Tag Archives: commercial copywriter

The difference between blogs and articles

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Does it really matter?

In short, YES.

The extended version reads: You can get yourself into SERIOUS trouble if you don’t know the difference. Claiming ignorance will not save you from this trouble. Naievely, inadvertently masquerading one as the other is no excuse.

At a minimum, your trouble will deprive you of gaining a great blog following. At worst, you could be sued for libel, misrepresentation, defamation. Now I don’t know about you, but as a writer I don’t have a great slush fund that I can call upon in dire emergencies. Especially not self-created, legally entagling nightmares.

So whether you have stumbled upon this blog thing as personal lark, or whether you are deploying it as a serious SEO and brand building program for your business, you might want to read on.

A case in point

Earlier this year I had a prospect ask for a quote for some copywriting for his soon to be launched website. He wanted both articles and blog posts written. Great. Makes sense to me. Until I started to delve deeper…

…What exactly did he want to say on his blog posts? What points should we be covering with his articles?

One and the same – he felt.
The same message in a different channel – he said.

Partly true.

But here’s the big problem…

.. a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Because writing a blog as if it were an article can really damage its success. And writing an article like a blog could get you in serious trouble (see entry paragraphs).

So what is the difference?

You read the newspaper right? Or magazines? Occassionally at least? OK – if never, then do yourself a favour and flick through one next time you’re waiting in the doctor’s surgery. (If its my obstetrician you should get through at least 4 magazines before the receptionist bothers to tell you he’s running an hour late. This will give you plenty of time to explore the following explanation).

When reading printed media, you will soon discover at least two stylistic approaches.

1) the journalistic article: These are generally written in the third person, in a factual reporting style. They will use references, quotes and sources to support any claims. They seek to appear independent, well-researched and impartial.

2) the opinion piece: These are written in the first person and convey the writer’s personality through jargon, slang and generally more colourful, entertaining language. They often choose to represent just one side of a divisive argument or ignite a powerful debate.

So how does apply to the online world?

Put simply, a blog is an opinion piece. Or at least the good ones are. Successful blogs (defined by huge followings and big fan bases) are written in the ‘voice’ of the author which is generally what constitutes the major difference between ‘blog’ and ‘article’. It’s also what makes them eminently more readable.

Be careful

What an opinion piece doesn’t do, is save your bacon if you choose to write something defamatory.

Here’s the Rub

Generally a publisher wears the ultimate responsibility of any piece. So if the facts are wrong, if its defamatory or libelous, its the publisher (insert: newspaper, magazine etc) that gets sued. But when you write and publish a blog – who is the publisher? That’s right – YOU!

And the same laws apply to you as to any well-paid, self respecting journalist who triple checks a source before signing their name to work. The only difference is, the journo also has a legal team, a sub-editor and an editor watching their back. Checking and rechecking their facts, questioning their judgement and generally acting a safety net against potentially libelous writings.

Who does this for you?

Make sure someone does, even if its just you. Think twice before you press that hot little ‘publish’ button. It could be a lot hotter than you think.

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Its raining, its pouring.

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Sorry it’s been a while folks. After a serious lull, with which I was quite happy and enjoyed the time to wax lyrical on Jabbermouth, school holidays arrived and so did the work.

In an attempt to assuage the guilt of never being around for my children, I had organised – a while ago – to take them to the country for a few days during the break. Seeing how the downward economy has been riding roughshod over my money-making attempts, I figured that 4 days out of town would be easily managable. Wrong!

The Friday before I left Sydney I had three meetings which briefed in new work, all of which was due either the following week or early the one after… Welcome to days of playing in the park followed by long and bitterly cold (I was in Armidale, NSW. It got to -7C one night) evenings of writing furiously until the wee hours.

I managed to meet the first deadline by the skin of my teeth last Friday and pulled off the other this morning. Yay. Now I suppose I should either be a) whinging furiously about the lulls and peaks of freelance timings, or b) celebrating joyously that I have managed to keep my clients satisfied. If had to choose I would err towards the latter. There’s certainly no debate that making people happy, or at the very least think about it, is in large part what drives my ambition.

For me, the ebb and flow of my work stream is what keeps me feeling liberated and in somewhat in charge of my own destiny. Nice work when you can get it! That I love what I do so much it feels, not like work but simply an extension of who I am, well I guess that’s why I write for a living.

