Journalism
I’ve been freelance since April 2013. I’ve so far picked up commissions for a range of lifestyle, entertainment and travel titles, including Lonely Planet, Sabotage Times and Jetlife Nigeria. I also do weekly shifts at Time Out London – I often write the Top 10 feature or help to devise, research and write the main cover article. I also spend two days a week as Editor of men’s lifestyle website Brash (uk.brash.com). Part of the Glam Media group (seventh biggest online media company in the US), the site acts as a portal onto a huge number of blogs within the Glam portfolio. I curate articles from these sites to run on the homepage, while also writing original, SEO-driven content about fashion, grooming, tech, sports, food/drink, music, film, TV and gaming. Social media is, of course, a key part of the job. As is working with the sales team and advertisers on major campaigns. I use Google Analytics to measure traffic, which increased by approximately 50,000 UMUs in my first two months as Editor.
My most recent staff position was as Editor at Scout London, a ‘freemium’ arts and entertainment magazine that closed in April 2013. During my three months in the role, I devised a new distribution strategy and oversaw the move to higher-quality paper, which cumulatively led to a 15 per cent rise in advertising revenue. This was in addition to the day-to-day running of the magazine – devising, commissioning and editing all content, managing staff and freelancers, updating the website and social media channels, and representing the magazine at events. A full list of my duties and achievements can be found on my CV.
Prior to this, I was Deputy Editor at the magazine for seven months. I assisted with its creation, and helped to steer its editorial direction and tone. This was largely in recognition of my previous position, as Arts and Entertainment Editor at the South London Press. I spent three years in the role (and an additional one as deputy), during which I spearheaded the modernisation of the arts supplement, completely overhauling the print layout while establishing it on social networking platforms and helping to design its website. Before long I had restored its place as a major selling-point of the paper’s Friday edition.
Over the years, I’ve come up with the ideas for countless feature articles (lifestyle, arts, entertainment and beyond), many of which I’ve written, others that I’ve commissioned from freelancers. I’ve also interviewed numerous celebrities, and written hundreds of news stories and reviews (theatre, film, music, comedy and food).
In no particular order, the celebs include: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scissor Sisters, The XX, Florence Welch, Ian McKellen, Keira Knightley, Fatboy Slim, Tinie Tempah, Christopher Nolan, The Maccabees, Jessie Ware, James Nesbit, Snow Patrol, Katie Melua, Pete Postlethwaite, Timothy Spall, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Joe Cornish and Ben Barnes.
The features that I’ve commissioned include: London’s rock history; The dos and don’ts of being an unsigned band on tour; The Book of Mormon (cover feature that included interviews with the cast and creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone); How to contact the dead; London for movie lovers (included classic and hidden film locations, where to spot celebs, juicy trivia and a history of the major studios); Becoming a domestic goddess...for men; 20 things you’ve never thought of doing in London; Small museums that you never knew existed; London for geeks (included various nerdy events and get-togethers, including science-themed comedy and specialist quizzes); Enjoying culture on the cheap (insider tips on how to experience top notch art and culture for less); Underground London (feature on the tunnels, bunkers, rivers and secret command centres beneath the city); The rise of trendy taxidermy; Haunted London; Ways of doing the tourist spots differently.
Like most editors, I’m a pedant for spelling, grammar and factual accuracy. And I’m a ruthless yet sympathetic sub, with an excellent understanding of layout and InDesign.
Much of my experience has had a large online element, so I’m also quick-to-adapt to a variety of content management systems. I can write copy that’s so SEO-friendly Google will want to jump into bed with it, and quickly edit other articles to achieve the same result. I also have extensive experience using social media as a journalistic tool. At Scout, I would often run competitions through Twitter, and continuously used the channel to engage with readers while drawing traffic to the website.
Overall, I have a thorough understanding of how magazines, newspapers and websites function, all
the way from editorial to distribution. I’m all too familiar with the pressures and hurdles of the
industry in the current climate, but passionate about overcoming them. I have extensive experience managing people and budgets. And I’ve helped to devise advertising strategies and overseen multiple media partnerships.
