We've talked about ways clients can tell you’re a brand-new copywriter. And don’t get me wrong: There’s nothing wrong with being new. But there’s a lot wrong with seeming inexperienced to your potential clients. Often, when we're new to a skill, copywriting or otherwise, the lack of confidence can lead to some serious self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and major worries. There … [Read more...]
Present Yourself as a Professional Even as a Copywriting Beginner
There's nothing wrong with being new. Even the most seasoned, successful copywriters were once new to copywriting. So if you’re starting out right there at square one, guess what? You’re in exactly the right place. That said, though, no one wants to hire a brand-new copywriter. It’s nothing personal: YOU are a fabulous human being. But hiring anyone to do anything is a risk, … [Read more...]
Why You Should Love Your Career
How many people do you know who really don’t like what they do for a living? Anywhere from “eh, it pays the bills” to “I fricking HATE it?” Are you one of those people? I was recently reminded of just how many people don’t like their jobs when I talked with a friend. She described all the things she hated about her job and then, when I asked her if she was going to start … [Read more...]
How to Know if You Should Charge Copywriting Clients Upfront
Recently, one of my copywriting students asked me if she should be charging her copywriting clients upfront and, if so, whether she should be charging the full amount, 50%, or another percentage. Here’s the thing: I suspect the copywriters that have their clients pay upfront comes from a fear that the client isn’t going to pay them at all and getting some of their fee is … [Read more...]
The Most Important Investment You’ll Ever Make
A few months ago, my phone stopped accepting Wi-Fi—it just basically refused to accept that Wi-Fi existed. And, while I have a data plan, I burned through that quickly. I didn’t love shelling out $1,000 for a new iPhone (spread out over several monthly payments, thank you) but I had to. I mean, how could I exist without a cell phone? It’s practically an investment, … [Read more...]
6 Must-Pack Items to Write Copy Overseas
If you’re interested in copywriting because you want to live the life of an international jet-setter, it's absolutely possible. It's one of those concepts that feels wildly improbable. How can I get paid to write while I'm working overseas? But, as someone writing this from Portugal right now, it only feels impossible because you haven't done it yet. But before you up and … [Read more...]
Do You Need to Incorporate?
First, a caveat: I am neither an attorney nor an accountant and none of my advice should be taken lieu of talking with a professional. Never let a blog post make your legal decisions for you. Also, all this information is based on U.S. law and law as of the date of publication. (Consult a professional!) That said, this blog post is based on a few facts, my experience, and my … [Read more...]
3 Types of Clients and Why You Need to Identify Them
It should go without saying, but not every client is the same. But often, we hope every client will react in exactly the same way to our pitches: with a resounding YES! In reality, clients tend to fall into three groups—and if we approach these clients in the right way according to their groups, we’re much more likely to get that “yes.” The Three Types of … [Read more...]
How to Sell a Sales Page Project
We’ve talked about why sales pages are such a great project for copywriters and how to write them so that they’re exceptionally effective. Here we dive into tactics for helping to you sell sales page projects to clients or, more specifically, how to sell yourself as the ideal writer for a client’s sales page project. The thing about sales pages is that, unlike most other … [Read more...]
How to Write a Sales Page That’ll Make Your Client Ecstatic
As we’ve established, sales pages are great projects for copywriters. Sales pages generally require plenty of copy, and, since they directly help your clients make money, they’re very valuable to those clients. Once your client hires you for a sales page project, it's time to deliver a page with wildly effective copy that helps convert customers. Now, it should go without … [Read more...]