Where it falls down, is that in working for oneself, there are myriad other responsibilities that come with the job description. Accounts, budgets and proposals, client management and prospecting for new business. Giving all these equal and fair attention can be a challenge even on the finest, sunniest days. I must admit lately, what with jobs being quiet and the frustration of having to wear 5 different hats, I have considered getting a ‘real job.’

But what would I gain?

a) I am already fortunate enough be part of Creative Suite – a creative collective that shares ideas, inspiration and camaraderie, down in Manly – so I don’t miss ‘the team thing.’

b) I have the flexibility to come and go as I need –  which makes managing a job, family, husband and friends almost feasible (especially on days like today when a sick child needs picking up at midday).

c) I choose my work – which means that whether its freelance journalism, copywriting, editing, ideas generation, marketing strategy, technical literature, blogging, scriptwriting or creative fiction, every aspect of letterland gets a guernsey. And in my book, variety is the key.

d) My clients choose to work with me, because both personally and professionally there is a connection – which makes the jobs far more meaningful to me than when they are produced as part of the cog in a bigger agency machine. (yes, I do contract to agencies. Please refer to my earlier point about ‘variety’…).

e) Don’t tell anyone, but secretly (in small doses) I quite like accounting and budgeting, writing proposals and new business. I guess it’s all part of the variety show that seems to be a recurring theme in this monologue.

Plus, Dan (Shoeboex Creative) – our Creative Suite designer and I, had a great brainstorm today about how we can continue to get bigger and better in what we offer and how we present it. Our fortnightly Thinking Club sessions are another way we push inspiration through our everyday workday.

I for one am not quite ready to give that all up just yet. Not this week anyway! 

But what about you? Do you work for the man, are you walking in the wilderness, or is it something in between? I’d love to know how you balance your work and personal life. Or is it just me that likes to navel gaze?

Let’s get this conversation started. And thanks for listening…
Charlotte 

 

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The joy of double entendre

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Reading a fellow writer’s blog, I was inspired by his musings on a recently observed road sign. As word lovers I suppose it’s not surprising that we linger longer over such things.

He pondered “Prohibited Traffic” and wondered if anyone could get away with venturing down roads so marked. A commenter added that the “Heavy Plants Crossing” sign always made her giggle with its visual pun.

This reminded me of our family habit reenacted each annual coast-road drive. One of us would read out the sign, “Koalas Cross Here at Night,” and another would reply, “Let’s hope they’re feeling happier in the morning.”

It made me laugh all the more, once my favourite English teacher told this story about the same sign. His first posting was out the back of Bourke. That Koala sign was the inspiration for the creative writing component of the Year 10 General English exam. During the year’s practice sessions, one student had managed to make every story about drinking beer, his mates and their ute; whether the jump-point was “My day at the beach,” “Looking after our elderly” or “My worst nightmare.”

For his exam, this student wrote about drinking beer, in the ute, with his mates, as they headed out for a camping weekend. That night they went roo shooting but accidentally killed a koala instead. Driving home they passed a sign that read, “Koalas cross here at night.” The others laughed as they shot three holes in the sign and replied, “Not anymore they don’t!”

Footnote: The teacher would have given him full marks except that it was supposed to be creative fiction and he believed it to be a genuine news report.

Right-o. Any good Australian will have spent hours traversing this fine country of ours and many the world over. What’s the funniest sign you’ve seen?

Let’s get this conversation started,
Charlotte

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Tank Hunting in Kavieng

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Well I’ve been busy since my last post, catching up with long-lost friends on Facebook. One of them is our own modern Hemingway, Jason Kovacs. Following from my last conversation on work/life balance, Jason is managing to combine his love for adventure and natural storytelling by volunteering in the Peace and now Reserve Army Corps. 

Here is his delightfully entertaining and educational home-doco on Tank Hunting in Kavieng… (read: For Whom the Bell Tolls 2008). Now that’s what I call an interesting holiday adventure. And probably the most enjoyable doco I’ve watched in a while. If you’re a history buff or like some I know, have an interest in PNG, then this one’s especially for you.

So, can YOU better Jason’s story… What’s the most fun or interesting fact you have learned while travelling?

Mine? That while prawn poisoning and appendicitis feel excruciatingly similar, you don’t want to be operated on in Fiji.

Let’s get this conversation started. And thanks to Jase for sharing :)

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Love your work?

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The Secret to Finding a Job you Love while Paying the Bills.

It’s a long and meandering road for some us to find our career passion.

My younger sister decided at eleven that she was going be a doctor. On the pretext of a ‘better education’ she pressured our parents to send her to boarding school. She focused and worked hard. The ambition of medicine drove her to excel.

