Power of the Written Word

Introduction

The age of Internet technology has made copywriting a much vaster category than it was just a few years ago. When copywriting was mentioned back in the 1950s, it usually meant advertising copy – or writing catchy jingles and phrases for products. Copywriting was meant to persuade a person to purchase a product or service or to swing their belief system.

Copywriting is still written to persuade, but the scope of it goes far beyond creating advertising copy. With the advent of the Internet, copywriting can be used to create content for your web pages, blogs, videos, audios and many other marketing pursuits on the web.

Writing effective copy is now imperative for anyone who wants to be in business, whether on the Internet or in a brick and mortar location. The copy doesn’t have to be promotional – it can be informational, such as the content written for press releases, white papers and informational web sites.

If you have a talent for writing, Copywriting can be a lucrative career – especially if you build your own business by providing clients with effective, well-written and well- researched copy.

There are many areas of copywriting you can choose as your area of expertise. Among the areas are advertising, Internet, television, direct mail such as catalogs, white papers, technical writing, blogs and social networking. You can choose to build your own business or become employed with an agency that needs copywriting on a regular basis.

This guide will help you decide if you have the knack for writing, how to turn your knack into a profitable business, writing techniques of successful copywriters and which area of copywriting might suit your talents.

You’ll also learn what equipment you’ll need to become a copywriter, how to make your copy sing with persuasion, how to get clients and keep them and how to master the basic techniques that all copywriters should know.

If you’d prefer to let someone else do the writing for your business, it’s important that you find a reputable copywriter who is willing to work with you and meet your needs. When a potential customer sees copy about or for your business, it should be structurally sound, grammatically correct and contain the information for the specific purpose for which it was intended.

Copywriting is an important business tool. Whether you write your own copy or not, you should know what constitutes effective copy.

On Becoming a Wordsmith

So you want to be a copywriter? You probably already know that it isn’t the glamorous life of a best-selling author who travels the world over promoting his or her book. It involves being alone most of the time with your thoughts and creative juices and having a distinct talent for persuasion using the written word.

You can also build a lucrative business or career from becoming a wordsmith. To begin, you’ll have to have a good grasp of the language and very high degree of creativity. There are both online courses and college courses that you can take if you really want to learn to write.

If you already have a talent for writing, there are various ways you can go to realize your dreams of becoming a copywriter. The creative writing you’ll be doing in the job will likely entail selling products or services with slogans, jingles and images or simply providing information in a creative way about a subject.

You’ll need to choose the area of expertise you want to concentrate on. The main areas of copywriting include:

• Advertising – Working as a copywriter for an agency might involve being a part of a larger department with a marketing or creative director, graphic and web designers or experts in social media or public relations.

Many advertising agencies employ copywriters on a freelance basis, but they’re coordinated by a marketing expert (director) in the department. If you enjoy working for an agency, you may be able to climb to the position of marketing director.

Before landing a copywriting position in an agency, you’ll need to build a portfolio and brand yourself as a copywriter. That means getting some experience first, so you can begin by freelancing with an agency you’re interested in and go from there.

• Freelancing – Starting out on your own as a copywriter can be daunting, but rewarding. You won’t be working in a cubicle, but as your own boss – perhaps in a home office.

You’ll need a hard sense of disciple if you’re working on your own and some freedom of finances. It helps if you have a spouse earning the better part of the household income or some savings so that you don’t have to worry for awhile about bringing in enough income to survive.

If you hustle for clients and provide a dependable and outstanding service for them, you’ll eventually build your copywriting freelance business into a lucrative career.

• Businesses – Many businesses (including online) need writers to create their ad and promotional copy (rather than hiring an outside agency) and you could get a job writing for one of them if you’ve developed an eye-catching portfolio.

Some of these businesses are brick and mortar and others are online. Choosing to work for a business may mean that you’re fed projects to work on and communicate with them through the Internet rather than having an office where the business is located.

This is a great option if you’re concerned about finances and don’t want to go it alone until you become more established. Working for a business guarantees that you’ll have a certain amount of work and you may be able to negotiate whether or not you’re paid by the project or by the hours spent on it.

The boundaries of copywriting are non-existent. You can write for agencies, directly for businesses (Internet marketing included) or work as an independent copywriter. Many writers move back and forth between these options all the time.

Essential Tools for the Copywriter

If you work in an office for a business, you’ll be furnished with all the equipment you need. If you’re a freelancer, you’ll need to begin with some essential tools such as a good computer, printer, desk and comfortable chair and place to work.

