How my copywriting journey started
Rewind to summer 2008 and I was facing my fourth redundancy in six years. After abortive starts in the banking, pharmaceutical and (of all things) plastic model horse sectors, I’d had enough of the corporate world. At the time, I was an Operations & Marketing Manager. So, when I decided to go for broke and become a freelancer, I had two choices: operations or marketing.
Surprise, surprise: I chose marketing!
For the last few months or so, I’d been managing or overseeing all the sales and marketing activities for the model horse company after both the National Sales Manager and the Marketing Manager left. I’d been heavily involved in marketing activities before this also. Working on the annual product brochure and supporting literature, managing the website, creating promotional campaigns for retailers and consumers, organising and running trade shows and other events. And much more!
What I liked most was writing – but at this point, I’d never heard of the profession of ‘copywriter’. So, when I found out I could actually write the kind of stuff I’d been writing for four years (and in other roles before the model horses) full-time and make a living from it, I was delighted!
Getting started with studying – and networking
My next task was to do some training. My writing style was a little too much on the academic side – a hangover from my degree in English and Classics, I suppose. So, I duly enrolled on a correspondence course with what is now The Blackford Centre and qualified with an accredited Diploma in Copywriting with Merit in 2009.
By this time, I’d already been self-employed for several months. I was lucky enough to be referred to my first client, a company working in the continuing care fees reclaim sector, by my former boss. That led to ongoing work for several years, until the company closed down. However, I knew from my then-husband’s experience (he’d become a freelance IT Consultant in 2006) that I needed to get my name out there if I was to grow my client base successfully.
After dipping a toe in a few local networking groups, I joined a Nottingham-based organisation. I stayed with them for several years, making many long-lasting contacts, some of whom I’m still in touch with today. Since then, I’ve attended innumerable meetings with a wide range of groups and joined a couple of others for longer or shorter periods of time. I can safely say that networking is the single most important thing you can do as a business owner to get new work and expand your contact list.
Having said that, when I first started out, it was amazing how few people knew what a copywriter does. (Although, to be fair, I’d never heard of the profession myself until 2008.) I spent many ‘interesting’ hours at networking dos, patiently explaining that I don’t handle trademarks and patents – and I don’t offer photocopying services either! Since then, of course, the profession has exploded. There are now literally dozens, maybe hundreds, of us in Nottingham alone. Whereas, back in the late 2000s, there were probably only a handful. Times have certainly changed.
The ups and downs of self-employment…
Life as a self-employed sole trader has been far from easy at times. I’ve had good years and bad years. And the worst years always seem to come along at just the wrong times, when personal circumstances are adding even more pressure to keep the home fires burning. Clients have come and gone, sometimes with disastrous financial consequences. (Thankfully, these have always been short-lived.) I’ve had my share of sleepless nights, but if 15 years of experience has taught me anything, it’s that another opportunity is always just around the corner. But of course, it’s down to me to find it!
….and a second string to my bow
After 10 years of trading, I decided I wanted not only to do something different alongside copywriting and consultancy, but I needed more stability to my income. That’s when I started teaching apprentices, which has been a rollercoaster ride in its own right. It’s certainly opened the door to a myriad of learning and career development opportunities.
Coming back to my copywriting journey (I’ll talk about my teaching journey in a future blog), my business has evolved in recent years to develop a strong international focus. I write extensively for clients based in Europe and the Far East in particular and have become adept at writing in American English. Technology of various kinds has become something of a specialist writing area for me as our world becomes increasingly digitized.
What’s the next stage in my copywriting journey?
So, what does the future hold for Black & Write? To be honest, I’m not sure right now. I’m doing less apprenticeship teaching than before as I’ve recently changed training providers. Also, I’d like to build up my training offer under my own banner rather than just working through a third party. I’m pleased to say there are a few irons in the fire to this effect, which are looking promising.
On the writing side, I’m increasingly drawn both to the international copywriting work I’ve been doing for a while and to working for the third sector. As a former museum trustee, I have a good understanding of how charities work and the funding pressures they face. I’m keen to help where I can by writing high quality marketing materials and supporting documentation, as well as offering advice, consultancy and training.
A question I’m often asked is: Would you like to write a novel? Well, I’ve never been much of a fiction writer – not since school, anyway. It’s more my Mum’s strong point (she used to write kids’ Key Stage 1 and 2 books as well as poetry and adaptations of existing tales such as Aesop’s Fables). I take more after her late father, my Grandpa, who mostly wrote non-fiction around Derbyshire ghosts and legends and several books on the Eyam plague, amongst other topics. I share his love of research, too. So, whilst the idea of writing a novel is appealing, I think I’ll stick to what I know for now!
Like to know more?
If you’d like to know more about me and my copywriting journey, please get in touch.