On the other hand, I searched long and hard for a career foothold. As I bounced across myriad artistic expressions I was always envious of my sister’s early determination.

Still, even she digressed. While the original plan was to be a human doctor, she’s actually an animal doctor. A vet. Who now works in the marketing department of a global pharmaceutical company that develops animal medicine.

It’s comforting to know that even those of us who start with a direction, usually meander. Recently I updated my work history and I realised that no matter where I’ve gone, I always seem to end up swimming in words. Though it may seem frustrating at times, as a writer I’ve found the journey mandatory. It’s improved my skill and ideas.

At the other end of my family spectrum sits ‘older brother.’ In every way he’s the opposite of  ‘younger sister.’ He starts early, ends late and works weird shifts to accrue flexi-time. This he takes in 6-month chunks, escaping to France every few years. He works to live, not the other way ‘round.

Finally there’s my older sister. Perhaps she has it the hardest? She doesn’t have a ‘job’ at all. Her time is spent raising 3 busy girls and supporting an incredibly successful, hard-working husband. She doesn’t get any official ‘adult’ time off, like those of us who escape to the office. Though she has plenty of dreams, they wait in the wings for this hectic life stage to pass.

Yes, even in our small family of four we’re very different. Though I have moments of life envy, I like my ‘work/life’ balance. What is the secret? My vote goes to: admitting your passion and having the courage to follow through. And… being prepared for things to change.

When I was single I could afford to be more creative with my job status. Now that I have a mortgage and two kids, it’s a much tougher balancing act. Often I’m exhausted, incredibly challenged yet somehow, infinitely more rewarded.

What about you? Do you love what you do but struggle to pay the bills, or do you sit through the drudgery of work to pay for your lifestyle outside it? Have you put your dreams on hold or are they costing you the earth?

Tell me – Is it possible to have both? Love to hear your thoughts… Let’s get this conversation started.

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Italy anyone?

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It’s the weekend, time to lighten the mood. Anyone for a spot of travelling? You can enjoy the sights and sounds of wonderful Italy without leaving your armchair. I personally love this country because it was there, while enjoying my last great international sojourn, that we conceived our first born. Now with two young ones it’s a bit harder to jump on a plane! So join me for a journey from the living room through this delightful little timepiece…

Through the Looking Glass

This fascinating little art-as-life study  is driven purely by images and sound. It captures 24 hours in 5 key Italian locations. As a static observer you can zoom through the day, or take it more slowly.

I love how this simple execution perfectly illustrates life’s complexity. If you stop once in a while, the sounds and activities offer real gems.

As I write this, midnight water is lapping in Venice. Jumping back into the scene, I slowly move the dial. The roar of a boat overpowers everything. I reverse and move at snail’s pace. A lone man’s greeting breaks the silence, moments before the boat arrives. Stopping to listen more closely I realise he’s talking to another man on the edge of the dock.

Even if I were in Venice, I probably wouldn’t catch this exchange. It happens at about 4am. Well, I’ve enjoyed my little break out of the every-day. Feel like escaping anyone?

http://www.theircircularlife.it/frameset.htm

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Art or Exploitation?

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When does artistic freedom become exploitation? A discussion of modern media and the Bill Henson debacle.

Yesterday’s post on Hrant Dink provoked an interesting comment from Tim, likening Turkey’s Article 301 to the suppression of Australian photographer, Bill Henson. I began responding with a simple comment but my thoughts on this are too long for the short reply, so here is another post.Art

For those living internationally, a Bill Henson exhibition was shut down earlier this year, following claims of child exploitation. Some photographs featured a naked thirteen-year old girl. For those wanting details, this Wikepedia entry nicely summarises the media chain reaction. Here I thought we could explore Tim’s suggestion that suppressing Henson’s art is similar to suppressing freedom of speech around the world.

art or porn?On the surface of it, I have to agree. But then again, Henson’s subject matter is quite different from Dink’s. Without having seen all the photos of the 2008 exhibition, I find the Henson debacle a tough one. Yes I support freedom of expression and the exploration of life through art. But is it really necessary to photograph naked 13 year olds?

Henson has said in an earlier interview with egothemag.com,

“The reason I like working with teenagers is because they represent a kind of breach between the dimensions that people cross through. The classical root of the word “adolescence” means to grow towards something. I am fascinated with that interval, that sort of highly ambiguous and uncertain period where you have an exponential growth of experience and knowledge, but also a kind of tenuous grasp on the certainties of adult life.”

