https://amandagersh.com/home daily 1.0 2025-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522903195213-ZVZBODTSZ2Y26KNDC3UP/Amanda+Gersh%2C+Portland%2C+Oregon-based+writer+%26+Editor Amanda Gersh, writer & editor - About Me Once upon a time, I was a child in South Africa. After a nutritious diet of prose, poetry, and musical theater, I attended the University of Cape Town, where I triple-majored in English, French, and Boyfriend. New York City followed, and an MFA in Fiction at Columbia University. Home is now Portland, Oregon, where the trees are big and the potholes, bigger. My daughter drew this picture of me. As a career freelance writer, I have applied myself to such subjects as abusive dolphins, architecture, motherhood, serious pants, silly twins, and sparkling wine. Editing provides welcome balance. I have several unusual interests, such as Japanese flower arranging, reading books on paper, and not abusing turmeric. My short stories and humor pieces have been published by One Story, Tin House, The Believer, X-R-A-Y, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and elsewhere. I enjoy chewing on a range of projects big and small, bite-size and extra-chunky. Please make contact to see if I can help. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522899777110-XVU81WH2W4MO3KQB63S7/ahmed-sobah-393079-unsplash.jpg Amanda Gersh, writer & editor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522961610504-VF3EU9X2PVX3BH3F4RXO/writing-david-clode-431142-unsplash.jpg Amanda Gersh, writer & editor - Writing https://amandagersh.com/writing daily 0.75 2022-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1524419213538-J7YGAVNE28LZDNL57R9G/david-clode-431142-unsplash+darker+copy.jpg Writing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1525386673765-1FT1ZD2STOYFHBEDKKFU/STRATEGYCOPY-60513188_l.jpg Writing - Copywriting & Strategy https://amandagersh.com/copywriting-strategy daily 0.75 2023-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522962635931-H4OBVRKGURO03D86JHUR/Copywriting+%26+Strategy+for+Howells+Architecture+%2B+Design Copywriting & Strategy - Howells Architecture + Design Branding • Strategy • Content I helped an architect shape an identity from scratch. With a small work-from-home practice, Michael Howells required a website that would put him toe-to-toe with established brick-and-mortar firms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522962661939-GC73SPPZ4CE6879SAXG2/Copywriting+for+Riunite. Copywriting & Strategy - Riunite Copywriting I worked with agency Grow Creative on this account for Riunite, Italy’s largest wine export. Riunite is known for its inexpensive Lambrusco wines and memorable ‘70s jingle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1666134010991-PW7JKBLB595KWIQ6W5A9/Dovetail_F20_MightyCreature_3000.jpeg Copywriting & Strategy - Dovetail Workwear Strategy • Copywriting • Content • PR I created the voice for a groundbreaking apparel startup, and amplified it through crafty strategy & storytelling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1525407723735-812AIXG5ROH9CF0O7D90/CopyAndStrategy%281%29%281%29.jpeg Copywriting & Strategy https://amandagersh.com/editing daily 0.75 2022-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523258339247-NVDJP32Q2TBHUSSXXER6/Manuscript+Critiques+%26+Evaluations Editing Amanda Gersh offers manuscript critiques & evaluations for authors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522945892761-OK8AM13EG85C6PBXANQP/Editing%2C+Copyediting+and+Proofreading+Services Editing - Editing Services Editing, Copy editing and Proofreading Services https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523293439293-BHZRAT2DG0ELKVJHTVS4/gradient.jpg Editing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1524421142211-B2NKMZNHYO4L1Z53GTNA/two-blue-crabs-1500+gray-brite+copy.jpeg Editing https://amandagersh.com/mags-blogs daily 0.75 2022-11-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523251107402-DK275V91YSG3FRUDM9JK/Crabmommy+Blog Mags & Blogs - Crabmommy My satirical mom blog, Crabmommy, began as a personal blog and morphed into a magazine column. