Reasons to be cheerful

A few days ago, I recieved an email from anotherealm magazine. They will be publishing a story of mine, called 'Time Waits for Norman', which I wrote over 12 months ago. It's taken a while (I submitted it last December!), but my patience has paid off, and I am now just waiting for the schedule for 2011. More news on that soon.

I have submitted the copy for Ketley Parish Council's December newsletter, and that should be approved later this week. It's a project I have very much enjoyed, I hope to do more of. As for my own newsletter, I'm putting that on hold, for now.

I'm afraid I might have become addicted to reading other copywriters' blogs. Blogs like Copyblogger, Nick's Writing Blog, and Freelance Writer's Blog, to name but a few. Whilst they serve to give me plenty of ideas and inspiration for my own writing, most of them deal with SEO writing and blogging, which is not entirely what I'm about. I suppose both might touch upon my own blog here, but the projects I want to be working on are an entirely different animal, and one which the majority of these blogs do not deal with at all.

Although I realise that today's media is so reliant on the internet and web content, I think that there is much more scope in copywriting for good old fashioned 'hard media.' I'm talking about books, magazines (you know, the ones you have to go to the newagents to buy), newspapers, corporate copy etc. I know that most of the above have online versions, but to me that always feels like a fleeting shadow of the real thing. A gimick, a fad, not real. Is it just me?

With that in mind, I have been thinking about my ideal project. The kind of thing I want to be working on, who I want to be working for. I don't want to spend my time fiddling about with other people's websites, contributing to blogs and writing meaningless online reviews. I'm not saying I'll avoid them, but what I really want to be doing is writing copy that people can pick up in their hands and read, the old fashioned way. Something that can be left on the seat of a train for someone else to pick up, or can visit a library (remember those?) to see.

Most of all, I want to help people to tell their stories, to rave about their passions, to read my words on paper and say 'Yes! That's exactly what I meant!'.

So, here's what I'll be looking for in order to get that illusive ideal client...

• Those wanting a copywriter to assist with writing copy for family histories or memoirs, of which I have experience.
• Those wanting articles or reviews to submit to trade magazines.
• Those wanting to have a design for a staff or client newsletter, and to have support in writing regular copy for this.
• Those needing copy for in-house publications, such as training manuals or guidelines.

Let the hunt begin!