About
Hi, I’m Abby
the brains behind Bart & Pen Co.
I’ve been a writer and artist for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my answers to “What do you want to be when you grow up?” ranged from author to fashion designer to investigative journalist to book editor. Since then, I’ve kept up a constant rotation of creative hobbies: music, drawing, painting, embroidery, photography . . . just to name a few.
Bart & Pen Co. combines the experience I’ve gained through a career in copy editing and publishing with my love of creative fields. I’ll use my expertise in writing and graphic design to develop your brand’s identity and voice and help you market your creative business.
Experience & Qualifications
Copy Editor
Graphic Designer
Publisher
I started my editing career in college as a student editor for my university’s news service. After graduating with a B.S. in English (creative writing) and journalism (print and digital media), I moved to Washington, D.C., to work for a government contractor as a copy editor and graphic designer.
As the firm’s in-house copy editor, I created corporate style guides, wrote and managed blogs, and developed and executed a social media strategy. I also worked on several contracts with federal government agencies, where my projects included web design and copywriting, video editing, and publication design.
I gained some of my most valuable project management experience over the next several years as a publications officer at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (yes, that one). In addition to lots (and lots and lots) of copy editing and publication design, my role involved content management, hardcopy publishing, web copywriting, training and outreach, and analyzing production metrics.
This all might sound a little boring, but these roles taught me so many transferrable skills – about effective writing to reach diverse audiences, about analyzing metrics to improve SEO, about creating the kind of content that readers want to see. And on the design end of things, I learned to create beautiful, engaging graphics and marketing materials, both digital and printed.
Bachelor’s in English and journalism
Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing
Highly proficient with Adobe Creative Suite
tl;dr: nearly a decade of experience as a
professional copy editor and graphic designer
Why Bart & Pen Co.?
I struck out on my own to get back to what I love
I left the corporate and government worlds because I wanted my work to reflect me – with projects that let me flex my creativity, with a bigger emphasis on graphic design and personal, engaging copy.
Since 2023, I’ve been lucky enough to take on a variety of projects, from copywriting for blogs and websites, to designing colorful marketing materials, to some artsy “just for fun” ventures.
Bart & Pen Co. is the next evolution of my copywriting and graphic design career. I’m excited to leverage my skills to create powerful copy, unique brand identities, and imaginative marketing materials to help you grow your business – and your passion.
the personal side of Bart & Pen Co.
When I’m not writing and editing, I’m usually spending time with my husband, Ryan, and our standard poodle, Penelope – the official mascot of Bart & Pen Co.
You can often find us camping, playing video games with friends, cooking a meal together, or developing photos in our kitchen film lab.
