Exploring Life & Business with Alex Dailey of Writing Dailey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Dailey.

Hi Alex, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Of course! I’m a Northern Michigan resident and have been writing and crafting stories since elementary school. As a kid, I’d come up with my own ideas or write continuations of my favorite books and movies and even illustrate them. Creativity and artistic expression have always been necessities in my life. Initially, I planned to attend art school after graduating, and I was accepted to Kendall College of Art and Design and College for Creative Studies to study illustration; however, the pull to focus on English and writing was stronger. I earned my BA in Creative Writing from Grand Valley State University in 2012, with a minor in art history. From there, a succession of unpaid internships and smaller jobs got me to where I am now. Since 2021, I’ve been the sole proprietor of a small writing and editing business that has seen exponential growth in its almost year-and-a-half existence. This growth has primarily been due to word-of-mouth recommendations and the community connections I made over eight years in a customer service position with a nonprofit arts organization.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Well, to be honest, I was terrified when I decided to take a leap of faith and leave a salaried position to focus on my freelance business. Was I making the wrong choice? Was it foolish to leave financial security to listen to this creative calling? Was there going to be enough work? Do people care enough about the written word to pay someone to write or edit for them? These are only a few of the thoughts and fears I contemplated at the onset of my small business venture. Starting out, I was on a bumpy road, addressing self-doubt and financial worries and trying to find work, but the work did come, and it usually found me. There were times when I put myself out there too. I created profiles on freelance websites, applied for jobs on LinkedIn, and gave discounts when I couldn’t afford to. But eventually, my waiting and “cold emailing” paid off through regular, paying jobs as a print publication correspondent, marketing assistant, web copywriter, manuscript editor, and more. So, yes, there have been struggles along the way, and there will surely be more cropping up, but it’s how you choose to view them and ultimately deal with them that matters.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Writing Dailey?
Writing Dailey focuses primarily on providing copywriting, editing, and proofreading services, but I have also undertaken marketing responsibilities, public relations tasks, and even typing requests for clients. My website may merely list copywriting, editing, and proofreading, but I do much more. My favorite aspect of what I do is helping others tell their stories. So many people have amazing stories to share but are daunted by the prospect of putting them into words. This is where I can help! By working together in a back-and-forth relationship, we can craft the story that the world needs to read, get the word out about a great cause, or even share an entertaining or uplifting piece that can shine amidst the dark. As a rule, I don’t write about current events unless there’s a positive perspective to highlight–there’s already enough negativity on the internet and in media outlets. My goal as a writer is to create pieces that can cause someone to think, smile, chuckle, or even roll their eyes when I fall too far down the proverbial rabbit hole of writerly topics, fantasy stories, or self-deprecation, which is, in part, why I started my blog–“Organized Rambling”–in November 2021. My job is to help others write, but I also write for myself as an artistic outlet and to create value.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are so many people who have supported my writing journey over the years. I wouldn’t be in the position I am today had it not been for the opportunities afforded by my previous place of employment–Crooked Tree Arts Center (CTAC) of Petoskey–and my former boss, Liz Ahrens. As a recent college graduate, I got my start writing press releases for the nonprofit arts organization, and my writing responsibilities quickly grew from there to include local columnist, coordinator of the Young Writers Exposition, and Newsletter Editor. The exposure and connections I’ve gathered all started at CTAC. The encouragement and feedback I received while at Grand Valley State University have remained with me for over a decade. I am eternally grateful to previous professors Benjamin Drevlow, Chris Haven, and Sean Prentiss. I also need to thank David Crouse of Crouse Entertainment Group, Allison Batdorff of the Traverse City Record-Eagle, and local author Tom Renkes for following my journey and continuing to offer opportunities and support. And finally, my main group of second-eyes, aka proofreaders–because even writers need someone else to read their work: Ian Dailey, Lauren Longo, Lucy Blythe, and Madison Pionk–my work is better because of their suggestions and corrections.

Pricing:

• $40/hour for copywriting, editing & proofreading
• $40/hour for document design
• $20/hour for typing

Contact Info:

• Website: writingdailey.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writing_dailey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WritingDailey
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_dailey

Image Credits
Katelin Dailey
Rob Harold