If you’re a regular visitor, you might have noticed that I’ve made a few changes to this site over the last week or so.

Most notably, I’ve added a new homepage, so the first thing you see when you hit the site isn’t the latest in my slightly random list of posts about copywriting, but a summary of who I am and what I’m about. (If you liked the random posts, they’re still there on the blog page.)

I’ve also updated the about page (removing the faintly-scary photo taken mid-2006), and you can expect to see this blog updated much more frequently from now on.

Why the changes?

In short: as I’m getting more serious about my freelance writing work, I figure I need a slightly more serious site to reflect that.

Now here’s the longer version.

I’ve worked online for more than five years, but for the last year or so I’ve been fitting extra client work around my copywriting day job. That turned me into your classic ‘evenings and weekends’ freelance.

Much as I enjoyed the assignments I landed, squeezing them in between my day job and social life (often to the detriment of the latter) just wasn’t sustainable. And I ended up turning decent jobs down on more than one occasion, which never felt good.

So at the end of a year where I’ve added several new names to my list of happy clients just by working in my spare time, I decided to do the obvious thing: take the plunge and work for myself.

Open for business

It all means that as of January, working freelance stopped being something I do in my spare time for extra cash, and started being what I do for a living. I now have more capacity for work and can take on bigger gigs. As always, I’ll do a first class job of whatever you throw at me.

I’m both excited and a little nervous about the next few months. I think those feelings are probably pretty normal and healthy, and with some substantial work in the pipeline, it’s a case of ‘so far so good’.

What next?

If you’re a first time visitor, please do have a read of some of my previous blog posts. The tabloid headlines one is a permanent favourite, though you might also like my thoughts on Twitter and guide to finding cheap flights online (written so you don’t have to spend days looking for deals like I did).

If you’ve come here specifically because you need a web writer or someone with online experience, I might well be able to help you.

I’ll spare you the full sales pitch – just read about the sort of work I do and take a look at my portfolio. Or, if it’s easier, just drop me a line. I love getting messages and promise to reply ASAP.

And if you’re someone I know, or someone I’ve worked with in the past, thanks for stopping by. Keep in touch.

I’ll be updating this blog regularly with stuff that’ll definitely be worth reading, so check back shortly. Coming soon is a post on how to juggle freelance gigs alongside a full time job.

And finally, if you have any comments on the site then please don’t keep them to yourself. Positive feedback is great (who doesn’t enjoy a bit of ego massage?), but actually it’s usually the less sycophantic remarks that are most helpful.

Anyway, send them to me, leave a comment on this post … I don’t mind how you get them to me, I’ll just be eternally grateful that you took the time.