Get to know more about copywriter and award-winning author Jacky Fitt

Q: Tell us about your early training and career beginnings. How did you get into copywriting?

A: My journey into copywriting wasn’t traditional at all. I began my professional career as a stage designer, which led to production work in TV and film production when I began writing articles and promotional copy. Having worked with acclaimed directors including Terence Davies, Paul Greengrass and the producer David Puttnam. This creative foundation in visual storytelling really shaped how I approach copywriting – understanding that every piece of content needs to paint a picture and tell a story that resonates with its target audience.

Q: What is The Big Ideas Collective and what role do you play there?

The Big Ideas Collective was the idea of Ned Hoste, to offer more affordable brand and design expertise to businesses. I began working with Ned in 2006 when he was looking for a local copywriter to supplement his graphic design agency. Established in 2007, as Co-director, together we’ve built BIG into a communication agency that combines great ideas with proven expertise across marketing, communication and publishing through our imprint the Big Ideas Library. We bring an holistic approach, combining great ideas with proven expertise to get organisations, authors and entrepreneurs noticed, but getting noticed is just the first step. The real skill is in creating identities and content that builds lasting relationships and drives meaningful engagement.

Q: What’s your philosophy on effective copywriting and marketing?

A: Watch, listen and learn. At first it may seem odd, but as a copywriter I do a lot of listening and observing before I think about drafting any text. It’s very important to understand my clients, their purpose, situation, needs and ambition and those of their clients and customers – how they think, what motivates them, and what will influence and genuinely resonate with them.

Q: You’re an award-winning author, how did that come about?

A: I wrote my first book in 2014, How to Get Inside Someone’s Mind and Stay There, in response to the questions I was being asked by my clients about using written content to market a business, be that a blog, social media, a website, a press release or newsletter etc. I was delighted when it won the 2015 Small Business Book Community Choice Award for marketing in the US, and it is currently published by Business Expert Press in New York and pops up in University libraries around the world.

The book is essentially a practical guide to content marketing and good copywriting technique designed specifically for business owners who want to create compelling content that truly connects with their audience. It’s about understanding the psychology behind effective messaging and how to craft content that doesn’t just get noticed, but stays with people.

As well as attracting people to my work as a copywriter, writing the book led me to be invited to speak at Pocklington TEDx in 2015.

Q: What subject did you choose for your TEDx talk?

A: This was a great opportunity, copywriters don’t usually get to talk to big crowds! I chose to talk about ‘Give to Get’ and the philosophy of giving value as a business and how that comes back manifold through meaningful engagement, loyalty and long-lasting relationships, with an emphasis on businesses doing more in their communities and leading on climate issues throughout supply chains. It’s a theme that runs through all our work at The Big Ideas Collective and through my Micro Oiseau project.

Q: What is Micro Oiseau and what inspired you to create it?

A: Micro Oiseau is something I established in 2020. I wanted to push my business guides out to more people in a truly global way. To do this I created a series of collaborations with young translators around the world. The idea being that they translated a series of short marketing guides into their native language and I would promote them across social media and blogs. It is a wonderful collaboration that now offers free marketing guides in over 8 different languages and showcases young translating talent.

It’s designed to help people who want to begin a business with step-by-step, practical ways to attract customers, set the right price, manage their money, stay sane and much more. The multilingual aspect is particularly important to me – good business advice shouldn’t be limited by language barriers and startups can find it difficult to find sound, free advice.

Q: Tell us about your latest book, How to Be in Business, and how it supports startups and people setting out in business.

A: My latest book, How to Be in Business, takes a more holistic look at what it means to establish a business from both the mental and the marketing approach. I felt there was a gap in the market for business books that explored the fundamentals of being in business. That means our attitude to risk and reward; how we make decisions; trust; collaboration and how to keep good mental health, in what can be a tough journey. Especially if you are a lone startup. The first half focusses on this mindset aspect, the second half features a series of short guides covering more practical aspects of business promotion. These short marketing guides developed directly from my Micro Oiseau project.

Q: How does your work connect with She Can Shine programme?

A: My book, How to Be in Business is being used a supporting resource for the She Can Shine female entrepreneurial programme based at SHINE in Leeds. The programme accepts up to 40 new women and offers events, networking, workshops and coaching for women setting up their own businesses. It’s exciting to be part of a programme that’s making such a tangible difference to female entrepreneurship in Leeds and the broader West Yorkshire region. The book serves as a lasting resource for participants to support their startup journey including marketing support, I also deliver the marketing workshop and a book club event.

Q: What different types of writing do you specialise in?