Yes, travelling through and surviving adolescence is tricky. As teenagers we often have a very tenuous grasp on what is safe especially when exploring our sexuality. Doing so within the security of friends, family and those with our best interests as heart is exciting. But should complete strangers ogle this journey? If my naked thirteen-year old daughter was the subject of exploration by men well past their prime, I would be disgusted. That is exactly what happens when such images are presented as ‘art’ and hung in public galleries.

For argument’s sake – let’s broaden our view and look at where else such imagery is displayed. What is the difference between Bill Henson’s exhibition and the upcoming film, ‘Twilight’ – a love story between a teenage mortal and a teenage vampire. The two-minute trailer I watched recently was as dark, brooding and sexually charged as any Henson photo I have seen. I saw it before enjoying Sex and the City, a film I was going to see with my fourteen-year old niece until her Mum thought twice about its content. Interestingly, my niece and her Mum both love the book, Twilight, and I imagine they will see the movie as soon as it comes out.

So where do we draw the line? At what point does artistic exploration become perversion? 

Perhaps Henson has done us a favour? By using a different medium has Henson simply made us view the sexualisation of minors with fresh eyes? Or is it that society is becoming more conscious of the issue? Comparing Henson’s 2008 photographs with those of his 2003 exhibition, one would argue that these recent shots are far less shocking than his earlier work. They attracted far less scrutiny. If you’d like to make your own comparisons, visit the Ros Oxley online gallery.

Because we are bombarded daily with these images in film and teen magazines have we become blind? By using a new channel has Henson simply reduced the static and inflamed a healthy debate? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please add your comments.

Let’s get this conversation started,
Charlotte

 

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Words that kill

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Last post I asked whether you saw words as playthings or tools. If written well, I believe they can be both. Poetry and meaning. Lyricism and results. Something that activates, excites and changes behaviour. In some countries, words can still get you thrown in jail; even executed.

Hrant Dink shot deadWhen prominent Turkish journalist, Hrant Dink, was assassinated in January last year he was about to go to trial for the sixth time on charges of speaking against his country. Dink was not afraid of making the bold statement that the Turks committed genocide against neighbouring Armenians during 1915 – 1917. His was not a new statement. Armenia has a Genocide Museum… they believe him.

But many of his nationalistic countrymen don’t. Whilst the Turkish government denounced the assassination, it was their endorsed public prosecutor who pursued Dink on charges under Article 301, which allows the punishment of a person who “insults Turkishness.”

The prosecutor’s relentless attacks on Dink surely contributed to his early demise. I find it particularly absurd and bizarre that, after his death, the Turkish government continued to pursue Dink’s family in court, over his words.

Hrant Dink was killed on January 17, 2007. His son Arat was sentenced to a one year suspended prison term on 11 October 2007. This pursuit to the death and beyond the grave, is suppressing any opposing voice in Turkey. It is denying basic human rights to free speech and suppressing any fostering of alternative opinions.

Advocating the removal of Article 301 altogether is a big ask. It is hotly debated locally and internationally. Those pushing to keep it argue that there are at least five other European countries, which have and use a similar law in order to maintain national pride and support local culture: France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Austria have all been referenced.

However, many of those work within countries less extreme than Turkey. As with anything, Article 301 becomes about interpretation. When that interpretation denies the fundamental principles of humanity: the right to be an individual, to support freedom of expression and to cherish life, then we need stand against it.

ABC’s Foreign Correspondant recently interviewed Asli Erdogan, a leading novelist and friend of Hrant Dink. When asked if she thought writers could afford to stay silent she replied, “I think on the contrary that we have never had that luxury to be silent… these kind of threats are just the number one reason that the writers should speak up.” Whilst looking down the barrel, her final statement inspired me, “Who is going to defend freedom of talk more than the writers and journalists. It is our job.”

When I read their stories I realise my words and actions pale into insignificance when compared with the hardships Dink and his colleagues endure. I love to write and do so from the safety of Australian shores, behind the protection of my laptop. I write on vagaries and for companies selling their wares. My job won’t kill me but for some like Dink, writing for a living becomes writing to the death.

If you would like to protest against such inhumanities, please follow these prompts to call for action against Article 301. This movement is led by International PEN – a fellowship of writers is working together to promote literature and defend the freedom to write. On their website you will find hundreds of stories, many less publicised than Dink’s crimes against freedom in countries as diverse as China, Thailand, Peru and Zimbabwe. Fellow Aussies can join my local, Sydney PEN or any of five Australian PEN centres listed here.  

