David Thackeray

Published Pals!!! I have a question for those of you who have published a book or have publishing connections... I have a contact who's got a publishing deal, but I'm not convinced it's the best fit for her as an author, her organisation or the book she's writing. She's an amazing person who has set up her own coaching programme, support organisation, conference and more. She has more than one book on her plan and is well on the way to getting the first draft of number one completed, we want to make sure it has the impact it deserves. Can you help give some advice on publishers and agents to help us take these next steps?

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I'm a firm believer in looking outside my industry for content inspiration, ideas and lessons. But I wasn't expecting to get quite so much from what I thought would just be a funny interview with comedian James Acaster. It was The Comedians Comedian podcast (link in the comments), which is funny but also quite a geeky unpicking of comedians' careers and processes. So here are four content-related takeaways from the interview: 🤣 Earlier in his career, Acaster was a support act, and he explained how he learned different things from the contrasting styles of each comedian he worked with. Content lesson: Learn from different writers and different types of content. Comedians, for example, can teach you a lot about pace and storytelling structure. 🤪 James Acaster has learned (the hard way) that adapting his material to the audience is important. What material will go down well with a room full of stag and hen parties is different from what will go down well with a room full of comedy connoisseurs. Content lesson: Understand who you are creating the content for. 😆 If you've seen James Acaster do stand-up, you may have noticed that he tends to wear slacks and a jumper. He confessed it's what he usually wears and feels comfortable in. The first time he wore slacks and a jumper to perform, he got a laugh as he walked on stage. He saw that as a win-win. A laugh without saying anything and getting to perform in comfortable clothes. Content lessons: There is only one you, so being authentic is a point of difference. Reflect that in your writing/content. And it's much easier being more yourself than trying to project a different persona. 🤭 When he started out, the tone of his response to heckles was often aggressive and broke the 'character' of his performance. Then, during one performance, someone shouted that he was 'a bit boring', and he ran with it. He purposefully added in boring details to the story he was telling. The audience spotted what he was doing and loved it. Content lesson: Learn and adapt and keep learning and adapting. Content marketing is something that evolves. Who is your favourite comedian?

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🏎 You could write for Hot Wheels... I've literally been #copywriting for five years now and my dumb ass didn't know there were copywriters at Hot Wheels 🤣 So when the lovely LOVELY David Itzkowitz; key lead copywriter at Mattel's Hot Wheels said he was going to come on and do a #copy masterclass for Word Tonic - the GEN-Z copywriting community, I was AMAZED. He taught members SO much, including: ✨ what it's like to write packaging copy for toys (and a few tips on how to do it) ✨his advice on breaking into the toy writing niche (I WANT TO WRITE FOR LITTLEST PET SHOPS. IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW) ✨how to work your way up the career ladder as a junior copywriter AND SO MUCH MORE. So thankyou so much for coming on and sharing your wisdom with us David, you were amazing 💖 ... PS. If you want to join a WORLDWIDE community of 800+ GEN-Z copywriters (and yes boo. If you're 27, you're GEN-Z) and upskill and continue learning how to DO better with resources like: ✍ copy masterclasses with brands like Spotify + Hot Wheels ✍ ChatGPT + AI creativity workshops ✍A Discord Hub filled with advice where you can make friends ✍ Portfolio building opporunities ✍ Monthly copywriting challenges with prizes to keep your creativity fired ✍a recruitment service that's helped connect members up to brands like SEMRUSH Then join us and grab a first month discounted trial here before it expires ;) https://lnkd.in/d79wGUAv #WordTonic #Copywriting #Mattel #HotWheels #CopywritersUnite #FreelanceCopywriting #JuniorCopywriter #Marketing

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This mistake is hurting your conversion Recently I met a business owner who was delighted to find out that I was a copywriter, even though they didn't know what I did (this happens more often than you might think). We got to chatting and he asked me for my opinion on his website copy (this also happens often. Kind of like being a doctor lol) Let's start with what he did right - The aim of his business was clear - The website was easy to navigate *these may sound obvious but trust, you can get lost in the sauce when designing a website and make it far too complicated, leaving out the simple stuff* But the one mistake he made? No CTA. No clickable text. No button. No easy to fill in form. Nada This means that people would visit his website, be spurred to take action but unable to. With no choice but to visit a different website. He's a small business owner so this oversight makes complete sense. With an endless to-do list and a head bursting with ideas, it makes sense that this would slip through the cracks. But this one slip costs him. It hurts his mission. All. the time. So if you: - Are a small business owner in the health and wellness game - And have a to-do list as long as your arm Let me tick off a very important box for you. Your content. Together we'll work on a plan to draw your readers in, make them stay and build brand loyalty through SEO researched content writing. #freelancer #freelance #contentwriting #content #copywriting

