Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Diffner.
Shannon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I met Alexia Wellons, the other half of Scarlet Letters Copywriting, in 2004 when we both worked for Universal Studios Home Entertainment. We had similar interests and backgrounds (Literature! Vintage-style clothing! Travel!) and immediately hit it off. One day, one of us joked that instead of hiring outside writers, we should be the ones doing the work… and then we realized it was a great idea.
We started copywriting evenings and weekends, until we felt it was reasonable for both of us to leave our “day jobs.” We did so with the support of our bosses and colleagues at Universal, and now, 14 years later, the studio remains a valued client.
A lot has changed since we signed our Partnership Agreement in the fall of 2005. When Scarlet Letters launched, we were both single and living in Los Angeles. Now we’re moms, and I’m in Thousand Oaks and Alexia is in Portland. We’ve diversified and expanded our portfolio beyond our entertainment-industry roots. We’ve honed our skills, and can do more in less time. But the fundamentals have stayed the same: we still love words and language, and always end up talking about books!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have certainly been some challenges along the way. When we started, everything (and I do mean everything) was released onto DVD and studios had robust budgets. Then the recession hit, and suddenly the purse strings were tightened. At the same time, digital media exploded, so rather than buying a release, consumers downloaded them from Apple TV or Netflix and there wasn’t such a demand for high-quality copy. But these facts made us commit to changing with the times, which has served us well.
Please tell us about Scarlet Letters Copywriting.
Scarlet Letters Copywriting is a two-woman business specializing in a variety of areas, including entertainment, travel, healthcare, beauty, consumer products, tech, and lifestyle. The range of content we write includes digital ads, synopses, taglines, scripts, blog posts, company profiles, brochures, employee and B2B communications, website copy, and sales decks. We also offer editing and proofreading services.
We’re known for reliability and professionalism. When we say that we’ll deliver a project, our clients know that they’ll receive excellent content, on-schedule and on-budget, every time.
What sets us apart from others is that we are a team, so we bring two sets of ideas and two sets of eyes (which is great for proofreading!) to every project.
We are most proud of the fact that we’ve grown from writing for one specific industry (Home Entertainment) to having a wide variety of clients. We’ve created copy for pet-aura spays, proofread thousands of pages of employee benefits information, and fact-checked for the Mammoth Lakes Tourism office. We’ve truly become a well-rounded company.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One that stands out is seeing my first musical. It was “The Wiz,” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and it launched a life-long love for theatre in general, and for the Music Center in particular.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ScarletLettersCopy.com
- Phone: 323-559-3873
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: Facebook.com/ScarletLettersCopy
- Twitter: Twitter: @ScarletCopy
- Other: ScarletLettersCopy.WordPress.com
Image Credit:
Alej Keigan
Amy Leist
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