WRITING SERVICES

Clever headlines, compelling website content, or a catchy name for your artisanal frozen yogurt food truck. If you need something made of words or ideas, Anders is the first copywriter you should call.
(If he’s the second one you call, no hard feelings.)

Ads & Campaigns

Attention is hard to get, but I can help you get your message through to your audience with a head-turning ad or an integrated campaign.

I have broad experience writing copy for print ads, billboards, radio spots, and scripts — from a headline that accompanied the premiere of the 2007 documentary Helvetica at SXSW, to a social good campaign that promoted financial literacy to Albertans.

Most recently, I’ve written ad campaigns for outdoor goods retailer Camper’s Village, Calgary’s charming Inglewood neighbourhood, and the launch of a national cannabis retail chain.

Articles &
Blog Posts

I finished university in 1997, just as the mainstream internet was revving up. It was the right time and place for a writer to make a career out of writing content for online audiences.

Early on, I wrote and managed content for the real estate section of the national news website that would become Canada.com. I was the editor of an online magazine from 2000-2005, and spent 6 years writing for Veer.com’s highly trafficked design blog from 2006-2012. Along the way, I’ve penned pieces and posts for dozens of other brands and publications.

More recently, I’ve written a series of blog posts for a private school, a Calgary city guide for a Swedish sportswear company, and a magazine feature about a pair of beard oil entrepreneurs.

Long-form content like articles and blogs can be time-consuming on a person or team whose attention is needed elsewhere. If you need an extra set of hands, I’m available.

Biographies

It can be daunting to strike the right balance of charm and humility when you write about yourself. More often than not, people don’t share what’s most interesting about themselves in their personal or professional bios, for fear of sounding boastful.

I can help you tell your story and elicit the response you want from readers, whether that’s hiring you, taking an interest in your products, or simply wanting to know more.

I’ve done the same for countless professionals — plus notables like world famous director Sir Alfred Hitchcock and ‘80s sex symbol Bo Derek.

Creative Consulting

Sometimes you just need ideas, or someone to guide a team through a productive brainstorming session. When I’m not writing, I spend my professional hours as a creative consultant on projects for local businesses, non-profits, and some of Calgary’s most successful businesspeople.

Navigating modern marketing options? I can help you strategize a content plan. Not sure if the estimates you’ve received from an agency or design studio are reasonable, or if you need all of the services they’ve offered? I can help you evaluate and locate resources you’ll need to brand, rebrand, market, or advertise effectively.

I’m also available to ensure that those resources execute on time and on budget, by coordinating or creative directing their efforts on your behalf.

Direct Mail & Print Pieces

Print: still not dead! Sometimes the best way to slip past the waves of digital marketing is a well-crafted message delivered to a physical mailbox. To economize, that postcard, brochure, or catalog can do double-duty as your marketing leave-behind or trade show handout.

I’ve written several dozen high-circulation print pieces (see my work for Veer and Dissolve) and I look forward to doing the same for you. I’m also happy to recommend, recruit, and collaborate with a graphic designer whose skills are suited to your project and budget.

Editing & Story Editing

If you or a team member have written something for your business, but you’d like someone to edit, polish, or proofread what you’ve already got, I can help.

If you’re working on a larger narrative for your brand, an explainer video, or a film script, I’m also available to provide story editing services and make suggestions on how to improve the arc and delivery of the ideas and information you’re trying to convey.

Idea Generation

I’m an idea person. Which is a nice, tidy way of saying that I am always inventing things, love to brainstorm, and after two coffees can be intolerably chatty. But, if there’s a foundational strength to my writing career, it’s that I never get tired generating new ideas.

As a freelancer, I spend time each week sitting on calls and meetings with businesses and agencies to brainstorm everything from fundraising strategies to international ad campaigns.

If your project needs that kind of spark, I’d love to work with you.

Naming & Taglines

Before logos go on cards, signs go on building, and products reach shelves, everything needs a perfect name. A well-written tagline — a name’s trusty sidekick — is an opportunity to communicate what a business is, what a product does, or your brand’s personality.

Names and taglines can be hard decisions, and it’s worthwhile to explore your options. The desire for matching/available domain name and social media accounts can complicate things, and it’s important to do some light research to see if your new brand elements are already in use by competitors.

I’ve helped many professionals and teams navigate this creative process, first listening to what you’d like a name or tagline to achieve, and then delivering market-ready options to consider.

See more examples of names and taglines in my portfolio, and then let’s chat!

Pitch Decks

A pitch deck can make the difference shelving a business idea or moving it forward. I can help you, like I’ve helped many others, craft a pitch deck that wins support for your project by delivering your information with clarity, eloquence, and showmanship.

As a copywriter, I pitch ideas to clients every day. But I’ve also pitched startup and product ideas to rooms full of stakeholders and potential investors. I can vouch firsthand that when your on-screen content works, heads nod and a chequebook might appear. It also removes a lot of pressure from the experience if you have a pitch deck that you’re confident in.

Most recently, I’ve worked on pitch decks for a startup developing seizure-controlling brain implants and a new regional tech hub in Calgary seeking $1M investments.

Scriptwriting

I studied playwriting at the University of Alberta and immediately put those skills to work in marketing and advertising roles. In the past decade, video and audio content have become the dominant form of online and social media content. If you need to feature your product in a radio ad, pitch your service to customers in an explainer video, or add polish to your podcast with some scripted content, I’m available to help.

When I’m not writing scripts for client projects, I keep those skills sharp with personal projects like my short fiction podcast Terribly Interesting. Currently, a short documentary film I wrote — Beautiful Idiot — is touring the world part of the Banff Mountain Film Festival’s 40-country, 7-continent world tour throughout 2019.

Social Media Content

For a busy professionals, upstart companies, and giant corporations alike, social media can either be an affordable marketing tactic or a never-ending time burden.

What’s certain is that if you create those “feeds”, they need stay fed. Fortunately, it’s an easy thing to outsource, and you can hire a copywriter like myself to manage your accounts or create a steady supply of posts and multimedia content that will engage your audience.

For social media content, my services extend beyond writing, to include graphic design and video production — including scripting and sourcing voiceover talent. Contact me to discuss your content needs and together we can strategize a content plan with a per-post fee or monthly retainer that suits your budget.

Website Content

From product descriptions to corporate profiles — your website houses everything you want people to know. Whether you need content for a standard 5-page company site, or something larger in scope, I can help you tell your story and serve your audience.

I’ve written website content for hundreds of clients — from business-minded law firms, ad agencies, tech startups, and corporations, to more unusual fare like stage magicians, world famous directors, and