About Me...
Words - I'd be lost without them.
I love a good read – a gripping spy thriller, something laugh-out-loud funny, or a spot of military history – but it has to be a proper book (nothing digital). Solving a crossword (even a cryptic one) is a perfect way to unwind. And, to cap it all, the written word has featured strongly in pretty much every job I've had.
And never more so than now as a copywriter.
My 5 steps into copywriting.
1: I started out in publishing. 2: Then spent 12 years working in direct mail marketing. 3: A brief spell in print and design followed. 4: Before becoming a freelance landscape and location photographer with a spot of magazine article writing alongside. 5: A painful back injury from my early secondary school days finally forced a change of direction in 2018.
Copywriting ticked a lot of boxes. So many in fact, I really wish I'd made the switch much sooner!
And just in case you're wondering, here's why I write for the particular sectors I do.
I now write meaningful copy for a wide variety of clients.
My varied portfolio includes copywriting projects for...
♦ Architects
♦ Luxury outdoor clothing and country lifestyle brands
♦ £1m+ modern and period design properties
♦ Garden (placemaking) design
♦ PropTech 3D Smart City modelling for sustainable urban planning and design
♦ Photographers
♦ Photographic studios
♦ Household name in the world of paints
♦ Upmarket garden online (and in-store) retail brand
♦ Local authority planning officers
♦ Independent housebuilding and construction
♦ Marketing and PR agencies
♦ Independent Real Estate
♦ Cyber-security specialist
♦ Business Resilience services
♦ Designer watch and jewellery engraving
♦ Commercial and Industrial fire safety products and fire protection systems
♦ Wellbeing in nature
♦ Security systems, monitoring, and CCTV
♦ Heritage tourism, and...
♦ Photography holidays, tours, and workshops
Thank you for all your collaboration, Andrew, your work has been invaluable to us.
Christian Tagliavini, award-winning Swiss photographer.
Some extra (reassuring) bits you might like to know about...
🎯 I'm professionally trained and qualified with a Diploma (Distinction) in Copywriting. And a Diploma (Distinction) in Google SEO. Scroll down for some extra proof.
Both are Level 4 accredited courses through the College of Media & Publishing.
🎯 Alongside my photography work, I also wrote in-depth illustrated articles and short features for various UK consumer and trade magazines.
🎯 Including, The Best of British Gardens – a series of ten 1,000-word illustrated articles written as part of a garden design/history and travel series commissioned by The Countryman magazine. A popular UK title and one of the world's oldest, most respected outdoors/nature/travel magazines. Sadly, it ceased publication in November 2023.
🎯 Besides gardens, I've also written on various other topics. These include photography (naturally) - where I've written articles for professionals and amateurs, plus travel, architecture, business, and history.
🎯 I'm proud to be a member of The Alliance of Commercial Writers (ProCopywriters' Network), the UK's largest membership organisation for commercial writers.
🎯 Plus, for your peace of mind (and mine) I'm fully insured with Professional Indemnity cover for £1,000,000 through Policy Bee.
🎯 Finally, my current copywriting day rate is £360. According to ProCopywriters' latest survey for 2024, the UK average day rate is £440. This means you'll get all the essential words you're after at a realistic rate that's fair for both of us.
Here's a more detailed look at my copywriting rates.
My level 4 diplomas from the College of Media & Publishing.
Copywriting
Google SEO
...forty years of life and work summed up in one thousand words. That's quite an achievement, Andrew, and it reads beautifully, too.
Frank Lawley, Herterton House Gardens, Northumberland.
I'm a member of... Insured with... and Qualified too!
