a.k.a writer

a.k.a writer

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I don’t want to give away what the “number one overlooked skill for every author” is but I am confident many of you will find yourself cheered and even motivated by it. I am.

November 30, 2011 — 1 Comment

Ask a.k.a: getting & keeping a freelance life

October 27, 2011 — 2 Comments

As a freelancer, how do you balance your time? Is it difficult to not always “be” at work since your home office is in the next room? – Shelley L.

You could ask 10 difference freelancers this same question and get just as many answers. Why? It’s about what works for you.

One of the reasons I picked answered this question is because I found myself assessing my priorities this spring. While claiming I wanted more time for a personal writing project, I proceeded to book copywriting gig after gig, racking up more than 280 hours in a single month.

I also kept comparing myself to other freelancer friends who were billing 60 hours a week or building businesses as weekend warriors (taking new projects on Friday afternoon and delivering them on Monday morning). They were thriving. I was burned out.

With the help of very supportive people in my life, including a fantastic mentor, I started to focus on what I needed to do to achieve my goals and take care of myself. Here’s what works for me (at least for now).  (more…)

Copywriting pays my rent and bills–and it can be fun. Even more fun? This list of six famous authors who were copywriters. See it here.

September 19, 2011

Off the Tightrope: Losing and Regaining the Balance Between Copywriting and Me

January 29, 2011 — 8 Comments

Where do you start when you’re writing a blog post after an almost four-month hiatus? What began as a big copywriting project blossomed (or exploded, depending on how you look at it) into a series of ongoing gigs with multiple clients. Business couldn’t be better—and I still consider freelance copywriting an ideal job for me.

The catch: as business grew, the rest of my life suffered. I thought one month—then six weeks—of non-stop work, including weekends, would be a one-time thing. Yet, it’s very easy to keep it going—or convince yourself it’s what you need to do. I ended 2010 utterly exhausted and burned out.

On top of it all, I didn’t write a single word for my own creative non-fiction project. Not one. After all the work I’d put into developing a writing habit, I let it slip. The one good habit I did start in all of this was regular exercise. Now I can’t imagine managing stress or relaxing without it.  (more…)

No Trick or Treat: October Hiatus

October 10, 2010 — 1 Comment

My apologies for the lack of posts this week. It’s been a frantic fall.

I’m working on a gigantic project for a client. It’s one of my all-time favorite copywriting projects and it launches November 1. This upcoming week, I’m wrapping up a few projects and then focusing on the mountain of deliverables for this big launch. I can’t wait to share the results with you.

In an effort to maintain my health and sanity, I’m going to take an October hiatus from the blog. This is not how I planned to start my third year of blogging, but it’s a reality. When I began freelance copy writing, I wanted to have flexibility in my schedule so that I could pick my projects and spend time on my own writing. I consider myself very lucky, but I also have to be realistic about how much I can do.

I will be back. No question.

Until early November, I wish you a gorgeous fall and lots of inspired writing time.

Guest Post: Freelancers, It’s Time to Embrace Easy

June 25, 2010 — 1 Comment

Written by: Natalia M. Sylvester

Embrace Easy. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®We’re always hearing that freelancing is hard work. It’s hard to create a name for yourself when you’re just starting out. It takes a lot of work to keep a steady amount of assignments. It’s not always easy to find clients who will understand what a great writer is worth.

But there’s one very important part of it that shouldn’t be hard: knowing when a client is right for you.

When I think of my favorite clients, they all share one thing in common. Landing them was actually pretty easy. And I don’t mean that in an arrogant way, or even a lazy way. Yes, I marketed my butt off to catch their attention. Yes, I made sure to sell myself, as best I could, when they considered me for their project. But never, throughout the entire process, did they make me feel uneasy.

We need to give ourselves permission to embrace easy. It shouldn’t be difficult to know when you and a client are a good match. We shouldn’t be filled with doubt, or be unsure about whether we trust them. We need to think of it like dating: Mr. or Mrs. Right would never make you feel wrong.

The problem with embracing easy is that, well, it’s hard. It really comes down to trusting our instincts, and instincts—being the sneaky little inklings that they are—never let us know the reasoning behind what they’re suggesting.

The reasoning is only revealed to us later. Like when a client isn’t communicating enough, but still expects your copy to be spot-on. Or when, three months after invoicing, the check has yet to arrive.

