Emily Moore: Writer and Content Marketer at Anastasia Salazar Ltd.
Q: How’d you get into writing?
A: Writing has always been a core part of my identity. Even when I was just 5 or 6 years old, I would write and illustrate little 5-sentence stories — I found one a couple years back called “Bruno the Blue Bear” (spoiler alert: it’s about a bear that falls into blue paint). I began to think about writing professionally in high school, when I joined my school newspaper and eventually became an Editor-in-Chief. It only seemed natural to major in English when I started college, where I broadened my horizons even more. I got into a sub-concentration program in creative writing and completed a mini anthology of short stories for my thesis project, and also wrote for (and later became Editor-in-Chief of) my school’s satire newspaper. I was lucky enough to find a job as a content writer straight out of college at a communications firm in San Francisco — after that, I had an in-house editorial position at a tech company for a few years, and since then I’ve been freelancing. Today, about half of my work is content marketing and branding, and the other half is freelance journalism (in addition to some personal projects like satire, short stories, and screenwriting).
Q: What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
A: I like to view writing — whether it’s an article, messaging guide, or short story — as a puzzle. You have a bunch of different elements that you need to fit together just right in order to properly convey the message you’re trying to express. I love playing around with all of those parts and arranging them into one coherent piece. It’s such a rush when you find that perfect combination of words or the structure that ties everything together.
Q: Do you have a dream commission?
A: I’m a big comedy geek, so I love any project where I get to use my sense of humor. The Onion used to have a native advertising division where brands could hire the staff to write commercials, articles, and other branded content that was genuinely hilarious. I’d be over the moon if I got hired to do something similar — all the better if it were for an environmentally- or socially-conscious company!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I pride myself on being a bit of a chameleon — I love digging into conversations with clients to figure out who they really are and adopting a style that reflects their personality. But no matter who I’m writing for, I always aim for a genuine tone that doesn’t make the reader feel like they’re being sold anything.
Q: Where can people see your work?
A: I don’t update it as often as I should, but I highlight some of my favorite projects on my Contently profile.
Q: What books are by your bed?
A: I have two right now. One is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt — I have a huge list of critically-acclaimed novels that I want to read, and this is the latest one that I’m tackling. It’s long, but really captivating and incredibly vivid. The other is Project Drawdown, a nonfiction book that highlights the most impactful things we can do to reverse climate change. You can find the featured solutions on the group’s website as well. There are so many potential game-changers, but a few of my favorites to learn about so far have been ecological restoration, energy-efficient buildings and materials, and offshore wind energy. We really do have so many powerful tools to help heal our environment — we just need to keep pushing decisionmakers to take action!
Q: What are your go-to sources for inspiration?
A: It’s tough to say, because I often draw inspiration on things I just happen across online or in my everyday life. When it comes to marketing, advertising, and branding, though, Adweek is a great way to stay on top of trends and innovation.
Q: Do you think design and writing inform each other? If so, how?
A: Absolutely! In branding, visual aesthetic and messaging go hand-in-hand — you should get the same feel from a brand’s copy as you do from their logo, color palette, typography, and all of the other components that make up their brand identity. If the two don't match up, they should be tweaked until they do. Otherwise, your audience won't be able to get a sense of who you are.
Q: What do you love about language?
A: Just about everything: the history behind it, the sound, the emotional response it can evoke in people, the way it enables you to distill complex ideas into concise, tangible information… I could go on and on. I wouldn't be surprised if there’s an alternate universe where I’m a linguistics professor.
Q: Where are you from? How’d you end up in California?
A: I was born and raised in a suburb outside of Lansing, Michigan, then I spent a couple of years in Ann Arbor for college. After I graduated, I moved to the Bay Area for my first big kid job. I had always wanted to live in California — I spent a lot of time here growing up because I had family in San Diego — but it was really more by chance that I ended up here than anything.
Q: When we started working together you were living in Spain, what was that like?
A: Living in Spain had been a dream of mine for years. I started learning Spanish at 12, and becoming fluent is one of my biggest life goals. To do that, you need to be fully immersed in the language for months and months at a time, but I didn’t study abroad in college so I never really got that experience. Shortly after I signed the offer letter for my first job, I learned about a program in Spain where native English speakers worked as teaching assistants for 12-16 hours a week and earned a monthly stipend. I was really interested in it, but because I already had a great job lined up, I pushed it to the backburner. In 2019, I realized it was kind of a do-or-die moment so I quit my corporate job, joined the program, and moved to Madrid in January 2020. It was a great experience — I loved soaking in the culture, eating the food, and speaking the language. But in mid-March, Madrid became the second big coronavirus hotspot in Europe after Italy. Right after the prime minister announced a nationwide lockdown, I decided it was time to head home while I still could and weather everything out in the states. Cutting my time there short was heartbreaking, but I’m determined to go back as soon as COVID-19 and all of its variants are under control.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: My biggest one is writing — at any given time, I’m working on about 5 projects, from short stories to comedy articles to teleplays and personal essays. It can be hard to drum up the motivation to write in my free time after writing all day at work, though, so my personal projects sometimes move slower than I’d like. Beyond that, I really like watching TV (especially 30-minute single-cam sitcoms) and trying out recipes I find online.
Q: You have a special interest and dedication to environmental work. How and when did you get into that?
A: My parents and schools did a good job in instilling a sense of respect for nature and the environment in me when I was growing up. When I started seeing the impacts of climate change first-hand — winter starts later and ends sooner every year in Michigan — it was pretty devastating. I felt completely powerless for a long time, and didn’t do much except donate to environmental organizations and vote for candidates that supported green policies (which is important too, don’t get me wrong!). When the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020 started, though, I took to the streets in earnest for the first time. I was in awe of how powerful the movement was and the message it sent. At that moment, the impact of collective organizing really clicked with me on a personal level. I felt like the best way for me to help the environment would be to join and support the groups that were already fighting for (and winning) change. Since then, I’ve gotten more involved with the Sunrise Movement and it’s been really empowering and inspiring. They have a strong focus on environmental justice for Black and Brown communities, too, so it feels like a good way to pay tribute to the movement that got me more civically engaged in the first place.
Q: Favorite YouTube video? Or fav social media account?
A: OK Go has an amazing music video for their song “Needing/Getting” where they drive around a custom-built course full of instruments that they “play” with their car. It was a collaboration with Chevrolet — probably the coolest branded video ever made. So creative, and I can’t imagine how much work went into pulling it off!
Q: Anything else to add?
A: I have quite possibly the cutest dog in the world. He’s got a big underbite and an even bigger personality.
Anastasia Salazar Ltd. is an independent design studio for tailored branding and digital designs. Reach out to learn how we can help you fuel growth and maximize your brand’s impact.