The story behind the words

I’m Joanna Styles, a freelance copywriter based in Malaga on the Costa del Sol. My career in writing quality, creative copy goes back over 20 years during which I have written hundreds of thousands of words to help my clients’ businesses up their game.  

Since 1997, I’ve worked for lifestyle blogs, property investment companies, relocation advisors, PR agencies, travel publications, travel magazines, golf courses, holiday letting companies… Writing about a whole range of topics to help these companies promote and sell their products.

How the words began

Words have always been my thing. I wrote (very) short stories at primary school, discovered a love of foreign languages (French, Spanish, German and Latin) at secondary. At uni in Aberystwyth and York, I relished the thought of an essay assignment.

I then stayed with the words, teaching others to speak them, as a languages teacher and then found myself mute for three months. Nodules on my voice box led to hours of speech therapy and communication through notes only. My passion for words was rekindled and I left the teaching to enter the quieter but much more creative world of copywriting.

Since 1997, I’ve been at my keyboard typing out copy by the ream and then some. Back in the day when print was king and magazine and book publishers had bottomless pockets, I wrote several books (Culture Wise Spain was one), plenty of articles for magazines (A Place in the Sun was one), endless guides to places (the Costa del Sol was one) and a ton of web copy stuffed with keywords to get Google to sit up and notice it.

The world has taken huge strides since those 2000s. From riches to rags and not back again. From dial-up internet to 24/7 online life. But I’m still writing because every single business need words.

Why you need my words

You might have fancy pictures (and the best are worth a 1,000 words), fabulous graphics and high-tech web development, but the truth is that without words you say nothing.

Nothing to the world, Google or your clients. Zero in fact because people always need some persuasive copy to make the buying decision.

You can find out about what I write here.

Guide to Malaga

This section wouldn’t be complete with a mention of one of my absolute passions: Malaga, my home since early 2015. When we first arrived in the city from Marbella, I discovered that no guide books or websites covered it in depth or did it justice. To fill this niche I created Guide to Malaga, an online tourist information portal in English.

In just over 4 years, the site has gone from strength to strength. We now receive over 55,000 visits a month and have around 22,000 users. Guide to Malaga has over 400 articles and a loyal following of fans. The fortnightly newsletter has become something of an institution and is the go-to events information source for several thousand people around the world.

Guide to Malaga has been featured on BBC News, in the Sunday Times Travel Magazine and on local Costa del Sol radio. One of my proudest achievements was when it won the annual Costa Press Club Communicator Award.

As well as offering reliable and up-to-date information about Malaga, the portal also provides a unique platform for Malaga businesses.

Beyond the keyboard

When I’m not tapping away at my keyboard, I’m reading (those words again), running on the seafront in the west of Malaga in my bid to get below 2 hours in the half-marathon (I have succeeded once), walking in the amazing Andalusian countryside and travelling.

I’m also secretary to the Costa Press Club, one of the leading press associations in southern Spain. And co-host to the Malaga section of Costa Women, a role that allows me to share my love of Malaga and meet like-minded women in the city.

The loves of my life are my husband of 30 years, our 2 daughters who were brought up on the Costa del Sol but now live and work in London and dark chocolate. Oh and watching the sunrise up from the Mediterranean on an early morning run.

I take care of all the copywriting your business needs.