Hi, I’m Josh.
I’ve spent more than fifteen years writing campaigns, scripts, websites, and essays for clients including Warner Bros., DC, Ford, and Nationwide. I was part of the writing team behind Sandy Hook Promise’s Emmy-winning “Teenage Dream” PSA.
I live in German Village in Columbus, Ohio, and I work with teams wherever they are.
Start a project
Written for the reader on the other end.
I start by listening to how you explain the work when you’re talking to someone. Then I help bring that clarity to your website, emails, and campaigns. The reader should be able to follow what you’re saying without having to translate it.
I check the writing against the questions someone is likely to bring to the page: what do you do, why should they care, and where can they go next?
I came to marketing through English departments. I have an MA in English Literature from the University of Akron and a BA from Ohio State, and I taught at both before campaign work took over my calendar. Close reading turns out to be a useful habit when a studio hands you a single post to carry a movie.
These days I split my time between client work and the Journal, where I write about film, music, queer life, and politics. The two feed each other. Criticism keeps my ear sharp, and campaign deadlines keep my essays moving.
Three tests every line has to pass.
Voice & conviction
Copy should sound like a specific person who believes what they’re saying. If a line could run on a competitor’s site unchanged, it goes back to the desk.
One idea, everywhere
A headline, an email, and a campaign can sound different while making the same point. I check that they agree on what you’re offering.
Room for the point
I read for the places a sentence slows you down or makes you work too hard. Sometimes it needs a cut; sometimes it needs a little more explanation. I keep what helps the reader.
BADBRAIN
As part of an agency collective, I wrote digital campaign copy for Warner Bros.’ Barbie and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The campaigns drew 84M+ engagements combined. From 2022 to 2024, I led Pride editorial and social for DC Comics.
Nationwide
I led content strategy for the Advisor Advocate blog: 200+ articles with 50+ subject-matter experts, and a 75% lift in advisor engagement. I was also a key copywriter on the Peytonville campaign.
Start a project.
Tell me what you’re making, who it’s for, and where you could use a writer. A rough brief is a good place to start.