So your copywriter or editor is neurodivergent? Lucky you! Here are just some of the reasons why working with a neurodivergent copywriter or editor is a great big positive for your project – and your business.

Why choose a neurodivergent copywriter and editor?

We’re creative problem solvers

Neurodivergent copywriters and editors bring fresh perspectives to creative challenges. 

For example, I can look at a lengthy charity impact report or dense university student handbook and spot the repetition, the inconsistent tone, the illogical structure, the ambiguous language and the missing headline hierarchy.

More importantly, I can fix them for you – transforming the documents that make you cringe into comms and marketing you’re proud to share.

Struggling to get your message across in words people actually want to read? Your neurodivergent copywriter or editor has your back.

We specialise in clarity

Life is unnecessarily complicated. Dull, overlong copy stuffed with superfluous words and homogenous AI slop doesn’t help. 

Busy brains and challenges with language processing mean clarity is everything. After a lifetime of needing it for ourselves, we’ve made clarity our mission. Our gift to the world.

We write tight: cutting the waffle, repetition and ambiguity to let your message shine through.

We tell it like it is

No need to wonder what your neurodivergent copywriter or editor is thinking – they’ll tell you. If there’s a better way to tackle a marketing challenge that you haven’t thought of – they’ll tell you. 

No beating around the bush, no bullshit: just radical, refreshing honesty. 

We’re independent

Distractions can be a challenge to the neurodivergent brain. Having the space to do what we do best is our happy place.

(I’m writing this in the busy, buzzy business hub at my gym, listening to deep house on repeat in my noise-cancelling AirPods. My focus zone!)

We’ll take your brief and run with it. No handholding required and no endless meetings: just a safe pair of hands and fast, efficient progress – freeing you up to focus on other things.

We’re highly curious

We can’t just wonder about something: we have to know. Immediately. Right this minute. This natural curiosity makes neurodivergent copywriters and editors great at deep diving your niche. When we’re not writing about it, we’re thinking about it.

I once wrote a website for a company that specialised in precision-made eyelets. By the time the copy was approved, I was an expert in the subject. 

Our attention to detail is next level

We’re conscientious. Perfectionists. Even pedants. (Hello!)

That means consistency, accuracy and careful thought to make sure every word works hard to achieve your goal: getting more people to read – and act on – your copy.

We care deeply

Many neurodivergent copywriters and editors are empaths. We think and feel deeply. 

Great copy connects with your audience on an emotional level. Achieving this connection requires empathy and understanding – two things we have by the bucketload. 

And a bonus benefit…

If your business, organisation or charity exists to support people with neurodivergence, working with a neurodivergent copywriter and editor is a no-brainer.

We know your world. We are your audience.

No one can identify and articulate the joys and challenges of living with neurodiversity better than a neurodivergent copywriter and editor.

About me 

I’m Sarah Townsend. I’ve been a copywriter for almost 30 years, a freelancer for 27 and neurodivergent my whole life – even if I didn’t know it until 2023.

Being diagnosed AuDHD (a blend of ADHD plus autistic spectrum condition, or autism) was the moment everything made sense.

• My passion for clarity and brevity.
• My lifelong obsession with language. 
• My perfectionism and attention to detail.
• My visceral urge to rewrite everything I see.
• My need for visual harmony and balance – like this. 
• My inability to switch off when I’m doing something I love.
• My drive to become an expert in the most obscure businesses. 

Clear, accessible, human copy gets read by more people.

It’s the starting point of genuine, lasting connections with your customers.

I’ve written and edited thousands of documents for hundreds of clients over the past 30 years – including a shiny new website for UK charity, ADHD Aware. 

As a neurodivergent copywriter and editor I bring original thought, creative problem-solving and a passion for clarity to every one.

Want to introduce fresh thinking to your project? Book your FREE discovery call, and let’s chat.  

Note: just like neurotypical people are different, so are neurodivergent people. Many of us share the same traits, but these can manifest in different ways. The strengths and positives in this article are based on my own experience and strengths as a neurodivergent copywriter and editor.

Life is challenging enough with ADHD in the mix. Finding clear, accessible support shouldn’t be hard too.

Here’s how I helped ADHD Aware clarify its messaging for adults with ADHD – then went on to support the charity’s thriving community with a practical webinar on freelancing that works for neurodivergent brains.

THE CLIENT: ADHD Aware

Led by volunteers with lived experience of neurodiversity, ADHD Aware has spent over a decade helping adults with ADHD feel understood, supported and less alone.

The Brighton-based charity offers free monthly peer support sessions, neurodiversity training and a knowledge base of trusted information and resources. 

THE NEED

All businesses need their messaging to be clear and accessible. But when your readers face challenges with focus, attention and language processing, clear copy isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a vital part of the support you offer. 