You’ll need to assume the responsibility for your own health insurance, taxes and any overhead you might incur as a freelancer, whereas if you work for a business you’ll likely have that provided for you.

As a freelancer, you’ll also need all the online trappings to brand yourself – a fabulous website, programs for your computer that will help and enhance your business and the necessaries of writing such as a great program that checks for spelling and grammatical errors (like Microsoft Word).

Many of these tools are expensive and time-consuming to set up and learn. If you don’t know how to set up a website, be sure and hire an expert to do it for you. You’ll want a site that looks professional and that’s easy to use and easy on the eye.

You may also want to consider joining some professional groups, both online and other and starting a blog and learning how to use social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others.

Essential Skills for Copywriting

Besides the obvious skills you think of first – writing and creativity – there are others that you must know about if you’re to become a successful copywriter. Some that you may not think of are:

• Outgoing personality – Even though copywriting is often a solitary business, you’ll need to sell yourself if you’re going to get that job in an agency or business. If you’re taking the freelancing route, you’ll also need to sell yourself, but it may take the form of how to present yourself online or in copy.
• Commitment to the customer – Whether you’re freelancing or working for a large corporation, you should always have the customer’s best interest in mind. Even though you think you know what’s best, it’s what the customer wants that counts.
• Recognize the various uses for copy – You should be able to recognize the difference in writing copy for promotion, sales and informative copy. As a copywriter, you’ll be writing in one category or perhaps a bit of all of them.

A good copywriter will make a real connection with his or her audience and either persuade, sell or change the beliefs of others. So, even if you have the basic writing skills necessary to write and be understood – unless you have the creativity and are willing to do the work it takes, you may not make it as a copywriter.

Exercises for Part One – On Becoming a Wordsmith

With pen and paper (or on the computer), jot down answers to the following questions to give you a better idea if you have what it takes to become a copywriter:

1. Where do I want to go with my copywriting skills? (Advertising, Freelancing or Business) This will determine how to begin gathering the information you’ll need to make your career successful
2. What tools do I have and what do I need? You may already have a computer, desk and chair, but jot down other things such as important programs for your computer to help in your quest, portfolio to present to businesses, web site and others.
3. What are my skills? What attributes can you name that you’ll want to tout to potential clients and/or businesses who might want to hire you? How can you market those skills effectively?
4. Formulate a plan – Whatever path you choose for your copywriting career you should have a plan to implement it. Having a plan means that you should know before you begin how you’re going to make it financially – without a regular paycheck coming in and to have a solid business plan.

Writing Copy for Profit

If you’re going to be a copywriter for a business or for yourself and become a freelancer, you’ll need to know some basic “dos and don’ts” of writing copy. And, if you’re going to make a decent living being a copywriter, you’ll need to know how to promote yourself and gather clients.

You may admire some great literary masterpieces that have been written to inspire or that simply have a wonderful story to tell. Know that writing this type literature isn’t the same as copywriting.

Copywriting is persuasive and client-pleasing type of writing that doesn’t have to necessarily be well-written. You can become a copywriter without knowing how to be an author, but it does help if you have an understanding of style and form and if you can write to connect with an audience.

When you write copy for profit, you’ll need to know the best practices of turning your skills into dollars and how to get clients. Kindle publishing will also be addressed in this section. It’s a good way to brand yourself as an author and the experience can get your writing style flowing.

Getting Your Freelance Copywriting Business Off and Running

The Internet will be your best friend when beginning a freelance copywriting business. Now, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and decide how you’re going to launch your business. It’s also time to stop worrying if you’re good enough or what writing niche is best for you.

Begin! Whether you change course later on or not, you’ve got to begin somewhere. Trial and error will help you go back and revamp what you do at first to get your business off the ground, but you’ve got to put yourself out there first and test the waters.

You may want to begin by assessing your experience, likes and dislikes and interests. Now, it’s easy to network with others through the Internet. If you haven’t already – set up some social networking accounts such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

Let your followers or those you’re following know that you’re going to start freelance writing and would appreciate their referrals. If you want to write articles for magazines and/or newsletters, send a query letter (lots of great information online about how to formulate a good query letter).

Have business cards printed and let people know you’re in the freelance writing business. Any great journey begins with the first step and you’ve got to take it, no matter how small or insignificant it seems to get your business off the ground.

How Much Will it Cost?

