Being sensible and seasoned, I go where the money goes. Unfortunately the money doesn’t often go where my real interests are, but that’s the fun of it (or not, depending how I feel).

I ended up as a parenting copywriter and having worked on child nutrition for a big name on three campaigns, I have been “branded” as family writer, childstuff writer and family health. However, not every client is unaware of my versatility, so I was recently able to write fashion and sportswear copy for an online retailer, including some descriptions of London Olympics mercs.

However I lost a job on a child nutrition campaign for unknown reasons. although I suspect I was too expensive. So having done the same stuff for a competitor, knowing all the research and what the market is like were not appreciated. I also lost a job writing about sack tracks and other tools for an industrial manufacturer because I was told (this time) I am too expensive. I find it hugely frustrating so I just beaver away at my bread and butter job for a local publisher rather than boosting some mean agency’s profits with my hard work. And I’m not even a socialist or member of a trade union…

To be honest I welcome any query, provided the pay is fair and the subject is not morally dubious.

[…] Read it by clicking here. […]

Thanks Simone!

I know the feeling. I love doing conceptual work but if I only took on these jobs I’d quickly starve — I follow the money and my fairly broad experience enables me to earn a decent crust.

In my first year as a freelancer all I got were niche B2B jobs, mostly to do with software — very technical. If I’d niched there I’d be bored to tears by now. These days when I get a job like that I relish it, because it’s different to what I did yesterday.

Do you think clients prefer generalists because we’re cheaper, then? I’m quite surprised, because I would prefer an expensive specialist with extensive industry knowledge and I think my clients do too, as they always ask me for my experience in their sector (and are more likely to get in touch if they’ve seen something similar in my portfolio).

For me, one of the joys of copywriting is the variety. And it doesn’t matter what the topic may be. The first part of any writing is the research, after all. After over 30 years in the trade, last week I wrote about something completely new to me. Football.

Being a bit of a chameleon is surely also of benefit to your client – you can take ideas/language/concepts/elements from one area, such as football or car sales, and apply them to another, like cookery or accountancy, to get a fresh angle on things. Interdisciplinarity, cross-pollination – whatever you want to call it – is much more restricted if you specialise.

I started my copywriting career as a ‘Specialist Hotel Copywriter’. I worked for many hotels in my time and knew the trade. So calling myself a specialist separated me from the rest. Hotels were happy to deal with me; they trusted me. I could deliver what they wanted, because I had inside knowledge. However, there’s only so much you can do for a hotel … you start to get bored with the same type of projects, and crave something juicier. So, I decided to open the door. I take on all kinds of projects, and as you rightfully say, it’s nice to look forward to working on something different. Something I have noticed though … being a generalist is considered by some, as being ‘weak’. Catch 22.

Just read the blog and comments as a result of a tweet this morning. I feel a split reaction. One the one hand, it’s good that people can just decide to become a copywriter, go on an online course, and launch themselves into the market. It’s a free country, and sadly there aren’t enough jobs out there in ad agencies for talented fledgling copywriters to cut their teeth and learn about the whole business, including marketing, from others.
On the other, I’m astonished that you’ve only just realised that,”In that time I’ve developed a very simple approach: discover what’s special about the product and find a way to explain this to the customer in a tone of voice that resonates. It doesn’t matter what I’m selling. The formula is always the same.” Gulp. This demonstrates the danger for clients in the open market! Going freelance without an agency grounding means you don’t know what you don’t know. Maybe I should write a book for young copywriters who launch themselves straight into business?

My blog about how copywriting is like acting adds another perspective on this debate.
http://lizholt.co.uk/2012/04/copywriting-acting-without-the-stage-fright/

Well that was a patronising response, Liz.

Actually, I’ve never been on any copywriting courses. Not one. I’m a former journalist with two degrees, including an MA in creative writing. I started out working for small digital agencies, B2B brands and small local consumer businesses, before growing a respectable consumer portfolio as a freelancer on all manner of national and international brands through word of mouth. Perhaps cutting my teeth in this way gave me a very different perspective to you.

And honestly, five years of freelancing (hard to believe this blog post is almost a year old!) gave me an incredible insight into just how similar the process is, regardless of the product you’re selling, or the size of the brand you’re working for.

Discover what’s special about the product — why “it” and not its competitors — and push that benefit in the tone of voice that resonates with the audience.

It’s not some spectacular secret I’ve learned, nor is it unique to me. It’s the same style of copywriting recommended by many seasoned industry veterans. Take this line from the Ad Contrarian —

“No matter how complex a marketing or advertising problem seems to be, no matter how much research has been done… no matter how many planning insights have been concocted, no matter how many decks have been written and Powerpoint presentations have been made… the correct idea, when found, will be simple.”

You are free to disagree with my approach. But you’ve not offered any evidence that your approach is superior.

Hi Alastaire,

I don’t disagree with your approach and I didn’t intend to offend you, although I can see that it was unavoidable in what I was saying. To be more specific in what I was saying, finding out what is special about the product should be at the heart of every brief and every creative solution. If you work for an agency as a junior writer, you’re taught to take this approach from Day 1 of your career.

And, yes, the right ideas are always the simplest.

The point is, the danger for clients in the amount of copywriters out there who don’t do this because ‘they don’t know they don’t know this’, and take time to discover it, at their clients’ expense. It can happen when a client doesn’t have a marketing background and so doesn’t automatically include this in the brief.

This is such a late response because I only read your reply this morning, when looking at the search response for my website URL.

I’ve read and liked your book, Liz. I think you’re being a tad dismissive though of Alastaire – whose book expertly highlights the importance of pushing product benefits.
In my opinion, marketing one opinion at the expense of another is always avoidable.