Well Turned Words is the wordsmithing studio of Julie Schumacher, epigrammarian. Sometimes I write things for other people. Sometimes I write things with other people. Sometimes I write things all by myself.
A teacher of writing, a compulsive consumer of books, and a champion of quality comma use, I relish the chance to collaborate with clients, designers and developers to ensure the copy works.
writing
If you are looking for the snarky or the scholarly, looking to attract clients or attract attention, you'll need good copy. Great copy reflects the mission of the client and plays nicely with design. Whether print or online, I can craft a body of text that makes sense with what you want to say and the space you have to say it.
proofing & editing
Putting your words out into the world can be intimidating. Even the best ideas can become mired in poor editing. My approach is fresh eyes on your content with your voice and mission in mind. Bring me what you've got and I'll give it a polish till it shines. Let's talk editing, fact-checking, proofreading, and more.
social media
Raised in a haiku-loving home, I appreciate the art of brevity. I can help you find your voice on Twitter, Facebook, and whatever comes next. (And that was exactly 140 characters.) A one-time review or an ongoing collaboration can unify your image and message. If you need help managing your social media life, I'm your gal.
Past Tense
tala bee kids
Tala Bee Kids is a girls clothing line out of the Bay Area. As part of rebranding and a gorgeous new website, the text needed to highlight the modern, refined look of the collections. Instead of a girly line of sequin-filled clothes, adult design sensibilities blend seamlessly with play-worthy fabrics and fit. Working with Style Army and Tala Bee Kids founder & designer Tala Banatao, I had a delightful time crafting the site copy and developing headlines worthy of the custom illustrations.
virtue cider
Virtue is a craft cider brand releasing its first batch of Red Streak under the helm of veteran brewmaster Greg Hall. Virtue's hallmarks are a blend of old world craftsmanship and modern fermentation processes. The site demanded language that highlighted just how special the cider is. Well Turned Words worked with Virtue on their copy to create elegant, thirst-inducing text emphasizing the mission and process that goes into each glass.
mood events
Mood Events is a full service boutique events planning firm creating absolutely stunning affairs in Metro Detroit. As part of a rebranding effort with Spitfiregirl, principal Mikki Mood wanted to have copy for her new site that accurately reflected the work her firm does: thoughtfully elegant meets clever and charming, all with an eye towards showing both the Mood process and how every client becomes part of the Mood family.
826 seattle
826 Seattle is a Pacific Northwest chapter of author Dave Eggers' national tutoring program. The site's design honors the joy-filled writing work being done in the center. The copy, then, needed to reflect the same clever, engaged tone. By working with the designer and developer, the result is playful word choice with a dash of whimsy. And a quadruple grammar check, because you can't have grammar errors on a tutoring site.
the area code project
Chicago design wunderkind Mike McQuade's newest artistic and civic venture is the Area Code Project. Harkening back to a localized pride in place, the site's content reflects that civitas and showcases his beautiful work. McQuade wanted something that balanced an aggressive call to civic pride and a sense of inclusiveness with a history lesson tossed in for good measure.
Spitfiregirl Design
Heidi Yarger is the spitfire behind Spitfiregirl Design, a collaborative design studio out of San Francisco. I worked to whip up copy for her site to capture her talent and energy. Her work in branding and identity, packaging, and web design for emerging and established brands has made her a name in the wedding, fashion, healthy lifestyle, and kid-focused industries. The copy needed to illustrate her total professionalism without sacrificing her sparkling personality.
revolution brewery
Chicago's Revolution Brewery is known for producing dozens of craft beers each year. Now adding one of the largest breweries in Illinois to their kingdom, Revolution celebrated with a new site. I view this type of word work, taking the strong content foundation a client's written and crafting a unified tone and style, as copy polish. It's all there, it just needs a shine. The new site has slightly edgy, fun language and it let me dabble in my history-major nerd roots too.
Present Tense
team spitfiregirl
Spitfiregirl Design is a San Francisco-based studio specializing in branding, identity, packaging & web design for wedding, lifestyle, fashion, and kids. I write copy as part of Team Spitfiregirl and guest blog on the site. Principal Heidi Yarger & I also partner on blog posts about the intersection of design + copy and creative collaborations.
design cloud chicago
A collective of independent creatives, Design Cloud looks to reimagine the way people work. Me? I work on writing and strategy. We’ve got designers and developers, researchers and artists. And a dog. Not content to be just another design studio, members also get to be a part of rad projects supporting our art gallery and community initiatives.
Forth Chicago
My newest adventure partners me with designer Lisa Guillot and photographer Kelly Allison. Forth is a quarterly event looking to connect creative women in Chicago for inspired conversation. The seasonally themed salon-style gatherings are intentionally intimate evening affairs that focus on the giving space and time to smart women and bright ideas.
The Founding Moms
The Founding Moms network links mom entrepreneurs in towns, cities, and around the globe. More than three thousand women now consider themselves Founding Moms. As part of their team of blogging mamas, I write about writing, parenting, freelancing, and all that jazz. Curious? Here's a link to my work.
Hi, Lo
Hi, Lo is my other home on the Internet. Some days it’s an archive of photographs, sometimes it’s an almanac of potential and realized kitchen disasters. It’s an evolving documentation of our family’s thought-out wanderlust. It’s also a declaration of affection for things I love and a collection of writings on work and home.
twittering
Information
I work with clients ranging from small business owners to national non-profits to bring their message, brand, and product to a wider audience. With an undergraduate degree from Brown and a graduate degree from Harvard — and in the humanities to boot — I spent many, many (late) nights writing papers on topics ranging from prostitution to potty training. More than a decade teaching writing and journalism taught me the importance of thoughtful and constructive editing.
When I'm not turning my words, I am staying up late to finish a book, baking too much, dabbling in photography, playing the ukulele with impressive mediocrity, and scheming about a next trip. I can also be found navigating the waters of motherhood with my young daughter Loie and organizing gazpacho exchanges with the neighbors.
While a misused apostrophe doesn't end civilizations, well turned words work best. If you agree, I'd love to work with you.
email: julie@wellturnedwords.com
twitter: @wellturnedwords
facebook: Well Turned Words