Even if you’re going to be an online freelance writer and already have your computer and the programs you need to write, you’ll need money for fees, courses that will help you expand your knowledge and money to pay your bills while your business grows.

You may need to hire professionals to build a website or blog, print brochures and business cards or whatever tools are necessary in the type of freelancing you choose. You can’t start a business with zero money. Either you should choose to keep a regular job until you save enough money to begin your own business or plan a budget you can live with.

Do your research to decide the bare minimum it will take to get your freelance copywriting business off the ground and go from there. Keep in mind that bills are still due and money will seem to go out more than it comes in.

Entry Markets to Get You Up and Running

Your first freelance writing jobs may be waiting at your own back door. Keep your eye out for entry markets where you can find clients that you may already know or deal with. For example, do any of your friends or family have websites, blogs or businesses that could use a revamping of content?

How about publications you read, businesses you deal with or hospitals and other nonprofit organizations where you may volunteer? Don’t depend solely on Internet sites to provide you with jobs. Some are simply scams and you should carefully research a site that seems too good to be true.

There are reputable online sites such as “elance” and “Ezine,” that offers freelancers ways to bid on or present content. If you choose these or any other sites, be sure you’re extremely selective about the jobs you bid on. Be especially aware of Craigslist ads as they can be horrible scams that take your money or your time and then skip out.

One thing you have to decide is what you like to write and if it pays well. For example, if you love to write poetry, you should know that the poetry market isn’t very profitable. It’s the same for personal essays or novels. Unless you happen to luck out and hit it big, it’s not a reliable source of income.

Companies or small publications don’t pay very well, but they’re good places to start and build up your experience and portfolio. The best and most profitable type of writing include business plans, government contract, case studies, annual reports, articles, blog posts, web content, newsletters, technical writing and any type of marketing materials.

One way to become discovered in the freelance writing world is to publish a report or book through Amazon’s Kindle Publishing. You may have to shell out some money for a cover, but after your book is launched online, it’s a great show stopper for a portfolio.

The book can be on anything you choose, but if you’re serious about becoming a freelance writer, concentrate on issues or subjects that you’re familiar with. For example, if you’re a semi-expert on modern health issues, you could write an informative book about health issues of the elderly.

Kindle books are popular, inexpensive and easy to download. People are always scouring Amazon’s quarry of books, both to learn and to be entertained. Take a look at some of the subjects currently popular in Amazon’s Kindle selections and decide what might work for you. You may not earn much from your efforts, but it can help to establish and brand you in the writing world.

What to Charge

In the beginning, it’s a smart move to do a couple of projects free of charge. They should be small projects and you can then use them for samples in your portfolio. Don’t forget to elicit a testimonial from the client if he or she liked your work.

Your client may state the budget he’s working with and if you want and need the work, you may accept it even though it could be a small amount. Another way to find out the going rate for freelance copywriting work is to ask your writing colleagues.

This is where joining writers’ networks and support groups can help. There’s also the “bible” of writers, “The Writer’s Market,” which has a section entitled, “What to Charge Guide.” Pick a price and use it until your experience and writing talent increases and then raise your rates.

Exercises for Part Two – Writing for Profit

1. Write a freelance-writing resume. It doesn’t have to be in resume format, but it’s a good exercise to find out what skills you have that will help you launch your own business.
2. Create a budget. You will have to spend some money to launch your freelance copywriting business. Decide if you want to keep your regular job while working part time on the freelance business or make a budget and live on the money you’ve saved.
3. What type of clients do you want to attract? Are you planning to write for online marketing businesses, copy for advertisements or brochures or the government? This decision will tell you where to look for clients and what materials you’ll need to attract them.
4. What will you charge? Talk to other freelance writers or do some research with the tools mentioned in this section to discover what your rate should be.

Enter the World of Writing

Writing copy will have you using fundamental writing skills for catchy headlines, subheads that easily segue to another subject about the same topic and writing body copy that tells a story.

If you’re determined to have your own freelance copywriting business, you’ll need to develop a style as well as have knowledge of the rules of punctuation and grammar, which words are powerful and which to avoid and how to look at your work from the reader’s (client’s) point of view.

Whether you’re writing articles, ad copy or content for websites or blogs, you’ve got to know how to write eye-catching headlines or topics. You can have great content, but if the headline doesn’t make a reader want to read what you’ve written – all is lost.