A: My writing skills span across multiple formats and industries, which I think gives me a unique perspective on how different types of content work together to build a brand’s voice and reach. I write blogs, press releases, articles, and search engine optimized website copy – each requiring its own approach and understanding of audience behaviour.

Blog writing is about building ongoing relationships and establishing thought leadership, while press releases need to capture attention quickly and communicate news value clearly. Articles allow for deeper exploration of topics, and SEO website copy requires balancing human readability with search engine requirements.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is editing non-fiction books. I’ve had the privilege of working extensively with Martin Johnson at Trans2Perform on his I Am Human series of books, including I Am Human: 30 Mistakes to Success and I Am Human: Pain and Pleasure.

I’ve also been honoured to work with Professor Roger Steare on the 4th edition of How to Do What’s Right. Roger is such an inspiring figure, known as The Corporate Philosopher, his work blends millennia of philosophical wisdom with modern business pragmatism, and he’s guided major organizations like Barclays, BP, HSBC, and Nationwide through crises and cultural transformations.

Q: What’s your role as a non-fiction editor?

A: In the case of the I Am Human series lifts the lid on common unconscious mistakes and missed opportunities that hold people back from achieving their potential. As an editor, my role was to help Martin establish an easily accessible, no-nonsense tone of voice. Ensuring the clarity of messaging, friendly and informal, yet offering powerful insights and experiences that readers can immediately apply to their own lives and businesses. It’s not only about encouraging and supporting the author, helping them refine their style, it’s also about challenging them to produce the best possible work for their audience.

Q: How does your editing work complement your other writing services?

A: I’ve been fortunate to work with a diverse range of clients on a wide range of projects from websites to branding, article writing and blogging. Clients include: ITV plc, The University of York, The Stable Company, Holiday Cottages Group, Littlewoods Online, FERA, SHINE, Skillogy, City of York Council, Bleanau Gwent Council, Positive Accountants, Barbara Jacobs & Co, OVO Energy, York St John University, Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, UK Agri-tech Centre and iLivestock.

Today, I work with clients throughout the UK and abroad, successfully helping to build trust, profit and good business through words. What I love about this variety is that each sector brings its own challenges and opportunities for creative communication.

Q: As a copywriter, what’s your take on AI?

A: AI is a useful admin assistant but would I use it to produce finished work? Absolutely not. Am I worried by it? Again, no, and here’s why…

AI or artificial intelligence is a misnomer for me. We’re not talking about ‘intelligence’, we’re talking about a learning tool. Specifically relating to LLM, large language models, and generative AI, which is the type of AI that produces text, including ChatGPT and Claude etc. These algorithms don’t truly “understand” language the way humans do, they’re very good at recognizing and reproducing patterns, and predicting what they think the user wants, delivered in a human-like language. Many people see this as a direct assault on creative writing skills that will negatively impact writers of all genres. There is no doubt that at a certain level these tools will replace humans work, as they already can produce seemingly human written material in different tones of voice, styles and complexity. However, it’s what they lack that is the key for me and other professional writers.

They are only as smart as the data they mine. Remember they can only reproduce information that is already in the public domain and, therefore, not unique. Quite apart from the often inaccurate and biased output, they have no capacity for fresh conceptual thinking, ethical or moral approaches. They also cannot produce the finely nuanced writing styles to influence human responses and concepts, regional differences and humour, reflecting a unique relationship between a business and its customers. Useful as they are for supporting research, problem solving, formatting and structure of text, which is a way I use AI, my work for clients is unique and very much human produced.

When writing for humans, it pays to be one. There are no substitutes for humanity and smart communicators know this.

Q: What does your FRSA designation mean to you?

A: Being a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce is a recognition I’m very proud of. The RSA has a long history of supporting innovation and creativity in business and society, which aligns perfectly with my approach to combining creative thinking with practical business solutions.

Q: You’ve been recognised for your support for the environment, tell us about that.

A: The Big Ideas Collective was always about being as sustainable as possible. Our main admin office runs off solar power and we are planting trees through the Treedom initiative. Just after setting up the business we received an honourable mention in the US Green Dot Awards for business sustainability, and in 2015 I was awarded the Investor in the Environment Overall Achiever Award for Yorkshire & Humber. We know doing good is good for business and this philosophy runs through everything we do at The Big Ideas Collective – we believe that sustainable business practices aren’t just ethical, they’re smart business.

Q: Where are you based and how can people connect with your work?

A: I live in York, with my family. People can find out more about The Big Ideas Collective at thebigideascollective.com, explore the startup resources at micro-oiseau.com and for authors, we have our indie publishing imprint the Big Ideas Library. We’re always excited to discuss new projects and big ideas with potential clients and collaborators!