A confession: I can’t diagram a sentence. I mean, I could once. In seventh grade, I was a master. But now…participles, gerunds, modifiers? I’ve got no fricking idea. Here’s the thing about rules of English—which is pretty much the same for any set of rules, really—it’s important to understand them so that you can intelligently break them. Unless you’re teaching English … [Read more...]
Your Career Needs You to Take Some Time Off
If you’ve been a part of this community for a while, you might have read that headline with one eyebrow raised. After all, I tell you again and again that the key to your success is taking action consistently and persistently. (And that is still VERY much true. Write it down somewhere you’ll see it every day, get it tattooed backwards on your forehead so you’ll see it in the … [Read more...]
You Don’t Have to Work with Clients You Hate
First of all, let me reassure you: There is absolutely NO shortage of copywriting clients out there. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite: There’s a shortage of skilled copywriters. Lots of people who need great copy and too few great copywriters to write it. (Pretty great for us, huh?) I want to be sure to mention this because I think that some people let the idea of who … [Read more...]
Freelance Copywriting for Introverts
Maybe it’s because writing itself requires so much time alone, but it seems that a lot of people who love to write also require solitude to recharge their batteries. It makes sense, then, that we get a lot of questions about whether freelance copywriting is a good career for introverts. And it can seem like the perfect career for introverts—freelancers get to work from … [Read more...]
Brand New to Copywriting? Here’s What You Need to Know
Our team gets asked a lot if our training is appropriate for people with no background in copywriting—for people who are brand new to it. The quick answer to that is: Absolutely. We teach you all of the basics, and then we help you refine your skills as we teach you the more advanced tactics. A lot of our students actually come in with no experience at all. But there’s … [Read more...]
The Subtle Shift That Will Double Your Copywriting Business Income
Normally, I’m wary of using a clickbait-y style headline like this one, but in this case, it’s true: Making this change will easily double your income, if not increase it even more. And I warned you that it’s subtle, so I’m going to need you to stick with me for just a bit to explain exactly how implementing it will make such a monumental difference. So what is this subtle … [Read more...]
Do You Need to Send Contracts to Your Copywriting Clients?
Everybody needs a contract, right??? After all, we need to be safe—to protect ourselves!!! But…to protect ourselves from what, exactly? Like the topic of whether or not to bill upfront, the question of contracts comes from the same impulse to “protect ourselves” from nefarious clients. People believe that having clients sign contracts means that they won’t have to worry about … [Read more...]
The Real Math on Job-Bidding Site “Success”
You already know that I strongly discourage copywriters from using job-bidding sites like Upwork or Fiverr or Freelancer to find work. (If you need a reminder, here’s why.) And people love to try to argue that with me. Case in point, here’s an article someone posted on one of our ads to “prove” that people can make six figures on Upwork. Now, I’ve never said that you … [Read more...]
How Much Does it Cost to Set Up a Copywriting Business?
They say that it takes money to make money…but that’s not always true. Case in point: Your copywriting business. Now, it goes without saying that you need training in order to work as a copywriter. You have to know how to actually provide the service you want to provide, right? And you also know that it’s a specialized form of writing that’s very different from any other … [Read more...]
How Many Rounds of Copywriting Revisions Should You Offer?
I get this question a lot—“how many rounds of revisions do I give my client?”—and I understand the thinking behind it. People are worried that clients are going to “take advantage” of them and request round after round after round of revisions until it’s perfect. But here’s the thing: Our copy is supposed to be perfect. (Or, at least, as close to perfect as it can be.) It’s … [Read more...]
