The 5 Things New Copywriters Should NEVER Do

It’s hard enough to get started in copywriting without making one of these huge mistakes. And when I say huge, I mean huge: Any one of these is enough to delay your success, if not bring your career to a grinding halt.

And what’s worse, the vast majority of copywriters will make at least one of these mistakes, if not more.

So read on to find out what these mistakes are, and then read just a bit further to find out how to fix them.

5. Never brand yourself as a “copywriter/”

What I mean is, never brand yourself as a “copywriter/copy editor” or “copywriter/content writer” or “copywriter/designer”—hiring managers and recruiters will instantly know that you’re an amateur.

But how do you let bosses know that you’re also available for content writing, copy editing, etc.?

4. Never charge in any way other than by the project or by the hour.

If you’re charging by the word, you’re actually penalizing yourself for being a good copywriter! And offering to negotiate rates during the project or even <shudder> offering to work for free at first means you’re shooting yourself in the foot, big time. In fact, even charging by the hour sometimes means you’re getting paid less than you’re worth.

So how do you go about charging the right way—and make all the money you’re worth?

3. Never turn down interviews.

I know, you’re thinking, “Why would I do that??” But I guarantee that at some point you will—and it will be a big mistake.

Find out why you’ll be tempted, and what you should do instead. (No, not just “take interviews.”  🙂 )

2. Never use a standard resume.

If you’re relatively new to copywriting, your resume is chock full of non-copywriting work. Who’s going to hire you to write copy if all of your experience is in doing something else?

Find out what to use instead of a standard resume (and also find out why you should never put your resume on your portfolio site.

1. NEVER try to get started without _____ or a _____.

Ooo, I know. I left some pretty significant stuff out of the number 1 mistake. But I did it on purpose, because I want to get you into this video below. We worked hard on it to pack in a ton more information about these mistakes, as well as exactly what you need to do to fix them. (And it goes through this number 1 mistake in complete detail.)

And yes, we’re asking for your name and email so we can send you the link to the video, but you won’t regret it—I promise. (And you can always unsubscribe at any time.)

Last Updated on December 19, 2022