“Working with Claire makes my job as an editor easy. She delivers work that aligns with what I ask for, even if what I ask for is nebulous. She creates a great rapport with her subjects, and her initial drafts are solid, so much so that it takes little work to get them into print/posting shape. She’s also great to work with—friendly, conscientious, a pleasure overall.”

“Claire is a writer, collaborator, friend. She can’t help but pour her talent, heart and soul into assignments, which to her become passion projects and chances for discovery. This, of course, serves the client and eventually the audience, exceedingly well. Pioneer Utility Resources is glad to have Claire as a regular partner in work that matters.”

“I turn to Claire Sykes when I need a complex subject presented in a creative, accessible way. Her work for me has covered women’s health, behavioral health and health care reform, and she always comes up with enticing ledes for seemingly bland topics. In addition, her interview and research skills result in solid articles that she always turns in on time.”

“Claire Sykes is an enterprising writer who wields a compassionate pen. She is full of ideas, fastidious about her sources and highly receptive to revision. Editors will find that she is eager to work with them to meet their publications’ needs.”

“We have worked with Claire on several occasions and found her work to be high-quality, accurate and on time; and she is very responsive to any questions or requests.”

“There’s no other way to say it: Claire is a natural-born storyteller. Eloquent, captivating and authentic, Claire’s caliber of work speaks volumes about her commitment to the craft. From Communication Arts and American Photographic Artists features on us to the brilliant copy used throughout our projects, her voice has played a crucial part in developing and sharing our identity over the years. Thanks for all you do, Claire—and for always going the extra mile to tell our story.”

“I’ve worked in the non-profit sector for 25 years, overseeing the fundraising, communications and marketing functions for large organizations in the health care, higher ed and humanitarian sectors. Though I have typically managed staff writers, there always seems to come a point where the organization’s demand for written content exceeds staff resources. In such cases, I have grown quite comfortable relying on Claire Sykes to meet that demand. She is a highly talented writer whose grasp of communication comes across not just through her written materials, but also in her interpersonal style. She is gracious, dedicated, smart, creative and has a sense of humor to boot! She meets deadlines and intuitively understands the audience, whatever specialized sector she may be writing for. I give her the highest recommendation.”

“When I needed a speech for a 2012 national Philanthropy gathering, I knew I could count on Claire to help me research and frame my remarks. She researched the topic thoroughly, and captured my voice with her warm and friendly writing style. Her articles for us soon followed. It is so great to know we can count on Claire for her top-notch writing that reflects our organization’s mission and work, and effectively communicates with our constituencies and partners.”

“For nearly 25 years, Claire Sykes had been a regular and frequent contributor of insightful, interesting and educational feature articles for Photographer’s Forum magazine [now defunct]. Her interviews are in-depth, her style is rich and readable, and her research is thorough and reliable. Not only is she detail-oriented in her writing, but she is also a delight to work with, a writer with whom an editor can develop a warm working relationship. And this one has!”

“Claire has written a wide variety of stories for Western Washington University’s Window magazine, including a short, bright story about an up-and-coming poet and an inspiring profile of one of the world’s best female triathletes. Her thought-provoking portrait of international combat photographer Michael Brown, “View Finder,” won a Silver Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education Region 8. She’s quickly become one of my favorite writers. I don’t worry when I assign a story to Claire: I know she will create a thoughtful, well-crafted piece, and that she’ll deliver it on time and within the word count we’ve discussed. Even better, when we do have questions or editing requests, Claire takes these questions seriously. She’ll re-craft sections or even do additional reporting. I get the impression that she’s not happy with the story until I am. I’ve come to rely on her expertise in the world of the arts, but I know she could write about pretty much anything I throw at her.”

“Oregon ArtsWatch readers are always fortunate when we can bring them Claire Sykes’s fascinating insights into artists and their creative work.”

“Besides Claire’s articles always being informative, easy to read and in on deadline, what I really appreciate is the time she spends tailoring each piece to the magazine’s audience. Throughout my different editorial positions with trade publications, I’ve relied on Claire for supplying my readers with intelligent business information they can put to use, immediately.”

“It is always great working with Claire. She has a great writing style, wonderful ideas and expertise woven into her how-to business-management articles, and always on time. Whether we’re in a rush or working well ahead of time, we know that Claire will jump in to make it happen.”

“I can always count on Claire to approach any assigned topic with professionalism and enthusiasm. She always meets deadlines promptly and is willing to make whatever effort a story may require—and always with a smile! It’s been a pleasure to work with her.”

“Claire Sykes is a highly professional freelance writer. Her profiles for Colby Magazine have been lively, accurate and informative. I highly recommend her.”

“I’ve worked with Claire Sykes on some fairly challenging articles about exploratory music that have been published in Musicworks Magazine. Ms. Sykes is an insightful writer, not afraid to address complex issues, and at the same time she presents her material in simple and expressive language.”

“Claire’s work and professionalism are first-rate. She’s a self-starter, an effective communicator and a talented writer. Perhaps most gratifying to editors, Claire makes it a priority to understand each assignment and to deliver a tailored manuscript on time.”

“Claire Sykes has produced well-researched, well-written articles for me for many years. Her work has covered behavioral issues, the workplace, women’s and children’s topics, and a host of other subjects. She has an eminently readable style and her work always adheres to our high standards for accuracy. I would recommend her to anyone in need of writing help.”