As a former news reporter, I’m fully NCTJ accredited and passed the National Certificate Examinations (NCE) on first attempt. The legacy of this background is a fearless approach to news gathering, a reluctance ever to settle for a spoon-fed angle, a solid understanding of media law, confidence when dealing with authority figures and the ability to translate complex issues into immediately understandable copy.
Copywriting
I’m much newer to copywriting, but have already picked up multiple freelance commissions, mainly in the film advertising industry. Companies that I’ve worked for include Empire Design, The Creative Partnership and All City Media.
Films that I’ve written taglines or trailer scripts for include: Les Miserables, Trance, Diana, Kick Ass 2, The World's End, Oblivion, Fast & Furious 6, Despicable Me 2, Side Effects, About Time, I Give It A Year and Cuban Fury.
I’m also hoping to branch out into corporate copywriting, and was recently commissioned to write website copy for new telecommunications company Track Eleven.
Personal
I'm geeky about all kinds of things: Bob Dylan, Woody Allen, London facts, burgers, The Exorcist, the Blitz, Lyndon Johnson, '60s America, Bruce Springsteen, etymology (we could be here all day). And I'm totally in love with London. Its exhausting array of culture, entertainment and history is the fuel in my engine, and I'll chew your ear off with obscure city facts given half a chance.
I cram my increasingly limited free time with a variety of creative projects. I co-host the Hello Goodbye Show, a weekly live music radio slot on Resonance FM (www.hellogoodbyeshow.com). And I spend a fair amount of time on various screenwriting projects – it's a hobby but, who knows, one day...
I'm also a very experienced songwriter and producer. I've toured the UK and the continent with a variety of bands and currently spend many weekends beavering away in a home recording studio on my current project, an electronic duo called The Itch. You can hear some of our tracks here: http://listn.to/theitch
And you can watch one of my spoof videos (a tribute to my great home town) here: http://youtu.be/TLC8n1VN24Q
Whatever you find on my site, I hope you like it. I’m an all-round good guy and would love to hear from you.
Cheers, Dan
I’ve been freelance since April 2013. I’ve so far picked up commissions for a range of lifestyle, entertainment and travel titles, including Lonely Planet, Sabotage Times and Jetlife Nigeria. I also do weekly shifts at Time Out London – I often write the Top 10 feature or help to devise, research and write the main cover article. I also spend two days a week as Editor of men’s lifestyle website Brash (uk.brash.com). Part of the Glam Media group (seventh biggest online media company in the US), the site acts as a portal onto a huge number of blogs within the Glam portfolio. I curate articles from these sites to run on the homepage, while also writing original, SEO-driven content about fashion, grooming, tech, sports, food/drink, music, film, TV and gaming. Social media is, of course, a key part of the job. As is working with the sales team and advertisers on major campaigns. I use Google Analytics to measure traffic, which increased by approximately 50,000 UMUs in my first two months as Editor.
My most recent staff position was as Editor at Scout London, a ‘freemium’ arts and entertainment magazine that closed in April 2013. During my three months in the role, I devised a new distribution strategy and oversaw the move to higher-quality paper, which cumulatively led to a 15 per cent rise in advertising revenue. This was in addition to the day-to-day running of the magazine – devising, commissioning and editing all content, managing staff and freelancers, updating the website and social media channels, and representing the magazine at events. A full list of my duties and achievements can be found on my CV.
Prior to this, I was Deputy Editor at the magazine for seven months. I assisted with its creation, and helped to steer its editorial direction and tone. This was largely in recognition of my previous position, as Arts and Entertainment Editor at the South London Press. I spent three years in the role (and an additional one as deputy), during which I spearheaded the modernisation of the arts supplement, completely overhauling the print layout while establishing it on social networking platforms and helping to design its website. Before long I had restored its place as a major selling-point of the paper’s Friday edition.
Over the years, I’ve come up with the ideas for countless feature articles (lifestyle, arts, entertainment and beyond), many of which I’ve written, others that I’ve commissioned from freelancers. I’ve also interviewed numerous celebrities, and written hundreds of news stories and reviews (theatre, film, music, comedy and food).
