What do you do?
I’m a freelance copywriter, which means I write copy and content for clients, and I have a special focus on messaging clarity.

I work with small business owners and one-man bands who are committed to connecting with potential clients and making sales online.

I also write for Freelancer Magazine (well, duh), am co-founder of the annual business and marketing event Adventures in Marketing and am co-director of the Big GREEN Market, a monthly pre-loved market that raises money for local community groups and charities. £40,000 raised so far and counting!

How long have you been freelancing?
Part-time since 2015, full time since 2019

How did you get into freelancing?
I’ve worked in millions of jobs in and around sales, marketing and communications since 1996. I’ve always loved writing, so when people needed something written, they’d come to me.

When a friend of mine wanted to start a content marketing agency, she asked if I’d write for her.
The first thing I did was say yes.

The second thing I did was Google,’ What’s content marketing?’

Not long after, an old pal asked me what I was up to these days. I told him, ‘I write content,’ and he said, ‘Oh, great. I’ve been looking for someone to write blogs. ‘

And off I went.

What’s the best thing about freelancing?
I get to choose what my day looks like. My start time, the tasks I do, what I wear, who I speak to, and where I work.

I don’t like being told what to do and how to feel about it… so freelancing is perfect for my belligerent personality!

What have you found most challenging about freelancing?
I get to choose what my day looks like!

I don’t have anyone telling me what to do and how to feel about it (oh the irony), so I have to figure it all out by myself.

That’s great, but I’m an easily distracted flippertyjibbet so it’s not easy to know what to focus on. There are so many ‘next steps’, so many ways to do things. I struggle with knowing for sure I’m on the right track.

When are you most productive?
Morning times – before 1pm

How did you find out about Freelancer Mag?
It was a lockdown thing. I went to my first-ever online event (Freelance Heroes, I think), and Joe Glover was speaking at it. I followed him on LinkedIn, and pretty soon after, Sophie’s name came into my world.

I booked her LinkedIn for Humans course and subscribed to the mag right away.

What have you enjoyed most about working with Freelancer Magazine?
I just love that it’s a tangible thing you can hold in your hand. It’s beautiful and full of hard work and careful thought. It has good people at its heart and soul – and that’s a lovely thing to be part of.

What piece of work are you most proud of?
I honestly couldn’t pick one. I write quite a few sections: Stats, Food, Meet-Ups, all of the What We’re…. sections and Top of the Shops.

It all makes me proud. Stats aside, everything I write about highlights the great work of someone else. When I get in touch to say I’d like to include them, they are always delighted.

That’s the bit I’m most proud of – making people happy.

If you could be another freelancer for a day, who would you be and why?
Dave Harland. Funny bugger who makes copywriting seem really easy.

What is success for you?
I’m sure other copy/content writers can relate to this, but the biggest thrill of success for me is when I send a draft to a client and they come back and say they love it.

That time between sending it and waiting for feedback is quite the mental torture

On a more practical level, success is paying the bills and having enough left over to do nice things with the kids.

Not having to worry about finances would be such a gift.

What piece of advice would you give to someone starting as a freelancer?
Review your months – every month. Then you can look back on how far you’ve come.

Cats or dogs?
Unapologetically cats. Hello Iggy! Hello Hero!

Who is your inspiration and why?
I know I’m supposed to say my kids inspire me to do great work and blah-dee-blah. But at the risk of sounding like an awful mother, they don’t inspire me. They keep me going. I’d wrestle with bears if it was the only way to bring in money to feed them, so it’s not inspiration, really.

I’m inspired by people like Bjork.

She is creative, funny, warm and kind. She’s not afraid to try lots of different things, but at the heart of everything she does, she’s the same person.

You can rely on her to never change, while constantly evolving.

What’s your favourite biscuit?
M&S ‘Extremely Chocolatey’ Dark Chocolate Gingers.

Work from home, cafe or cowork?
Home. Specifically my roasting (or freezing) conservatory.

What scares you?
When I was a kid I was terrified of spontaneous combustion.
Now I try not to think about my absolutely woeful pension plans.

What’s your hobby?
I have ADHD. It’s easier to ask what’s not a hobby.

Currently obsessed with growing flowers, sewing, crochet, embroidery and selling things on Vinted.

Print or digital version of Freelancer Mag?
Print please. What a treat.

What’s your favourite podcast?
I listen to a lot of podcasts for Freelancer Magazine, but the three I come back to again and again (so that must mean they’re favourites, right?) are:

Blindboy, Adam Buxton and As the Season Turns

What book are you reading at the moment?
Business book: More Sales Please by Sara Dalrymple
Fiction book: Little by Edward Carey

Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset

Tea or coffee?
Perimenopause has stolen my love of coffee (hopefully only temporarily) so it’s tea for now.

Twinings Every Day with a tiny tick of sugar and oat milk.

What’s your favourite film?
Wayne Wang’s ‘Smoke’. Harvey Keitel is so good in it, it makes me want to cry.

How do you start your day?
There is no set anything in my house.

Some mornings are less mental than others, but mostly every morning is chaos.

Week days, I do have a little 45-minute window of calm between the kids leaving for the school bus and starting my work at 9ish. That’s when I like to stare at the wall without blinking.

What other area of freelancing would you love to try?
How about highly successful freelance travel writer on a 6-month relaxation and wellbeing project?

Where do I sign up?

What’s the one thing you’d like to achieve by the end of 2024?
I’d love to have this consistent clients / consistent income malarky nailed.

Got a feeling that’s a constant work in progress though.

Find Abi on LinkedIn /abisea and at abisea.co.uk