A senior-level editorial director, expert in multiple media formats, who offers vision and leadership in traditional and new-media publishing environments.

Summary of Qualifications

• Over 20 years’ experience serving in senior editorial roles, managing personnel and meeting regular production deadlines.
• Proven ability to launch new titles and improve existing products.
• Able to manage projects from conception to completion, on time and within budget.
• Equally expert in traditional as well as new-media publishing technologies.
• Experienced in operations of million-dollar business with proven record overseeing key areas, including technology purchasing and operating budgets.
• Professional, prolific writer, able to contribute features, interviews, reviews, and columns on a wide variety of subjects, in B2B, consumer, and technical formats.

Highlights & Achievements

• Produced 20 consumer and trade titles annually, including 12 monthly issues, six bi-monthly issues, and two semi-annual Buyer’s Guides.
• Turned around editorial focus of established but foundering title, increasing subscriber and single-copy sales by 46% in 11 months.
• Managed $1.5 million annual operating budget.
• Designed and developed XML-based content-management system for international publishing company, combining text, audio, images, and video assets.
• Published author, including six books in the highly successful “Dummies” series, plus articles in major consumer and trade magazines.

Experience

2006-Present: SENIOR EDITOR, HARMONY CENTRAL
Harmonycentral.com, Westlake Village, CA

• Write and produce audio, video, and text for Web site using Final Cut Pro, Pro Tools, Dreamweaver, Flash.
• Supervise freelance producers of audio and video content.
• Edit and maintain house style and editorial-integrity standards for all multimedia product intended for publication and public consumption.
• Liaise with technology and design departments for continuing improvements to online systems.
• Develop specialized content-management system for remote editors to contribute and upload.

2000-2003: CONTENT DIRECTOR, MUSIC PLAYER NETWORK
MusicPlayer.com, New York, NY

• Led editorial team to produce daily, weekly, and monthly content for MusicPlayer.com Web site; created custom content for manufacturers; designed and wrote email campaigns, sponsored seminars; developed XML-based content-management system; produced annual Music Technology Buyer’s Guide.
• Coordinated cross-marketing and shared-content programs with the magazines Guitar Player, Keyboard, EQ, and Music & Computers.
• Planned operating budgets and production schedules, managed staff of 15.
• Developed and produced four annual Special Issues.
• Produced Special Projects including booklets, CD-ROMs, and html presentations for manufacturers, publishers, and educators.

1998-2000: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GUITAR MAGAZINE
Guitar Magazine, New York, NY

• Editor for monthly international (four languages) guitar-based consumer magazine, selling 180,000 U.S. copies per month. Principal responsibilities included managing editorial staff, feature-writing, interviewing artists-such as Lenny Kravitz, Eddie Van Halen, Chet Atkins, Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge, B.B. King.
• Other duties: Creating monthly cover concepts with art director and providing design briefs for cover story and four features per month. Planned operating budgets and production schedules, transcribing and typesetting music from CD’s and live performances into camera-ready art. Directed Internet and online ventures: designing Web pages; maintaining and moderating forums on CompuServe and the Web; monitoring online Cybercash and Cybercoin-driven commerce for Guitar Magazine’s Web site. Designing and coding multimedia downloadable lessons (sheet music, audio files, QuickTime video) for all styles of guitar playing. Contributing features, profiles, interviews, reviews, and columns on personalities, technology, music and cultural issues (over 400 to date).

1997-2000: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, HOME RECORDING MAGAZINE
Home Recording, New York, NY

• Founder of bi-monthly magazine devoted to home recording, covering issues ranging from digital audio multi-track recorders to home construction. Supervised reviewers and columnists, heading pro-audio department, creating and maintaining test and review standards for instrument and recording equipment. Chief feature writer, and chief consultant for issues on computers and high-tech equipment.

1988-1997: PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR, CHERRY LANE MUSIC CO.
Cherry Lane Music, New York, NY

• Created and produced educational and instructional books, CD’s and videos, authored over 100 works which have sold in excess of 75,000 copies worldwide in seven languages. Designed and implemented desk-top production systems for professional publishing and high-volume print runs. Edited and co-produced music textbooks, all-music folios, and general-interest music-subject books (biographies, etc.). Produced CD’s and cassettes for book-and-audio products.

Author Credits

The Recording Guitarist: A Guide for Home and Studio, Hal Leonard Publishing, 2011

Guitar All-In-One for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2010

Classical Guitar for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2009

Guitar Exercises for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2009

Blues Guitar for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2007

Build Your Own PC Recording Studio, McGraw-Hill, Inc. 2005

Digital Home Recording, Backbeat Books, 2004

Rock Guitar for Dummies, Hungry Minds/Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2001

Guitar for Dummies, IDG Books, 1999

Van Halen: 25 Great Guitar Solos, Cherry Lane Music, 1996

Education

Master of Music, DePaul University

Bachelor of Music, Carnegie Mellon University/DePaul University

References available on request.

Contact:  jonchappell@yahoo.com