In no particular order, the celebs include: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scissor Sisters, The XX, Florence Welch, Ian McKellen, Keira Knightley, Fatboy Slim, Tinie Tempah, Christopher Nolan, The Maccabees, Jessie Ware, James Nesbit, Snow Patrol, Katie Melua, Pete Postlethwaite, Timothy Spall, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Joe Cornish and Ben Barnes.
The features that I’ve commissioned include: London’s rock history; The dos and don’ts of being an unsigned band on tour; The Book of Mormon (cover feature that included interviews with the cast and creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone); How to contact the dead; London for movie lovers (included classic and hidden film locations, where to spot celebs, juicy trivia and a history of the major studios); Becoming a domestic goddess...for men; 20 things you’ve never thought of doing in London; Small museums that you never knew existed; London for geeks (included various nerdy events and get-togethers, including science-themed comedy and specialist quizzes); Enjoying culture on the cheap (insider tips on how to experience top notch art and culture for less); Underground London (feature on the tunnels, bunkers, rivers and secret command centres beneath the city); The rise of trendy taxidermy; Haunted London; Ways of doing the tourist spots differently.
Like most editors, I’m a pedant for spelling, grammar and factual accuracy. And I’m a ruthless yet sympathetic sub, with an excellent understanding of layout and InDesign.
Much of my experience has had a large online element, so I’m also quick-to-adapt to a variety of content management systems. I can write copy that’s so SEO-friendly Google will want to jump into bed with it, and quickly edit other articles to achieve the same result. I also have extensive experience using social media as a journalistic tool. At Scout, I would often run competitions through Twitter, and continuously used the channel to engage with readers while drawing traffic to the website.
Overall, I have a thorough understanding of how magazines, newspapers and websites function, all
the way from editorial to distribution. I’m all too familiar with the pressures and hurdles of the
industry in the current climate, but passionate about overcoming them. I have extensive experience managing people and budgets. And I’ve helped to devise advertising strategies and overseen multiple media partnerships.
As a former news reporter, I’m fully NCTJ accredited and passed the National Certificate Examinations (NCE) on first attempt. The legacy of this background is a fearless approach to news gathering, a reluctance ever to settle for a spoon-fed angle, a solid understanding of media law, confidence when dealing with authority figures and the ability to translate complex issues into immediately understandable copy.
Copywriting
I’m much newer to copywriting, but have already picked up multiple freelance commissions, mainly in the film advertising industry. Companies that I’ve worked for include Empire Design, The Creative Partnership and All City Media.
Films that I’ve written taglines or trailer scripts for include: Les Miserables, Trance, Diana, Kick Ass 2, The World's End, Oblivion, Fast & Furious 6, Despicable Me 2, Side Effects, About Time, I Give It A Year and Cuban Fury.
I’m also hoping to branch out into corporate copywriting, and was recently commissioned to write website copy for new telecommunications company Track Eleven.
Personal
I'm geeky about all kinds of things: Bob Dylan, Woody Allen, London facts, burgers, The Exorcist, the Blitz, Lyndon Johnson, '60s America, Bruce Springsteen, etymology (we could be here all day). And I'm totally in love with London. Its exhausting array of culture, entertainment and history is the fuel in my engine, and I'll chew your ear off with obscure city facts given half a chance.
I cram my increasingly limited free time with a variety of creative projects. I co-host the Hello Goodbye Show, a weekly live music radio slot on Resonance FM (www.hellogoodbyeshow.com). And I spend a fair amount of time on various screenwriting projects – it's a hobby but, who knows, one day...
I'm also a very experienced songwriter and producer. I've toured the UK and the continent with a variety of bands and currently spend many weekends beavering away in a home recording studio on my current project, an electronic duo called The Itch. You can hear some of our tracks here: http://listn.to/theitch
And you can watch one of my spoof videos (a tribute to my great home town) here: http://youtu.be/TLC8n1VN24Q
Whatever you find on my site, I hope you like it. I’m an all-round good guy and would love to hear from you.
Cheers, Dan