Hey, so remember when I wrote a personal ad, in the hopes that my ideal home would somehow find me and fall in love with me?
And that seemed like a really weird thing to do, except that whoah, I’m living there right now?
Well, my wonderful friend Kelly Parkinson has written one too. Except not for a house.
She’s biggifying her business (for which I accept partial blame!) and is looking for a collaborator-writer-type who can join her team on a project basis. She sent it to me because supposedly I know all sorts of smart, interesting creative types, and I suggested that we put it up here.
For two reasons:
1. A lot of cool people read this. Way more than if I just forwarded it to whoever I thought of first.
2. I thought it would be useful for you to see how someone else did this whole “personal ad” thing.
Actually, also because I’m crazy about Kelly. She’s a terrific copywriter and has given me so many great tips and feedback for my own writing, not to mention all sorts of other useful business advice.
She’s also a kind, caring friend — even if she did completely bully me into starting this blog, for which (just for the record) I am eternally grateful.
And she’s the one who made me realize that I’m actually good at writing. Like, business writing. That was a huge vote of confidence just when I needed it most. We love Kelly. Also her business is called Copylicious. Which is adorable.
Anyway, she wrote a personal ad.
Read it. Consider it. Pass it around.
If you write and love writing, talk to Kelly.
Wanted: Copywriter-Collaborator
I’m looking for someone smart who knows how to write and isn’t a flake.
You’re crazy about books. You collect active verbs. You obsess over the order of words in a sentence.
And you have this knack for getting people to believe in your crazy ideas. Maybe you convinced a hundred people to sponsor your charity ride. Or you persuaded investors to fund a puppet show production. Or you sell tamales.
Whatever it is, you’re interested in things. Lots of things. Maybe too many things. And it would be nice to have another income stream–and a learning opportunity–that rewards curiosity and enthusiasm.
That’s where I’m hoping we can help each other.
For the past year, I’ve been suffering from what people keep telling me is a “good problem.” My copywriting business is now taking up my evenings and weekends. I want to keep growing, but I can’t do it on my own. Enter you.
I’d like to collaborate with you, smart, non-flaky writer. You’ll get a flat-fee for each project (based on an hourly rate of $50), and also a quarterly performance bonus.
I’ll handle all the client stuff and the strategy stuff and the marketing stuff. Your job, and your only job, will be to write (and self-edit!). You’ll write websites, lead-gen emails, landing pages, white papers, and more.
This could take up to 12 hours a week of your time. Or less. Or more. Let’s work something out. I’m looking for a long-term relationship that helps both of us grow.
If you’re new to copywriting but have been writing as long as you’ve been walking, I will help you.
We will collaborate. And at the end of the day, you will get paid well for doing what you love.
Future writer-collaborator, I hope you’ll introduce yourself.
Please send an email — kp AT copylicious DOT com with:
- Your name and phone number.
- Brief description of your situation. Are you a full-time employee, a stay-at-home mom, a journalist, just someone wanting to make a change?
- Your availability during the week for copywriting projects. When are you available, and how many hours could you handle?
- The last time you were really excited about something.
- ONE writing sample (links are fine). It can be anything, as long as you wrote it and you’re proud of it. At this point, I just want to get a sense of your voice.
Thanks – and I’ll respond to your email within 24 hours!
Kelly
I can’t wait to find out what comes from this!
Honestly, I’m all tingly just thinking about it.
Between the bright, capable people who read this blog and the weird magical power of writing a loving personal ad and putting it out into the world, I have a good feeling about this.
And I hope it inspires you to write one too. An ideal job? The perfect partner? The blog readers you wish you had? The worst thing that can come out of this exercise is that you get a little more clarity around what you’d like to have in your life, and maybe some insights about where you get stuck.
I’ll report back about the Kelly situation on Friday. And if I don’t, remind me!
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That is an awesome employment ad. I wish all job postings were like that and not like the one I saw in 1995 that asked for 10 years experience in HTML even though the only person that fit that description was Tim-Berners Lee’s mom.
I’ve never met Kelly, but everyone hire her. she’s got moxy and the new mystery person will have tons of work, which is cool.
Thanks for posting this, Havi. I sent Kelly a note. We’ll see!
BTW- I’ve been really busy in good and bad ways recently and your uplifting voice has been a balm and a peaceful massage for the soul. Thanks.
Justins last blog post..Daddy blog that rocks.
Hm, I know someone who might like. I’ll pass it on.
Kates last blog post..Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome
Very interesting — I’ve been reading Copylicious for quite some time (found her being smart in the IttyBiz comments almost a year ago now) and am delighted at both her “good problem” and her good sense to take on a mentee/freelancer. Thanks for posting the unique ad Havi ~ !
Havi, thanks so much for posting this, and with such a kind endorsement!
Someone had advised me to just post an ad on Guru and set up a toll-free number for people to leave voicemails, giving them specific instructions to see if they could follow direction. And then to give them a writing test, and on and on.
But then I realized that the people I most want to work with aren’t out there scanning gigs on Guru all day long. They’re knitting and surfing and blogging about food, and might not even know this is what they’re looking for until it happened.
I think several of them have already emailed me this morning.
Can’t wait to get back to the amazing people who have responded so far! This could definitely become more than just 1-2 people. Very exciting!
Oh this is great!
People have been twittering and DM-ing and emailing me about this AND about their own personal ads. Very exciting.
