They said what?! - Who will you vote for in the next General 'Erection?'

In all my years as a freelance copywriter and proofreader I never thought I would be faced with the question of who gets my vote in the General 'Erection' stakes.


This question only serves to highlight the total disregard of content authors when it comes to proofreading their copywriting efforts.


I'm often asked 'What is the benefit of outsourcing my copywriting and proofreading requirements?' Well, I believe I've answered that question without having to answer it.

I was utterly astounded that a local government website could miss such a glaring error. It's unforgivable, unprofessional and any serious answers to this question will certainly not be forthcoming.


I appreciate that the government is making every effort to connect people with party politics, but all humour aside, this is as glaring an error as letting Boris Johnson loose on London as Mayor.


Write House cannot stress enough the importance of 'reading what you write' and more importantly getting a second person to read it.


Simply relying on spell checker will not eradicate errors such as this as 'Erection' is spelt correctly and it has no concept of what it is you're trying to say. In this case I think 'Election' may have been more suitable.


The benefit of hiring a professional proofreader for as little as £10 per hour could save you a whole heap of embarrassment from situations such as this. 


Here's why:

• Professional proofreaders are primed to identify such errors. Your document or content will be presented to its intended audience free from grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes.

• You can't put a price on reputation. Did you know? 82% of consumers would refrain from buying a product or service if marketing material was littered with spelling errors.

The example alluded to in this piece serves as a warning that bad copywriting and failure to proofread will certainly make you stand out, but not in the way you would hope.

Family and the Freelancer

As a freelance copywriter, with a young family, finding those moments free from distraction can be a challenging experience. I have two boys, one who will be three in March and a two week old newborn, which has completely changed the dynamic of family life and the way in which I approach my freelance career.

Juggling family and freelance work requires effort and patience and the two have to be clearly differentiated from each other in order to find the right balance. I don’t think I will ruffle many feathers by stating that family always comes first, regardless of workload.

However, it’s important, as a freelancer with a significant amount of work, to communicate with the family and simply have an open dialogue as to what constitutes ‘family time’ and what constitutes ‘freelance time’.

If you’re fortunate to live in a household with a spare room, many seasoned freelance workers would recommend setting up office in that room, with a door lock, in order to concentrate solely on work, free from disruption. Also, having surroundings that create a work environment free you from the urge to lounge on the sofa or on the bed, two places which do not inspire a ‘working mentality’.

The temptation to get involved in ‘family activities’, without a haven to retreat to for work purposes, is overwhelming and I speak from experience, bearing in mind that I myself live in a two-up, two-down, terraced house, which offers little space to separate ‘work’ from family.

With the recent addition of a newborn to the family, the time-frame in which I have to work has altered somewhat. My own personal preference is to work during the day; however, I’ve had to adapt my ‘working day’ to evening shifts when both children are resting.

Whilst working in the evening presents a whole new set of challenges, as a freelancer, I have to be adaptable and come to a compromise in order to best serve my customers and my family.

The best piece of advice I can give to aspiring writers, with a young family, is to make use of every pocket of time. Don’t envy the small jobs that come through from clients as you learn to adjust to carrying out your work commitments within a family environment. In terms of adapting, the phrase ‘little and often’ is very applicable when faced with the scenario of an expanding family and freelance work.

This is where having a good base of clients that you know well is extremely beneficial, as they will be much more understanding of your circumstances due to the rapport and relationship that you have built with them.

Above all, the key factor to juggling ‘family’ and ‘freelance work’ is to keep on communicating. 

Having the support of your family that understands when ‘work time’ is, and having clients that trust you and your reputation will stand you in good stead to manage the work-life balance.

 
Provided that you constantly keep all parties informed, with realistic goals and targets, don’t promise what you are unable to deliver, then you can maintain a prosperous freelance career and maintain family harmony, well to a degree at least!!! 

Write House provides a comprehensive range of services that will help your business to increase its prominence including copywriting, proofreading and editing services, social media assistance and media consultancy services.