Joe says, “I have a BS in Biology (with a writing emphasis). I know what you’re thinking. How’d I get into writing/marketing? Long story, but in a nutshell, after college I got a job as project manager for a non-profit. A big part of that job was grant writing.
That experience got me a job for a local start-up in their marketing department crafting business proposals and RFP responses. We were bought out by AIG, the multi-national insurance company, where my marketing chops really got amped. In addition to business proposals, I was now writing ads (both print and online), brochures, web-pages, video scripts, speeches and more. Plus, managing their social media presence.
After seven years in corporate, and a family that needed me
at home, I was ready to forge out on my own. And here I am – working for you, I
hope!”
A brief interview with Joe:
Hello, Joseph, thank you for sharing about yourself and
your business on Wisconsin Author Review. You’ve worked with a large variety of
writing aspects, everything from literature and journalism to ad copy to book
jackets, from corporate to private. Do you have a favorite type of writing for
hire and for yourself?
Thanks, Lisa. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be able to connect
with so many talented writers across Wisconsin. Writing for others and writing
on my own personal projects are both challenging, but in very different ways.
For me, the hardest part of writing on someone else’s project is the first
part: It’s all about really getting inside their head to understand who they
are, what they’re trying to say and how they want to say it. Once I have a good
grasp of those things, the rest comes naturally. Depending on the project, it’s
either a matter of channeling their voice through me or conveying their message
in a way that clicks with their audience. I love to do personal profiles on
interesting people, and social media is always fun. I guess the hardest part of
writing for myself is writing in a way that I’m staying true to my own voice
and vision while creating something that will resonate with readers more
broadly.
What changes have you seen in the industry since you began your business?
Advertising and marketing, fundamentally, is pretty simple. It’s about
effectively connecting with a particular audience. That part hasn’t changed.
Anyone with a product to sell or a message to spread still needs to find their
target audience and connect with them in such a way that they want to be a part
of it. In some ways, that’s easier today than 10 years ago. Social media, text
message marketing, the ease of website development, and so much more in an
increasingly digital world, give us all sorts of ways to connect. The
challenge, with so many ways to connect, is finding a way to cut
through all the chatter and noise to reach the people who want to hear from
you. Because they are out there.
What’s your favorite client success story?
That’s a hard one! I’ve worked with lots of different kinds of clients and can
recall lots of stories. I guess one that stands out with me at the moment is an
author I worked with last year who reached out for help on a pet project she
had been struggling with on and off for a number of years. It was a book she
wanted to self-publish. She was getting close to calling it done and wanted to
have it published as a birthday surprise for her husband. I helped with a final
edit of the book, creation of the cover and sleeve, reviews, website
development and getting it out on Amazon. It was fun being a part of something
that she treasured so much and to be involved in so many aspects of making it
happen for her.
You’ve mentioned that you have written children’s books
and are in the process of searching for representation. What drew you to
writing for children?
I’ll take a line from my pitch: I’ve been called a life-long child-whisperer,
weaver of stories to saucer-eyed audiences of kids and children’s entertainer
always willing to play the fool for a good laugh. That’s me. I’m the one at the
family gathering being chased by all the kids. I think it’s the innocence of
children I’m most compelled by. I also have some teaching experience so there’s
a lot of material to draw on for me.
How’s your experience searching for representation going? What can you share
about your approach to the process and your goals about finding a good fit with
an agent or publisher? We look forward to connecting again once you have a
contract in hand.
A contract in hand - that would be amazing. I have my first two manuscripts out
with about a dozen agents each so I’m still a newbie in terms of the process.
One strength I may have among other pre-published authors is that I’m very
familiar with the give and take needed for a client relationship to be
successful, especially when it comes to writing. You have to have a thick skin
when you write for others, as I’ve done for years as a freelancer/contractor.
You have to be able to take critical feedback, that’s not always tactful, and
be able to be honest with yourself in terms of edits that may or may not make
sense. As with any client I would take on, a good fit is key. I’m a firm
believer that a poor match with an agent is worse than no agent at all.
Can you give us a little run-down on the typical things you do for clients?
I’ll risk sounding pretentious and say I’ve done at least a little bit of just
about everything related to marketing. Writing is probably what I do best, so
that includes blogging, content marketing, copywriting, content development for
websites and business proposals, quasi-journalism, you name it. Social media is
also something I’m very comfortable with. I also build websites and do a little
bit of design and video editing. Although on those projects, if it’s very
sophisticated, I’ll bring in a partner to help.
How do people reach you?
The best way is through the contact form on my website. Or,
by calling (715) 544-8942.
Thank you for joining us, Joe. Stay in touch!
Find more about Joe's projects here.
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