
Ann Handley is a marketing and content expert who writes about digital marketing, storytelling, and business communication. She is the author of Everybody Writes and coauthor of Content Rules, and has served as Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs. Her work helped popularize content marketing, and Everybody Writes became a Wall Street Journal bestseller.
Ann Handley built her career at the intersection of journalism, business writing, and digital publishing. Educated at Simmons College and based in Boston, she began in editorial roles at Banker & Tradesman, then worked as a correspondent for The Boston Globe and as a writer and editor for business and consumer magazines. Those early years established the reporter-editor foundation that would shape her later work: a focus on clarity, usefulness, and audience connection, carried from traditional publishing into the evolving world of digital marketing. ((https://about.me/annhandley))
"IBM THINK Marketing said, "If content is king, then Ann Handley is queen."
— IBM THINK Marketing
"Social Media Today called Ann Handley the queen of content marketing"
— Social Media Today
"Jill Foster said Ann Handley brings a unique, usable point of view as a writer and marketer"
— Jill Foster
"Forbes called Ann Handley the most influential woman in social media"
— Forbes
"Copyblogger said Ann Handley wrote the book on content marketing, literally"
— Copyblogger
"Seth Godin said Ann Handley is who you want teaching commercial and professional writing"
— Seth Godin
"ContentMarketing.com called Ann Handley one of the industry's most insightful and approachable luminaries"
— ContentMarketing.com
"Jay Baer said Ann Handley is among the best people in the digital marketing business"
— Jay Baer
"Ahava Leibtag said time inside Ann Handley's head is the best way to become an exceptional writer"
— Ahava Leibtag
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
