Today, on October 9 2022, Fiction turns 1-year old. While I reserve our blog for helpful copywriting tips and guides, I feel this milestone birthday deserves an article of its own here on Fiction’s website.
Though I have freelanced on and off since 2015, and I helped set up and run my ex’s very successful business, Fiction is my first “proper” business with branding, strategy, accounting, marketing, client management – the works.
It’s been a year full of bigger successes than I could’ve dreamed of on 9 October 2021.
To summarise in numbers:
- Every month, I support 6 businesses in varying capacities but all underpinned by warm, wonderful relationships with the owners. Thank you to Contentious Character, The Gathering Café, Lift Women Group, Weston Farm, Pigeon Hole Café and Anema Designs and Illustrations Studio for trusting me with your words and communications.
- I have formed some solid partnerships with incredible independent creatives and impressive agencies – to name a couple, Teya Shannon from FriendsOf.Studio and Zachary Griffith from Botanist Creative. I’ve also had lovely experiences working with Gloo Advertising in Hobart and Inklab in Canberra.
- 10+ websites written, with a favourite being AIR CBR, a premium helicopter tour operator in Canberra.
- 3 brand voices developed
- $1,500 worth of pro bono copywriting support for female entrepreneurs who are part of Lift Women’s crowdfunding platform (Australia’s first one dedicated to women)
- A few editorial articles thrown in there for good measure, such as this travel piece for a regional NSW destination marketing body.
- An immeasurable amount of social and email copy!
What I can’t summarise is the immense pride and fulfilment I feel every day working in and on Fiction. My work isn’t my entire life but it empowers me to live my life to its entirety. Even on 12-hour work days and weekends spent furiously writing and typing, I still wouldn’t change a thing.
I often think of the days I used to combust into angry, exasperated tears in the Macquarie Bank bathroom. I will never again sacrifice daily happiness for the supposedly long-term benefits of a big bank balance, coveted job title or “stability”. Time is my most precious asset and I’m in love with how much I love every day of my life – and it wouldn’t be possible without Fiction.
Over the next 12 months, I have set some big goals for Fiction.
I feel like many creatives are not transparent with this side of their business, while bigger companies will release brand manifestos, impact statements, annual reports and more. I wonder if it’s from a traditional competitive, rather than collaborative, culture. I’d like to change that because I don’t believe in any topic as taboo or off the table. I think the more we speak about together, the more connected we are.
I’m going to:
- double Fiction’s client list from 6 to 12. This will involve a lot of cold pitching (and more help – hence #3)!
- increase gross revenue by 50%. This will take me into the higher end of my current income tax bracket.
- hire a junior copywriter. I’m not in a rush to do this, but I am keeping my eyes out for someone who writes like me, but knows that running their own business (the operations, client management, marketing etc) is not for them.
- find the right coach or mentor for me. Again, I’m not in a rush and will be patient in finding someone who I vibe with and respect.
- join (or start, myself!) some monthly think tanks focussed on branding and storytelling.
I get butterflies thinking of all that is to come so thank you for reading and for coming along on this wild ride of entrepreneurship with me.
And of course, like everything, running your own business has peaks and valleys. I share 4 key lessons learned from one year of running Fiction on Substack.