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Scary! I would like to think that AI checkers are accurate, but if software like ChatGPT can make mistakes, why can't an AI checker? It's a large language model built on learning from other written content, after all. #contentmarketing #aiwriting #contentwriting

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The market is weird at the moment so four years into freelancing, here are a few things I want to share: ⭐ Freelancers aren’t freelancers by choice. I used to think they were just waiting for a “real job.” Turns out, they’re independent and super experts at what they do. ⭐ Invoices will be late or paid 30 days later. You’ll appreciate on time payment more than you thought possible. ⭐ Rollercoaster workload. Empty spells and also months when you wished you could clone yourself to take on all the work± ⭐ Freelancers step in when things are crazy. Sometimes but not always, freelancers are brought in during the busiest, most stressful times, and then leave when calm returns. ⭐ Other freelancers are allies, not rivals. I’ve passed work to fellow freelancers, and they’ve done the same for me. There’s a strong network of support. Create your own little network to share the love. ⭐ There’s nothing like earning your own money. The thrill of landing a new project never fades. Please add your thoughts below as I would love to know what you think. #FreelancerLife #RemoteWork #FreelanceSuccess #WorkFromAnywhere #IndependentLife #FreelancingTruths #EntrepreneurLife #FreelanceTips #SmallBusinessOwner #CreativeLife

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This is a tale of two case studies... The first is for a regular client. We’ve been working together for just over seven years. I write all the content for her blogs, newsletter and website. Together we’re building up a bank of client case studies to showcase how exceptional she is! A couple of weeks ago I interview her client, drafted the case study based on our conversation, got it signed off, and this week I published it to her website. It contained some wonderful statements and my client was over the moon. She wrote me an email telling me it was “awesome” and how much she loves working with me. It made my day and I had made hers 😊 The second case study is one I’ve just published on my Comma Sense website. It explains how I’ve worked with a repeat client on website and brochure copy. I’m sure many of you may already know the person and their business - Andrew Collier from justheadshotsuk Andrew’s testimonial means a lot to me as (he won’t mind me saying!) he’s been around long enough to recognise creative talent and quality service. I’ll pop the link below if you’d like to read more of his words.  Case studies are one of my favourite pieces to research and write because they showcase awesome people and businesses, celebrate their success, and make my clients grin like a Cheshire cat! #CaseStudy #CaseStudyCopywriting #WebsiteCopy #Copywriter #CelebrateSuccess          

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Here's what I've used #ChatGPT for this morning: ✅ Pulling together a detailed brief for a blog post. ✅ Digging out the best 'people also ask' questions for an article. Here's what I've not used ChatGPT FOR: ❌ WRITING. Learn to use these tools to be smarter and more efficient. Don't use them to create unoriginal soulless content. 😴 That's it. That's my tip of the day. Much love, The Content Wolf. 🐺 #ai #aiintegration #aitools #copywriter #freelancewriter #contentmarketing #contentmarketingstrategy

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Just three days to go until the Newsletter Awards entries close. If you have a newsletter - or a newsletter colleague! - that (who) deserves to be celebrated, I urge you to get your entry in! Need a reminder of our categories? There are plenty to choose from, and entry is FREE - scroll below to find out more, and head to publishernewsletters.com to enter.

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22 personal sounding email 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 + open rates... No matter how SUPERB your email content is… If the subject doesn’t stop them in their tracks… It won’t get opened. You could have… ✅ the best offer ✅ the most valuable content,  ✅ the most exciting announcement… But if your subject line doesn’t speak to them… It's all for nothing. It’s just another email sitting in their inbox. Want to know what works? 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝟐𝟐 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝: ➞ what are you doing next weekend? - 13.70% ➞ worry - 22.75 ➞ the first five - 23.80% ➞ Mrs. Gansky was my 3rd grade math teacher. She was deaf. - 24.20% ➞ Coming to you from the toilet - 24.90% ➞ and the winner is… - 25.20% ➞ success strikes temporarily - 26.0% ➞ The Magical Sugar Packet - 26.20% ➞ two different antennas - 25.30% ➞ How would you make a million dollars in one month? - 26.40% ➞ 4 ways to sell something online really fast - 26.40% ➞ a book decision - 26.40% ➞ How the F*#% do I make money? - 26.60% ➞ two different letters - 26.70% ➞ your “investment account” - 27.0% ➞ THIS….is a piece of paper - 27.40% ➞ let’s change the world (a little) today - 27.90% ➞ doing dumb crap is good for you - 28.70%  ➞ ways to make this Thursday awesome -28.80% ➞ sunday morning motivation for ya - 29.0% ➞ why this guy is still totally poor? - 29.60% ➞ How would you make an extra $100,000 in one month? - 29.70% —------------------------------------------ 𝐏.𝐒. Repost if you found this valuable. Follow for more content like this. ☺️ 𝐏.𝐏.𝐒. Do you also struggle with writing subject lines for your email? 👇⁠ Send me a DM or email at 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢.𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘥107@𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮 to see how I can help.⁠ . . . . . . .#MarketingTips #EmailMarketing #ContentStrategy #SubjectLines #personalization

