Why did you choose a career in copywriting and how did you get into it?

I didn’t know that copywriting existed until I met my friend Jean when we worked together at SoundCloud. She was a copywriter and I realised that I quite fancied being one, too.

It was a natural move, really. I’d studied English at university and was a decent writer, but I didn’t get to do much writing in my role at the time. So I quit my job, made a copywriting website, tapped up friends to find my first few clients, and I haven’t looked back.

What work are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of my personal projects. Like Run for Your Life, a magazine that I made about everyday runners.

In terms of client work, I’m lucky to have written for some big brands (Facebook, Google, Volvo, etc.) I tend to enjoy working with smaller tech companies, though – like Boords, Stack Overflow and Wonderbly. At smaller companies, I get to help out with everything. Short copy, long copy, emails, web pages, blogs – anything that needs writing.

What piece of copy do you really wish you’d written?

I really enjoyed Spotify’s year-end campaign in December. That would have been fun to work on.

What do you do if you hit a bit of writer’s block?

Walk my dog. Read a book. Watch TV.

What are your favourite and least favourite writing-related tasks?

When it’s the right client, I enjoy all the work. The worst thing is churning out copy that you don’t believe in for clients that you don’t love. We’ve all got bills to pay, after all. Thankfully, I have good relationships with my current clients and they’re a joy to work for.

Any copywriting pet hates?

The usual, I guess. Jargon. Long words. Too many words. Overly cutesy copy. Writing in spreadsheets. I hate writing in spreadsheets.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given?

My dad tells me to make hay while the sun shines. That’s pretty good advice.

What advice would you give to people starting out on a copywriting career?

Read a lot. Find a more experienced copywriter to answer questions and give you feedback on your work. Work for lovely clients when you can. Charge late fees on your invoices. Talk about your fee with other writers to see if you’re undercharging. Don’t work too late. Get lots of sleep.

Why do you find ProCopywriters membership useful?

Being a freelance copywriter can be lonely. It’s handy to have a community of other writers that you can turn to for help and advice.

Where can people find out more about you?

At my website: lukeleighfield.fyi. I also write a weekly newsletter about things that I like: Ten Things.