ADHD Aware needed well-structured, reader-focused and supportive copy – and their original website just wasn’t cutting it. 

Many pages contained thousands of words, burying key information and making it harder for readers to find the support they needed quickly and easily: meaning the very people the charity are here to support were left feeling confused, overloaded or alienated before getting the help they needed.

Visitors to the site want to quickly understand what ADHD Aware offers, how to access support and where to go next.

To do that, the charity needed web copy that communicated warmth and authority while making key information easier to find, read and act on.

THE SOLUTION

I was recommended to ADHD Aware by my ADHD coach, Charlotte Forbes. The team wanted to work with a copywriter who specialises in clarity and human language who also had experience of life with ADHD. 

As a neurodivergent copywriter and editor specialising in clear, accessible copy for neurodiversity brands, I was the perfect fit. 

I’d just spent a year supporting ADHD coach and award-winning podcast host Kate Moryoussef with her marketing and comms, and have 30 years of experience helping brands stand out with messaging that cuts through the chatter.

I was hired to rewrite ADHD Aware’s web copy from the ground up.

The goal was simple: to bring clarity, warmth and simplicity to their message – making it easier for adults with ADHD to benefit from the vital support they offer.

I streamlined long, dense pages so the message shone through, introduced a consistent tone of voice, sharpened and clarified the messaging and improved the structure and flow, helping readers find key information faster. 

The result? Web copy that better reflects ADHD Aware’s purpose – and better serves the adults with ADHD who come to the site looking for guidance, reassurance and connection.

In fact, the client was so happy with transformation that the first batch of pages were approved with no changes.

THE RESULTS

Working together has helped ADHD Aware articulate the support it offers more clearly and accessibly.

Their new website is more engaging, more reader-focused, easier to read and easier to navigate. 

But that’s not all. 

Once the website was signed off, I was invited to deliver a webinar on freelance life that works with neurodivergent brains, not against them.

With 120 attendees, this popular session blended personal experience with practical tips and advice – and took my relationship with ADHD Aware beyond copywriting and into trusted community support.

IN THE CLIENT’S WORDS…

“Really excellent! Sarah is a joy to work with and her light, concise and warm tones radiate off the page. I didn’t need to make a single edit. We’re delighted with our new web copy and highly recommend her.”

Catherine Mitchell
Director of Operations, ADHD Aware

“Sarah is a truly multitalented professional – a published author, an excellent copywriter and an engaging webinar presenter.

We’ve had the pleasure of working with Sarah on copywriting for our website at ADHD Aware where she brought clarity, warmth and professionalism to our messaging.

She also kindly delivered a webinar for our community based on almost 30 years of freelancing with ADHD. The session was insightful, practical and very well received by attendees. 

Sarah is thoughtful, organised and a pleasure to collaborate with. I would happily recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled copywriter, author or speaker.”

Patricia Goupillot
Learning and Development Consultant, ADHD Aware

WHAT NEXT?

Does your business, charity or organisation exist to support people with neurodivergence? 

Let me transform your difficult docs and confusing comms into clear, concise and accessible messaging that supports the people you’re here to serve.

Read more about my copywriting and editing services for neurodiversity organisations.

Or book a free discovery call and let’s talk about how to make your words easier to read – and easier to act on.

I recently wrote about how five simple software swaps saved me £958.16 a year. (It’s here if you missed it.)

In this follow-up, I’m sharing the essential apps and tools I rely on to make freelance life smoother, smarter and more manageable.

Here are the software tools I rely on daily – and why they’re worth it.

TextExpander (£36.84 a year)

TextExpander is like the text replacement feature on your phone… but for your laptop.

It turns simple shortcuts into URLs, paragraphs, phone numbers, project names, social links, much-used phrases – even full emails.

I’ve used it every day for the past eight years to save time and headspace (it’s basically like outsourcing my memory) and it’s easily my favourite freelance tool.

Since I started using TextExpander in 2017, it’s saved me 87 hours and 57 minutes. But that’s just typing time. It also saves me time looking things up (like my passport number, registered company address or bank account details) – and even more time recreating the basics from scratch.

(Did you really think I typed Survival Skills for Freelancers 20 times a week? Or my email sign-off? Or my email address? Nope.)

Try TextExpander. (That’s an affiliate link – I may earn a small commission if you sign up, at no cost to you.)

TidyCal (£19 lifetime)

TidyCal makes it quick and easy for clients to book calls and meetings without the tedium and time-suck of email ping-pong.

It integrates seamlessly with my Outlook calendar (or Google, if you prefer) and I use it for everything from setting up project briefings (complete with personalised reminders) to taking payment for copy coaching and book coaching calls, thanks to the Stripe integration).

I used to pay $144 a year for the same features in Calendly. Now I pay nothing. Nice!