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523251441786-3FFW334LWHLK3Q3X1Q29/Literary+pieces+for+The+Believer+magazine Mags & Blogs - The Believer I contributed several pieces to The Believer, a literary magazine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1525408562947-448161VPSCY2ZDTRVOBM/MAGBLOG53460986_l%281%29.jpg Mags & Blogs https://amandagersh.com/testimonials daily 0.75 2019-03-11 https://amandagersh.com/testimonials/ky-delany monthly 0.5 2019-03-11 https://amandagersh.com/testimonials/raul-correa-author-of-i-dont-know-but-i-been-told monthly 0.5 2018-04-10 https://amandagersh.com/testimonials/maud-powell-author-of-city-of-grit-and-gold monthly 0.5 2018-04-10 https://amandagersh.com/testimonials/peter-behrens-author-of-the-law-of-dreams monthly 0.5 2018-04-10 https://amandagersh.com/testimonials/emily-chenoweth-author-of-hello-goodbye monthly 0.5 2019-03-11 https://amandagersh.com/contact daily 0.75 2018-05-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522948048961-DBR0CXIEQNUQQUKRI6DN/jean-wimmerlin-528451-unsplash.jpg Contact https://amandagersh.com/stories daily 0.75 2025-10-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523826281063-01ASS2XGQ22W6OV4JKQY/crabby+dancing.jpg Stories https://amandagersh.com/riunite-copywriting daily 0.75 2023-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523547618416-AAOK65N3OC2XVZNIPGH0/20180411-positivedrinking-v3.png Riunite - MEAT The Power of Positive Drinking! My concept riffed on positive thinking: taking cliché affirmations and rebooting them with Riunite. Millennials are steeped in aspirational culture. On social media, at Crossfit, at work or on your favorite self-care podcast—mantras for better living are embedded in every aspect of modern American life. This campaign took well-known sayings and re-spun them in a cheeky way. Paired with images of people having fun and enjoying Riunite in everyday settings, the tweaked text sent a deeper message: something old can be new again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523547575236-DTR0HYEKOTW6CAPQ7KJY/RiuniteJUICE.png Riunite - JUICE I wrote up “wise sayings” to be used flexibly in web and print formats—with and without images—from billboards to Twitter. Working as interchangeable slogans for the brand, each saying is a new take on a familiar motivational nugget. For example: · When life hands you lemons, make sangria. · See the world through rosé-colored glasses. · Dance like everyone's watching. · If your glass is half empty, fill it. · Never put off for tomorrow what you can drink today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522940175282-01FD5VMHKJJBZJRDH07Q/Riunite+Brand Riunite - FLAVOR: fresh, playful, bubbly The client sought to reboot the brand without sacrificing the sense of humor that defines Riunite campaigns. The new print and web campaign needed to match the wine’s own profile: unpretentious, lighthearted, versatile. The copy for this campaign aimed to appeal to younger wine drinkers, who were unfamiliar with the product. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523291487925-MLJF8Z9WTLPUX08KSKCB/Riunite-main-notype.png Riunite https://amandagersh.com/howells-architecture daily 0.75 2023-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522908238333-HGVT9XEO4WMKJIUM3F4X/Approachable+website+writing Howells Architecture - MEAT Residential architects should be approachable. Most architects’ websites are aloof. To invite the audience in, we let our “People First” strategy determine the big moves: • We culled projects to preclude user fatigue. • We favored projects with homeowners in the photos. • We provided optional layers of depth to each project page, reinforcing the bespoke nature of this practice. • We broke down the client’s approach into clear steps, demystifying the process of working with an architect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522907721666-HQ8LQP08D3M4Y97BFBIM/Howells+Architecture+%2BDesign+Copywriting+and+Strategy Howells Architecture - FLAVOR: clean, subtle, balanced When you’re looking for a designer, images come first, but text matters too. This architect’s aesthetic is pared-down but meticulously detailed, rigorous but warm. The tone of the website copy reflects these complementary qualities. Balancing image and description also took some finesse: too much type detracts from the designs; too little and the architect feels remote. