Copywriting is writing that is used to sell a product or service or to persuade the reader to take an action such as supporting a political campaign or charitable cause. Ideally, the person you select for this job is someone with years of experience in both sales and writing, and who has had specific training.
I have over 30 years of sales experience, mostly in advertising. In some of my sales positions, I wrote and edited telemarketing scripts. I also have over 30 years of writing experience, both in non-fiction articles and posts, and two award-winning novels. My short stories have appeared in the Mensa Bulletin since the late 1980s. I post regularly on the American Mensa Firehouse Facebook page, where we debate political issues with each other.
My education includes both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English with a concentration in creative writing from San Francisco State University. Later, I enrolled in several courses through AWAI (American Writers and Artists Institute), including The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, Copywriting for Nonprofits: How to Write Inspiring Copy for the Fundraising Market, and How to Use Copyediting for Career Advancement and Side Profit!
Click above to link to the Fall 2016 SF State Magazine. The Class Notes page has a 1982 photo of me with author Anne Rice from over 40 years ago! She and I are both alumni and we both had new novels out in 2016.
Copyediting, according to AWAI: “It’s a professional service that blends proofreading (to spot errors, typos, and other mistakes), editing for clarity and flow, and sometimes fact-checking and rewriting content. The ultimate goal? Accurate, smooth-flowing content that’s error-free, easy to read, and easy to understand.”
Copyediting is used to help businesses and organizations improve upon their existing ad copy to get better results. Editing and proofreading can also improve an author’s manuscript before getting their book published. Again, if you hire a copyeditor, you would want someone with a degree in English, such as my B.A. and M.A. in English and creative writing.
You would also want someone with experience in editing. I taught English at the local community college for five years. During that time, I read and corrected thousands of essays. This included not only proofreading (correcting for spelling, punctuation, and grammar), but editing for content and organization. For Persuasive Essay assignments, this meant helping students with constructing a persuasive argument in their essays. The exact same skill can be applied to copyediting existing ad copy before sending it out to the public.
As an author of two award-winning paranormal romance novels, I can also help authors of fiction. For over 12 years I have been a member of a writers group that meets weekly to read and comment on each other’s writing. I’m also a member of a Facebook group for authors.
So, whether you are contemplating hiring a copywriter or copyeditor (or someone who can do both), consider contacting me to discuss what you need.