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...]
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...]
Learning to Effectively Communicate as a Copywriter
We talk all the time, but how often do we evaluate how effective we are at communicating? (And how often do we say we write copy, we don't speak it?) In It's the Way You Say It - Second Edition: Becoming Articulate, Well-Spoken, and Clear, Carol A. Fleming shares how you can not only become aware of how you communicate, but how you can more effectively communicate with those … [Read more...]
Book Pick: Find Your Why (Companion Notebook to “Start with Why”)
Many of you have already read Start With Why by Simon Sinek, but in case you need a refresher, it explains what the most impactful leaders have in common: a deep reason, or "why," for doing what they do. Without a why, the what you do won't matter. You'll eventually burnout, give up, or simply slog through each day. But that's not the book we're recommending here (though we … [Read more...]
Copywriters Gift Guide 2021
'Tis the season of giving ... and giving ourselves a little something for moving our business forward this year. For this year's Copywriter Gift Guide, the entire Filthy Rich Writer team has given their suggestions for office must-haves, can't-miss books, and more. If you're looking for a gift for the copywriter in your life, we know you'll find something they'll love. And … [Read more...]
Using Improv to Improve Your Copywriting
In many areas of our lives, we're improvising without even knowing it. Even the most careful planners know that it's extremely rare for any event to go exactly as intended. Even if we think we know what someone is going to say or how someone is going to react, the outcomes of conversations or events may surprise us. As Patricia Ryan Madson, author of Improv Wisdom: Don't … [Read more...]
Finding Your Copywriting Flow State
As copywriters, or any other type of professional quite frankly, we're always looking for ways to work smarter and happier. If that sounds like you, you'll want to check out The Leading Brain: Neuroscience Hacks to Work Smarter, Better, Happier. Neuropsychologist Friederike Fabritius and leadership expert Dr. Hans W. Hagemann have put together strategies that will help you … [Read more...]
Copywriting Tips for Creating Ideas and Concepts That Stick
Every copywriter wants their ideas to resonate with the intended audience. But what makes some ideas resonate and leave a lasting impression? And what makes other ideas completely ineffective? As brothers Chip and Dan Heath say in Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, "you want to invent new ideas, not new rules." So, they've created a playbook that offers a … [Read more...]
The System Copywriters Need to Efficiently Get Work Done
In today's office, particularly if you're combatting work-from-home distractions, there is a lot that is vying for our attention. There are tons of work to-dos coming in throughout the day: pings on Slack and other messaging apps, dings of a new email, and rings of the phone, whether for a client call ... or your best friend wanting to catch up for an hour. How do you not … [Read more...]
Daily Habits of the Most Successful Writers & Creatives
Some of the smartest minds past and present have had set routines. Some of them had morning routines, some had evening routines, and some had both (depending on when they were most productive). That's because the best routines help us get focused. And for writers, including copywriters, having a ritual before you sit down to work can get you in the mindset to write. … [Read more...]