My Rip-Off Report Rebuttal

I Googled myself tonight and found this. 

Instead of using a website as obviously questionable as the Rip-Off Report, I figured I’d use my own website to issue a rebuttal to some online slander about me which is entirely untrue.  It is clear to me as I read this that someone was merely taking details off my freelance writing resume on WriterHeather.com and stringing them together so that someone might actually believe “the facts check out” if they look up “Heather Larson” or “Freelance writer Heather Larson” after reading this silliness on the Rip Off Report. 

I do not write books, nor have I ever.  I attempted to write one once for a client who never paid, thus it didn’t work out.  (More on that freelance writing assignment gone wrong below).  I write SEO content and I write and edit news for broadcast, print, and online platforms.  I also write and produce podcasts.  But I do not, as a freelance writer, write books nor have I ever. And yes, I am also a disc jockey on the air at 98-7 The Peak in Phoenix, Arizona.  

Let me go through this lie by lie to straighten it out.

First of all, I would never “brag” about my writing on the air at 98-7 The Peak.  I keep the various companies I work for separate from each other while also separating my freelance work from those companies.  I would also never look for clients on the Peak request lines.  And if you hadn’t already guessed it, most people don’t hire writers by having their sons call radio station request lines. 

I don’t have a high hourly rate nor do I have 9 years of book writing experience.  I have no book writing experience and never do I even look for this kind of work.  I’m doing SEO content writing right now for a client who already knows me.  I haven’t been actively looking for freelance work in a while, although I am Googling myself before I start looking again.  This has obviously proved to be a wise move! 

I am not a Boston University graduate.  I am in the middle ofcompleting my BLS and graduate in May of 2010 from Boston University, which I attend online from Phoenix.  I never tell people I am a BU graduate and you will not find one credible piece of literature anywhere calling me that.  Everyone who really knows me and has worked with me knows I am currently in the Executive Undergrad Completion Program online at Boston University’s Metropolitan College. 

I have never charged anyone a retainer; my clients pay me once my work is completed, turned in, and invoiced to them.  I shouldn’t even have to explain that one…

I have never “disappeared.”  I have been in Phoenix for eight years working in the local media here.  I’m pretty findable with my various websites, Twitter accounts, MySpace accounts, blogs, podcasts, LinkedIn, Facebook…need I go on?  I’m an open book, probably too much in fact.  I also have a good reputation with everyone who has ever worked with me.  If you know anyone at a local radio station, go ahead and ask them about me.  They probably know me or know someone who does and I’m sure they’ll give you a glowing review of me and my work. The Phoenix radio community is a tight knit family like that. 

I don’t think I even need to dignify with comment the part about me thinking this person is a stalker for calling the radio station looking for me. Whoever wrote this has never called the radio station looking for me to my knowledge.  They can only call the request line to get a hold of me as I am on the air and not working in the station’s business offices during the daytime.  I do not have a phone number and extension at 98-7 The Peak that I can be reached at.  

The comment about me being “busy doing work for Need-An-Article.com and CJD” is a complete lie and another set of details scammed off of my official website, WriterHeather.com. I was never “busy” at Need-An-Article, though I did work there writing SEO content during lean times as a freelance writer.  I have done nothing “for CJD” since speaking at Barrow Neurological Institute in January of 2007 aside from blogging about a cureless and fatal disease that has killed two of my immediate family members since 2004.  To create lies surrounding this is completely classless. 

I have never in my lifetime plagiarized anything.  I have been writing copious amounts of material since I was a little kid and have never been at a loss for words.  Plagiarizing in the current age of the Internet in which we live and work is next to impossible with sites like Copyscape. Honesty is important, which is why you won’t find me ripping apart innocent and hardworking people online. I don’t hide online behind names like “LoriGardenBooks” or“Lorichildrensbooks.”  I use my first and last name online because I have nothing to hide. 

I have never threatened anyone or anyone’s son, and especially not with my SEO content writing expertise.  I don’t do business with non-paying clients by threatening or name-calling and if you know me, you know it’s not only not my style but also not my personality.  I’m also not “mental,” and would happily release any and all of my medical records; all you’ll find about me is I snapped an ankle ligament in half once and take prescription decongestant.  I’ll pass any drug test and background check.  I’ve passed an SEC background check for crying out loud. I’m one of the most honest people you will ever deal with – and my honesty is blunt at that.  There isn’t a soul on this Earth I need to “leave alone” because I’m not harassing anyone. 