Writing Catchy Headlines

The “great American novel” may have already been written, but if it’s lacking a catchy title and cover, it’s doubtful that it will rise to the heights it should. Great content and great knowledge of writing will do you no good if you don’t have the most important part of writing – a headline.

As a freelance copywriter, you’ll need to pay close attention to titles and headlines. Ask yourself, “If I saw this headline while surfing, would I want to read further?” If not, keep working on the headline aspect of your article, post or whatever you’re trying to sell.

The headline of writing an article is often glossed over. The thinking is that the content is so good and so well written that the reader just needs a general idea of what the article is about.

Not true. The headline is the eye-catching part that makes readers want to keep reading. It should be the main focus of your article. Here are some tricks of the copywriting trade that you can use to think of and use the power of catchy headlines:

• Why, What, When and How – It’s the journalist’s rule when writing news articles and those words can also serve you well when writing headlines. For example, “How to Find Your Soul mate,” will surely catch the eye of singles.
• Numbers – If you look through articles about a particular subject, you’ll see numbers used quite often. For example, “5 Sure Ways to Lose Weight” is a good way to make people want to know what those five sure ways are and to read further.
• Promises – Promises for a new life, a new way of thinking or a new way of doing things can make an article very enticing. But, avoid over-promising. If you promise the reader that he or she can get fit in 30 days, give them steps in the article about how to do it.
• Adjectives – Make good use of adjectives in your headlines. Words such as ‘free’, ‘essential’ and ‘effortless’ can make all the difference in the way a person views your article.
• Intriguing Lists – Using words that tell the reader you’re going to list things are great to use in headlines. Words such as ‘ideas’, ‘lessons’, ‘facts’ and ‘secrets’ are just a few that are eye-catching headline words.

Besides words you should use, there are also words you should avoid and powerful words that can make your article soar in popularity.

Words to Use/Avoid

Unless you’re writing something very specific that needs to be told with pronouns such as ‘I’ or ‘we’, you should always use the third person approach. Even if you’re writing a sales pitch, the message should stress the benefits of the company and not praise for company.

Words such as ‘quality’ and ‘solutions’ are often overused in copywriting. You should always try to state what the quality is that makes your product stand out – or to unequivocally state the solutions you’ll be offering to the client.

‘Might’ and ‘maybe’ are two words that should also be carefully used in copy, especially in headlines. A statement such as, “If you need to get organized, maybe you should purchase the Busy Bee app,” isn’t as strong as, “Get organized with the Busy Bee app.”

Get rid of unnecessary words that appear in your copy such as ‘that’, ‘of’ and ‘they’. When you can be grammatically correct and still get the point across, edit the unnecessary words out of your copy and leave the meat.

Grammar and Punctuation

Writing content for the Internet is somewhat different than writing for a magazine or getting a good grade in your college English class. If you’re going to be an Internet copywriter, you should know the difference.

Writing content for the Internet means that you have to write from the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) point of view. That means keywords and backlinks will have to be taken into consideration when used. You don’t want too many or too few, but you want your words to drive traffic to the site you’re writing for.

Too many punctuation marks in your content won’t do a thing for your SEO, and it makes content difficult to read. Here are some basic rules of punctuation for writing content:

Semicolons (;): Don’t use them. They just get in the way of the content.

Parentheses (): Just be sure you place the punctuation for the entire sentence on the outside of the parentheses.

Exclamation marks (!): It’s best not to use them in copywriting. If you do decide there’s no other way but to use one, limit them.

Quotation Marks (“_”): Punctuation marks are placed inside the quotation marks – no exceptions.

Commas (,): Oxford commas should be used in copywriting. For example, “infants, children and adults” rather than “infants, children, and adults.”

Hyperlinks: Learn the correct hyperlink for the business or product you’re writing about. Don’t use quotation marks or any other types of punctuation that isn’t part of the original hyperlink.

Capitalization: The rule of thumb here is to not capitalize words such as the, and, if and of in headlines or titles unless they’re the first word. Don’t capitalize when it isn’t needed.

Hyphenated Words: It varies from phrase to phrase and words to words. If you’re unsure, google it to find the right way.

Numbers: The rule is to write out the numbers 10 and above. Exceptions may be made in headlines.

When writing for the web, remember that ‘Internet’ should always be capitalized. It’s a proper noun – but you don’t have to capitalize web unless it’s the first word of a sentence.

