Focus on the Freelancer: David Pennington, Freelance Copywriter & Content Developer, Kinda Alright Photographer
This week, we had the chance to speak with David Pennington about the value of words and how to stand out as a freelancer.
E: Tell me a little bit about your background, and your freelancing experience. How did you get started?
D: All throughout school, I was a failure at math. As a result, I have leaned hard into writing stories and doing things that do not require any sort of maths.
I have always been fortunate to have at least one freelance client. After being laid off from my company in early 2017, I opted to freelance full time as a way to earn money while I looked for my next full-time position. Eventually, the appeal of freelancing full time quickly outweighed any other opportunity. I have been freelancing ever since.
E: What do you wish more people knew about the kind of work you do, and why?
D: Well, I had one guy think that I chased around lawyers and stuff just trying to get things copyrighted.
I strive to convey in my work that words still matter. Stories still matter. While video and image sharing platforms seem sexy and take the limelight, humans still take to the captions to learn more about what they are seeing. Language — spoken or written — is the first place we go to when we want to learn.
There is also a massive difference between writing an email and telling a story. Think about the emails brands send you: which ones get opened and what gets tossed? Most brands who put the retail stuff on the front end get tossed because we know the story: “Here is a special sale now go buy something.” Developing a story engages because we — the customer — want to be a part of whatever you’re doing. Just because we don’t buy every time doesn’t mean we won’t buy eventually — that’s why the story needs to keep moving.
E: What is the hardest part of freelancing?
D: That delicate balance between focusing on your current client work, but also making sure that you have other projects in the pipeline so that you can pay the bills. Pursuing quality leads, negotiating contracts, and keeping the work fresh is very difficult because it’s never really in the dream of what we want to do as freelancers.
I’ve found that maintaining an email list, even if it isn’t super-professional or loaded with infographics and “hot industry tips” is a good way to keep what you do at the top of people’s minds. Taking once a week to show I have something to share does wonders for keeping the pipeline flowing.
E: A recent freelance win that you are proud of.
D: Recently? I just wrapped up filing taxes for 2017 and wound up breaking even. If that’s not a win, I’m not sure what is.
Over the past year I have vastly extended my networks — personally, professionally, IRL, and online. Getting to know a lot of new people across all different fields and walks of life is inspiring and invigorating. It is a vastly different audience than when you go to lunch with the same people every day.
E: What kind of work do you wish you could do more of?
D: I want to work with more books — both my own and with others. Some of the best projects I’ve ever had the fortune of working involved editing, compiling, and even ghostwriting, books that have gone on to print. There is just something about having a HUGE project to sink my teeth into and get totally lost in, that brings such fulfillment.
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