Canva Pro (£107.88 a year)

I’m not a designer, but I do create a lot of visual content – from LinkedIn carousels to webinar slide decks.

Canva makes creating eye-catching, fully branded content quick and easy.

For me, the Pro version earns its keep for the brand kits, folders, stock photos and countless templates when I need inspiration.

And my kids use it for updating their CVs, so… win–win!

Microsoft 365 (£12.10 a month)

Sure, Google Docs and Sheets are free – but for me, Microsoft 365 is worth every penny.

I do most of my client work in Word, use Outlook for email and calendar, and keep track of my income in Excel.

1TB of cloud storage through OneDrive means my work is backed up automatically (no relying on tedious manual backups, which I rarely remembered to do).

My subscription also includes Teams – which replaced Zoom (saving me £129 a year) – and PowerPoint, should I need it.

AudioPen (free)

Ever find your best ideas come when you’re out walking? Me too.

AudioPen transcribes my rambling voice notes into structured summaries I can actually use.

It’s fast, accurate and freakishly good at turning chaos into clarity. (And yes, this blog started life as a 30-second voicenote!)

I haven’t invested in the pro version of AudioPen yet – but it does come with a shedload of features, so watch this space.

Fathom (free)

I’ve always been a copious notetaker, and have the archived notebooks to prove it! The challenge? Reading my own handwriting later!

With Fathom, I never have to take handwritten notes in meetings again. Fathom records and transcribes my video calls, and sends me a summary with key quotes and action points seconds later, with a full transcript any time I need to refer back.

It’s totally free and works seamlessly with Zoom, Teams and Google Meet.

If you do any sort of client work or interviews, get on it.

FreeAgent (free with Mettle)

Accounting software is rarely fun, but FreeAgent makes the essentials pretty painless.

I use it to create estimates, send invoices, sort my bookkeeping in seconds and keep track of my business finances.

It’s included free in the UK with a Mettle bank account (thanks, NatWest) – and I prefer it to Xero by miles.

The takeaway

I don’t believe in paying for tools just because everyone else does. But if an app or software tool saves me time, streamlines my processes or makes life easier for my clients, that’s a business investment I’m happy to make.

Got a favourite freelance tool I’ve missed? Tag me on LinkedIn or drop me a DM. I’d love to hear from you!

Want more practical freelance advice, based on 20 years of real-world experience? Check out Survival Skills for Freelancers.

“Repurpose your content.” Advice that’s right up there on any self-respecting listicle on productivity or showing up online. 

We know why repurposing content is such a popular suggestion. It helps you: 

• Produce consistent, high quality content with less effort
• Reach a wider audience with your tips and advice 
• Improve your SEO
• Maintain a consistent brand presence online

…all with less effort – and in less time – than it takes to come up with fresh ideas for each platform.

But content repurposing can feel like a bit of an arcane dark art. Because despite everyone telling you to do it, no one ever really tells you how!

Until now. 

In this blog I’ll walk you through the content repurposing process – explaining how the seed of an idea ended up becoming a popular post across all my socials. 

You could call it my recipe for repurposing. And all with minimum time and effort. 

The background

I’ve always been considered “good with money”. Friends described me as a bargain queen. Someone who never pays full price for anything. 

And it’s true. Largely. 

We didn’t have much money when I was growing up. Most of my toys were homemade. Most of my clothes, hand-me-downs. Holidays meant staying in the homes of my grandparents’ friends around the UK while they swanned off on intercontinental adventures. 

(I share more detail on my money mindset in my popular guide to self-employment – Survival Skills for Freelancers.) 

The seed

Because of my natural drive to save money, I regularly review my expenses – both personal and business – to identify ways to cut costs. 

With software and app costs stacking up in my business, I decided it was time to review my tech stack.

I wrote a list of all the software and apps I use regularly (and those I don’t, which I could almost definitely flat-out ditch) and looked for opportunities to switch these apps to more cost-effective options. 

Side note: I’m not good with compromise, so it was important that none of these swaps felt like a downgrade. Before I switched, I wanted to be sure that each replacement app offered the same features and benefits as the app it was replacing. 

First, LinkedIn 

I started by sharing two swaps – Xero to FreeAgent and Zoom to Teams – in a plain text LinkedIn post. 

It gained 6,327 impressions, 49 reactions and 130 comments.

That was enough to tell me I was onto something. After all, who doesn’t love saving money?! 

LinkedIn revisited

I added two more software swaps to the list – bumping my annual saving to £708.80 – and did a second LinkedIn post.

1,369 impressions, 37 reactions, 29 comments. 

Then the blog

After adding one final saving – totalling a hefty £958.16 – I decided I needed to go into more details on how I’d approached the task in a blog on my website. 

