Jay Lankau
copywriter and narrative designer
Jay is a wordsmith and storyteller based in Atlanta, Georgia who focuses on authenticity and tone when crafting brand stories. His commitment to engaging, snappy, and accessible copy is informed by his background in editorial and journalistic spaces. Jay’s work has appeared in The Sunlight Press, Savannah Magazine, WebMD, and VinePair, and across print, digital, audio, and video mediums. Jay has also worked with brands such as Patron Tequila, Barefoot Wine, Teremana, and organizations such as The Hue Society, The Savannah Tree Foundation, and Berlitz Corp.Fascinations include: Birdwatching, folklore, pretty wine labels, TTRPGs, and campy horror movies.Jay graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020 with a B.F.A. in Writing.
Current roles
BetterSleep by Ipnos
Story Script Writer
June 2023 - Present
Vinepair
Contract Writer
July 2022 - Present
Blindlight LLC
Freelance Writer
July 2022 - Present
Previous experience
Savannah Magazine
Freelance Writer & Social Media Manager
March 2020 - August 2022
Partnered with editor in order to follow brand voice and met hard deadlines with engaging editorial stories related to traveling, food & drink, architecture, and health. Maintained positive and professional brand partnerships (SCAD, Savannah Tree Society, etc) and executed social media strategy to 28.3k Instagram followers.Medscape
Freelance Writer
August 2021 - May 2022
Collaborated with managing editors to produce engaging, on-brand editorial content and news briefs, conducted independent research and obtained original interview material and quotes, and authored 15 feature and news brief articles related to LGBT healthcare, mental health, medical schools, and health/wellness social media trends.Berlitz Corp
Materials Design Contractor
October 2020 - October 2021
Formatted Learning & Development and DE&I contents for client’s internal use by matching existing style guides, collaborated with multiple teams to complete deliverables on schedule, and provided constructive feedback on how to improve remote work processes.Comic Book Resources
Games Features Writer
March 2020 - May 2020
Researched features pieces relating to video games and relevant industry events. Edited, formatted, and improved SEO for each article, delivered on deadlines.The Daily Fandom
Contributor Intern
October 2018 - July 2019
Responsible for contributing articles every month for the culture section of the website, as well as the articles’ research and SEO. Topics included TV, video games, film, and music.
Education
Savannah College of Art and Design
March 2020 | B.F.A. in WritingCalArts, Coursera.com Class
Story and Narrative Development for Video Games
Character Design for Video Games
Fiction
"Five of Wands," "Page of Coins" (White Clouds Tarot zine)
"The Departure" (Sunlight Press)
"The Salvaged Man" (Down by the Sea zine)
Contributions to Shoujo Fashion zine
"Flood Land" (Prometheus Dreaming)
Editorial
Kind Words is the Uplifting Game We Need Right Now (Comic Book Resources)
Games for Illustrators (Comic Book Resources)
Dungeons & Dragons: What Prospective Dungeon Masters Need to Know (Comic Book Resources)
“Body Armor” (Savannah Magazine, July/August 2020 Issue)
“Chef Q&A: Sean Thongsiri” (Savannah Magazine, September/October 2020 Issue)
“Raising the Bar” (Savannah Magazine, November/December 2020 Issue)
“Cup of Excellence” (Savannah Magazine, January/February 2021 Issue)
“Walk this Way” (Savannah Magazine, March/April 2021 Issue)
“Give and Take” (Savannah Magazine, June/July 2021 Issue)
“Coffee Talk” (Savannah Magazine, November/December 2021 Issue)
“Take Root” (Savannah HOMES Magazine, Fall/Winter 2020-2021 Issue)
“Following the Low Country Light” (Savannah HOMES Magazine, Summer 2021 Issue)
“TikTok Trends: Doc-Approved Sunscreen, Mr. Clean, DDS, and Oh, Honey” (Medscape)
“Sawbones Hosts Demystify Medicine, One Episode at a Time” (Medscape)
“Take It Easy” (Savannah Magazine, January/February 2022 Issue)
“TikTok Trends: Eye Bag Hack, What the Heel?, and Surprise Worms” (Medscape)
“TikTok Trends: EpiPen Tutorial, Plant Juice, and Hair Cracking” (Medscape)
“Bones or No Bones? Psychiatrists Explain Why We Love Noodle the Pug” (Medscape)
“‘Yes, And…’: How Improv Can Improve Bedside Manner” (Medscape)
“Do #MentalHealth TikToks Help or Hurt? A Therapist Breaks it Down” (WebMD)
“Making Healthcare More Humane: The Story Behind The Nocturnists Podcast” (Medscape)
News Writing
“Patient Gifts Cakes Every Year to Doctor Who Saved His Life” (Medscape)
“CrossFit Enters Primary Care with Fitness-Minded Docs, Data” (Medscape)
“Morehouse School of Medicine Gifts Students $6300 for the Holidays” (Medscape)
“Gender-Inclusive Language is Key to Transgender Patient Care” (Medscape)
“Queer Med Students of Color in Mostly White Institutions Feel Less Successful” (Medscape)
“Costly Representation: LGBT+ Workers Often Uncompensated for Extra Work” (Medscape)
“LGBT+ Residents Show Greater Rates of Depression: Study” (Medscape)
Promotional Writing
“Bowl of ‘Zole Celebrates Mexican Chefs, Pozole, and Agave Spirits” (VinePair)
“How the Hue Society is Rewriting the Narrative for Sommeliers of Color” (VinePair)
“A Noble Pursuit: Noble Oak Whiskey Partners with One Tree Planted to Revitalize Forests” (VinePair)
“The Story Behind PATRÓN® Tequila’s Iconic Bottle” (VinePair)
"How Lift Collective is Making the Wine Industry More Inclusive" (VinePair)
"Barefoot 101: Everything You Need to Know About America's Most-Loved Wine Brand" (VinePair)
"Your Guide to The Hue Society's 2023 Wine & Culture Festival" (VinePair)
"Louis M. Martini: Celebrating 90 Years of Excellence and Innovation" (VinePair)
"Mana for a Cause: Teremana Tequila is Giving Back During the Holidays with Ezana 'EZ' Million" (VinePair)
script writing
Belbeeps lore video
Role: Script writerIzzy AKA "Belbeeps" is a Twitch streamer and artist who uses a digital avatar online (VTuber). The lore video was a viewer community reward that tells a story explaining Izzy's character's background and how they came to be where they are now.
"a knight's quest for love"
Role: Script writerDiscover a tale of bravery and romance as Sir Cassian defies all odds in his pursuit of true love."A Knight's Quest for Love" is a narrated audio story available on the app BetterSleep. It was written for the app's 2023 Pride Month releases and featured on the Apple Store.
"the legend of mama quilla"
Role: Script writerWhen the Incan goddess of the moon overworks herself, her devoted priestesses go on a journey to meet the sun god Inti and help Mama Quilla get some well-deserved rest."The Legend of Mama Quilla" is a narrated audio story available on the app BetterSleep. It was written for the app's 2023 Latinx History Month releases and featured on the Apple Store.
Contact
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