And the latest from Copylicious Kelly is that she’s already heard from 22 of you just this afternoon. That is ridiculously awesome. And I am most pleased!
Also thanks @Peter for giving me my first belly-laugh of the day. Nice.
My mind has been having a party with this idea of the personal ads! I loved it when you did it for your apartment. And I love Kelly’s today. I came up with a bunch of ideas in addition to yours… for a bunch of new friends, for my ideal clients, for a life I want to live, for the way I want my income to come to me, for the book I want to write…
And then, just because I amuse myself far too easily and oddly sometimes, I also thought that spoof personal ads might be fun…” Woman, running out of eggs but afraid of dying alone and without a family of her own, desperately seeks security at all costs and to be taken care of forever. Are you a man without a life of his own who will never ever leave…?” OMG. Horror of hilarious horrors.
(This probably came in relation to my having a look-see at some very small-ifying beliefs I sometimes hold about not having enough… seeing how living from that place makes me grip onto things and people… )
Signing off, for now alone, thank you very much 😉 and noticing life ain’t so bad after all.
thxoxoxo
Heidi Fischbachs last blog post..That’s plenty
I love love love the idea of a personal ad. Initially I thought, Oh, writing gig, but it’s not for me I feel. Being international and all.
What I love is the idea of a personal ad as an exercise in what you really want and what you can give. It really clarifies things. Even the act of doing it or considering doing it brings up more of the Stuff to be dealt with.
Joely Blacks last blog post..Where do you have your best revelations?
Confessional. Publicly, because sometimes that’s the way it goes, the best way.
I looked at it and thought “Oh, another bonk from the universe.” Money and writing. Being a writer who makes money doing what she loves.
I fit the bill, in many ways except that I don’t copywrite. I try to come up with interesting rational reasons. I’m in the UK. I’m also a registered business which means I have to charge her VAT and there are complications. It would be an exchange between businesses. Accountant has to get involved.
Real reason. Too damned scared. All my buttons are pushed in one horrendous moment not unlike the Phantom of the Opera having a *headdesk* moment on the organ in the middle of some dramatic piece. It’s Toccata and Fugue over here.
I’m not a writer, I think. I can’t do that. That’s really, literally what I thought. I’m not a writer. And I crawl away and hide.
I do manage to think in tiny bursts about approaching her but suddenly I have no words. How do I say I breathe words when everybody else is saying it so much better than me? When they’re all so much stronger and better than me? I can’t think of anything clever or witty to write back.
This might sound like wailing and gnashing of teeth. It’s curious. I can see emerging at last a voice to the holding-back I’ve been doing for so long. It’s amazing how you get things thrown in your face that help you look at yourself. The presentation of a mirror.
Joely Blacks last blog post..Where do you have your best revelations?
Yeah right, and Joely’s not a writer.
Sure.
That’s like saying I’m not a GirlPie…
@Havi — LOVE that you create a place where people can feel safe pain and breathe hidden words and confess know-better doubts to nodding friends they’ve never met…thanks.
And thank you, Joely. But the next time you doubt you’re a writer, read your comment aloud and you’ll see what we see. Are too.
@Joely: “I can see emerging at last a voice to the holding-back I’ve been doing for so long. ” — the held back part has an amazing voice over there! And, I’d venture to say, the part holding it back might have a voice too! Woo hoo! So many voices to be heard. Loved the headdesk moment. Loved it.
As GirlPie said: “Are too”! And, to borrow another childhood quip: “Takes one to know one!” Mirror is right.
thxoxoxo for voicing parts of me this morning. Sending love all around to all you lovers of word and world. That would be, apparently, all of us.
Heidi Fischbachs last blog post..That’s plenty
Just in case this wasn’t one of my favorite blog ever, it now officially is.
Not just because I have been thinking and talking all weekend about how I wanted to do something differently since this recession thingy has left me a little unemployed. And then I read this blog today about a person who has work! Real work!
And it gives me hope. Maybe she’ll pick me and I’ll have an income stream, or maybe I’ll just start talking to people locally about picking up writing projects for them….
Or maybe I’ll post a job wanted ad of my own and see what kind of results I get.
Either way, I love, love, love this blog.
Havi- you and Selma rock my world.
Monicas last blog post..I carry your heart with me
@Monica – Oh, hooray. I’m thrilled to introduce you to Kelly then. Right on.
@Joely – Mz GirlPie is right, of course, as always. Of course you’re a writer. You love words and love communicating, and channel inspiration. No one would ever doubt your writer-ness but you.
@Heidi – thanks for all the love you’re spreading here. If I can speak for everyone (can I?) we all totally appreciate it!
@TheGirlPie What makes me think you might kick my butt for saying “I’m not a writer” too much? In a cool way, though. You are fabulous.
@Heidi *Thank you*
@Havi Like GirlPie, it is great that you’ve created such a soothing place where we can all be ourselves and share honestly like this. Wonderful.
P.S. I mentioned this in another comment that I expect only Havi will see. I did email Kelly in a very weird rambly way, acknowledging that I doubted we could work together. It was a stream of consciousness email. I’ve been so bored of writing the stiff query letters you send out to agents I wanted to do something new. She got back to me! And now I have lots of links with help for marketing Amnar. Fabulous too!
Joely Blacks last blog post..How much can you really know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?