How being a copywriter helps as an author

And how it sometimes gets in the way

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

The first job I applied for when I graduated from my journalism degree two decades (!) ago was a copywriting graduate scheme at one of the country’s leading advertising agencies. The thing is, back then, I didn’t actually understand what ‘copywriters’ even did, so it’s really no wonder I didn’t get an interview.

I always knew I wanted to work with words one way or another, and eventually a career in corporate comms and media relations solidified after I deduced from panicky experience that journalism really wasn’t for me. But, after having my first child, I realised that firefighting endless comms crises really wasn’t for me, either. And that’s when I finally got my head around what copywriters actually do.

They sit quietly and write! And come up with stories and ideas! And think deeply about words and language! And get paid to be pedantic and geeky! All those years wasted (I jest, they were just retrospectively extremely stressful) on writing media statements and press releases when I could have been making up new words for naming projects and pushing metaphors to their very limits? What had I been thinking?! I officially made the switch to copywriting back in 2016 and haven’t looked back since. But I often wonder whether I would have even ventured down the author pathway had I not made this change.

Has being a copywriter made me a better author than I otherwise would have been? Let’s jump into it…

Five ways copywriting helps me as an author:

1. Formatting and navigating my manuscripts isn’t overwhelming

   Gosh, this sounds dull. But working with words in my day job means I’m pretty nifty with Microsoft Word and Google docs, so creating easily navigable and tidy AF manuscripts is a doddle. It also means I’m used to hopping around a chunky document of text without getting lost, so there’s no reason to splash out on software like Scrivener to piece a novel together (pro MS Word tips: use page breaks at the start of new chapters! Use heading formatting and the nav bar! And ALWAYS name your chapters with something descriptive in early drafts so you can jump to the relevant section. This blog post by author Claire Fuller has more invaluable advice).

2. I edit as a write

   Editing can feel daunting, but working to fixed time schedules as a copywriter means I rarely get opportunities down the line to tweak and refine my sentences. This means I edit and improve my writing as I go, so when it comes to line editing in particular, there usually isn’t too much to fix.

3. I’m used to blunt / negative / constructive feedback

   “This is full of substantive errors that seriously undermine the content.” This was some genuine feedback I recently received on a piece of copywriting for a client. The thing is…they were right! But that’s because they’re experts in a particular field and I’m not. I welcome feedback like this as it a) helps me to get my head around complex topics and correct my mistakes and b) provides valuable insight into the mindsets of clients to help me understand where I can provide most value. When it comes to receiving editorial feedback on my fiction, it means I never take any suggestions personally. And, while flat-out rejections are always hard to receive, I’m sufficiently hardened to criticism that they never completely floor me (or at least, they haven’t yet…!).

4. I’m continuously improving my craft

   The more you work with words, the more easily they come. I still couldn’t tell you what a ‘subordinating conjunction’ is (my primary school age kids almost certainly know more about the ins and outs of English grammar than I do), but when it comes to improving and enhancing my grasp of how language can be used, adapted, subverted and played with, I’m in a hugely fortunate position, since my copywriting enriches my creative writing and vice-versa. It excites me enormously to know that my literacy will never peak, it’ll just keep getting better.

5. More places for all the ideas

   I’ve never been short on ideas, but usefully channeling them was always a major struggle. Being a copywriter and an author means I now have multiple containers for all the thoughts that previously used to consume me. Did an idea for a creative social media campaign get turned down? How can I apply that thinking to one of my storylines? Did yet another idea for a book I know I’ll never get around to writing pop up uninvited while I was cleaning my teeth? Frustrating. But how might it help me untangle that knotty client brief? Knowing that my ideas are rarely wasted these days makes me feel so unbelievably fulfilled.

And three ways it really doesn’t:

1. I’m a perfectionist

   Writing and formatting tidily is a must as a copywriter, but this means I never write in a free-flow, no-holds-barred mode. Could I be missing out on opportunities to allow my writing to spin out into unchartered, uncorrected territory?
   

2. I waste time in early drafts

   Related to point 2 above, I’m well-versed in writing quickly and efficiently. However, writing a long-form novel and writing short-form copy are very different skills and, often, the time I spend polishing my writing as I go ends up being wasted when I realise entire, carefully crafted sections need to be rewritten or deleted entirely to fix plot or timeline errors. I try and convince myself that no writing is ever wasted, and I always paste any deleted chunks into a repository document, but murdering those darlings feels all the worse when those darlings have been reared and nurtured.

3. I sometimes back down too easily

   Don’t get me wrong, in my day job I can absolutely stand my creative ground when needed. But I’m also pretty good at tweaking my copy just enough to please as many interested parties as possible. However, I worry this could mean inadvertently compromising my stories when I take on board editorial feedback for my novels. The latest round of revisions I made to my first book (still no publishing contract…!) involved changing a number of storylines and characters substantially, and even removing a couple of them altogether, as a result of industry advice. I’d like to think the resulting edits remain true to the story I want to tell, and that the manuscript is in the strongest shape it’s ever been in, but I’m keen to break out of the habit of writing in order to please. Writing stories that bring comfort and pleasure is, of course, important. But so is writing stories that challenge and surprise.

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Are you a copywriter who also writes fiction? How do you think your role helps / hinders your novel-writing craft?

Want to know more about becoming a copywriter? I’m always happy to answer any questions.