Why Hire Me?

So who is this cheeky chick, you may well ask.

I’ll try to keep it short because this is so not about me (but I’m a writer, what can I say? Lots!).  And it’s my job today to convince you, the hero reading this, that you need a sidekick to help you on your journey. So it’s not so much about me, but what I can do for my heroes. And why I’m the sidekick you need.

My name is Jane Usher and I am the sole proprietor, chief cook and bottle washer for Usher Ink. When people ask what I do for a living, my response is, ask me what I love to do and then you’ll know what I do for a living. Short answer? I live to write and I write to live. When I’m not telling your stories, I’m writing my own. It’s as natural to me as breathing.

I provide kick-ass content planning, copywriting and storytelling (with editing chops) and my purpose in life is to make you the hero…
of your company, for your boss or for your clients/markets/audiences. I’ve been doing all of the above for years, decades actually. Cross-sector, cross-platform, cross-channel and cross-current (I put that last one in to give you something to say “huh?” about).

If you’re a resumé aficionado, here’s a link to my track record.

And here’s a quick dive into why I do what I do. 

Content Planning

I spent the better part of 12 years as the main writer and content specialist for a provincial tourism marketing agency. Kept me on my toes planning campaign copy for global, national and regional markets, all platforms. 

The journey always begins with research and analyses to understand your audience and what they need/want/desire.  And then you make a road map to follow.

Cue the music for I Can See Clearly Now, The Rain is Gone. My theme song. Go ahead, sing along. I’ll wait.

Take a look at my pride and joy, the Official Alberta Travel Planner, an epic journey in content planning. Six months in the making, project management at its finest (yep, I can do that, too). Learn more.

Storytelling

I’ve been writing stories ever since I learned cursive. I wrote plays for the relatives (and directed and performed, of course). I wrote lovesick poetry as a teenager – found a book of them the other day. A few diamonds but mostly rust. In high school, I wrote the essay part of my English exams so fast it gave me plenty of time to answer all those pesky grammar questions (beware the dangling participle or the misplaced modifier!) and I’m a self-confessed grammar geek.

I went back to school at 40 and got my BA in Communications, worked in a public relations agency, did a stint as the owner of a hot dog concession on a skate park (best smokies in town), but I digress…then segued into the role of content specialist on the brand team of aforementioned tourism marketing agency.

These days, I take a bunch of classes with teachers I admire. I will likely always be on some seminar or virtual conference or another. The ongoing journey of a chronic lifelong learner. And while I can write great copy for just about any industry, my focus at present is on the tourism and nonprofit sectors.

I am an avid travel writer. My dream job would be travelling the world and writing about all of it, from five-star lux to backpacking and hosteling. Writing is my vocation, my avocation, my passion and I’ll probably still be doing it when I’m writing my own eulogy at the end of the road. And I’m here to help you get on the write track (see what I did there?) with your hero’s story. Learn more.

Editing

I think you need to be a decent writer to be a good editor. And a good editor will truly make your own story come to life. Editing is part science, part art and a big dollop of diplomacy (blunt notes in the margins of your manuscript are not my thing). 

There are many levels to editing – it ain’t just checking for spelling and grammar errors. See the post in my Write Click blog which spells out the layers of editing that go into most projects (hint, I’m a structural nerd).

And, really, don’t just take my word for any of this. Here’s what some of my heroes had to say about their sidekick.

We’ve got you covered

Is there any copywriting or editing that I don’t do? Life is too short to try to do it all. While I am trained and experienced in technical writing and editing, it’s not my jam these days. Unless you need me to build you a brand voice and style guide. Happy to oblige. 

But never fear. I have a passel of sidekicks who shine at it and are only a message away. Ditto for everything that you need to build your website or digital strategy, including SEO, SEM, CRM, UX, email marketing, database management etc., etc., so you get to focus on the hero thing. Life is good. 

If all those acronyms and industry terms set your hair on fire, head over to my Glossary of Terms for some relief.