Being a Freelance Copywriter in Yorkshire

What’s it like being a freelance copywriter in Yorkshire? Well, here’s some pros… and some cons. Although they’re kind of not really.

I’m a freelance copywriter based in Yorkshire. Hull to be specific.

If you’re not sure what a copywriter is, well I’ve got another post that provides an overview of that. Still, my experience of being a freelancer here isn’t limited to copywriters.

Maybe you’re just curious to know what it’s like setting up a small business in ‘God’s own country’? And what of Hull, a strange little city way out on the Humber Estuary, slap bang in the middle of the East Riding and a little way down from the blustery cliffs of Bridlington, Flamborough and Scarborough.

Well, this post should hopefully give you an idea.

The benefits of being a freelance copywriter in Hull

What’s the first place that comes into your head when you think of ‘where marketing happens’. Probably not Hull, right?

Wrong. It does happen here. But yes, it doesn’t happen anywhere near as much as in other cities like Leeds or Manchester or the biggest big city of them all, London.

You might think if I was serious about being a marketing professional, I’d ditch t’ North altogether and jump on the next direct train to London (more on those later). Heck, maybe I’d even cross the Atlantic and become a tadpole in the giant ocean that is New York.

The idea is somewhat appealing. But for now, I’m here in Kingston upon Hull. And I like it. Here’s a couple of reasons why.

The Deep submarium from C4DI’s boardroom. Image: Luke Thornton

It’s a cheap place to set up a business

Starting a business is hard but it’s a lot easier when you’re not paying £1000+ on rent every month.

When I decided to go self-employed, I pretty much jumped in at the deep end. Perhaps not the wisest approach, but that’s what I did.

Unless you get a cash injection (which I wouldn’t be getting as a humble copywriter) the first couple of years in business are tight. Whether they volunteer this information or not, most businesspeople in the early stages were probably living hand to mouth, just ‘making it work’, somehow, someway.

So having low startup costs and outgoings is ideal.

Fortunately Hull is one of the cheapest places to live in the country and although it may be seen as less desirable to some, I’d say we get a pretty good deal.

Friends who live in London or other big cities, are usually aghast at what I’m paying for my share of the rent and bills. Plus, I live (with a housemate) in a three-bed terrace with a garage and a garden, on a cul-de-sac. They’re in a two-bed flat.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s what you pay to be where it’s all happening, but for setting up a business, having a smaller bottom line makes the whole thing a lot less stressful.

And because you’re the boss, you have more control over what you earn. In theory as the business grows, the profit margin increases.

The location is actually pretty good

Another thing to mention about this area is that despite perceptions, Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire has a lot going for it. I’m not a northerner born and bred (and it shows sometimes) but I feel comfortable here.

Most people are decent, friendly, reasonable etc, so I’ve got no complaints there. But the area I work in is also top notch.

Hull’s marina has experienced incredible regeneration in recent years and the result is impressive. It’s a great place to be that particularly comes alive in the summer with spots to eat and drink and a cultural underbelly that includes the impressive Humber Street Sesh music festival.

Along with Hull’s old town you have an area that’s rich with beautiful architecture from a maritime heritage, a reminder of the city’s historical significance. 

The co-working space where I’m based, C4DI, which is in this area, also has a great community on its side. Connections have been made simply by coming and being a part of it all. The tech focus means they’re always championing exciting startups and getting stuck into the wider world of tech, which makes it an interesting place to be.

Yeah, you can get ‘community’ anywhere, but I’d be willing to bet it’s a lot more friendly and welcoming here than it is in some places.

At the end of the day, home is where the heart is and if it weren’t for having friends here in Hull it wouldn’t be worth it. But it helps that Hull’s got more than a few tricks up its sleeve.

Marina footbridge. Image: Luke Thornton

A few negatives if we must

Ok, so there’s a few things that may not be so great about being a freelance copywriter in Hull… but I’ll talk about why they’re not such a big problem in a bit.

Firstly, you could say there’s not as much work here. Hull’s a smaller city and it’s not where all the cool companies are. That’s just the way it is.

The good news is that we’re not that far from Leeds and it’s easy to get there on the train. Hull also has a direct connection to London, and you can get there in just over a couple of hours. So, it’s really no worse than anywhere else for those connections (I know there’s other cities than Leeds and London but you get my jist).

The other reason why there might not be as much work for a freelance copywriter up here is because in my experience not as many businesses realise they have a need for copywriting. Assuming they’ve heard of it in the first place.  

Now I don’t mind doing a bit of education, but the reality is I want to work with companies that already know what they want, not have to convince someone that what I’m doing is valuable. Fortunately, I have some great local clients. But you also don’t have to just work with local companies.

The good news is it doesn’t matter where you are

These days it doesn’t matter where you work. This has been true for a long time, but I think more people have woken up to it as a possibility since the forced remote working explosion of the pandemic.

Many of my clients are all over the shop. London, Newcastle, elsewhere in Yorkshire or even completely remote themselves.

In some ways the great thing about being a freelance copywriter in Yorkshire is that I can work with any business, anywhere. It’s nice to communicate in person but the ease with which we can now communicate remotely means it’s just as easy to work with businesses who aren’t local.

That said, I do still like working with some local businesses, including my very own C4DI. You can’t beat a bit of real in person contact though.

Me. Image: Luke Thornton

Hire a freelance copywriter in Yorkshire… because they’re just like freelance copywriters anywhere else

I hope you’ve enjoyed some of the reasons why I’m pretty happy doing the biz up here in my little corner of Yorkshire.

Maybe you agree with my assessment of Hull’s business benefits. Maybe there’s something else that you think is more important. If so, let me know.

And if you’re looking for a freelance copywriter in Yorkshire or a freelance copywriter in Hull or even a freelance copywriter in the UK, a UK blog writer, tech copywriter or content writer in the UK (ok I’ll stop now…), be sure to get in touch.

I specialise mainly in informative and engaging blog content, highly researched and readable reports, in your face but tonally appropriate website copy and can’t-avert-your-eyes marketing newsletters. Need any of that?