Communications & Editorial Strategy for people building meaningful work in public
I help founders, writers and small organizations find the place where their good work feels disconnected from the people who it’s meant to reach.
When an audience feels disengaged, hard to wake up or difficult to grow, it is not always obvious what is going wrong.
Like in any good relationship, communications can go sideways unintentionally. The delivery can get clunky. Or we can simply lose sight of who the message is trying to reach and what their lived experience is really like.
My job is to help you pinpoint where the root of disconnection lives between you and your audience — then build the editorial systems, publishing strategy and communications structure to bring more life, momentum and engagement back into your work or organization.
What I help with
Communications audit
For founders, consultants and small organizations whose work has substance, but whose message, audience engagement or publishing system has started to feel scattered, reactive or disconnected.
Start with a one-time diagnostic audit, where I look across your website, messaging, publishing rhythm, audience experience and communications structure to identify where connection is getting lost.
From there, we can turn the findings into a clearer message, stronger editorial system and more coherent public presence.
Substack Editorial Advising
For writers, experts and publication-led creators who want a focused outside read on their Substack publication.
In a private advising session, we can look at your publication’s positioning, reader experience, homepage, About page, welcome flow, paid offer, editorial rhythm or audience data — and identify where the work may be getting stopped.
Best for you if you are building on Substack and want clearer direction without turning your publication into a content machine.
The Co-Writing Studio
For writers who need a quieter, more human place to return to the page.
We gather live to write together, and when you get stuck, I help you work with the stuck place through editorial, creative and somatic inquiry.
Best for you if you do not just need accountability. You need a space where the deeper layers of writing are allowed to be present.
About
My name is Amanda Bray, and I am a communications and editorial strategist with 20 years of experience across journalism, book publishing, digital editorial strategy, internal communications, audience development, Substack publishing and thought leadership.
I help writers, founders, consultants and organizations clarify their ideas, structure their publishing systems and understand how their audiences are actually responding.
The goal is not to publish more for the sake of publishing more.
The goal is to build a body of work, a message or a communications system that can actually hold what you are here to say.
Testimonials
“Amanda’s advice about writing, Substack, growth, and keeping it real is soulful and pragmatic at the same time.”
“She saw the narrative underneath… strategic clarity delivered with real insight and nuance.”
“She can effectively look with these magical eyes at the data… She could literally pull all the data … and say this is the price your audience is happy to pay.”
“Amanda helped me dive into my well, unlock my ideas and direction around my newsletter publishing dreams, and re-anchor in my hope and excitement… My time with her continues to be one of the smartest decisions I’ve made for myself and my work.”