Ah, the freelance life. Working in your pajamas, penning brilliant copy by a pool in Bali, being supermom/dad, and spending gazillions of hours of quality time by the pool. Sounds good, right? Also sounds kind of...unrealistic? Let's talk about what a freelancer's day really looks like. As you've probably guessed, I'm not going to tell you that freelance is all about … [Read more...]
Copywriting for Ad Agencies: What to Expect and Why It’s Great for Your Career
If your dream is to work in a crazy, creative, big-client landing, award-winning agency, you are certainly not alone. Many copywriters want to get into an ad agency as soon as they possibly can. But what's it like to work in an ad agency? Is it really all Mad Men-y? Just to get our terms straight, an ad agency is an external company hired by another company to come up with … [Read more...]
How to Avoid Making Promises You Can’t Keep
A former Israeli prime minister once chastised his fellow politicians by saying their slogan could be, “Sure, I promised. But I never promised to keep my promise.” Outside the semi-virtual world of politics, of course, there are real consequences to failing to keep one’s promises. There is a strong incentive, especially when we are starting out, to agree to any project … [Read more...]
Building Your Career for Maximum Flexibility
Many people get into copywriting because they want the options to work where they want and when they want. And, of course, that's perfectly possible. But to do that successfully (read: without going bankrupt) they have to build their careers accordingly. Now, to state the obvious. You'll never have complete say in when you work since you'll always be creating work for … [Read more...]
What Copywriters Should Look for in a Spec Ad Designer
Finding a spec ad designer is one of the most crucial steps in building your copywriter portfolio—and building your career. But how do you know if someone will work well with you or not? Here we discuss what copywriters should look for in a great design partner. Why Copywriters Should Work With a Spec Design Ad Partner Remember that the designers who will be most … [Read more...]
How To Come Up With Wildly Effective Copywriting Concepts
One of the most daunting parts of a project can be the brainstorming, or copywriting concepting, process. Concepting can feel like a mystical process, conjuring brilliance out of nothing or mixing a magical potion. (I suppose in some ways it is kind of magical since you'll use just three ingredients—you, your design partner, and the brief—to produce your ideas. Sometimes it may … [Read more...]
How to Be a Part-Time Copywriter from Home
One of the cool things about copywriting is that it doesn't necessarily have to be a full-time job. People can do it part-time to make some additional cash (whether for a vacation, a new car, retirement, or any other reason), part-time to test out and see if they want to do it full-time, or even do it part-time as they raise their children. But how do you go about creating a … [Read more...]
What You Need to Know About After-Sales Service
Let’s say you’re a freelance copywriter. (You are, right?) Now let’s say you bought the latest laptop on the market and loaded it with all the tools a good entrepreneurial writer needs (like, say, a mini espresso bar app). Six months later, if the folks who sold you the thing clear out all those multiplayer online gaming data files clogging the system (“No idea where those came … [Read more...]
What It’s Like to Work in an In-House Agency
Often, one of the biggest surprises for new/aspiring copywriters about in-house agencies…is that in-house agencies actually exist. “You mean there are even more places to work than just ad agencies?” Indeed, I do. Let’s talk all about ‘em today. An “in-house agency” (or “internal agency”) is the creative team within a company that creates work for that company. (This … [Read more...]
How Soon Can You Make Money as a Copywriter?
One of the most common questions i get from people who are interested in getting into copywriting is, "Great, I'm interested—but when will I start to make money?" It makes sense: we want to know what the earning potential is before we jump headfirst into a new career. So, I’ll answer this question, but, I’m going to presuppose that you’re on an actual copywriting study … [Read more...]