L.C. Spotlight: Kelsey Lundstrom — Emily Collins Writer

Welcome back to The Literary Copywriter spotlight where I feature professional writers with literary pursuits. Today I spoke with Kelsey Lundstrom, an emerging copywriter and memoirist based in New York.

Let’s hear from Kelsey!

Literary Copywriter: Tell me about your writing journey. When did you first realize that a.) you are a writer, and b.) you want to make a living off of your writing?

Kelsey Lundstrom: I've been a writer and storyteller my entire life, but I haven't always called myself one* (more on this below). It started when I was a kid and I would send letters and cards to anyone around me (aka my neighbor and grandma). I would ask my childhood mailman to walk my letters across the street to my neighborhood best friend or fill every inch of space with words in a card to my grandma. I had no idea back then, that there was actually a career out there for people like myself. People who wanted to tell stories and capture people's attention, beyond just my neighborhood bubble.

*I don't know what it is, but I have struggled to call myself a writer until this last year. Even though I've been doing it my whole life, I would always just dismiss it with, "oh yeah, I can write" but never actually called myself a writer. Well, guess what world? I'm a writer, nice to meet you!

L.C. Please describe your writing career. How did you get started? Who are your ideal clients.? Do you freelance or work for an agency?, etc.

K.L. After I grew up a little, learned how to spell, read, and actually write, I then studied English (writing/publication studies) as an undergrad. When I graduated (back in 2012) I wasn't exactly sure what to do with that degree, though. The first * real * job I had was writing marketing emails for webinars while wondering what the heck I was going to do with this degree.

I then took a leap, moved to NYC, and worked in the B2B media world for a few years. It wasn't always on the editorial side, but I was always around writers and immersed in media. Even if I didn't consider myself a writer. It wasn't until last year when I woke up and realized that I had let my writing passion burn. And not in a good way. I was angry with myself that I had gotten so far away from the one thing that mattered the most to me, and I was determined to get that back.

I spent a few months thinking more about the kind of writing I wanted to do and poked around in advertising. I then realized there is a role for us creative writers in this world, and it goes by the name of copywriter. I then also realized that there's something known as portfolio school, which I had never heard about. I had just turned 30 and going to a 1 or 2-year portfolio school wasn't really in the cards for me. So I worked my tail off the past 9+ months to build a spec portfolio without portfolio school. (Side note: yes, you still need a spec portfolio if you want to work in advertising, even if you've been working for 8 years.) Thank you, Linkedin, Fishbowl, Reddit, and an online class at the Denver Ad School for getting me to where I am today.

I recently "finished" my portfolio (I say "finished" because is it ever really done?!) and just got a copywriter internship at an ad agency in ATL. I had to swallow my pride and realize that it was okay to take a step backward (at least title-wise) to take a few steps in the direction you really want to go in. I'm not sure what tomorrow or next week brings, but I know that I've finally found the writing career that I can't stop thinking about. It's that can't eat, can't sleep, wake up in the middle of the night with ideas kinda feeling.

To anyone considering a career pivot, do it. You don't want to look back in 10 years and say, "I wish I had done that."

L.C. I see you're writing a memoir about a car accident you were in a few years ago. If comfortable, I'd love to learn more about this project and what you hope to gain from the experience (book deal, more publications, career change, personal growth, etc.).

K.L. Yes! Besides focusing on my new copywriting career, I'm also writing a book. I was in a life-threatening car accident a few years ago that has forever changed my outlook on life. I truly believe that from this tragedy emerged my story to tell. A story that I not only want to tell, but I know other people need to hear. It focuses a lot on learning to see the silver linings, and when all you can do is cry, why not at least laugh first until you cry?

Of course, I would love a book deal at the end of all this, but I am doing this for myself. Writing and sharing (even the little that I have) has been such a healing and wonderful process. If you want to check out a little about my story, you can read the article here.

L.C. Feel free to share how you balance work, life, and writing. It’s okay if you’re struggling with this. It’s all part of the process!

K.L. I would say that I am 100% still figuring this out. Some weeks I'm able to focus a lot on writing my book along with everything else, and others I'm not. This is okay. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself and realize that I'm doing this in a timeline that makes sense for my process. After all, it is my process. I also find it difficult after working as a copywriter all day, to even find the energy to form sentences/words sometimes, so that's always fun. Thankfully, I'd have an editor if I got a book deal. (Sorry to my future editor.)

L.C. Say someone much younger than you says, “I want to be a writer, but I’m afraid I won’t succeed.” What would you tell them?

K.L. If it's something that comes naturally to you and you're passionate about, pursue it anyway. Don't let fear hold you back. One of my favorite quotes is that "nothing ever grows in your comfort zone." It's okay to be afraid. It's okay to be uncomfortable. You're growing.

Also, everyone has their own definition of "success" and you can define what that word means for your own career. As a writer, it's easy to compare yourself to other writers and what their version of success may look like. Try not to fall into this trap and always remember why you started, because success will always look different for every single person. I'm a 30-year-old intern, and to some people that might not look like "success." But for me and my story, it does.

Connect with Kelsey

Bio.

Kelsey Lundstrom is an emerging copywriter who is getting her first taste of agency life as a copywriter intern at Fitzco. She is based in New York and has spent most of her career in the B2B media world, before discovering... she should have been a copywriter.

Website: https://www.kelseylundstrom.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseylundstrom/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kelseylundst