I love all my clients. I’ve worked with companies launching amazing apps, fancy NYC stylists, and super talented photographers - to name just a few. I count myself as insaaaaanely lucky to assemble sentences for a living.
This fall, an assignment fell into my lap which was - no holds barred - the most fun I’ve had in my professional life last year. (Okay, not actually more fun than shooting a cat calendar. But definitely the most fun I’ve had writing this year!)
I got to write copy for a new company that sells high-end clothing for toddlers. BUT! The kicker? The owner wanted funny, slightly snarky, story-based copy for the product descriptions. I PRETTY MUCH DIED AND WENT TO COPYWRITER HEAVEN.
A few things I learned from this experiment in awesome?
1. When you’re doing something you really, really, reallllllly love it doesn’t feel like work
File under the heading of ‘Duh, Sarah, I know.’ I love the work I do. If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t do it. But. The way I feel when writing taglines for an HR company? Or a landing page for a marketing firm? This is different than the way I feel when I’m crafting a funny, snarky story about a rich toddler wrestling a dog. I didn’t track how long it took me to write these product descriptions but I doubt it took me longer than 2 hours to write 20 of them.
2. When you really, really want the work you might want to take a pay cut
Are you dying to add more editorial work to your photography portfolio? Are you a designer who wants to get into wedding invitations? If you really want to do that stuff - and the potential client is just starting out - you might want to consider working for less than your usual rate. Just this one time to fill out your portfolio.
3. Telling stories is The Actual Best
Much of my writing takes its final form in About pages and Sales pages - of which I am both fond and adept. I forgotten how much I’d loved telling mini stories and using humor in my writing. I mean, I do it regularly on my blog, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to use those skills for my clients. And it feels gooooood to be professionally witty again.
Tell us about your favorite client/project of the year and what you learned from that experience!
P.S. As you may remember, I’m putting my copywriting skillz on indefinite hiatus in 2014. Stay in touch if you’d like to be on the waiting list or need a referral!
Haha I can see why you loved writing it!! 😉
This copy is so entertaining and was probably a dream to write, but it seems startlingly similar to the work of Tiffany Beveridge and My Well-Dressed Toddler Daughter, interviewed on Yes and Yes last year. Of course, no one can corner the market on snarky toddler stories, but I was wondering if you were directly inspired by Beveridge’s work - and if so, do you have any thoughts on the interplay between for-profit marketers and the work of individual creatives online? I know the two inform each other and the ethics are an ongoing conversation, but thank you in advance for any thoughts you might share.
Jay, the client actually wanted to hire Tiffany (who’s a good friend of mine) but she was busy writing her book. Tiffany referred her directly to me.
The client told me she wanted funny, story-based copy similar in feel to Tiffany’s writing and this is what I came up with
These are soo great! I love it.
Sarah M