Micro-Interview: Joe Coleman, Copywriter

EDITOR’S NOTE: Joe Coleman is the copywriting genius behind the 7X award-winning website, getcoleman.com. If you haven’t seen it, please take a look now. It’s inspired, remarkable work.

Joe was also on the Writing for Design jury at the 2019 D&AD awards. And now he’s here, with us, doing a Micro-Interview. In 348 words, Joe shares: 

• The healthy way to deal with losing a creative pitch… 

• Not 1, not 2, not 3, but FOUR copywriting book suggestions... 

• How to go from creative enthusiast to creative professional… 

And more...

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Thank you, Joe.

Let’s get started:

“What’s your work routine?”

I don’t have one. My working life is massively varied. 

Most days I work in an ad or design agency, but I could be writing ad campaigns, film executions, websites, packaging copy or brand positioning pieces (although autocorrect just changed that to “brand poisoning”, which sounds way more interesting). I could be in Manchester city centre, a converted mill in Leeds or a country house in the Cheshire countryside. 

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Some days I work at home too.

“What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

That “creative” people are people like me. 

Growing up, I thought artists, script writers, illustrators and photographers were a strange alien breed who were born with God-given skills. I later realised that they were enthusiasts who learned how to be good at what they did through persistence and practice.

“What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”

I can’t think of anything I’d really consider a “failure”, but there are plenty of pitches I didn’t win because someone came up with something better. 

That’s fine. You just learn to move on and put your efforts into the next job.

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“What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your craft’s learning curve?”

I hate the phrase “learning curve” so much that I’m boycotting this question in protest! 

See also the word “edgy”.

“What book has helped you the most over your career?”

When I started out I read Hey Whipple! Squeeze This and Alastair Crompton’s The Craft of Copywriting. 

Nowadays I recommend Read Me by Roger Horberry and Copywriting by Mark Shaw.

“And your parting piece of advice?”

The world belongs to the do-ers. 

So don’t talk about doing something. Go and do it. Show your Creative Director that funny, one-off poster idea. Do a brilliant Christmas card idea and get it printed for one of your clients. Make that weird side project happen. Get nice ideas out of the door by hook or by crook. It's the only way to keep your portfolio ticking over.

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