INTRODUCTION: Springtime can only mean one thing at This Middle-Aged House: It’s time to fix the place up! Here’s the first in a series of Tucson home renovation photo essays. After decades of service, my furnace room door was done. Falling apart. Kaput. Time to call Tucson’s Green Handyman, Jesse Micander. His mission: Replace the…
So, I took advantage of some downtime and enrolled in an online course on content marketing. Passed it, got the certification, and I suppose that I should be bursting with enthusiasm. But I’m not. Reason: I have issues with the word content. It sounds so generic. As if you’re at the store, and there’s a…
A ferocious southeasterly wind didn’t stop the participants in this year’s Tour de Tucson. Nearly 5,000 people completed one of the five races or the non-competitive fun ride. View photos of racers and fun riders in my bike-tographic gallery …
Twelve years ago this month, I became a homeowner. Shortly after I bought my place, a mentor took one look at the barren yard and said, “That’s your palette!” To say the least, I was inspired. I started the landscaping makeover by digging holes for plants that had been donated by friends. Didn’t take me…
This copywriter has a new ride, Bicycle Blue. I bought Blue back in May, and we just finished our first 1,000 miles. During the week, Blue gets me to and from work. We also go out and play on weekends. Now, you may be wondering about that reference to work. Does this mean that I’ve…
If you want to succeed as a copywriter, Peter Bowerman’s book, The Well-Fed Writer, is a must-read. I’ll confess to owning a dog-eared copy that I re-read at least once a year. It’s one of those books that offers a different lesson every time. One of Bowerman’s main points is the importance of staying in…
Since last summer, I’ve been a member of Connect Coworking. It’s a collaborative workspace in Downtown Tucson, Arizona. The Connect blog just featured my copywriting collaboration with a design studio CEO. He’s another Connect member. Quoting from the post, “These kind of connections are so crucial to both expanding and established businesses and freelancers.” Here’s…
True story: I am named for a World War II-era Victory Gardener who fed eight people. Which means that urban agriculture is in my blood. My own garden is in a much more favorable location than Great Grandmother Martha’s Buffalo, New York plot. I’m in Tucson, Arizona, and making the most a miniscule budget. Read…
Here in Tucson, summer is already happening. Hot weather outside? Doesn’t bother me. I’m still riding my bike and taking long walks. Hot copywriting assignments? Loving those too! Lately, I’ve been writing about: Engineering education Fund raising that benefits veterans Recreational boating I’m looking forward to adding your topic to this eclectic mix. Want to…
Yesterday evening, I entered my copywriting website into the Tucson WordPress Meetup’s annual showcase . And it won 2nd place in the Best Presentation category! Here’s a summary of my presentation: In 2015, I worked with an Atlanta-based web developer on a mobile-responsive redesign. We launched last April. Since this is a business website, it…
Nothing like multiple priorities that add up to more than you can handle. This has happened to many of my copywriting clients. They’re good writers, but they’re overloaded. So they call me. I’ve worked with these busy people on a wide variety of projects, including: Brochures Direct mail pieces Market research Press releases Website content…
What’s the best part about my job? The variety! As a copywriter, I’m asked to cover all kinds of topics. In the last couple of months, I have written about everything from roofing to worms. What is there to say about worms? If you’re a gardener like I am, you aren’t just talking about worms,…
When I first got into copywriting, I focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) topics. What a geek-out! I covered 3-D printing, research in microgravity, and cellular growth and repair. Then came the client requests: Can you write about school safety? Worm farming? Flannel shirts? Carpentry? Fashion photography? Teaching poetry? The answer to all…
Question from a recent e-mailer: Does my copywriting experience include developing keywords for search engine optimization, aka SEO? Permit me to answer this question with a little story. In a past life, I wrote and published an eBook. The site that promoted my eBook was ranked #1 in Google for several years. What was the…
Why are we doing this? This isn’t an existential question. It’s at the heart of every copywriting project. And it’s a question that leads to this set. Call it the Copywriting Top 10: What can I write for you? Do you need website copy? Words for your brochure? A news release? Or something else? What…
Copywriting Around America Lately, I’ve been covering topics that range from raised bed gardening to worm farming, and from engineering firm marketing to the psychology of color. In addition to enjoying the wide variety of assignments, I’m having a great time with clients who come from all over the country. So far this year, I…
Summer’s latter half has been filled with construction-related copywriting projects. One was for a Phoenix-based company that restores residential and commercial buildings that have been damaged by fires, floods, storms or other disasters. My words will be used in their new promotional folders. The other project is ongoing and involves work for a design studio…
You’ve probably seen many photos of El Tour de Tucson – packs of cyclists hurtling past picturesque mountains or cactus-studded deserts. Can’t say that any of them have come from my camera. Why not? Because I don’t have a car! The bicycle is my main form of transportation, and that includes going to and from…
Your New Word for Today Poor Dick Quax. He gets into a Twitter debate with two alternative transportation enthusiasts and the next thing you know, his name is a hashtag. Responding to a request for better transport options at a local mall, the Auckland, New Zealand city councillor said, “[N]o one in the entire Western…
Words for the Web As a copywriter, I work directly with clients. Or I’m a subcontractor. My subcontract work comes from design studios, and it runs the gamut from dancing lessons to solar energy. Then there was the recent copywriting project that broke the mold. The client was the design studio itself. Here are the…
Note: This is a summary of the 5-minute presentation that I just made to the Tucson WordPress Meetup Group. Introduction Thank you for coming to the Meetup! My name is Martha Retallick and I’ve been a full-time freelancer since 1994. Along the way, I’ve worked as a web designer and photographer. These days, I focus…