I received my first national exposure during that stint -- I wrote the copy for a double page spread for a new computer that ran in several national publications. I also learned quite a bit, not the least of which was that catalog and technology copy can be fun...and that if done right, "fun" can translate into big sales.

I went on to found Drinkspecials.com, a nightlife destination. A couple years later, I then co-founded VendingAuction.com, a business to business site that enabled vending companies to liquidate excess inventory. (As far as I know, it's defunct now -- but I cashed out before that happened.) Around that time, I co-founded BillMyClients.com, which currently processes half a billion dollars worth of invoices each year.

I've spent a great amount of time in consumer packaged goods and promotions, but I know what MTBF stands for. I also know how to set up and administer a web server, be it Windows/IIS or Linux/Apache based (Ubuntu, preferably). Couple my technology experience with my writing background and you've got a geek translator. Literally.

If you need a seasoned technology writer, drop me a line -- I'd love to discuss your project!

Bringing tech copy to life is a post from: IWriteCopy.com - Hot & Fresh Copy! Copyright, 2010.

Having worked for a number of clients who wanted to run promotions centered around the NFL's "big game" in February and the college basketball tournaments in March, it's always been a -- oh heck, let's call it "big dance" -- around trademarked terms for those clients who don't have rights to use those terms. (And much too easy for those that have "earned" the right to use those trademarked terms.)

Sure, "Super Bowl" and "Final Four" are trademarks. It wouldn't get past legal at most places, but I usually see at least one of these sneak into at least one local ad of some sort where they don't belong almost every year.

The Super Bowl is one thing, but what chaps my hide sometimes is that all of the fun March terms are also trademarked. The NCAA and its cohorts are all about generating as much revenue as possible off of every fun phrase you can think of.

If you're a professional writer reading this, you're already well aware. If you're not, well, try to steer clear of reusing anything you see or hear on CBS in any form. March Madness, the Big Dance, you name it -- they're trademarks. Well-protected trademarks.

Interested in some background on the cases surrounding some of this stuff? I was. Ever since I learned that Dumpster was a trademark for a mobile garbage collection bin, I started paying closer attention to these things. (Believe it or not, that's one of the most memorable nuggets of knowledge I took away from J-School). I still shed a tear when I see a cub reporter use the lowercase form of the word.

Learn the history of the Dumpster (Yes, it still garners capitalization per the AP, but you'll likely won't suffer the wrath of the legal gods for using or misusing it.)

In 2003, the trademark "March Madness" survived a genericness challenge. "The Big Dance" -- don't even think about it.

Here's a list of all currently trademarked NCAA terms. Here's a link to the NCAA trademark protection program page. (As of this posting, the link is to a page on their site with the file name "ambush.html" -- and you can probably expect to feel ambushed should you misuse one of their trademarks.)

Want to learn more about what you can expect after that first cease and desist?

This March, <insert trademarked NCAA term about playing like a team or following the dream> and don't use any of the NCAA's trademarked terms unless you or your client has the proper clearance!

Spring: The Season. Not an NCAA trademark. Yet. is a post from: IWriteCopy.com - Hot & Fresh Copy! Copyright, 2010.

For example, today I wrote copy to be used in a client's proposal template, reviewed & researched a request from an agency to provide written promotion concepts for a popular snack cracker (which also happens to be my favorite snack cracker), edited copy for a landing page and carefully crafted a couple pages of drop-in flyer copy for an anti-hair loss product.

Diverse is good.

A day in the life of a writer. is a post from: IWriteCopy.com - Hot & Fresh Copy! Copyright, 2010.

The last couple of years, I've had an increase in requests from overseas companies who want to do business with American companies and need a little help making sure their sales copy reads the right way.

Take an India-based software company, for example. It's a top-notch development company doing business with quite a few Fortune 500 firms. They have their own writing staff -- and they're solid. The trouble is that as good as they are, English isn't their first language. When they write sales copy, it's pretty good. An American businessperson could read it and understand it just fine. However, the copy might strike them as a little awkward -- a few misused words here and some colloquial language there.

To present the best image companies like the one in the example above send their copy to an American writer like me. I'm able to take the copy that their writers have put together and give it a solid once over. If a paragraph wouldn't make sense to an American reader, I'll re-write it. If I find a colloquialism that an American reader wouldn't understand, I change it. The result: Clear, compelling copy that's ready for an American audience.

Do you need an American writer to edit and "Americanize" your copy? Don't take any chances -- contact me at john@johnlaing.com for a free analysis of your needs.

Let me Americanize Your Sales Copy! is a post from: IWriteCopy.com - Hot & Fresh Copy! Copyright, 2010.

If you're looking for a solid copywriter with a quirky sense of humor, you're in the right place.

I'm John Laing and I'm that guy.

I write and produce for clients around the world. In fact, I'm also If you use brand name products or spend much time online, you've probably seen or interacted with my work.

My specialty is promotional ideation for consumer packaged goods brands along with highly-effective landing page copy for online CPA offers. Of course, that's not all that I do!

What do I write?

• Promotion ideation / concepts
• Campaign ideation / concepts
• Corporate brochures
• Business introductions
• Training materials
• Product launch materials
• Written materials for e-businesses
• Web page content
• High-performing CPA landing pages
• Catalog content
• Media releases

What do I produce?

• Corporate videos (write & produce)
• Training videos (write & produce)
• Promotional overviews
• Event recaps

Who do I write for?

Confidentiality agreements prevent me from disclosing the majority of my client list. Here is a partial list of client industries. An asterisk next to an industry indicates that I have written for one of the top three manufacuturers in that industry; A + indicates that I have written for multiple clients in that industry.

• Health & beauty *+  (my work includes makeup, deodorant, vitamins, toothpaste, lotions, soap, OTC meds & femcare)
• Food *+ (my work includes frozen entrees, shelf-stable entrees, soup, branded produce, salty snacks/chips & more)
• Other CPG *+ (my work includes cleaners, disinfectant sprays, tissue, toilet paper, disposable plates, batteries & more)
• Small electrics *+ (coffee makers, electric tools & battery-operated floor cleaners)
• Fast food *+
• Automotive *+
• Long distance *
• Service providers + (testing services, billing services, psychological service providers, entertainment companies & more)
• Direct marketers + (misc. direct to consumer and business to business companies)
• Technology *+ (computer equipment & software)
• Apparel +

How can you put my skills to work for your company or brand?

It's easy. Contact me!

Freelance Copywriter Ready for You! is a post from: IWriteCopy.com - Hot & Fresh Copy! Copyright, 2010.