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Every time I speak about AI, someone reduces my comments to base level and says 'You hate AI'. For the record, I don't hate AI. It's here to stay - I've accepted that. It may very well take my job. But... my discontent comes from where people think it is Vs where it actually is right now. People want it to be 2 years ahead from where it really is at the moment. They already want it to be the complete package, and it's not... not just yet. It reminds me of the old Grolsch adverts (see below): 'Shtop! It's not quite ready yet!' I makes mistakes, it's a bit basic at times, it's repetitive, and it's fairly easy to spot when it's been used (unless heavily edited). It's sort of like a 3-year-old right now: intelligent, but with limited vocabulary and a bit wobbly on its legs. In 2 years' time, I expect it to be more like an 11-year-old/year 6 pupil: more articulate, capable of independent thought, with a broader vocabulary, quicker to get to the right answer etc. But let it walk before it can run. It's the future, and it is a useful tool, but it's not perfect yet - it'll get there in time.

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I've been talking about change recently. Everything changes: we know that. So why do we get a new website and see it as a 'finished' product? Even if you think of it as having the same function as a printed brochure, it will still need updating every now and then. Brochures used to get white stickers put over the bits that had changed - or a redesign. Websites need the white stickers on a regular basis. The redesign can wait for major change. The good news is that with a website, nobody sees the white stickers - they just continue to see your beautiful, perfect brochure. If you want to keep driving traffic to your website, keep proving your authority, and keep building trust, you need to keep updating your website. - Post well-written, valuable content regularly (blog posts, case studies) - Internally link new content to old and vice versa - Update your key words and phrases - Keep your products and services up to date Do you regularly update your website? And if not, why not? Just let me know if you'd like to know more about why it's so important. ________________________________________________ Hi, I’m Rachel. I write SEO-friendly website copy for service-based businesses that connects and converts. That you can use for more than just your website. Why not get in touch to see how we can make your website copy work harder for you? #copywriter #copywriting #seocopy

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Fancy having a go at building your own website? Here's the second instalment of my 'lessons from' blog. It's packed with all the technical lessons I had to learn when moving my site across from Wix to Squarespace. I’m not saying you should never enlist the skills of a web designer or developer - far from it. But if, like me, you are comfortable maintaining your website and want to try the build yourself, you might find my technical tips helpful. #NewWebsite #copywriter #webcopywriter #websitecopy #blogwriter #webtips #blog https://lnkd.in/gQZwa4hv

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Is there any platform out (traditional/print or online) that's actually politically neutral? The closest thing was 'i'... but that's now owned by The Daily Mail, who are very much right-leaning. I try to digest the news and opinions before I start work, but I find that I have to go to MSN, GB News, Telegraph (all right-leaning) for info, then The Guardian, The Mirror, BBC (all left-leaning) for info. They all broadly cover the same stories - just from different angles/perspectives. It's the only way I can form a balanced view... or at least try to.

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Content that’s as sticky as a jam tart. The kind that leaves you licking your fingers for more. That’s what I create. From July onwards I have extra capacity, so if you'd like #copywriting support over the next few months, just DM me! We offer special rates to start-ups, purpose-led businesses, and non-profits. #contentsolutions #creativesupport

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Going live next week for the next edition of the Lightspeed laboratory. Wednesday, 11th September at 10 am. Only 4 spaces remain out of the 5. You get up to 2/3 hours with me and the other 4 attendees, listen in and learn from the questions and struggles of others, and bring whatever you want to the call and we'll workshop it THERE AND THEN. How does it work? 🧡 Q&A format call where we'll break down your current issues, work out the next steps and help implement there and then. 🧡 listen and learn as the struggles of other attendees get resolved, so when the issue arises for you in the future, you're already set. 🧡 overcome mindset barriers and blocks in tour business and offers. “I'm struggling to map out how to get those on my email list into my new community.” “I can't work out when to start promoting my offer and how to write it without sounding salesy.” “How do I work out what to write? Where do I start?” “How can I optimise my sales page or fix a leaky funnel?” “My website doesn't sound like me but I don't know what I should be saying and how to write it” This kinda' of thing. Wanna snag a spot? Get your hiney there 👇🏻 https://lnkd.in/dZDrTYVe P.S. - it's only £70 for the whole sesh. Nuts ain't it? 🤷🏻‍♂️

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