Emma Siemasko
Emma Siemasko started her career as an executive writer at a marketing agency, then transitioned to working in content marketing at a software company. There, she helped build a resources center that saw 150,000+ visits in the first 18 months.
She also created a blog strategy and was able to grow traffic by 300%. In 2015, she launched her writing consultancy Stories By Us to help people share their insights with the world.
Tell us about the writing work you do today.
I currently write in the tech space for both companies and individuals who want to share insights, ideas, and stories. The three types of writing I create are:
case studies and customer stories
long-form content like blog articles and eBooks
web copy
Nearly everything I write comes from insights from real people! In practice, that means I conduct a lot of interviews, whether it be with a company's customers, stakeholders, founders, or other leaders. I also occasionally create written assets from recorded content, such as webinars or podcasts.
My daily work is mostly interviewing and writing, though I do occasional speaking gigs, offer coaching services for copywriters, and recently started a podcast for freelance writers with Kaleigh Moore.
I love the variety! I'm always talking to new people and there's always something to learn. I integrated interviewing into my writing work because of how much I love connecting and learning from people.
That's been a really important shift for me because it ensures that I get the two things I love–writing and people–at the same time.
How'd you know you wanted to pursue writing as a career? What made you pick that path over others?
I've actually always wanted to be a writer! When I was in school, I excelled at writing stories, papers...anything.
Thing is: I didn't know what kind of writing I might like to do. When I got to college, I thought maybe psychology would be interesting, as I'm fascinated by people. Writing always seemed a bit lonely to me, and indeed it's a solitary art, hence why I wound up coupling writing with interviews.
But when I took Psychology 101, I realized, "Nah, I'm meant to be an English major." I went on to study creative writing with a focus in poetry. I thought I might go on to be an academic and teach poetry to college students.
I didn't know about the opportunities that were out there. But I knew writing was the thing I was best at, and that whatever career I was going to pursue would include it to a degree.
What's a common misconception about the work you do that drives you nuts?
I don't like when people think writing is "piddly."
What I mean is, I don't like when people think a writer is someone who can't get anything done and just sits in an office all by themselves churning out stuff no one wants to read.
For me, writing is about communicating. Writing is thinking. That thinking is extremely valuable to people, and it's worth a lot to businesses and individuals alike.
What stepping stones, education, or past work experience has been most influential in the writing work you do today?
My undergraduate education in college was incredibly useful. Studying English gave me the skills I needed to analyze texts, ask questions, and put together coherent narratives.
But the real world experience was extremely useful, as well. I learned so much when I worked in-house at a tech company–I learned why communication matters, how it can be used, and how much power there was in the written word beyond moving someone emotionally with a poem (which is great, by the way.)
I'm definitely someone who learns by doing–I've learned much more by throwing myself into things than I have from books or courses, though these have helped give me context and often motivated me. On Writing by Stephen King is also very good, but I'm not sure it influenced my work.
What piece of advice would you give to others who are considering freelance writing as a next step?
Listen to my new podcast! No, I'm just kidding. I'd recommend that people start with the financial and practical aspects of the freelance writing world.
First, make sure you understand how much money you need to live, and give yourself a timeline for how long you'll try out freelance writing before you move on.
Second, get a client. So many people focus on building a website or getting themselves "ready" to freelance. You'll never feel totally ready. Do everything you can to get that first client.
If there's one writing pet peeve you could eradicate from the world, what would it be?
I really dislike when people write a bunch of fancy words but aren't actually saying anything. This happens all the time, and often the sentences don't make any sense. This is a crutch people rely on to sound professional or to sound like good writers, but it irks me endlessly.