Then the newsletter

I featured the blog in June’s Clever Copy Club newsletter and hit a record 64.3% open rate and 8.86% click rate – with 78 unique clicks from around 1,000 freelance and small business subscribers.

Then the carousel

It was time to share the information to Instagram – probably the most time-consuming stage in the process, involving the creation of a new carousel design.

(As I’m planning on sharing more carousel posts I’m choosing to see that time as an investment in my business).

I’ve not posted much on Instagram lately, so my engagement is lower than it has been in the past (you can read about my viral Reel that got 10.6 million views and half a million comments here.)

The carousel was the most engaged-with post I’ve shared in a long time: 1,196 views (4.9% of which were from non-followers), 564 accounts reached, 52 likes and 38 comments.

Milking it…

Given only a tiny proportion of your followers ever see your posts, I shared the post again on LinkedIn: this time with the carousel visuals.

It’s been up just a couple of hours and already has 521 impressions, 12 reactions and 19 comments. 

Next: Threads

For now, my final step is to share each stage of the money-saving process on Threads. I just need to master the threaded post and I’m golden.

I hope my recipe for repurposing content inspires you to squeeze every last drop of value from the content you already have.

Think I’ve missed a trick? Let me know on LinkedIn.

Want to make sure your next post doesn’t fall flat because of an embarrassing error – like writing ‘bare with me’ when you’re really not planning on getting naked? 

The Little Book of Confusables 1 + 2 have your back.

Running a freelance business isn’t cheap – especially when the cost of must-have software stacks up faster than you can say ‘direct debit’.

After 25 years of freelancing, I’ve learned that small changes can make a big difference. So I reviewed the tools I rely on every day, then saved a massive £958.16 with five quick and easy software swaps.

Here’s how I did it.

💰 Switched from Zoom to Microsoft Teams

You can’t run a freelance business today without video software. For me, that had always meant Zoom. But with briefing calls regularly lasting longer than Zoom’s 40-minute limit, I’d been paying for the platform’s Pro Plan for years.

I’d had a few wobbly experiences with Microsoft Teams, so hadn’t considered switching – until I realised I was already paying for it through my Microsoft 365 subscription.

Much like anything, now that I’m used to Teams, I’m just as comfortable with it. (And I’m especially comfortable with the annual saving!)

Saving: £129 a year

💰 Switched from Xero to FreeAgent

Switching to Xero after years of spreadsheets was painful.  I didn’t love the platform – I could never find what I needed – but I’d never thought about trying another provider because I assumed all cloud platforms were the same. Plus, I didn’t fancy another upheaval.

But when my accountant told me I could save £28 a month by opening a Mettle (NatWest) bank account and getting FreeAgent free, I decided to give it a shot.

And you know what? It was a breeze. Three months in, I feel more confident using FreeAgent than I ever did with Xero.

Saving: £336 a year

💰 Switched from Calendly to TidyCal

Calendly changed my life. No more email ping-pong – clients could see my availability and book instantly. I even linked to Stripe so that I could collect payment for my paid copy coaching and book coaching calls.

But Calendly was costing me $144 a year. So when a fellow copywriter recommended TidyCal – which offers the same core features for a lifetime cost of just £19 – the switch was a no-brainer.

(Extra win: 10% off via AppSumo.)

Saving: £87.44 this year. £106.44 a year ongoing.

💰 Switched from Otter to Fathom

I’m a prolific notetaker – and famously bad at reading my own handwriting! I’d been experimenting with Otter.ai to transcribe and record my video calls and somehow got sucked into a paid version of the app.

At $99 a year it wasn’t bad value… but Fathom does the same job free. It integrates neatly with Teams, Zoom and Google Meet, and its summaries – complete with action points – are bang on.

Happy Sarah, happy bottom line.

Saving: £74 a year

💰 Downgraded – then ditched – Adobe

I’ve always used InDesign while working on my books – and I’d been paying £26.06 a month for Adobe Creative Cloud as a result. But since The Little Book of Confusables 2 has been published – and the 2025 edition of Survival Skills for Freelancers has gone live – I’ve no longer needed InDesign.

A quick call to Adobe and I downgraded to Acrobat Pro only…

…then discovered the free Adobe Acrobat Reader gave me all the features I needed – so I cancelled my subscription altogether.

Saving: £312.72 a year

The ta-da moment…

That’s a grand total of £958.16. Not bad for a few hours’ admin!

Take a look at your software subscriptions: a quick review could save you a small fortune! Got a better app swap? I’d love to hear it. Drop me a DM or tag me on LinkedIn.

(Just remember to cancel those direct debits! Paying twice for two apps that do the same thing.)

Want more practical freelance advice, based on 20 years of real-world experience? Check out Survival Skills for Freelancers.