The final paragraph is true only when it says I have no book writing experience.  I addressed this above and I will say it again—I do not have any book writing experience nor do I claim that I do.  I’ve been published in local and national magazines and a full list of where my work has been published is available on WriterHeather.com’s About Me page. 

I have been sued once and the case was dismissed.  It was brought against me by a client who actually owed me money.  I had reported him to Angela Hoy of Writer’s Weekly.com and I’m sure the report is still up there to be read.  He sued me for defamation of character in San Diego County—after I had signed a freelance contract to do work that was to be construed by the laws of the State of Arizona.  He wanted me to write—you guessed it—a book despite the fact that I had no experience doing any book writing.  Considering I only wrote a select few pages for this person before I realized he’d never pay, I certainly don’t count it as “book writing experience.”  I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the same person trying to slam me on The Rip Off Report as this is the only person who I have had a bad experience with as a freelance writer.  Then again, it could be a an ex-boyfriend.  Who knows?  If you hide behind online handles and don't reveal your real name, no one knows who you are and your statements hold no credibility.  If it is the person who attempted to sue me, he has a pretty hefty judgment against him in Arizona by another freelance writer he never paid.  I was taken advantage of by this person at a time when I had only just begun working as a full-time freelance writer in 2006. 

I, Heather Larson, do not have a journalism degree, nor do I claim that I have one.  I have a certificate in journalism from Paradise Valley Community College and plenty of experience gained through working in print, broadcast, and online media. 

Yes, I am still attending Boston University online. I am exactly halfway through the program.  And yes, I write all my own stuff.  I’ve even gotten A grades on some of it. 

If I am being investigated for anything, I would love to hear about it and so would my lawyer. I would especially love to know if I am being investigated for embezzling money “from some CJD charity.” I’m not, of course.  I have never even been involved in raising money for CJD charities.  I volunteer my time by speaking at Barrow Neurological Institute with doctors from the CDC when invited and have only done that once.  I also volunteer my time by raising awareness of CJD online on my websites and by networking with other CJD families from all over the world.  I have been busy on occasion raising money for or volunteering my time for other local charities, but never busy enough to turn down work! 

The Rip Off Report states that it does not release the names of people who write these reports on their website.  This makes it very easy for someone to post anything they want without owning up to who they really are.  You can go on the Rip OffReport and say whatever you want about Heather Larson or anyone else for that matter without revealing who you really are.  So I don’t know who wrote this, but whoever it is should be a writer because they have very creative fiction skills.  I am honest about who I am online and have courageously posted information like my resume and even my family history of fatal genetics. 

I have never heard of a person named Lori who writes gardening or children’s books and none of her post is true, save for the part about me not being a book writer.  That is something I have honestly never claimed to be. 

I will close by saying I am Heather Larson, a freelance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona.  If you have found your way to this posting and know me personally, feel free to leave a comment endorsing me in a positive light.  (As if you haven’t already on LinkedIn).  Please speak about my character and your experience in dealing with me on either a personal or professional level.  

I've been freelancing with not much more than a Macbook and a prayer for over two years now, however, it's no longer a full-time gig for me.  I'm looking to get some good freelance gigs again, but they have to be right.  Since I work full-time as a digital editor for Westwood One Web, I have the luxury of being able to pick and choose gigs I'm crazy about instead of just taking whatever comes along that pays.  In the meantime, I'm most interested in creating my online brand so that it's clear who I am, what I do, and what I'm after in my career.  If your business is right for me, I'm sure our paths will intercept somehow.  That's my take now.  Know who you are, be clear and steady with what your personal brand is (mine is music/entertainment and hippy-oriented lifestyle stuff).  Be yourself 150% and the work will come to you.  That's my first tip.  

Westwood One and The Peak are keeping me pretty busy these days.  (Understatement).  I have hardly any time to freelance, so I've been spending my free time just working on my own websites and their content.  TheMusicStalker blog has gotten alot of love while HippyShoppingChick and CureCJD.org have taken a back seat lately.  A friend of a friend who just got laid off from an old media gig is looking to me for some guidance onhow to take his freelancing online. An old high school friend is looking for marketing tips…  Maybe it’s time to start a Squidoo page?  I know.  As much as I understand Seth Godin is God, I still don’t have one of those!  

