They said what?! - Who will you vote for in the next General 'Erection?'

In all my years as a freelance copywriter and proofreader I never thought I would be faced with the question of who gets my vote in the General 'Erection' stakes.


This question only serves to highlight the total disregard of content authors when it comes to proofreading their copywriting efforts.


I'm often asked 'What is the benefit of outsourcing my copywriting and proofreading requirements?' Well, I believe I've answered that question without having to answer it.

I was utterly astounded that a local government website could miss such a glaring error. It's unforgivable, unprofessional and any serious answers to this question will certainly not be forthcoming.


I appreciate that the government is making every effort to connect people with party politics, but all humour aside, this is as glaring an error as letting Boris Johnson loose on London as Mayor.


Write House cannot stress enough the importance of 'reading what you write' and more importantly getting a second person to read it.


Simply relying on spell checker will not eradicate errors such as this as 'Erection' is spelt correctly and it has no concept of what it is you're trying to say. In this case I think 'Election' may have been more suitable.


The benefit of hiring a professional proofreader for as little as £10 per hour could save you a whole heap of embarrassment from situations such as this. 


Here's why:

• Professional proofreaders are primed to identify such errors. Your document or content will be presented to its intended audience free from grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes.

• You can't put a price on reputation. Did you know? 82% of consumers would refrain from buying a product or service if marketing material was littered with spelling errors.

The example alluded to in this piece serves as a warning that bad copywriting and failure to proofread will certainly make you stand out, but not in the way you would hope.

Copywriter’s Block – Fact or Fiction? Write House Founder, DanielWaldron, Investigates

Having recently read an article titled ‘13 Famous Writers on Overcoming Writer’s Block’ it got me thinking as to whether the ‘condition’ actually exists. As a copywriter, I do suffer the odd period where my brain just freezes and fails to construct any kind of copy that could be considered coherent.

However, I usually attribute such moments to tiredness, stress and the realisation that deadlines are closing in around me and I need to get a move on. For me personally, I think writer’s block is a myth that has been carried through the‘copywriting generations’ as an excuse, particularly for those writers at the peak of their careers as new up and coming writers begin to step into the spotlight.

I am in no doubt that this will someday happen to me, but rather than despair about it, I plan to pass on my years of knowledge to these up and coming copywriters as a means of securing my future, overseeing their development and building a team that will take Write House to new heights, whilst I go off and play golf or something.

Writers cry‘Writer’s block’ when the ideas start to dry up. In my opinion, the reason that Writer’s block ‘does not exist’ is because those that claim to have it actually display a number of symptoms associated with actual medical conditions, which can be diagnosed by a doctor. For example, those claiming to ‘suffer from writer’s block’ are often suffering from stress, anxiety and other such conditions.

Writer’sblock is not a condition in itself. It won’t be diagnosed by a doctor if youturn up at the surgery and say ‘I can’t seem to write.’ Now, a broken arm,there’s a writing impediment that can actually hinder one’s writingability.       

The capability to write is simply an issue of mind over matter. Just because you may have a couple of days when an idea doesn’t materialise or the words just won’t come out doesn’t mean that your copywriting talents have disappeared.That’s like saying that a footballer who spends a period of time out injured suddenly loses the ability to play football.

From my point of view, maintaining the ability to write is all about mental strength. I tend to avoid articles that endorse the existence of ‘writer’s block’ as it plants the thought in your head, which sets off a series of scenarios that get you thinking ‘what if this happens to me?’ Before you know it you become the next victim of the writer’s block hype.

My advice, block out the ‘writer’s block’ theory as the more you think about it the higher the possibility that you’ll get sucked into it and remember, the very fact that you’rethinking or writing about ‘writer’s block’, shows that your writing prowess is far from suppressed. Be positive.