J.O.S.
W.W.S.
James O. Semple
Written Word Services
J.O.S. Written Word Services
INITIAL REACTION!
REACTION ATTRACTION
THE REAL 'INITIAL' APPEAL
IS THAT IT CAN TURN INTO A
LONG TERM COPYWRITING DEAL
In advertising, creativity is directionless without words. Words initiate ideas and must be an integral part of the entire creative process to achieve the desired result (action). There used to be only two ways to get professional words -- hire a staff writer or work with a freelance writer. J.O.S. Written Word Services gives you a 3rd alternative -- outside creative input combined with day-to-day availability. Though I'm not actually in your office, I can function as a 'virtual' staff writer, while saving you employment costs. In the long term, developing that kind of writing relationship can be economically advantageous.
ARE YOU IN MY AUDIENCE?
The initial thing a copywriter asks of a client is "who will be reading what I write"? I know my audience here is creative decision-makers. I'm trying to reach word buyers in advertising agencies. I'm also appealing to corporate marketing managers. Design studios and desktop publishers could also benefit from a creative association with a writing service. Your organization may already have an overworked staff writer and perhaps you'd like to be able to efficiently 'plug in' an additional outside writing source. Other potential clients could be those in a position to bid on bigger projects if they had a reliable working relationship with a copywriter.
WORDS ARE MY SOLE SERVICE
J.O.S. Written Word Services simply sells words. Hard working works. Beyond that I sell an efficient means of getting those words into your projects. Don't ask what kind of writing I do. I'm versatile enough to write whatever you want written -- ads, direct mail, retail, newsletters, flyers, catalogues, anything. I'm equally versatile in terms of what I can write about. I've had experience with just about every type of product or service imaginable. The only exceptions are complex technical writing and high level financial writing.
MY UNIQUE SELLING POINT
What differentiates my service from that of other higher-priced freelance copywriters is ongoing commitment. My approach is to build client relationships rather than simply completing specific assignments. If you are looking for brilliant concepts and grabby headlines on an occasional basis, then any of dozens of other talented writers can help you. I believe I am one of the few copywriters who can combine creative input with a sense of continuous production writing responsibility. My service is uniquely suited to large, detail-oriented projects. You will also find my services to be considerably more affordable than the typical freelance copywriter.
VALUE OF A VETERAN
When it comes to professionally written words, you have to trust experience. It's unwise to work with young and inexperienced freelance writers. Let them make their mistakes in staff positions. You want to work with a copywriter who can quickly grasp your product and your marketing objectives and can be depended on to meet your deadlines. I bring over 30 years of experience to my writing service. I have a vast resource of personal creative writing history that I can draw on to sell virtually any product. I also have the mentality of a 'veteran' advertising writer. On an everyday basis, you'll find that adds a lot of value to my service.
CONCEPT OF CONSISTENCY
Most freelance copywriters sell concepts. Fresh, imaginative ideas with words to back them up. But it's a 'carefree' kind of creativity. Of course I can provide conceptual thinking if you ask me for it. But I prefer to market a kind of creative consistency. This means a thorough understanding of your clients, their products and their marketing strategy. It means taking responsibility for getting all the details right. It means setting the right tone for the copy and sticking to it. It means being there for the next project with the proper perspective on what was previously written. Most importantly, it means saving you time explaining things and minimizing rewrite times. J.O.S. Written Word Services strives to provide a more conscientious kind of creativity.
INTEGRITY AND INTEGRATION
My copywriting service is very focussed on creative integrity and client integration. In the cynical world of advertising, integrity can be hard to find. But in a service like mine it's vital. My clients need to be able to trust me with information about their clients. They also need to be reassured that I'm a reliable part of their production schedule. Creative words are just the 'product' component of my service. The dependable delivery of those words and the efficient integration of them into your production system is why you'll continue to work with me.
WHEN ROUTINE MATTERS
Copywriting isn't always about creative words. Sometimes it's downright boring. Often there are monthly or quarterly projects that are basically routine. But they still have to be routinely 'write'. You need someone to conscientiously squeeze in as much creativity as possible while adhering rigidly to established copy formats. You also need a writer you can depend on for accuracy in details like product numbers, prices and specifications. This type of 'production' writing used to be only done by staff copywriters. Now, with the efficiency of e-mail, production-oriented copywriting can be done (very affordably) on a freelance basis. I know this because I've done it. I've written monthly sales flyers for clients for several years. My copy routinely plugs right into their desktop publishing production process.
A FEW GOOD CLIENTS
The truth is that I can't handle more than a relative handful of clients. In a writing 'service' the emphasis has to be on service. J.O.S. Written Word Services has always operated on the basis of offering ongoing availability to a few clients. Good clients. Clients with whom I've developed a mutually beneficial working relationship. These clients can often call me in the afternoon and have the words they want in their e-mail inbox the next morning. That's why my "Initial Reaction" web site is about sparking initial interest in establishing a productive relationship, rather than generating specific freelance writing assignments. I am always willing to welcome new clients, but my priority is to maintain a short list of clients that I can keep consistently happy.
THE INITIAL MEETING
The initial meeting you have with me may be the only meeting. Yet it may still result in a long and beneficial association. I have a client I've worked with for years yet only met personally once. In general, regular meetings with any freelance writer are counterproductive. That's much more true with a writing service. In most cases, all communication can be done by phone and e-mail. Nevertheless, that initial meeting is critical. Though I do recommend that you have an initial assignment for me when we meet, our first meeting will be more about exploring how well we can work together. Traditionally, the introductory meeting with a freelance copywriter involves viewing the writer's portfolio of writing samples. Of course I'll bring mine to my first meeting with you. But you can save time by seeing some of it here in the
Experience section. See the Action section to contact me to arrange a meeting. J.O.S. Written Word Services is located in downtown Toronto. I will consider long distance assignments through e-mail, but you really need to be in the Greater Toronto Area to meet with me.
THE INITIAL ASSIGNMENT
You can't instantly be part of my writing service. The relationship has to evolve through several assignments over a few months. The process has to start somewhere though and I'm happy to undertake whatever project you need written. In the case of one-time-only projects such as a brochure, I ask that that you assess the overall results (creativity, efficiency, cost, etc.) with a long-term view. In the case of routine projects such as monthly sales promotion flyers, I recommend that you have me do two issues before deciding to enter into a longer-term agreement. There are no limitations on the size or nature of the initial assignment. However, J.O.S. written Word Services does have a $100 minimum fee for all assignments.
AWAITING YOUR REACTION
You've now read a lot of words and considered a lot of reasons why you might want to work with J.O.S. Written Word Services. For many readers, the natural reaction to lengthy copy like this is to skim through it. I accept that because I'm only interested in people who are prepared to read all my words and be convinced by them. From creative decision-makers who need words to sell their products and services, I anticipate a more positive reaction -- a click to the
action section.