There are certain, “unbreakable” rules for punctuation, but some rules are meant to be broken. If there’s an instance in your writing where something just looks better if you bend the rules a bit, then try it. But, don’t make a practice of using improper punctuation in your writing. It will only make you look as if you don’t know any better.

The Best Rules of Grammar

The main goal in copywriting is to communicate with your reader. Think of writing copy as having a casual dialogue with the reader and let the words and phrases flow naturally.

If you write using proper grammar, you can’t go wrong. The reality of writing is that if you write well, people will perceive you as knowing your subject. Poor writing will reveal that you’re not as smart as you pretend to be.

Here are some basic rules of grammar:

Spelling: Copywriters often become lackadaisical about spelling because they think that “Spellcheck” will catch it all. But, Spellcheck sometimes doesn’t catch the words that are used incorrectly, such as using ‘than’ for ‘then’. ‘Lose’ is often used rather than ‘loose’ – and the misspellings go on and on. Be sure your spelling is correct before you send out your work.

Choosing the Wrong Words: Is it ‘affect’ or ‘effect’? In this case, think of ‘affect’ as a verb and ‘effect’ as a noun. There are so many words that writers use to mean one thing when they actually mean another. It’s easy to become confused, so be sure to check it twice if you’re unsure.

Contraction or Possessive? One of the main errors in writing is using a contraction rather than the possessive version of a word. For example, “You’re going to the cleaners today,” rather than “Your going to the cleaners today.” Other forms such as ‘its’ and ‘it’s’ are also misused. Be sure you have the proper word form before putting your work in front of the world (or a client).

Before you send your work out to the world-wide web, at least perform a quick spell check on the copy. There are also excellent books and guides on the web that are especially great for copywriters to refer to when unsure of punctuation and grammar rules.

From the Reader’s Point of View

As a copywriter – whether for yourself or someone else – you want your readers to believe and respect what you’re saying. You want them to click through to links and purchase a product or service. If they’re not doing that, you need to rethink your writing techniques.

You’ll need a strong call to action if you’re writing persuasive copy. If you’re writing informative copy, you need to make sure you’ve researched your subject thoroughly and not insulting your readers’ intelligence.

Your readers aren’t dumb, so don’t talk down to them. But, do be specific. You must provide your readers with clear and concise language that helps them learn and see what they should do to be successful in a pursuit or desire.

If your web content writing skills aren’t good enough to put on the Internet, know that there are professionals who can help. Guides for copywriting success abound on the web and there are also courses (both online and in schools) available.

Exercises for Part Three – Enter the World of Writing

When you enter the world of writing, everything in your life matters. Anywhere you turn, there’s always a chance you’ll find an idea or thought that you can capitalize on and turn it into dollars. Here are a few exercises that might help you succeed in the world of writing:

1. Look for catchy headlines. Next time you’re at a newspaper/magazine stand, look for headlines that catch your eye and analyze why it caught your eye. Did it promise something you need or want? Were the words powerful?
2. Do you know your punctuation rules? Since it matters to use proper punctuation when writing, be sure you know the rules of punctuation. You can take advantage of the many programs available online or get your own guide to refer to when you’re unsure.
3. Grammar is important. Unless you’re using proper grammar rules, you won’t be taken seriously as a writer. Take the time to go over the rules and make sure you know the basics.
4. Become an analytical reader. Rather than reading for the fun of it, take time to be an analytical reader and seriously take apart an article you’re reading. Look for all the basics that we covered in this section to see if it was written properly.

The Many Faces of Copywriters

Becoming a freelance success in copywriting is possible if you love to write and are willing to make a commitment to having your own business. Copywriters may also choose to work for a business, writing copy for catalogues, newspapers and newsletters and advertising agencies.

With the advent of the Internet, it’s possible to make a success of your own copywriting business and create a client following that will serve you well. If you work well alone, having your own business might be the way to go. But, if you prefer working on a team or having the security of a paycheck, working for a business could be best for you.

If you’re going to write for the Internet today, you’ve got to have a combination of the usual writing talent, plus know how to adeptly use SEO techniques in your writing style. You’ve also got to know how to write persuasively for ad copy and sales content.

A great Internet copywriter should also know how to write great, informative articles. The SEO elements are there, but quality of research and writing is fundamental for the articles to be Internet successes.

If you’re writing for you own site, you’ll know you’re a success when google begins to rank your site/articles highly. You’ve got to put yourself out there if you want to attract clients. Writing articles for such sites as ‘Ezine’, starting a blog, social networking and other techniques that we’ve discussed in this guide can help you become branded on the ‘net.

