, struggles, and lives of other people, first as a newspaper reporter and now as a communications coordinator in higher education. Stories about real people are relatable and find an enthusiastic audience, whether in marketing, social media, television and film, or sales. That said, I have a difficult time writing about myself.

From a young age I knew that if I was going to have a good-paying career that I also loved, it would involve the written word.

Since 2000, I've worked as a copywriter, content strategist, print and e-newsletter publications manager, and editor for Northeast Iowa Community College. As a freelance copyeditor my project preferences include trade fiction and non-fiction books, essays, and short stories. So I don't turn this online bio into a LinkedIn clone, here is a little more about me.

I'm absolutely fascinated by the English language and read anything I can with the time I have; poetry, short stories, media op-eds and editorials, essays, and cereal boxes at breakfast. Always a firm believer that writers write and writers read, my literary influences include Rita Dove, Kurt Vonnegut, Sherman Alexie, Raymond Carver, W. B. Yeats, August Wilson, and a countless list of more big names separated by commas that will tire your patience.

Early in my career I invested my time in environmental activism, a recycling-of-packaging political campaign in Boston, Massachusetts, comedy skit writing, stage performance and direction, and advocacy for an expansion of college campus media to include radio, so that tuition-strapped students would be served more effectively.

When I'm not reading, writing, or editing, or wasting valuable time on Twitter (@Doug_Ropa), I'm listening to music of all genres, re-creating native prairie areas for pollinators, looking at visual art and sculpture, and planning my next home remodeling project. I'm a Chicago-area native who grew up about an hour north of the city in Lake County, Illinois, and now live in Dubuque, Iowa.

I completed the Editing certificate program from the University of Chicago, a master's in communication from the University of Dubuque, and a bachelor's degree in English and anthropology/sociology from Albion College. I'm currently trying to find a publishing home for my poetry manuscript and have started a second one while waiting.