I’ve written and edited copy for all kinds of print and online content over the years, from magazine and newspaper articles, posters, booklets, and annual reports to visual guides, infographics, interactive games, and corporate web pages. I started out in journalism and PR, so I have plenty of experience writing editorial text and news releases, in addition to marketing and promotional copy.
I also have extensive experience of project managing the development of content for external clients, and creating marketing materials from scratch for in-house use.
Most recent Civil Disobedience content
Some of the content I have created recently for Civil Disobedience includes:
- this Edinburgh Fringe 2019 highlights infographic (I wrote the copy and designed/created the infographic)
- our 2019 Edinburgh Fringe PR pack (I drafted/edited most of the content and designed/created the pack)
- the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe A5 leaflet promoting our show Jock Tamson’s Bairns, as well as Bottoms Up, a queer social we hosted at Fringe Central
- the A2 Jock Tamson’s Bairns poster for our performances at Assembly Roxy in February 2019, as part of the LGBT History Month programme
- our 2018 Edinburgh Fringe programme (I drafted/edited most of the copy and designed/created the pack)
Recent copywriting/journalism jobs
Examples of recent freelance writing gigs (not counting Civil Disobedience marketing content) include:
- a contract in early 2019 to write and redraft copy for the new enginei website
- a print feature for Aftonbladet (one of the largest daily newspapers in Sweden) in the spring of 2018, where I interviewed two Swedish bar owners based in Edinburgh, wrote the feature, and took photos to accompany it
- a contract to write almost all of the content for the new Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation website, which launched at the end of March 2018
- an assignment to draft copy for a number of pages on the Watermans Solicitors website at the start of 2018
- a commission at the end of 2017 to write copy for various onsite pages (product pages and blog content) on the Sage UK and Sage US websites
Other content work
In addition to project managing and creating the vast majority of online and print content for Civil Disobedience (covering the website, social media, season programmes, and PR/marketing packs), I have many years of experience producing content for a range of brands in previous positions, and as a freelancer/contractor.
The most recent example of the latter is a part-time contract from May 2018 to February 2019 with global travel brand JacTravel, managing the weekly production of online and print content to support (primarily) their international sales team.
As Campaign Manager at Yard, I led on coordinating the monthly content production schedule for Sainsbury’s Bank. In addition to working with the design team and various client stakeholders to deliver high quality content to set deadlines, this usually involved me writing, editing, and proofreading copy.
Examples include this:
- long-form PDF guide to keeping your money safe abroad (I researched the content and wrote the copy)
- visual guide to ‘keeping your money safe abroad‘, complementing the above PDF (I researched the content and wrote all the copy)
- visual guide to pet microchipping (I fact-checked and edited the copy, plus wrote the supporting copy)
- long-form PDF guide on what to do if your pet goes missing (I fact-checked, edited, and co-wrote the copy)
- long-form PDF guide to driving in winter weather (I fact-checked, edited, and co-wrote the copy)
I also worked on content for many other clients while at Yard, including writing and editing the copy for the ROX Glasgow Guide to Proposals, the ROX Edinburgh Guide to Proposals, as well as a range of content on the Kettler Indoor/Outdoor content hub.
For the ROX pieces, as well as many of the Sainsbury’s Bank items, I project managed the delivery of the content as a whole, working closely with illustrators, graphic designers and client stakeholders, plus overseeing a team of colleagues, to pull the guides together and test them prior to launch.
Websites
I have crafted copy for and/or managed the content on numerous websites, using a variety of content management systems, such as WordPress, Umbraco, Drupal, WMS, MODx, Contribute and dotEditor. This has included thinking about keywords, core messaging and effective page layout, as well as crafting descriptive page titles, meta text and clear calls to action.
Examples of websites I’ve written for, and/or managed, include:
wearecivildisobedience.com
enginei.co.uk
edinburghcentre.org
watermans.co.uk
rox.co.uk
kettler.co.uk
sainsburysbank.co.uk
sage.co.uk
jca-adventure.co.uk
edinburghchamber.co.uk
Examples of live web pages with my writing:
Any page on wearecivildisobedience.com
enginei, About
Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, Expertise
Watermans Solicitors, Whiplash Injury Claims
Sainsbury’s Bank, Travel Money – Buy Euros
Sainsbury’s Bank, Undestading your cat
Kettler Indoor Outdoor guides
ROX Glasgow Guide to Proposals
ROX Edinburgh Guide to Proposals
Social marketing
I have set up (or helped set up) a number of social media networks and blogs for commercial businesses, charitable organisations and interest groups, and created content for many more. Some examples:
Civil Disobedience on Facebook
Civil Disobedience on Twitter
Civil Disobedience on Instagram
JacTravel Facebook page
JacTravel Twitter page
Andrews Fashion Festival (STAFF) on Twitter
St Andrews Fashion Festival on Instagram
Money Matters – the Sainsbury’s Bank blog
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Facebook page
News articles, features, columns & print
I have placed copy and been published in a spread of publications, as a writer and PR representative, including Edinburgh Evening News, The Observer Food Magazine, Firm Magazine, Positive Nation, Base Magazine and Third Force News.
CIVIL content 