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523249669332-4WIQ7Q7DM77GNFSVYHWA/Website+copywriting+and+editing+for+Howells+Architecture+%2B+Design Howells Architecture - JUICE Refined, detail-driven work tailored to individual clients. We squeezed every part of the site for a maximum serving of this message. • We made the portfolio into pleasing human stories, with an editorial-style layout, and client testimonials working like quotes in a magazine piece. • We titled projects by clients’ first names, rather than type (kitchen remodel, etc.). • Small, judicious text decisions—e.g., repeating the + sign in the brand name in project headings and body copy—imbue the writing with the same considered, patterned detailing found in the client’s work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523398528606-X03Q8N1F251BWT68TXJ2/howells-casestudy-realkrab.png Howells Architecture https://amandagersh.com/ghostwriting daily 0.75 2023-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522945040131-04WHZO69WDZSI8D6C0YK/Ghostwriting+Sweet+Valley+High+Books Ghostwriting - PULP I cranked out more than a dozen books for Francine Pascal and other writers, some of whom must remain top-secret! My favorite Sweet Valley assignment involved Elizabeth Wakefield impersonating a scullery maid in an English castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522945024381-X9IZFAOSSYDOXW8XTJA2/Ghostwriting+Young+Adult+pulp+fiction. Ghostwriting - FLAVOR: young, zesty, fun Young Adult pulp fiction means a light tone with lots of snappy dialogue and action. Even within the genre there are subgenres with differing flavor profiles. My assignments included: • regular series books, light and frothy • romance with bittersweet notes • moody thrillers (starring a teenage chess grandmaster-cum-martial artist) • special edition summer stories of road trips gone wrong All required a pinch of irony (but not too much), and a generous sprinkling of pop culture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1529440773271-Q1GLRGWQIX4P98LMXXS2/ghostC.jpg Ghostwriting - JUICE I got a lot out of this work. Formula writing looks easy but has its challenges: • big word counts (mine were typically a mysterious 59,000 words) • tight deadlines • taut plotlines • seamlessly reproducing a predetermined voice and tone Being productive and speedy are useful takeaways from any job. Tonal versatility and adaptive writing techniques are subtler skills I gained through ghostwriting. They have served me well, beyond the genre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1525409071094-UAX4VIIWCDD8VQGX5I75/ghostwriting%281%29.jpg Ghostwriting https://amandagersh.com/believer daily 0.75 2018-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522941519406-YJRFFNXJABLMLQ3CI0DL/Dolphin+Piece+for+the+Believer+Magazine Believer Magazine - DOLPHIN Sadly, those cute beeping, clicking, autistic-children–loving Flippers are not the Goody Two-Shoes we think they are, and for the last decade, scientists have been trying to shove the cold, hard, bottle-nosed truth in our enchanted faces, but we will not hear it. No! we shout as we leap into warm Florida waters to commune with the ocean’s graceful and glossy ambassadors. Shut up! we cry, as experts from Scotland to Australia attempt to stop us from grabbing onto that fin and riding off into the sunset. La la la, we hum loudly to drown out the sounds of science. (RAPE! MURDER! BABY-KILLING!) LA LA LA! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522941448789-VL81V7HLQNDCY57X9PZ0/Manatee+Piece+for+the+Believer+Magazine Believer Magazine - MANATEE The Florida manatee prefers a warm and shallow estuary or coastal waterway, where it can focus on its major activity: eating sea grass. Its herbivorous nature—unusual for a marine mammal—encourages the colloquial “sea cow” nomenclature, as does its chunky body. But really the manatee, with its heavy bones, wrinkly gray skin, and mournful expression, is much more like the elephant, to whom it is related, and not at all like the hyrax (an unappealing rodent), to whom it is also related. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522941283386-TTY0FBDS88FWXC64MLTJ/Believer+Magazine Believer Magazine - FLAVOR: light but complex, nutty   The Believer is a cerebral, witty literary magazine and 5-time National Magazine Award nominee. The Mammal column is more comic relief than serious science. As the first contributor to this section, I got to set the tone. I delighted in creating a marinade of straight-up and silly. The result is a deadpan “journalism voice,” which becomes progressively more absurd... