Writer’s Block

About two weeks ago, I wrote about how I’d never repeat the mistake of ‘08 and move houses right after having a kid.

Funny how things change in a matter of weeks.

The wife and I found a house that we absolutely fell in love with (clearly it’s the one in the photo above) so we’re on the move again. Hopefully, this will be our final house because I’m really not interested in all the stress and hassle that comes with packing and unpacking.

It’s especially difficult because my office is located right inside my house. For those just tuning in, this copywriter in Toronto doesn’t actually write copy in Toronto. Instead, I work out of my house, located just north of the city. That means that I won’t just be moving houses, I’ll also be moving offices. And working in a sea of cardboard boxes for a few months is the opposite of a zen experience.

However, just because I’m moving houses, it doesn’t mean I won’t have time to move your business forward. If you need some help with any type of copywriting project, ring me. Even though I’m moving, my number isn’t changing.

I haven’t posted in a few months, nor have I taken on any large projects recently (to those who’ve contact me in the last month or so, I apologize). The photo above is the reason why but here’s the backstory.

In the summer of 2008, I made the mistake of taking on an incredibly large copywriting project for a Toronto advertising agency. It was a series of healthcare brochures for a Canadian pharmacy chain and it involved a good 60 hours of work. I had also just finished a 100+ page copy deck for OLG and I was juggling other projects so I barely had a minute to breathe. Under normal circumstances, a job like that is a cakewalk for me. But in the summer of 2008, my wife and I made the genius decision to move houses a month after having our first child. And the healthcare copywriting project coincided with both.

Needless to say, July & August of 2008 were beyond hectic. As I wrote about health issues like hypertension and stress, I was definitely able to relate. Though the project was a huge success, I vowed to never again take on too much during life-changing events and milestones.

Fast forward two years later to today. We just welcomed our second son, Brayden, and I’m happy to say that we’re still in the same house.

Now that the little guy has arrived, I’m once again open for business. If you’re looking for a copywriter in Toronto for an upcoming project, give me a shout. I’d love to help. And if you’re not in Toronto, don’t let that deter you. I’ve got clients in Costa Rica, Turkey and the United States so no matter where you work, if we do business together, you’ll feel like I’m right down the hall.

This is another one of my Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything to my Copywriter blog posts. I can’t say I’m proud of my over two-month absence here but I’ve got a fairly decent excuse.

I’ve been busy working. And playing with my new iPad. And not necessarily in that order.

I couldn’t wait for the Canadian launch so I hopped over to the Walden Galleria and grabbed one a few weeks ago. It really is as magical as Steve Jobs claims and I’m not just saying that because I’m a diehard Apple fan.

I’ve actually turned the iPad into a pretty cool portfolio of my work. I’ve thrown print ads, scanned brochures, and screenshots of websites I’ve worked on onto the device so it really is more than just a toy.

In my next Toronto Copywriter post, I’ll share some feedback on how my new iPortfolio is working out as I meet with potential clients to showcase what I can do for them.

So I’ve added a small section to the homepage of my website in order to help clients that are looking for a copywriter in Toronto sort out whether I’m good to go for the week.

After receiving a few emails over the last few weeks from agencies in Toronto asking whether I was available for a few days of contract copywriting work in the days ahead, I thought it would be a good idea to streamline the whole process and let everyone know what my availability is right off the bat.

My availability falls into three categories mostly because I have three types of clients:

1) Non-agencies that like to brief me and send me on my way because they don’t want to see my face
2) Agencies that like to brief me and send me on my way because they don’t want to see my face
3) Agencies that like to brief me and stare at me all day long because I’m so handsome

My availability for each of the categories varies week by week so I’m slapping it onto my Toronto Copywriter homepage for everyone to see. I’ll be updating the page every Friday for the week ahead (or sooner should my availability for any of the categories change).

Just a quick note to let everyone know that this Toronto copywriter is with Coco. Sorry Jay.

Happy New Year!

Yup, I’m five days late or so with my wishes of happiness for you and yours. But that should be expected from a copywriter who blogs about once every two months while promising over and over again to post more regularly.

I can’t blame Twitter. I’m not on it. I could never keep up.

And it’s not Facebook’s fault. I’m not really addicted.

It’s just pure laziness. After working 10-hour days, banging out creative concepts and copywriting for all sorts of clients around the world, the last thing I want to do is blog.

But I really should. Not because I have anything important to say that people actually want to hear. No, it’s because being a neglectful blogger has caused my Google search rankings to drop dramatically. I used to be in the third position on the first page and now I don’t even come up until page 3 when searching for Toronto Copywriter. Clients still find me. And hire me. Just look at my lack of blogging as proof. Still, I’d rather be on top.

