Our team of professional writers is based in-house in our Westcountry offices. Today we talk to one of the team, Steve, about what inspired him to become a copywriter and what he enjoys most about his career:
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
No, it was just luck. I took an evening course when I left university and the college spotted my talent. I went on to become a trained newspaper journalist.
What was your first copywriting job?
I used to write holiday brochures for a leading holiday company. The fringe benefit was getting to do research by visiting nice places like Morocco, Athens and the Canary Islands.
Tell us a little about your career to date.
I went from journalism into advertising and became a senior copywriter at an advertising agency. I then got into PR and became a tutor on two distance learning courses, one in copywriting and the other in PR. I’ve been a copywriting PR ever since!
What’s your favourite style of writing?
I like blog writing, because it gives you the freedom to express any thought that comes into your head – so long as it’s relevant to the topic.
What has been the highlight of your career?
There have been many highlights, some high-profile. While it was only a small job, I’m going to say that writing the sleeve notes for a Cliff Richard CD was my true career highlight!
Have you ever been tempted to move across to novel writing?
I have a completed novel printed on A4 paper under the bed which will never see the light of day. So the answer is yes!
What advice would you give someone wanting to start out in copywriting?
To have a successful career you need to have a sponge-like mind; absorb information and understand it. That’s the only way you can be convincing when you write about products or service you know little about. It’s about experience.