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...]
How to Protect Yourself from a Computer Crash
One of the most stressful moment in my career thus far had nothing to do with a presentation or a particularly challenging project. No, the most stressful moment came after I'd finished a project...and my computer crashed. How can you avoid the same fate? Here's a simple (if unpleasant) fact of life: At some point, your computer will die. You'll go to turn it on, the screen … [Read more...]
Slash and Burn: How To Write Less More Often
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, logician, physicist, and theologian of the 17th century, wrote in a letter, “Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parceque je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.” (“I have only made this letter rather long because I have not had time to make it shorter.”) As copywriters, we don’t have the option Monsieur Pascal had. We … [Read more...]
How to Answer the Agency Experience Question
Many new copywriters have dreams of working in an ad agency. But it seems like many ad agencies are only interested in hiring you if you already have agency experience. A bit of a catch-22? Sure—but nothing you can't overcome. Here we offer some tips on how to address the question of whether or not you have experience as copywriter at an ad agency. Why Makes Agency Work … [Read more...]
7 Habits of the Successful Copywriter
Think of copywriting as an umbrella term for those of us capable of turning a boring idea into engaging, meaningful messages. Ads, brochures, emails, blogs, websites, social media—these are just delivery systems. Today’s successful copywriter is a jack-of-all-trades scribe that is unafraid of tasks, diligent with research, and subtly persuasive at the same time. Good … [Read more...]
Copywriter Niches: Should You Specialize?
When it comes to your career, it's a pretty big decision to go "all in" on one niche or another—especially if you can't be sure that it will be a successful strategy. So, should you specialize? I get questions from students all the time that are something along the lines of, "It seems like there are a lot of financial copywriting jobs available in my city. Should I try to … [Read more...]
Don’t Make This Mistake In Your Copywriting Spec Ads
You want your copywriting spec ad to be the best that it a can be. (Obviously!) But there's one huge mistake that a ton of new copywriters make that can absolutely tank their chances of getting work. Want to avoid it? I thought you might. I was watching some movie the other day in which a PR pro was advising a politician to reject the premise of a question. I'm going to do … [Read more...]
Should You Worry About Copywriting Going Overseas?
The job market can often feel shaky...particularly for copywriters. And it seems like every night the evening news has a story about jobs moving overseas or being performed by a robot. Sure, a robot is far-fetched, but what about losing your job to a cheaper competitor in another country? Well, I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I definitely understand where this … [Read more...]
Why Staying in Touch With Former Colleagues Is Crucial
In the creative industry, people are always moving from job to job and project to project. And that means, of course, that you meet a lot of different interesting people. But just because they're gone doesn't mean they should be forgotten. In fact, ex-coworkers can be incredibly valuable to building your copywriting business. Whether you're working on staff or as a … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Deal With Friends and Family Copywriting Rates
You love your friends and family. And they love and support you. They also think you're quite the talented writer. So they ask you for writing help. A lot. Now that you're getting into copywriting, they're asking for even more help (or maybe you didn't want to tell them for this reason!). Resumes, cover letters, emails, landing pages... You don't want to be a jerk, but you … [Read more...]