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522941357347-BBI2C1PUDN2BJKO1SN2N/Star-Nosed+Mole+Piece+for+the+Believer+Magazine Believer Magazine - STAR-NOSED MOLE An American mole, the star-nosed version enjoys: • a soggy life-style in southeastern Canada and in the northeastern U.S. • the ability to block its nose with its nose • being the sole representative of its genus Coated in waterproof black fur, this small mole is an efficient tunnel-builder and survives on a diet of aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans and mollusks. Celebrated for its unusually differentiated nasal region, the star-nosed mole may well be the most sensitive mammal in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522940973977-NPEDKXEZZ4CMNWYCKRBB/Believer2b.jpg Believer Magazine https://amandagersh.com/crabmommy-blog daily 0.75 2022-11-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522941667658-206CVBF9Z6GK7HVL6NSL/Crabmommy1-FLAVOR.png Crabmommy Blog - FLAVOR: tart, sharp, bold Sardonic, tongue-in-cheek, sharp but real. Satire was my weapon of choice against banal mom-upmanship. In my momblog manifesto I made a pact with my readers: to never count my blessings (online); to mock myself as well as others; and to tell the truth about the tough parts of parenting. Called “delightfully bilious” by Ayelet Waldman in her memoir Bad Mother, Crabmommy aimed to use humor as a force for good, and to connect with moms who felt disconnected. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522941711787-ODCXFF66LP907WPJ9198/Crabmommy2MEAT.jpg Crabmommy Blog - MEAT Instead of Meal Plan Monday, I had Dollar Store Tuesday, in which I bought crap food from the Dollar Store and made hideous meals. Instead of tips on how to make the perfect organic felt toys for your tots, I had Cheapmommy Crafts—my tampon wiener went viral. My monthly Momoscope—Astromommy—warned moms about the trials to come. While always humor-inflected, I also took on pithier cultural critiques of childrearing trends, interviewed psychologists, reviewed books, and debunked myths with the help of sane professionals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1522941774671-5RAYW8JXE3BOO3RFKSER/Crabmommy3JUICE.png Crabmommy Blog - JUICE I leveraged my personal blog into a spinoff for Condé Nast’s Cookie magazine, where I was the principal parent blogger. Crabmommy lived for 5 years, comprised hundreds of posts, and was syndicated by Yahoo. My crabby online persona led to guest spots and features at Glamour.com, DesignMom, Cup of Jo, Babble, Etsy, and others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1523253404701-FNM7D5YCRUJFD7T8P5QC/cmombannercrop.jpg Crabmommy Blog https://amandagersh.com/feelings daily 0.75 2023-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1547932466992-9D8JJFCIZHXD6CN1ZEMM/babycrabby.jpg FEELINGS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1547926788682-C6CV4SISAYY6SR8CDGN7/crab-at-sunrise.jpg FEELINGS https://amandagersh.com/dovetail-workwear daily 0.75 2023-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1c3fab3e-e3e4-44c2-a96c-9220d2d86544/Screen+Shot+2022-10-28+at+1.16.46+PM.png Dovetail Workwear - MEAT As Copywriter, I worked my pants off at Dovetail! Deliverables included: • Product copy—6 seasons, 60+ rotating products on the site shop & for 300+ retailers & e-tailers • Content design & copy—including product Features & Benefits and Fabric, Sustainability & Care tabs • DTC website page copy • Campaign copy & web sliders • Email content & subject lines • Blog/newsletter content (30 + “Woman At Work” interviews) • Brand Guidelines (external and internal), including creation of House Style Guide and PR/Customer Service macros • All press releases As sole copywriter, I took care of copy big and small. Small stuff is big for the Dovetail consumer. It’s hard to buy pants—let alone online. Women need to know how they feel. How they fit. Where they come from. On the company side, Customer Service needs copy to do heavy lifting, to protect staff resources and minimize returns. