It's always the right time of year to think about all the things we’re thankful for—and, for me, one of those things is definitely my career. I thought I’d share 10 things that I’m thankful for about copywriting to give you a little insight into exactly why I’m so passionate about this career. 1. I Get to Write for a Living As a little kid, I dreamed about being … [Read more...]
How to Manage That First Copywriting Client Panic
When you’re learning copywriting, building your experience, and starting to look for clients, it can feel like everything is going to be smooth sailing once you first start landing clients. But I want to prepare you for something (and then help you get through it). When you start getting work, your first reaction will be elation. And then, likely about three seconds … [Read more...]
Have Trouble Making Decisions? These Questions Will Help
Let’s face it: Making important decisions is hard. The little decisions—what to wear, what to have for lunch, what to watch on Netflix—are pretty easy. But the ones that matter, the questions about the directions you’re taking your life, can be hard. But they don’t have to be! Or, at least, there are resources you can use to help make them much easier. Here I walk you through … [Read more...]
Is it Better to Be an On-Staff Copywriter or a Freelance Copywriter?
One of the (many) great things about being a copywriter is that it’s a very flexible career: In many ways, you can work for whom you want to and work how you want to. But that much flexibility and so many opportunities can be overwhelming for people, so I often get asked if it’s better to focus on on-staff or freelance copywriting careers. The first thing I want to make … [Read more...]
4 More Books Every Copywriter Should Read
I’m a big believer in continual learning...especially for copywriters who tend to write about a variety of topics. If you ever think you know everything about something, you’re in BIG trouble. And, lucky for us, there are more ways than ever to consume new content and ideas. Podcasts, videos, courses, blog posts—the list goes on and on. But, as writers, many of us still … [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...]
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...]
Do You Have the Natural Aptitude to Write Copy?
Likely, you're here because you like writing—you’re a good writer and you’ve been thinking that maybe you’d like to make a living with it. But, as one writer to another, I know that knowing you’re good at something and having confidence that you can DO something are two different things. I want to address something really quickly that may be coming up for … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Getting Down to Your Copywriting Work
I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that once you start taking copywriting clients, it’s not going to somehow get magically easier for you to focus and work. Sure, sometimes you’ll get right in the flow and feel like you’re plugged into a divine download. And, it’s true that you don’t have to deal with a blank page, and that makes everything easier. But…the urge … [Read more...]
The Real Secret to Business—and Life—Success
As long as I’ve been in this business, and especially in the decade that I’ve been teaching copywriting to would-be copywriting pros, I’ve gotten this question a lot: “What’s the real secret to being successful?” Well, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that there absolutely is a secret. Well, wait—let me put quotes around that. There is a … [Read more...]