If you’re like me, you’ve been hearing “What do you want for Christmas?” a lot lately. I’m usually answering that question on behalf of my two teenagers (one of whom’s answer lately has been, “I like the color green, hint, hint!”).
This past week, however, both my husband and my mom asked me what I, personally, wanted. My mind wasted zero time going completely blank. And not only is Christmas fast approaching, but my birthday is also in December, which means I have to come up with twice as many ideas. Lovely.
It’s not that I don’t like gifts. Who doesn’t like gifts, right? I just don’t often sit down to give much thought to what I want or need. December is BUSY, and I struggle to get all the Christmas shopping done for everyone else. Who has time to make their own list?
But this year, on behalf of copywriters everywhere, I’m doing us all a solid and have made us all a Christmas list. Without further ado, these are the top 10 things copywriters want for Christmas … or at least 40-something female farmwife copywriters anyway.
An extra set of eyes. We read a LOT of copy, and when it comes to proofing our own stuff, it’s easy to overlook typos when you’ve been staring at something for a long time. So honestly, we’d love an extra set of eyes to give projects a quick once-over before sending them off to prevent those embarrassing hard-to-spot-until-the-client-points-them-out mistakes. A subscription to a service like Grammarly Premium can be a lifesaver!
An automatic note-taker. Wading through hours of video and audio content can get tedious. Listening and re-listening just to catch a word-for-word quote can really stall out a copywriter’s momentum. That’s why we love transcription services that transform audio and video content into text automatically. My personal favorite is Otter.ai. Users get 600 minutes per month free, and just one flat fee gets you 6,000+ minutes per month. You can then download and save to your desktop or store text files in the online Otter.ai platform.
A hot cup of coffee. Sometimes you get in the flow of a writing project and outside things get pushed to the side. That hot beverage you poured yourself isn’t nearly as good lukewarm. I ended up making trips back and forth to the microwave just to be able to finish a single cup. Then I discovered these vacuum-sealed tumblers. My life has never been the same since. My coffee stays hot for hours, and I love the straw because my lipstick stays on for filming and coaching calls.
A masseuse. We sit for long periods of time, and sometimes our posture isn’t that great. Add to that the stress of deadlines and you’ve got the perfect conditions for neck and shoulder problems. A gift certificate for a massage or chiropractor’s visit might be just what the doctor ordered, literally. Just the word massage makes me feel more relaxed. Make sure you read the Yelp reviews first before choosing a massage therapist though, just in case.
A change of scenery. Most of us do most of our writing indoors where the wifi is good and the glare from the sun won’t sear our corneas. Sometimes we just need to get up and out of the house for a little while. Invite us to go for a walk or run errands with you. Force us to walk your dog or take your kids to the park. Trust me, we need the exercise and fresh air.
A good book. We stare at words all day long, and our love of them goes deep. But we’re often neck-deep in research for our clients and their audiences and offers and don’t always get the chance to read just for the fun of it. A subscription to Kindle Unlimited or Audible gives us a reason to decompress with a good novel or funny book.
Brain food. An extra boost of energy can be enough to get you through the midday slump. Nuts, dried fruits, raw veggies, even your favorite chocolates or snacks are a godsend! I’m a big fan of praline pecans, and the ones you can get here at Nuts.com are the best things ever to help me survive 2:00 p.m.
Ambiance. Part of getting in work mode for me is a tidy office that smells good. That’s why I almost always have a candle burning, especially this time of year. My favorite scents are holiday scents, which gets a little odd during the summer, but oh well. Right now I’m really loving Gaston’s Cinnamon Roll by Relive the Magic at Home, a mother-daughter duo who hand pour their organic soy candles scented with scents reminiscent of the magic of Disney theme parks.
More brain space. I run at full capacity with client work pretty much all the time. That means I have to be super organized. I use a combination of project management software (Asana is my fav!) and white boards. I have four in my office, and I’m convinced a copywriter can never have too many. I use them to record my to-do lists, brainstorm ideas, hooks and angles, problem solve, and create sales flows. I’m always in need of dry erase markers to replace the ones that get dried out, and you can’t beat these old classics.
Cozy Warmth. If my feet are cold, it’s all over for me. I cannot focus if I’m frozen, so I always keep a blanket and a pair of fuzzy socks or slippers in my office. These babies would do double duty and be great with boots! And at the top of my list? This chenille throw blanket. It looks like you could wrap up puppies and angels in it and sing them to sleep.
So there you have it. Ten gift ideas for the copywriter in your life. So how about it? What would YOU add to the list? Head over to my free private Facebook group for sales copywriters, The Confident Copywriter and let us know!