I noticed a suspicious uptick in newsletter sign-ups (it was odd because I haven’t created a campaign in … a long time …). I belatedly realized that either some webcrawler was signing up people for my newsletter, or a bad actor signed people up to ding my reputation and create chaotic spam for hacked e-mails.
Companies develop a lot of content, and creative services teams want to make the content readable, accurate, and engaging. There’s just one problem: it’s really difficult! Many customers are not shy when they give feedback–especially if a manual, web page, or video is confusing and inaccurate. Creative services departments have a choice: develop the content
I sometimes receive inbound inquiries seeking “an excellent writer who is also a painstaking line editor.” The skills seem complementary, right? Pie and ice cream; pickles and mustard; copywriting and copy editing. Many writers are also editors, but both skills require different types of concentration. I’ll use a few examples from my work history to
An “undelivered e-mail” message can be frustrating for freelance writers and other self-employed business owners. Learning that the e-mail bounced because your mail server is on a blacklist can be infuriating. This scenario is also called a “mail block,” a Realtime blacklist, or DNS-based Blackhole List.* I recently went through a fairly protracted situation with
…is to follow-through on a promise. Once I’ve understood, or helped to define, the parameters of a project, I tend to take every stage of the deadline seriously. I don’t promise fast turnarounds unless I can deliver. I allow enough time for revisions. Good clients clearly communicate their deadlines and expectations. Ninety-five percent of all
In most of my complimentary consultations, I’m asked a variation of, “is this the type of writing/marketing/editing your content marketing business does?” When I started my business, at the end of the recession, the answer was almost always “yes.” These days, it’s more of a qualified “yes.” I don’t consider myself a generalist, but I’m
A business “rebrand” is the most challenging and rewarding inbound query a freelance copywriter can receive. I’ve owned my freelance writing and editing consultancy for five years, and the changes to how businesses market themselves has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the past year, I’ve been approached by three large enterprises to help them
It all started with Heartbleed. I’m sure the 2014 security bug is a distant and unpleasant memory for many, but I always keep it in mind. (Heartbleed was a vulnerability in the “Open SSL” library that could allow hackers to steal information that we all thought was supposed to be safely encrypted). I was working
I try to keep my initial complimentary consultation focused on the problems of my prospective clients, and the potential ways I can help. Questions about cost can bog the conversation down. Business owners (and marketing managers eyeing their budgets) understandably feel they’re entering uncharted territory when they seek freelance writers or editors. Even in the
A few weeks ago, a financial advisor friend of mine and I had a conversation about the terminology of our respective professions. I mentioned how a few people seemed ambivalent about calling themselves copywriters, and some had started using the term, “content strategist.” “Copy” is a journalism term and one that evokes smoky newsrooms and
