Sandra Gurvis is the author of 18 commercially published books and hundreds of magazine and web articles. Her books have been featured on radio and television and in podcasts, newspapers and magazines. A freelance writer for over 30 years, Sandra has written corporate profiles and technical articles for clients such as Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC), Ohio Health, Merrill Lynch, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Association of American Medical Colleges and publications such as Selling Power, Creativity, ASRT Scanner, Optical Technology, B’nai B’rith magazine, Currents and AAA Today. Additionally, she has created Web content for OSUWMC, Palm Beach Media, worth.com and many others. Along with rewriting and editing books and articles on medical and business topics, she prepares newsletters and assists in the writing and publication of magazines and web content covering a variety of healthcare and business issues for clients such as USAID Advancing Nutrition, OSUWMC, OSU College of Nursing and ProBuilder.
Titles include the just-published THREE RINGLING CIRCUS: THE HISTORY OF SARASOTA, FLORIDA AND THE FAMOUS RINGLING BROTHERS, a deep dive into the influence of the Ringling family on the Cultural Coast city. Others are DAY TRIPS FROM COLUMBUS, 4th ed. (forthcoming, 2025);111 PLACES IN COLUMBUS THAT YOU MUST NOT MISS; MYTHS AND MYSTERIES OF OHIO; OHIO CURIOSITIES, 2nd ed.; and a re-issuing of her first novel, THE PIPE DREAMERS, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam protests and Kent State. CAREERS FOR NONCONFORMISTS was a selection of the Quality Paperback Book Club while PARIS HILTON: A BIOGRAPHY was translated into Chinese. Her second novel, COUNTRY CLUB WIVES was optioned as a television series by Insight Productions out of Toronto, Canada. She is currently working on DOING HARD TIME IN GEEZERVILLE, the first of a series of satire/mysteries set in The Villages of Florida.
Other bylines and credits include People, YM, Entertainment Weekly, Fiction Writer, Woman’s World, Parenting, The World and I, Coast to Coast, USA Weekend, Chicago Tribune, as well as travel articles and promotional materials.
Along with being selected for residencies and fellowships at the Mary Anderson Center in Mt. St. Francis, Indiana; the Vermont Writers Studio in Johnston; and receiving grants from the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) and the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas as well as certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Sandra is a longtime member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). She lectures frequently on writing and her books and lives in Bradenton, Florida.
RESUME
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1984-Present Self-employed Bradenton, Florida Freelance Writer/Editor – Writer of nonfiction books, magazine articles, Web content, and corporate materials on topics ranging from general medical to addiction and social consciousness to business to travel to profiles/biographies. – Author of published novels and essays. – Works with authors, editors, and book packagers in conceptualizing, organizing and writing books and other informational materials. – Edits for style, structure and clarity, following specific guidelines and guidebooks (CHICAGO MANUAL, AP STYLEBOOK, AMA MANUAL). – Teaches workshops and classes on writing and on content of books. – Designs and publishes newsletters, brochures, and Web materials. – Developed and published NewsLine, a weekly enewsletter for Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s University East Hospital; manages and curates East Channel for the medical center’s HealthBeat HUB website and app – Developed and published ASJA Confidential blog for the American Society of Journalists and Authors. – Basic indexing of textbooks and reports. |
| PUBLICATIONS Books, Nonfiction: THREE RINGLING CIRCUS: THE CIRCUS, THE RINGLING BROTHERS AND SARASOTA (Pineapple/Rowman, 2024) DAY TRIPS FROM COLUMBUS (Globe Pequot, 2002, rev. ed. 2004, 3rd ed, 2009, 4th ed., 2025 [forthcoming]) 111 PLACES IN COLUMBUS THAT YOU MUST NOT MISS (Emons, 2019) MYTHS AND MYSTERIES OF OHIO (Globe Pequot, 2014) CONFESSIONS OF A CRAZY CAT LADY (Essays)(Loconeal,2014) OHIO CURIOSITIES (Globe Pequot, 2007, 2nd ed., 2011) PARIS HILTON: A BIOGRAPHY (Greenwood, 2011) (Translated into Chinese, China Publishing, 2015) MANAGING THE TELECOMMUTING EMPLOYEE, with Michael Amigoni (Adams, 2009) MANAGEMENT BASICS (Adams, 2007) WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWER CHILDREN GONE? (University Press of Mississippi, 2006) THE WELL-TRAVELED DOG (TFH, 2001) CAREERS FOR NONCONFORMISTS (Marlowe, 2000), Quality Paperback Book Club selection AMERICA’S STRANGEST MUSEUMS (Carol/Citadel, 1996, 1998 2nd ed) 30 GREAT CITIES TO START OUT IN (Macmillan, 1997) WAY STATIONS TO HEAVEN (Macmillan, 1996) THE OFF-THE-BEATEN PATH JOB BOOK (Citadel, 1995) Novels: DOING HARD TIME IN GEEZERVILLE (in progress, first of a planned three series of books set in The Villages, FL) COUNTRY CLUB WIVES (Loconeal, 2012) (Optioned for TV, Insight Productions, 2014) THE PIPE DREAMERS (Olmstead, 2001, Reissued by Hydra, 2019) Ghostwriting/Contributing Writer: MASTERY OF SELLING FOR NEW HOMES by Roland Nairnsey (author, 2022) THE 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE: A HANDBOOK FOR MANAGING TELEWORKERS with Don Philpott (Government Training, Inc., 2010) STRESS EATER DIET (Linx, 2009) by Robert Posner, MD & Linda Hlivka BOOMER CONSUMER (Linx, 2007) by Matt Thornhill & John Martin THE GRAPEFRUIT SOLUTION (Linx, 2004) by Daryl Thompson and M. Joseph Ahrens, PhD., many others Magazines/Webzines: People, Coast-to-Coast, Spirit, Currents, Selling Power, ASRT Scanner, Optical Technology, Creativity, NextAvenue and Writer’s Digest. Also published in The World & I, Plant Sites & Parks, Long Weekends, Columbus Monthly and related specialty publications, Birmingham News, Chicago Tribune Magazine, USA Weekend, Fiction Writer, Discover Ohio, Woman’s World, and others Corporate/association/governmental clients: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Palm Beach media, Ohio State University College of Nursing, OhioHealth, USAID Advancing Nutrition, Merrill Lynch, Quantum, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), Emergency Nurses Association, Worth.com, Homestore.com, ABC-CLIO, Siemens, many others |
| PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATION Medical Writing Certification in Editing/Writing – Biomedical Research Design – Elements of Medical Terminology – Statistics for Medical Writers and Editors – Writing and Designing Materials for Patient Education – Essentials of Copyediting – Ethics of Authorship and Editorship Medical Writing, Advanced Course Reporting Randomized Trials in Science Journals Graduate Work, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Public Administration B.A. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio Sociology and Psychology |
| PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) since 1992 American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), 2002-10 |
| HONORS, AWARDS AND GRANTS Ohio Optometric Association Media Award Quality Paperback Book Club (CAREERS FOR NONCONFORMISTS) Travel & Leisure Pick (AMERICA’S STRANGEST MUSEUMS) Research Grant, LBJ Library, Austin, TX (WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWER CHILDREN GONE?) Residency, Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT) Residency and Fellowship, Mary Anderson Center (Mt. St. Francis, IN) National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) (Topic: “Gender Identity and Mental Health: What’s the Cost?”) |