Starfish, masks and copywriters.

It's been a while since I last posted here - I've been setting up my new website (same address as before but a very different look: http://www.greatcopy.info/), which has its own blog which has kept me busy.  Also I've decided to devote this blog to diving, so if you want to follow my pearls of wisdom about copywriting, words and life please go to http://greatcopy.info/blog/.  Actually, I've brought diving into the latest post there, too, but only because a word I came across was so appropriate to wreck diving.  I will try and keep them separate.  I knew there was a reason I called this blog "Starfish"....
    The thing is, I've become a bit obsessed with diving and I'm wondering how I can turn that into a business plan.  I did wonder about marketing under a fancy name the stuff I use to keep my mask clear, without telling anyone it's really baby-shampoo-and-water, but I'm not sure I'd get away with that!  [If you're a diver and have trouble keeping your mask clear, try it - it really works and it doesn't sting your eyes; "no more tears" is absolutely right.  I know spit's supposed to work, but I can't get enough of it together to do the job...  I ran out of the shampoo mix on my final dive last weekend, and I couldn't keep my mask clear at all.]
    Then I thought that there must be diving supply companies out there that need a copywriter. I haven't yet found a "hook" to approach them with; I'll have to think about that one. 
    The advice of everyone in the business is "You've got to specialise, find a niche to market to," and that would certainly be a good niche market.  It's big enough, though the major companies like Suunto probably have their own in-house writers, and it's something I know a bit about. 
    What I obviously need to do is get to one or two of the dive shows and meet some of the people in the business, get known (and, as it's business-related, I can put it on expenses.  I'm beginning to like this idea!).  The next one's Dive 2010 in Birmingham in October and there's rumoured to be one in Scotland but I can't find any sign of it.  It'd be fun to see all the kit, even if I can't afford to buy it, and get more of a feel for the lingo (that's one thing about a niche, you really have to speak the lingo fluently or you stick out like a little finger on a porcelain tea-cup).
    It's a plan of sorts; now to put it into action, starting with a warm-up email to all the Birmingham exhibitors.

    Ah well - I tried to keep it diving-related, but copywriting will keep butting in.  That's life!