Have you read or heard anything recently that has inspired you to act beyond the commercial interests of your everyday? Let us know, by posting your comment on this blog. Please forward this post to anyone who may be interested.

 

Let’s get this conversation started,
Charlotte

 

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For the love of words…

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The lyrics to F.R David’s “Words Don’t Come Easy” were the first I ever learnt… perhaps because they focused on my favourite subject? I was seven.

I wasn’t thinking of them when I came up with my tagline for Decypher: words made easy. But there it is. For some, words flow naturally and easily off the tongue; from finger to keyboard to published word. For others, it’s an eternal struggle. In the course of my writing, I’ve known both…

How do words sit with you? Do you like them, love them or hate them? Do you see their endless possibility and play with the deliciousness of their vowels, or are they just a means to an end? What have you read or written lately that’s made you pause?

I’m currently ensconced in The Book Thief by award-winning, young Australian novelist, Marcus Zusack. For the first time in a long time, I am savouring the book’s words and poetry as much as the story. Beautiful…It’s an amazing read on every level. Perhaps it goes back to my first true love. Publishers Pan Mac say, “The Book Thief is a story about the power of words to make worlds.”

Apparently I’m not the only one to be in raptures. Marcus has lapped up the awards for this one and they are well deserved.

Winner - Boeke Prize (South Africa)
Winner - 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Award – Children’s Literature
Shortlisted - Australian Book Industry Awards 2006 – Australian Book of the Year
Shortlisted - Australian Book Industry Awards 2006 – Australian Literary Fiction Book of the Year
Shortlisted - 2006 Nielsen BookData Booksellers’ Choice Award
Winner - 2006 Kathleen Mitchell Award
Shortlisted - Best Book Award – 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

Whether I am writing corporate copy, marketing swill or literary attempts, I fluctuate between wild elation and agonising frustration. While reading The Book Thief, I have experienced all this and more! Sadly I’m almost finished this modern masterpiece, so help me find the next one. What’s the best book you have read lately? >

 

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Hey! I’m talking to you.

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Today is my first time. Yes, I’m nervous – I am about to expose myself to the world.

I’ve edited others’, headlined emags, written online articles and scores of whole websites. But in all the years I’ve been preaching the virtues of the web I’ve never written my own blog.

Early this year, when I passed Decypher’s 5th year milestone, I knew it was time. As a business I am a public commodity and as a copywriter, people expect to see my words and thoughts online. My clients, prospects and readers want to know who I am, what I believe and make decisions about whether they’ll engage me, based on that understanding. They expect it. This is how we live today.

So here I am, taking a big, deep breath on the verge of moving my thoughts to the digital realm. Welcome to my first blog post.

What am I so nervous about? … As a copywriter I wax lyrical on others’ behalves but rarely espouse my own views. With a blog I am exposing myself to the world. Though quite a private person, my ponderings will be public. My musings will be up all night, conversing to strangers in places I’ll never see. This blog will make me available to scrutiny even while I sleep, blissfully unaware.

I like anonymity but believe in transparency. Though the internet is a great place to try on a variety of guises and I’ve suggested that many clients use avatars to parade around in another’s lifestyle, that’s just not my thing. When presenting myself, I like to be genuine.

So here I am! To ease the transition I will in all likelihood borrow from other’s ramblings and ask for writers’ contributions. I’m not promising regular and vociferous mandates, merely the odd post here and there, as thoughts beg to come alive and ask for interaction.

Yes, that is why I’m really here. For interaction. I want your input, feedback, thoughts and criticisms. The great thing about a blog (I hope), is that it charges a response from you. I talk to listen.

Whether you’re a first timer or seasoned babbler, please jump into this word space with me. Being my first time, I’d love to hear your stories. What was your very first online post about and what prompted you to actually publish it? Have you written many since? What are the greatest and worst things about sharing your inner musings on a public domain?

Also I’m interested in whether you as a client, read and/or subscribe to any of your suppliers’ or customers’ blogs? Or do you believe blogs should remain decidedly in the personal domain?

OK since its my first time, please help me … make a comment. Its easy. If you haven’t done it before, all you need to do is click on ‘# comments’ near the article headline, then enter your comment in the box provided (beneath everyone else’s). Easy! 5 seconds, that’s all it takes, so come on. Yes, even you Pete. Tell me what you really think.

Also, if you know anyone who loves words, then please link them into to my blog. Let’s get this conversation started!

Until next time,
Charlotte 

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