Think about the types of writing you like to do and go from there to discover the “copywriting face” you want to wear. Writing you can get paid for includes web pages, scientific studies, business marketing, brochures, advertisements, blog posts, articles and direct mail.

Whenever you find yourself thinking, “I could write this better…,” it’s a good place to begin your writing career. Then, there’s the problem of creativity. Do you have problems coming up with ideas for articles or stories? Read on to gather some good advice.

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Sometimes, creativity doesn’t happen when you need it most. For many successful writers, it takes many hours of contemplation, meditation, reading what others have written and other tricks of the trade to get the creative juices flowing.

Every great author had to begin his or her writing with an inspiring flow of ideas. Inspiration is an essential part of any writing process, whether it’s for advertising or writing a novel.

Here are a few ideas that may help if you need inspiration for your writing pursuits:

• Newspapers and magazines – You’ve heard the old saying, “Life is stranger than fiction.” You only have to look at the news headlines or topics in magazines to find pieces that will inspire you to write.
• Forums and Blogs – For online writing inspiration, you don’t have to look any further than forums and blogs. Although forum (and possibly blog) writing isn’t usually written for style or beauty, they may inspire you with ideas you hadn’t thought of.
• History – Many people from history can inspire you to become motivated to write. Abraham Lincoln was certainly prolific and you’re sure to find a few of your favorites from trawling through history.
• Exercise – Don’t underestimate the power of exercise when searching for writing motivation. When you exercise vigorously, you increase the blood flow to your brain and that can bring on the ideas.
• Writers’ Groups – This is a good move to get your juices flowing especially if you’re a beginner. The work that other writers succeed in can inspire you to press on.
• Break Your Daily Routine – Nothing gets you out of the doldrums faster than seeing the scenery from a different perspective. You don’t have to go far. If you usually sit on the couch watching television in the evening, try taking a walk, listening to music or reading.
• Travel – Do you journal during your travels? It’s a good way to bring home inspiration and motivation to help you when you have those times that you can’t seem to think of a thing to write about.
• Books – One of the best solutions to finding inspiration to write is reading what others have written. It can be fiction, biographies, your favorite authors or anything that might inspire you.
• Friends and Family – Your best inspirational ideas might begin with the simplest of conversations with friends or family. People may mention things they’ve heard, seen or read about and that may ignite the fire of idea in your mind.
• Art and Music – Said to be the ultimate in inspiration, it works for some and not for others. Certainly, listening to music and admiring works of art can open your mind to some of the best ideas of man.

No matter how good you are at writing or how much you love to write, you’ll have times that need inspiration. Don’t just sit around waiting for inspiration to write. Take a journey to find inspiration – and don’t come back without it. You may find it in the most unlikely of places and spaces.

Exercises for Part Four – The Many Faces of Copywriters

1. Write down the types of copywriters that appeal to you. If you want to write for profit and have a plethora of clients, Internet writing might be your best choice. If you prefer working with a team, check out businesses that employ copywriters.
2. What inspires you? Give some thought about what inspires and motivates you. Whatever you happen to be doing, assess how it’s affecting you and find those avenues that you can call upon later for inspiration.
3. Check out various copywriting jobs and what they entail. There are web sites, blogs, forums and content on the Internet that can tell you everything you need to know about various copywriting jobs. Discover how much they pay, how difficult they are to break in to and which ones appeal to you.

Secrets to Copywriting Success

There are two real secrets to becoming a successful copywriter – courage and persistence. If you’re going to be a freelance copywriter, you’ve got to have the courage to be your own boss and to begin with low pay.

Persistence is necessary for any type of copywriter you want to be – whether working in a large business with a team or going it alone as an Internet copywriter. Don’t get overwhelmed by the mountains of information available. Take your time and approach it like washing an elephant – one portion at a time.

Explore clients and types of writing in the freelance world. If you don’t like them after you try it out, move on to the next client or writing type. Trial and error is the best fix for knowing what you’re suited for.

Remember that copywriters communicate. It’s key to becoming a winner in a world where only the most successful of communicators rise to the top. Copywriting as a career is really easy if you remember that essential ingredient.

Don’t be afraid to take chances in your writing. Doing your research and fine-tuning your work will help your copy rise above the others. You’ll reap the rewards of copywriting by gathering clients and demanding the highest rates for your service – because you’re good.