Lessons from a TEDx Organizer: How to Nail Your Audition

After a few weeks recovering, I’m finally ready to write about what has felt like my second job for the past six months: co-organizer of TEDxPortsmouth (along with a fellow Pen, Crystal Paradis). I have so much to say about this experience that it’s going to take a couple articles. In this first article, I’ll […]

Case Study: Writing Website Copy for Newfire Partners

Outsourced software development gets a bad rap in many circles, and justifiably so. A big part of the problem is those firms that underpay their talent and don’t care enough about the quality of the code they crank out. Stephen S. Hau, a long-time technology executive and entrepreneur, believes there’s a better way to do […]

Case Study: Refreshing the SynDevRx Website

You could say the same thing about a lot of professions, but I’ll say it anyway: As a copywriter, the most challenging projects are often the most rewarding ones. Yes, it’s satisfying when you nail a tagline or marketing email without breaking a sweat. On the other end of the spectrum are those projects that […]

Hired Pens Helps Launch Kick The Cans Website

“More and more, schools, sports teams and youth groups are forced to have kids sell overpriced products like candles and gift wrap or — worse — send them out begging with cans. Parents are hassled, kids are embarrassed, and the programs that need funding get only a tiny fraction of the funds collected.” That snippet […]

Check Out Our Work for OneVision Resources & Saturn Partners

We recently wrapped up two website projects — please take a moment to check them out! OneVision Resources is a really interesting business that helps rich folks manage all the personal technology in their lives. We worked closely with founder/managing director Joey Kolchinsky along with the superstars at Fresh Tilled Soil to create this new […]

Our Own Karen Dempsey Published on NYTimes.com

Congrats to Hired Pen Karen Dempsey, whose essay, “Lockdown: Teaching Students to Hide From Guns, and Hide Their Fears,” went live on the NYTimes.com Motherlode blog yesterday.

Thanks to a Client That Was Willing to Do Something Different

It’s a fact of life for copywriters: Many clients talk big, but few back it up. What do I mean? When we kick off a project, clients often say they’re ready to do something different. They want copy that’s fun, bold, non-corporate. Copy that will make them stand out from the competition. Then I start […]

Two New Hired Pens Projects Go Live

In honor of my mom — who’s always asking me what I do for work — here’s a quick look at two recent Hired Pens projects. The first is the website for Priority Management Group. This Rhode Island-based company advises community health centers on coding, billing and reimbursement issues. Those terms might mean nothing to […]

Feel Free to Ask Us How to Achieve and Maintain Healthy, Beautiful Skin

One of the great things about my job is that I get an education in an incredibly wide range of subjects. Over the past 10 years, I’ve written about everything from vacation hot spots and glow-in-the-dark condoms to brain surgery and planning for retirement. I usually learn just enough to bring up the topic with […]

Ten Years of The Hired Pens: What Anna Was Afraid to Tell

Earlier this week, Anna was kind enough to post a virtual toast celebrating The Hired Pens’ 10 years in business. Clearly, though, she didn’t have the courage to tell the whole story. So here’s a timeline with all the sordid details. March 2001: Dan and Anna meet on a park bench in Arlington to discuss […]