I've noticed quite often lately that all the cool writing and journalism jobs are in what we call "new media," or working in the realm of the Internet.  The majority of new jobs listed on MediaBistro.com are in the new media category.  Yet a friend of mine did something I think is insane--he took his first job out of college in print media at a small, local paper.  On one hand, this could be his last chance to enjoy the print industry.  I think it's dying or at least shrinking to the point where job competition will be fierce.  The jobs of the present and future for those of us who are writers and journalists will require skills like SEO/SEM, podcasting, blogging, social networking, and video editing.  Can you create original content that no one else is doing?  Do you offer something no one else can?  This is where the future is headed.  Are you able to navigate around various social networks?  Do you understand why this is valuable knowledge?  Only time will tell as to whether or not my friend made the right decision for his career.  I am interested to see where he goes once he feels it is time to move on from the print news job.  I'm sure the print sensibility he is gaining will be useful wherever he goes.  Meanwhile, I continue trying to bridge traditional broadcast media with the internet between my jobs at both Westwood One and Bonneville International. 

Some basic info:

My name is Heather Larson and I live in Phoenix, Arizona.  I’m a freelance writer, digital editor, podcaster, SEO web content writer, multi-media journalist, radio personality, and just an overall media renaissance person.  You can visit my homepage at WriterHeather.com.  This blog will be dedicated to what I’m up to professionally.  I also write Freelance Chick, my blog about my freelance adventures. 

Back on the grid

I’m not exactly “living off the grid” anymore as a colleague made me an offer I couldn’t refuse and now I’m back at Westwood One working as a digital editor.  More on the job details on my resume page, but basically, what I do is update the many Internet news feeds that go to radio stations around the country.  I have a passion for web content, so this is a definite step in the right direction.    

The Music Stalker and Hippy Shopping Chick

I’m going to continue working on TheMusicStalker.com and HippyShoppingChick.com as well as their accompanying blogs.  I am just pretty sure I won’t be updating them as often.

Curing CJD is still important! 

The other ball I’d like to throw up in the air for juggling is CureCJD.org. I’ve been wrestling with how I want to do this for quite some time and that’s the only reason why it isn’t up yet.  I don’t want to start it and stop it, leaving it to sputter while I work full-time during the week, play radio on the weekends, and attend Boston University online every day.  So in order to make it manageable, I am going to roll out one feature at a time.  To start it, I’m going to blog a memoir about the whole ordeal.  That’s the first step.  What I will be doing is getting my story out there in hopes others will join me on the site to publicly share their stories like I’m about to do.  A lot of CJD commiserating goes on behind the shadows in private list servs.  I happen to think it does us no good to keep it hidden, so let’s shine a light on it. 

Why the name CureCJD.org? 

My interest is curing CJD because my mother died of it and I have a 50/50 chance of carrying the marker, as do the rest of her father’s descendants.  I don’t care about the beef issue because the only answer in regards to CJD and all prion diseases is finding the cure.  After over three years of having this nightmare as a permanent part of my life, I know no greater truth than that.  My first action is to prove why we need a cure and that is why I’ll begin by telling my story of losing my mom. 

So I’m working on that and I’ll let you know when it’s up! 

I just want to welcome you to my blog.  The first entry below is basically every "blog entry" I created at the home page at WriterHeather.com last year to update everyone on what I was doing at the time.  I'm moving this tasty little feature to this blog from this point on, so bookmark and enjoy! 

What I'm Doing:

12.5.07: Launched the two websites back in October and have been held up getting them going because I'm so busy. So here are the updates from the last two months:

*I quit writing for Suite101.com and have moved to Indie-Music.com. I won't have reviews in the next issue, but definitely will in the one after that.

*My first article for Organic Processing will be out in the magazine's next issue. I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Mole of O~Wool for an article about his company's organic wool products.

*I picked up a couple new clients. One is in the Beta stage, so I can't reveal details just yet. The other is Need-An-Article.com, where I can use my SEO talents.

10.6.07: Just launched a couple websites of my own:

HippyShoppingChick.com

TheMusicStalker.com


9.7.07: I'm already done working for TheBitXChange.com. Now that I have some free time, here's an update. I'm working on launching various websites I call "my projects." Stay tuned for more info on these.

Sunday and Monday I'm covering both Mana concerts for Batanga.com and I'm really excited because this is such a great band. I feel very blessed to be covering one of my favorite bands!

