2021 promises to deliver the beginning of the end of a trek that few of us expected to be taking in 2020. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. Hang in there! Hundreds of thousands of families lost loved ones in 2020 to COVID or COVID complications. My heart goes out to each […]
2021: NEW YEAR, NEW CHEER Read More »
There’s an on Old Scottish tradition that I will probably adopt at midnight tonight. I never felt the need before, but this year, on the last day of 2020, I do… The Scots open all their doors at midnight, to let the old year out and welcome the new year in. I’ve heard people
2020 GET THE HELL OUT!!! Read More »
About On-hold Messages — Here are the Basics Every Business Owner Should Know I cut my teeth as an on-hold copywriter back in 2007. For a full year I wrote seven, ten, twelve, fifteen, 22 and 30-second on-hold messages for companies across the United States. Here’s a brief list of what I learned about writing
On-Hold Messages: The Basics Read More »
TWO NEW LONG-TERM CLIENTS It appears that my two newest clients–at long last–have ongoing needs for a copywriter, and they want it to be ME! WHEEE! I do so many one-off small projects that I have become used to searching for work pretty much non-stop. Now it looks like I’ll be able
Two New Long-Term Clients Read More »
FINALLY GOT A “CARES ACT” ZOOM GRANT I finally landed a grant to help me get through the COVID-19 work slowdown. It took long enough! I ended up applying for a SBA loan, too, earlier this year, but now that I have a grant, I may be able to pay off the loan
FINALLY GOT A “CARES ACT” ZOOM GRANT Read More »
COPY VERSUS CONTENT What’s the difference? Be sure your writing clients know the difference between content and copy when they hire you do write for them. I was hired recently based on this project description: “The deliverable is a 1-2 page Company Description for clients to learn who we are, what we do and
Copy Versus Content: What’s the Difference? Read More »
When potential clients approach me as a result of seeing my profile at Upwork or Thumbtack or as a result of seeing my craiglist ad, they almost always want to find ways to negotiate my rates downward. That’s because I’m one of the few Top-Rated providers who actually charge what I’m worth (or, actually,
Negotiating Price When Hiring a Copywriter Read More »
YOUR PROFESSIONAL BIO Tips for Making It Great Kris M. Smith, Copywriter and Author (WordWhisperer.net, YellowBalloonPublications.com) Most of the business owners and entrepreneurs I know loathe the idea of writing their own bios, even when they know they need one. Before I figured out how to tackle this chore in a less self-conscious
Tips for Writing Your Own Professional Bio Read More »
As a professional writer for hire, it isn’t always easy to tell how a changing business environment will affect my business from day to day or week to week. I’m used to having “peak seasons” and “weak seasons,” but they’re usually predictable and, as such, survivable. But in the case of the recent
The Pandemic Fallout Has Crippled My Business Read More »
Where to Find Me… I’m semi-retired now as a copy, content and features writer and editor, and loving every minute of the freedom I’ve gained to play pickle ball and wally ball (after years behind a desk), read, visit with friends, go to movies, hang with my goats and cats, and enjoy life in