Melissa Barber
Founder/President

Joshua Barber
Creative Director

Why em dash work?

Your organization has a story.

It’s uniquely yours.

No one else can duplicate it.

We help you tell that story. And we make sure clients and supporters remember it.

How do we do this? Simply put, we get to know you. We draw on the specialized knowledge of your team to communicate the value of the work you do. We produce fascinating content in your voice; content that’s meaningful to people, not generated by and for machines.

And we get results: improvements in search traffic, increased response rates, wildly successful fundraising appeals.

Melissa Scott Sinclair is a novelist, essayist and award-winning journalist. She is the recipient of the 2023 Lit/South Award in Fiction and the 2021 Michael Kenneth Smith Novel Fellowship.

Melissa’s bylines have appeared in The Washington Post, Audubon, Richmond magazine, Style Weekly and The Virginian-Pilot. Her work has been recognized by the Virginia Press Association, the Virginia Outdoor Writers Association, and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies.

  • We collaborate with your staff, your volunteers, your donors and your board members and the people you serve to tell the story of what you do and why it matters.

  • We provide the expertise of a senior copywriter/editor and creative director without the demands of hiring someone full time.

  • We boost your marketing efforts by contributing our expertise in content marketing and website development.

Testimonials

  • “As a designer with more than thirty years of partnering with writers, I can safely say that no one even comes close to Melissa's talent. And because she is a joyful, energetic and delightful person, it is always a pleasure to work with her!”

    Netta Radice
    CEO, Netta Radice Design, Inc.

  • "Print, web, short form, long form, you name it and she can handle it. Melissa delivers an A+ work product from start to finish, all with a smile and minimal supervision. Give her a direction and let her go. She'll come back with a winner. 5 out of 5 stars. 5 Diamonds. A+."

    David Saunders
    Founder and CIO, madison+main

  • “Melissa is amazing!  She has increased the impact of our donor communications which has resulted in increased financial support for our organization.  She writes with passion and empathy, reaching the heart of the donor and motivating them to act.  She is a joy to work with, helps us to stay on deadline, and offers creative ideas. She is an essential part of our team.”

    Mary Maupai
    Development Director, Safe Harbor

  • Erin Parkhurst Headshot

    "Em Dash Work quickly captured the brand aesthetic and created several pitch-perfect designs in short order."

    Erin Parkhurst
    Strategic Communications & Marketing Leader

What is an em dash?

Em-dashes are used to denote sudden changes in sentence structure.

Let’s get started

Do you have a branding or design project in the works?
We’d love to partner with you. Drop us a line and let’s chat.

Let's Chat