I also started interning last month for Organic Processing Magazine, which is very challenging and educational at the same time. My editor, Kat, is very committed to teaching me all the tricks of the trade and for that I'm very grateful.

Other than that, another semester at B.U. has begin and I'm still podcasting for MelodyTrip.com.

6.22.07: I’m going to start writing show prep for TheBitXChange (morning radio show prep) on Monday. Lifestyle & music news stories shall be the gig, as they are my forte. If you see a new issue of CONTACT Magazine, my stories on Earth Shift Expo/Grand Prix Arizona are in it!

5.26.07: I'm writing an article for Phoenix's hot design mag, Contact, about Earth Shift '07 and the Arizona Grand Prix. I'll let you know when the issue is on stands so you can pick it up. I'm also up to podcast 8 now with MelodyTrip.com. Next week's podcast to be posted on Thursday, May 31 will feature an interview I've done with Yusuf Robb of Live Earth. There's really a lot to Live Earth! I also did some writing for Qwixo, which is coming soon.

4.19.07: My first two podcasts are online at MelodyTrip.com and I'm working on the third today.

Podcast #1

Podcast #2

4.6.07: I interviewed Hip-Hop beatmaker/producer Zukhan Bey on Monday about the Loud.com Battle Rap Competition. You can read the article at Suite101.com. I've also completed my first podcast for the music festival website MelodyTrip.com. I'll let you know when it's up for you to check out. Peak website traffic is way up, according to our new media director, so thanks for stopping by! Keep on visiting to read my Peak Dope. Just go the website and click on the "water cooler" to get to the Dope! Be sure to watch Peak TV while you're there to see Scotty spin the Wheel of Poultry and Steve's video footage of Everclear from the Tempe Music Festival. It's a festival I discuss in the 1st MelodyTrip.com podcast, in fact. Next week, I'll be hitting Country Thunder for MelodyTrip. Can't wait!

In addition, there are new blogs and a website for you to check out:

I Exist Online -- My personal blog about how much of my life exists over the Internet. It's cultural anthropology for someone as Web 2.0 obsessed as I've become. I chronicle how attending Boston University online is going for me (great) and all the fun stuff I can accomplish online.

Libertease -- What kind of writer doesn't have some kind of political blog?

The Hippy Shopping Chick Blog -- This is my blog for HippyShoppingChick.com, a website about shopping responsibly. Feel free to check it out and leave a comment. For more information about the site, check it out for yourself!

It's HippyShoppingChick.com. I keep saying "Once I have time I'll get it going." Since free time isn't falling from the sky, I'll have to just bit the bullet and get it going ASAP. I'll let you know when something more exciting is online there!

3.13.07: I interviewed Macy Gray today about her new album Big, out March 27. Read my story about Macy Gray right here at Suite101.

3.6.07: It has been a busy month; I just finished my first class at Boston University and start the next one Monday. Please check out my article on Mesa's Big Brain Pictures in the latest edition of The DISH from Phoenix Art Space. I also have added quite a bit of material to my pop music page at Suite101.com. While you're surfing, feel free to take a look at the new Peak website, launched just yesterday. The Peak Dope and One Liner News are my material. Sadly, my article on the Japanese Friendship Garden here in Phoenix didn't make it to print as Igniteis on hiatus for now. So I'll be retooling the article and shopping it around.

2.6.07: I just landed a spot on Suite101.com as the Pop Music Feature Writer, so be looking for my first articles there in the next several days. Vote now on my latest poll.

That first story for Ignite Magazine is in and will be in the March issue; look for it all around Phoenix. It's the pocket-sized magazine full of fun things to do. My story is about the Japanese Friendship Garden in downtown Phoenix.

1.12.07:I am going to be working on my first story for Ignite Magazine this weekend. I'm excited to embark what I hope to be the first of many articles for Ignite! I'm also excited to start my first Boston University course on Tuesday.

1.7.07:If you were at Barrow Neurological Institute on Friday morning for CJD Grand Rounds, thank you for coming! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me at hotwords AT Mac dot com. And please bookmark my blog about CJD. I am a volunteer for the CJD Foundation as well as a patient/family advocate. I help anyone who has to deal with CJD. If you are a journalist working on a story about CJD, mad cow disease, CWD, or anything related to prion science, I'd be happy to help you with sources.