That brings me to my New Year’s Resolutions. I am really, really, really going to try to blog more often. And climb to #1 in Google searches. And join a gym.

It’s been a good year or two since I’ve worked on traditional broadcast. As a freelance copywriter in Toronto, most of my time is spent writing copy for websites, coming up with viral campaigns, crafting marketing communications pieces, helping out with new business pitches, and lots of other stuff involving the alphabet.

While I began my career as a Toronto copywriter at an ad agency, immediately crushing a number of TV commercials and radio spots in my first six months or so, my focus these days tends to be more digital (which I love, by the way).

But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate clever TV spots. Here’s one from Toyota out of Australia.

Yeah I know. It’s been over two months since I last posted something on my Toronto Copywriter blog. But I’ve got a pretty damn incredible excuse for not throwing some words up on screen sooner. I spent the last nine days in Aruba at the Radisson Aruba with the wife and son for the ultimate week or so of business and pleasure. A client of mine was holding an event down in paradise so they flew me to the island to craft a daily newsletter, do some blogging and write a few editorial pieces. A Toronto copywriter. In Aruba. In October. Not a horrible gig when it’s approaching freezing back home if you ask me.

While I’d love to say that the beach chair in the shot above was my office chair for the entire duration of the trip, I spent most of each day indoors banging out copy. I did dedicate about an hour or so each day for some ocean time but I left the island without much of a tan. I know, I know. Woe is me.

While that covers the last nine days of not blogging, I don’t have much of an excuse for not blogging for most of August and all of September other than the fact that I’ve been fairly busy writing for a number of clients.

I spent the last few months completing a couple of pharmaceutical copywriting projects—one for a new over-the-counter laxative and one for a new adult rehydration therapy project—so if you’re looking for a freelance copywriter in Toronto with lots of pharmaceutical experience, I’m your guy.

Anyway, while being a freelance copywriter in Toronto is a demanding task these days, especially with a lot of agencies turning to freelancers for project work as opposed to having expensive full-timers on staff, I promise to make more time for blogging. Until my next trip abroad, of course.

As a freelance Toronto copywriter, I work with all walks of life on all sorts of projects. One day I’m writing copy for a startup from my home office in my pajamas and the next day I’m working on an integrated ad campaign for a Fortune 500 at an ad agency. And not in my pajamas. Unless it’s pajama day. And it’s usually not. Unfortunately.

I use this blog to showcase some of my recent work. This year alone, I’ve worked on stuff for Hilton, Dell, American Express, AIR MILES, Konica Minolta, Thermador and a number of others through various ad agencies and web design firms. I’ve also lent my copywriting expertise directly to all sorts of small companies you’ve probably never heard of.

While I put pen to paper for the web on a regular basis, much of the freelance copywriting I do in Toronto lives outside the digital world.

Unfortunately, there’s really only room for website projects on my blog (look to your right for my recent projects section). But that doesn’t mean you can’t see the bulk of the other stuff that this Toronto copywriter does.

I like to go over my print work in person but for those in a rush—and believe me, many of my clients are—I offer tailored portfolios that feature relevant work. If you’re looking for a freelance Toronto copywriter for an upcoming project, or just to have on standby, contact me and I’ll send one your way.

I had beers with a buddy of mine the other night. He, too, is a copywriter in Toronto. Actually no, he was a copywriter in Toronto. He was binned, as the Brits say, a victim of temporary client cutbacks and knee-jerk agency overreaction to recoup suddenly-gone revenue.

With all of this economic uncertainty, I’m quickly realizing that there’s never been a better time to be a freelance copywriter in Toronto. Keyword here, folks, is freelance.

Over the last nine months or so, I’ve found myself in a pretty unique situation. While friends and colleagues at various Toronto advertising agencies, web design firms and other media shops have seen their hours chopped or their position nixed, I’ve been fortunate to actually see an increase in client activity.

While a lot of my full workload has to do with my unrivaled talent (obviously), a lot of it also has to do with agencies not wanting to keep a full time copywriter on the payroll. So they turn to me.

I give them a quote. They like what they hear and hand me the job. I grab my Mac and crank out something amazing.

Agency is happy. Client is happy. Jonathan is happy. And that leads to repeat business.

Over the last several years, I’ve developed some solid relationships with a number of agencies in Toronto. If you need a copywriter in Toronto, take a look at some of my recent projects or contact me to arrange a meeting. I’m always looking to build new partnerships.