• Long Live the Lifestyle Business

    “Ah, it’s great you’ve found yourself a nice little job.” Argh! That’s the type of comment I had to deal with all the time when I set up my copywriting business 7 years ago. Yes, I was mum to two small boys (now mum to two hulking great teenagers) at the time and yes, I […]

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  • Freelance Hero Worship – is there room for it in business?

      At every stage of your life you’ll have a hero. I’ve flitted from Hartley Hare (Pipkins) to the Banana Splits, to Duran Duran and all manner of movie stars I shan’t bore you with. You want to be like them…no scrap that…you want to be them. You want their lives, their personalities; you want […]

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  • What Does a Copywriter Do?

      OK, a slight departure from my usual posts, but I found this video I put together a few years ago and wanted to share it with you. Although my photo and website image are a wee bit out of date now (note to self – create new, up to date video soon), it gives […]

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  • The Power of ‘Why’

    If you have small children you’ll be pretty fed up with the word ‘why’. Almost every sentence uttered by your child with feature it. Their insatiable appetite for knowledge makes them repeat it again and again, until you reach breaking point.  But for a professional copywriter the word ‘why’ is one of the most important […]

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  • A Copywriter’s Guide to Time Management

    Being an independent copywriter can be a lonely life. As you’re not part of a big agency you spend many hours alone thinking and writing. To some that might sound like the perfect working arrangement, but it does pose a few problems. Working alone demands discipline and vast quantities of self-motivation, so here are a […]

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  • What to do When Your Copywriting Brief Changes

    It happens a lot – you meet a customer, spend an hour or so with them taking a detailed brief, then you produce a proposal and quote outlining exactly what needs to be done (as agreed during your meeting), your customer is happy with it, says ‘yes’ and you get started. Then, just as you’re […]

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  • Hiring a Copywriter – How to Make Sure The Process Runs Smoothly

    It doesn’t matter how good you are at your job, sooner or later you’ll end up drowning under a pile of paper. We’ve all been there; the bottom of your tray has been invisible for months, then, just as you are about to unearth it your boss dumps another load of work on you with […]

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  • Listen to Your Copywriter

    You hired a copywriter because of at least one of these reasons: You wanted to work with an experienced sales writer You needed an expert in their field You don’t have the time to do it yourself You don’t have the skills needed to create effective copy You wanted to make sure your copy worked […]

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  • Client Meetings – How to Prepare Effectively

    For some, facing a client to make a pitch or presentation is child’s play. For others it’s a fate worse than death. If you are one of the latter, how can you prepare effectively? The key to effective meetings Unfortunately, there is no magic pill that you can pop to make everything run smoothly. The […]

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  • Being a Copywriter – Growing a Thick Skin

    This post originally appeared on my other blog freelancecopywritersblog. For any of you considering entering the world of copywriting, it is something you have to read: If you’re thinking about becoming a copywriter, there’s one thing you must get – a very thick skin. Over the years mine has thickened to rival any Rhino – […]

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