The Copywriter Underground

Yahoo’s  Hot Jobs for 2007 listing now says that “copywriter” is one of 2007’s hottest professions (which might explain my staggering workload).
In fact, in a survey by our company, 60 percent of advertising and marketing executives who plan to hire new employees said they’ll be adding copywriters. Due to this increased demand, average starting salaries for senior copywriters [...]

Nicholas Carr wrote an interesting piece about the desire (or demand) for brevity in the brave new Internet world (derived from a Tim O’Reilly piece, which didn’t resonate as strongly), and how the medium is damaging the message.
Both strangely echo a Michael Fortin piece about the death of the long-form sales letter (which isn’t concerned with [...]

From Designers who Blog comes the story of a now-anonymous article repeatedly copied and reposted on Craigslist - one aimed squarely at those who expect creatives work for free.
Though focused primarily on illustrators, it should be a mandatory read for any artist selling their work at rates that won’t buy a fast food dinner (and [...]

Recently discovered via Carson’s new-paint-and-drapes Content Done Better blog is the provocatively named “Screw You!” - a freelance writer’s blog that’s destined to become a fixture on my RSS feed.

 She dug up a John Irving quote, good for a solid whack upside the head:
If you don’t feel that you are possibly on the edge of humiliating [...]

I like the freedom of self-employment. You make your own decisions and answer only to your own instincts (and those of your two-dozen bosses).
Simply put, it means if I want to work for a “green” company, I can.
Now I do.
It’s Easy Being Green
My wife and I try to keep our energy footprint to a minimum, [...]

The Deep Jive Interests blog references an interesting study - one that exposes a certain amount of hypocrisy in the Public Relations industry (yes, we’re shocked too). According to Deep Jive:
Yes, you can file this under “talking a good game”, because the results show that while most PR executives believe in the blogging as an [...]

No doubt many of you winced when you read my “Carson deletes Content Done Better blog by accident” post. It included a long letter from Carson detailing the moments before and after he accidentally wiped his blog - and the hundreds of posts it contained - from the face of the planet.
Ouch. The hair on the back [...]

After working the last three weekends, I’m taking Monday off and going fly fishing.
I’m experiencing absolutely no remorse.

(c)2006 Tom Chandler photo
To heighten the envy, I live at the base of Mount Shasta (background) - just below that thin sliver of snow at the right edge of the frame.
Back again Tuesday. Maybe.
Technorati Tags: fly fishing, [...]

This Friday’s Fifteen Minute Pitch Post is all about fun - and its power to engage.
This is part of the week where I pitch a new project to an existing client - the fastest way for a freelance copywriter to grow revenues.
Earlier this week, a small business client said they planned to send a letter [...]

Late last night I finished work on a tough project for a new client that was giving me the yips. It’s not fashionable to admit I struggled with a simple Web site project, but I’d write it, look at it, and decide I’d typed a lot of garbage.
This morning I got up early, gave it [...]