Invite me to speak at your event: business writing and freelance events and webinars
You’re running an event and looking for a knowledgeable, experienced speaker who can inspire your audience with real-life stories, interesting insights and practical tips: no fluff, no filler, no guesswork – just relatable lived experience, and advice that works.
Hello! I’m Sarah Townsend. I’ve spent 20+ years as a freelance copywriter, editor and award-winning author. I share my experience and advice in talks, events and webinars on business writing and freelance life. Read on to see if I can help you, too.
Freelance events
Since publishing Survival Skills for Freelancers – the #1 bestselling guide to self-employment – I continue to support the small business community through webinars, talks and events that focus on the mindset for freelance success.
If you’re a small business owner wanting to get unstuck – or to rediscover the joy of being your own boss – look out for my quarterly freelance webinars or book a one-to-one freelance power hour.
If you’re the events coordinator for a professional body or larger organisation, scroll down for an outline of the off-the-shelf webinars I can deliver for your members on freelance confidence, better boundaries, and marketing your freelance business – or get in touch for a tailored talk, event or workshop.
Writing training
My multi-award-winning second book, The Little Book of Confusables – an indispensable and fun guide to language – ties in with my talks on human language and boosting your business writing brilliance.
If you’re a small business owner struggling to produce content that gets attention, book a one-to-one copy coaching session and grow your copywriting confidence.
If you’re a marketing manager looking to upskill your team, or the events coordinator for a professional body looking for engaging CPD events, scroll down for an outline of my off-the-shelf webinars to help your members write with confidence – or get in touch for a tailored talk, event or workshop.
Who I work with
I’ve taken part in conferences and live events for well-known organisations including Enterprise Nation and BBC Radio, and for industry bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, ProCopywriters and the Content Marketing Association.
I’ve also guested on more than 60 podcasts in two years. Get in touch to invite me to guest on yours.
Speaking rates
Pre-prepared webinars: £320
Choose from any of the pre-prepared topics outlined below and I’ll share my expertise with your audience of any size. Price includes online delivery, related admin, tech checks, a 45-minute webinar and 15-minute Q&A.
Bespoke webinars: £640
I’ll create and deliver a bespoke 45-minute talk for your online audience. Price includes development, online delivery, related admin, tech checks, a 45-minute webinar and 15-minute Q&A.
Off-the-shelf in-person events: from £880
I’ll deliver one of my 45-minute pre-prepared talks in person at your event. Price includes delivery and related admin. Travel time and expenses within the UK are negotiable.
Bespoke in-person events: from £1,500
I’ll create and deliver a bespoke talk or workshop for your event. Price includes delivery, development and related admin. Travel time and expenses within the UK are negotiable.
Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Testimonials from event organisers
“Sarah joined our Freelance Business Masterclass to talk about freelance life. The feedback from attendees was amazing: ‘The most interesting freelance speaker I have seen so far’, ‘Very interesting talk with many great points’, ‘Great insights!’ I highly recommend her for any event.”
Elina Jutelyte, Freelance Business Community
“As well as being a fantastic writer, Sarah is a highly knowledgeable and engaging speaker, capable of grabbing and maintaining an audience’s attention either in-person or virtually. I highly recommend her.”
Ben Veal, Chair, CIPR South West
“Sarah delivered a brilliant talk to our members on better business writing. I can’t thank her enough for such a worthwhile and practical talk and workshop, which left our members buzzing and ready to hit the ground running.”
Stephanie Martinez-Hill, ITI Western Regional Group
“I invited Sarah to talk about freelance life to my third-year fashion comms students at Northumbria University. What a whirlwind of advice, insights and reflection – invaluable for anyone looking to set up or grow their freelance business. Thank you, Sarah – fantastic support and heaps of fun, too!”
Katherine Wildman, University of Northumbria
“Sarah took part in a live interview – Freelance life: going it alone… together – for over 60 CIPR members. What a great webinar!
It was one of the best virtual events and conversations I’ve helped to run – so much engagement, questions and interactions.
When it comes to freelance life and self-employment, Sarah is a true expert. She is articulate, engaging and a confident speaker.”
