Website Content for Plot Editor Becca Hensley

When I work with clients, one of my favorite parts is getting to know them one-on-one. The more I can learn about the client, the better equipped I am to tell their story well. One thing I’ve found is that, although these clients obviously know their story better than anyone else does, they may have a difficult time articulating it succinctly for the purposes of their website copy and other content. That’s why it can be so helpful to just sit down and chat about it, so I can get the gist of their story from their perspective. Then I’m able to pare it down to the most important details, as it relates to their audience.

This client is a little different than most, because she and I have been friends since we were 6 years old. Becca is an amazing person and loyal friend, and I’m so excited for the new journey she’s embarking on this year. Becca has worked as a plot editor for romance novels (which might be the coolest job title ever) for a few years now, but she has just recently ventured off on her own with her company Edits in Blue.

When she told me she was thinking of starting her own independent business, I cheered her on. She already has an amazing client base of loyal authors who love her, and she is clearly talented at what she does. All she needed was the confidence that she could do this on her own—and maybe some good copy to tell the world what it is she does so well.

Creating the Copy

I asked Becca for some of the names her clients have called her over the years. Story fixer. Plot fairy. Anxiety-reducer. Author coach. Book midwife. With that illustration her in mind, I crafted some simple copy for her new website. Because Becca’s incredible client testimonials tell website visitors so much of her story, she didn’t need a lot of explanatory copy. What we landed on was a brief intro for the Home page, and a small blurb on her About page that shares how she got into her line of work, and what sets her apart as a plot editor.

As a writer, it can be tempting to dive into something like website copy with the intention of writing a lot of words. After all, we writers love us some words. But a good copywriter doesn’t write for length. It’s about delivering the client the content that they need to accomplish their goal. Whether that is 150 words or 1,000 words, the purpose should be the same.

Keep it Simple

I think when it comes to content, there is this myth that in order to sound professional, you have to produce content that uses big words, or that sounds impressive and sophisticated. That you have to use lots of words to describe who you are and what you do, and arrange them very intricately to make your point.

But that’s really not what people want to read. Those long sentences and 10-dollar words can actually negatively impact the readability of your content, which can affect your SEO. The reality is that your content should be simple, to the point, and easy to understand. Yes, it should tell a story and be interesting and engaging. But there’s no need to write a novel to make that happen (leave that to Becca’s clients). Content can be engaging and thought-provoking, without being lengthy and difficult to understand.

Ready to get to work on your website copy or other content? I’d love to chat!