We've said it once and we'll say it a million more times: giving and receiving feedback is a skill. And, it's a skill not enough professionals, copywriters or otherwise, workout enough. So, while it can sometimes be hard to receive feedback on our copywriting, we can take what we learn from how we receive feedback and incorporate it into how we give copywriting feedback. If … [Read more...]
Setting Boundaries as a Copywriter
Working late into the night, taking our computer with us on vacation, answering emails on the weekends: these are all options as freelance copywriters, but they're not mandatory. However, sometimes we feel like these are mandatory tasks. We think we have to get something done and so we sacrifice our free time or, worse, vacation because we didn't set boundaries—with ourselves, … [Read more...]
Should I Put Prices on My Website? What Copywriters Need to Know
We hear a this a lot: Should I put prices on my website? After all, when you go to buy anything else online, there’s a clear price. But it’s a little different with copywriting. As a copywriter, you’re always going to customize the service you’re providing to meet your client’s specific needs. A website for one client may require a lot more work than a website for … [Read more...]
5 Books to Read Written by Copywriters
As you know, we're always reading the latest books on productivity, marketing, leadership, and more so you know how to prioritize your reading list. But this month we wanted to give you some, let's say, lighter reading. This list of books includes works written by famous copywriters. (Well ... copywriters who became famous from their books. There really aren't "famous" … [Read more...]
Self Edit Your Copywriting: Why It’s a Must & How to Do It
First things first: copywriters are not copyeditors. Copywriters ... well ... write copy! Copyeditors make sure any writing adheres to the client's style guide, in addition to paying very close attention to grammar and punctuation. (It's why copyeditors are crucial for content—there are simply more words on the page with content writing!) But you still need to self edit your … [Read more...]
Create Your Own Career Path
Graduate high school, go to college, get a job, work your way up within that company, and retire. That's the typical career path we've all heard, right? Many of our parents may have followed a very similar career path. And, though they are very well meaning, may have encouraged us to follow that career path, too. They may have even cautioned us about changing careers too fast. … [Read more...]
5 Ways Working in an Office as a Copywriter is Not What You Think
There are so many paths for pursuing a career as a copywriter. It’s easy to gravitate toward the idea of being a digital nomad copywriter, working from anywhere in the world, or even from your kitchen table as a full-time freelance copywriter. Working in an office as a copywriter may seem like the last thing you want to do! That’s a particularly easy dream to have if you’ve … [Read more...]
Book Pick: How to Get Out of Your Own Way and Achieve Copywriting Success
Oftentimes, we're faced with several open doors ... but we self sabotage and get in our own way. When we have an an opportunity (or several opportunities!), it's all too easy to not take action towards it, whether because we don't know how, we're fearful of doing so, or some combination of the two. Whatever the reason, it's all too easy for us to spiral into negative … [Read more...]
Book Pick: How Copywriters Can Collaborate More Effectively
As copywriters, we do a lot of work on our own. After all, the actual writing of copy is a fairly solitary job. But often, we need to collaborate. With designers, yes, but also with project managers, marketing managers, and other key stakeholders within an organization. This is true whether you work in an ad agency or on an in-house team. Even as a freelancer, you may not … [Read more...]
Staying Productive When I’m Unmotivated: Pomodoro Technique
In my copywriting career, I have a few challenges you may be able to relate to. I have an active family (four kids!), a spouse who travels for work (gone for two overnights as I write this!), and an anxiety disorder (always unpredictable!). In short, I often feel overwhelmed and under-motivated. And yet, I have to be productive when I’m unmotivated, or else I won’t have a … [Read more...]
Book Pick: Why Your Obsession with Money is Getting in the Way of Your Copywriting Success
Money: whether we're thinking about how much more we want to make in our copywriting business or, alternatively, how scared we are to not make money as a copywriter (or both!), our hang-ups about money are often what cause us to hold ourselves back or even prevent us from fully committing to and pursuing our copywriting careers. If you're the type of person who has been … [Read more...]