Katherine Stedman, CIPR Midlands
“Invaluable advice delivered in a genuine and charming way. Over 130 freelancers benefitted from Sarah’s immense experience on a variety of topics including imposter syndrome, increasing rates, and when to say no.
Sarah candidly shared her wisdom on how to deal with each scenario inspiring many to employ her tried and tested tips.”
Ann Brooks, Institute for Translation and Interpreting (ITI)
“Sarah’s presentation at You Are The Media Creator Day 2022 was one of the highlights of the day.
When it comes to delivering value for people to action, Sarah comes with real-life experience and advice, not anecdotal evidence. While proving that building our projects and businesses is never easy, it also comes with the fight within us all and what can be achieved.
Sarah understands people, a narrative and being brutally honest.”
Mark Masters, Founder, You Are The Media
Freelance and mindset webinars
Freelance life: a reality check
My most popular webinar, this is the perfect intro to my more in-depth topics. Discover the power of community and connection, how to stay motivated and productive when working from home, and how to grow in confidence. You’ll come away with skills you can apply to your life right now – whether or not you decide freelance life is for you!
Take control: you’re the boss!
It’s common to come off the treadmill of employment only to find yourself on a whole other treadmill. What happened to being the boss?! Learn to take back control of your freelance business by setting boundaries, getting clear on your process, and asking for help. You’ll even learn the empowering magic of saying NO!
How to market your freelance biz
Finding new clients is one of the toughest challenges for any freelancer – but without clients, you have no business. If the thought of selling your services makes you cringe, this practical webinar is for you. Learn smart skills to help you show up online and become irresistible to new clients.
Your 6-point checklist to help you ditch imposter syndrome
Think you’re alone with imposter syndrome? Think again! Tackle self-doubt, perfectionism and the fear of failure in this practical webinar. In six simple steps, you’ll learn to silence your inner critic and to grasp the opportunities that’ll help you grow in confidence and take your business to the next level.
The power of connection
Working from home can be pretty isolating. In a survey of 1,500 freelancers, 64% said they regularly feel lonely, and 55% say isolation has left them feeling depressed. But going solo doesn’t mean going it alone! Learn tried and tested tips to help you avoid isolation, stay connected, and discover the power of community.
Wellbeing: your secret weapon
If you burn out as a freelancer you have no business! The secret to getting more enjoyment from self-employment is to prioritise your mental health and wellbeing. Learn to create better boundaries, grow your support network and take care of YOU in this inspiring workshop that’ll change the way you look at success.
Business writing webinars
Get real: get the edge
Corporate speak and lazy language are sending your audience to sleep! Human language is your best chance of building trust and connection, getting your message heard and attracting clients like magic.
In this practical webinar, you’ll learn to focus on your audience, write with impact and edit ruthlessly – all advice you can apply right away to improve your writing!
Boost your business writing brilliance
Whatever business you’re in, we all have to write to get noticed… ever wish you were better at it?! This webinar is for you. You’ll come away with six simple, practical tips you can put into action right now to get better results from your writing.
Boost your copy confidence and creativity, and learn new skills that’ll help you write super social media posts, inspiring emails and brilliant blogs.
Practical tips for brilliant blogs
Whatever business you’re in, blogging should be a vital part of your marketing strategy. But what should you write about? How often should you post? And how do you cut through the chatter and create posts that not only get read, but build your profile and add value? Start with these tips and tactics.
Entertain, inform, inspire: top tips for engaging social media posts
Social media is a great way to raise awareness of your business – and with potential clients spending up to 2.5 hours on social each day, the possibilities are endless. But it can be hard to get heard among the chatter! These practical writing tips will help you get your business noticed – for all the right reasons!
8 tips for emails that get results
Hands up if you love writing emails? Thought not. But you can’t exist in business without them! In this practical webinar, you’ll learn to write effective emails that inspire action and get results. Whether you want to convince people to hire your services, buy your products or book your events, this webinar is for you.
My following on social media
LinkedIn: 11,500
Instagram: 17,500
Twitter: 9,000
Ready to book?
To book me for your next conference or event, drop me an email.