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/25747c36-daf1-4ef2-ac83-7d2a8c212a81/Screenshot+2022-11-04+at+1.23.07+PM.png Dovetail Workwear - JUICE Dovetail’s bold moves—and encouragement of bold voices like mine—has paid off. The brand has grown fast: • 2018—1 pant style sold from 3 women’s garages. 2022—Dovetail is the largest exclusively women’s workwear company in the US. Dovetail has won a bunch of industry awards: • Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award (maternity) • GearJunkie Best in Show (thermal) • PCIAW Worldwide Best Design (No Fade black collection) Dovetail has garnered great press: • Editorial features in Forbes, Bust, Outside, among other national magazines. (These are legit editorial. Dovetail does not “pay to play.”) • Stellar reviews in key trade publications, including Wood, Electrical Contractor, and Mother Earth News. (This is earned placement. Dovetail does not sponsor reviews or engage in advertorial press.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/d50b27ef-7cd5-49d3-ac53-59c32639eeb1/IMG_1264.jpg Dovetail Workwear - PROPS I got to work with the best damn britches and the best damn…bosses at Dovetail. They even gave me a goodbye quilt made from their own beloved OG jeans! <crying emoji> Co-Founder Kate Day’s testimonial below: “Amanda is that person at your organization's table making everyone think better, deeper, and bigger. Her role as creative strategist, press liaison, and copywriter catalyzed my company, Dovetail Workwear, and launched us into our national expansion. Amanda guided my leadership team to create a series of integrated, multi-disciplinary strategies defining our brand identity, market competitiveness, and product positioning. She is an intellectual rockstar, able to activate diverse audiences by creating deeply compelling, creative, and authentic content. Add the fact that she is a delight to work with, individually or on teams—I’d jump at the chance to collaborate with her again.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/51005ef1-6b40-4bbf-b9d9-c27709eff895/Screen+Shot+2022-10-18+at+4.06.12+PM.png Dovetail Workwear - FLAVOR: sharp, strong, unfiltered Bold. Gritty. Purposeful. That’s the Dovetail woman. It’s also the voice of the brand. I was Dovetail’s first copywriter. This meant I got to create a voice from scratch—and all the tools to support it. At every opportunity, I worked to evince the “get dirty” message and convey the deeper truth behind it: women have grit. Fierce and feminist, Dovetail also embraces a humble, down-to-earth ethos. This complexity is built into the brand voice, where innuendo and playfulness never discredit the serious work of the women at the end of that appeal. The Dovetail voice is dirty. It’s also clean: no apparel industry jargon, no “greenwashing.” This bullshit-free approach comes straight from the brand DNA. While every second brand claims to be “authentic,” Dovetail’s scrappy story, extensive chain of wear testers, and mission-based business speaks for itself. There are no models in Dovetail catalogs and campaigns, only real working women (like welder Rae Ripple here). At Dovetail, what you see is what you get. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/3c56acbb-d081-4426-8d48-3ddbc28f6684/DTW--2780.jpg Dovetail Workwear - MORE MEAT How do you differentiate a scrappy new denim brand, in a world of giants? As Strategist, I worked closely with the founders & marketing team to make a big impact, on a bootstrapping budget. • I created DoveLab™, a space to park edgy products and show the BTS workings of a workwear brand. • I led the Work Like A Mother campaign, which delivered the first ever maternity utility jeans to the US market—and simultaneously marked Dovetail as the ultimate women-first utility apparel brand. • I devised the Dirty Work, Clean Marketing PR strategy, which resulted in robust earned media placement. • I helped strengthen brand authority by launching partnerships with influential women and organizations, from Women In Trucking to National Association of Women In Construction. • I initiated the DX Ranch collaboration, the first ever women’s ranch performance workwear, in partnership with a fourth-generation Lakota-owned ranch on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59cd3085e3df2877b464bb63/1666134010991-PW7JKBLB595KWIQ6W5A9/Dovetail_F20_MightyCreature_3000.jpeg Dovetail Workwear