Having been through this far too many times, I came up with a list of questions that I always have at the back of my mind when talking to prospective clients. Here’s a big surprise—they’re easy.

  • Are you comfortable with the work and the direction the client wants to go in? Are you confident that it’ll result in work you’ll be proud of?
  • Does the work excite you in some way or another? (Maybe the subject matter isn’t your favorite, but the format is something you’ve been meaning to break into, for example.)
  • Do you see the fact that your brand will be associated with this client as a good thing?
  • If they’re a new company, do they seem to have their business in order? (Or do they say things like, their target audience is everyone and that they’ll be making a billion dollars in profits by next year?)
  • When you discuss their needs, does the client respect your point of view?
  • When you quote them, do they try to talk down your prices?

And finally, the most important question of all, vague as it might be…

Do you and the client click?

What about you? In what other ways do you think the process could be made easier?

Natalia M. Sylvester is a copywriter and editor based in Austin, Texas. She blogs about words and writing at http://www.inkyclean.com/soapbox_blog and gets even nerdier on Twitter: @InkyClean.

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On Revisions and Feedback: It’s Critical to Writers

June 9, 2010 — 13 Comments

Editing_I tend to scribble. Image courtesy of Unhindered by Talent under a Creative Commons LicenseWhether it makes you want to hang by your fingernails or you love digging in to a pile of notes and edits, revisions are part of any writer’s life. Fortunately for me, I fall into the camp that enjoys the process—at least I do on most days.

Occasionally, my ego squeaks out a faint complaint, wishing that a draft were marked “perfect” upon its return. Obviously, that’s a little unrealistic! That wish sneaks up more with my copywriting projects than with my personal writing. Yet, the funny thing is that I want clients to provide feedback. It makes a big difference in the quality of the final product.

Why is client feedback so important to copywriting?

  • It creates trust. I find this especially true with new clients. When they see how you are able to improve the copy based on their feedback, they become more comfortable with you. It can lead to more work and fewer revisions down the road.
  • It drives specificity. Even companies that claim to be laid back about their brand voice care very deeply. They want things said in certain ways, even if they don’t share that upfront. When a client provides feedback and edits (especially using “track changes”), you can start identifying those preferences. It’s the difference in being able to edit with a scalpel or a hatchet.
  • It can inspire. I’m lucky enough to have several clients that are big on collaboration. In one case, what was a good headline became a sharp tagline used across several campaigns. It wasn’t that my work wasn’t good enough the first time around, it was that the client liked it and wanted to push it further.

There’s also no doubt that feedback can drive a writer crazy. For me, it’s when the so-called “feedback” is “I don’t like it” and no reason is given. It’s okay if a client doesn’t like something—I just need to know why so I can fix it. This hasn’t happened to me in a very, very long time and I’m grateful. Of course, I’ve also learned that if someone won’t go beyond “I don’t like it,” there are usually bigger problems at hand.

It can also be difficult when feedback comes in again and again—and now you’re on version six for a 250-word landing page. This tends to happen when the client team wasn’t aligned before starting the project, although it can be a sign that something’s not in sync between the copywriter and client. It’s (fortunately) a rare occurrence, but it can happen, especially on projects billed by the hour. I like project-based fees because you and the client can agree upfront what the revision process will look like.

What about you? How do you deal with revisions? Do you base your projects based on a set number of feedback rounds? Do you dread getting feedback from a client? What are your tips for dealing with the revision process?

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Cognitive Connection, June 4: On Copywriting & Writing

June 4, 2010 — 1 Comment

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®This week’s suggested reads revolve around writing, from an MFA program to trends in copywriting portfolios to interviews with writers about their processes. If you’re a lover of working with words, this Cognitive Connection is for you.

  • The Denver Egoist 2010 Portfolio Site Trends Jason Siciliano, who founded ModernCopywriter.com, penned this piece on current portfolio trends. This is one of the best—and most insightful—portfolio-related posts I’ve read for copywriters.
  • Writer’s Digest Blog – MFA Confidential Reflection Mode: Thinking About Life Inside an MFA Program If you’re thinking about an MFA in creative writing (or any MFA, really), this is a good blog to keep an eye on over the next few weeks as Kate Monahan wraps up her last few weeks in a creative writing program.

Your turn. Any great reads that you’d like to share with your fellow readers? Print counts, too, it doesn’t have to be something online. If you’re hooked on a new book or loved an article or essay in a magazine, include it here. Please share in the comments below. Thanks!

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