Ambition and hard work definitely have their place in building a career…but so do contemplation and rest. If you’ve been pushing, pushing, pushing, it may be time for you to plan a little time for reflection. And, at the very least, time to ensure you don't burn out. Burnout comes from burning through all of your available mental (and, sometimes physical and emotional … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: Software Programs for Copywriting Professionals
There are a billion and one new software programs for tracking projects, sending invoices, sharing screens, and all of the other tasks you need to perform on a regular basis. But how many of them are worth it? Let’s break it all down… Today’s question comes from Julia R., who asks, “I was wondering if you could share resources that you use to step up your ‘professional game’ … [Read more...]
Prepare Your Copywriting Business for a Sick Day
No one can tell the future, but sometimes we can make some educated guesses. For example, it doesn’t take a psychic to know that it’s likely that you’ll get a touch sick at some point this winter. But getting sick may mean not working, and not working may mean missing deadlines—and that’s a problem. Here’s what you can do to prepare. If you know you have a chance of getting … [Read more...]
Avoid Burnout as a Copywriter
Persistence is key to building a great career, but persistence can also lead to overworking and put you on the road to burnout if it’s not appropriately managed. Here’s how to avoid burnout as a copywriter and why rest is essential. This might sound a little crazy coming from me since I’ll be the first one to tell you that being willing to put in the effort is one of … [Read more...]
Why Do Some Copywriters Work for Content Mills (and for Peanuts)?
Start a Google search for copywriting jobs, and it won’t be long before you uncover copywriters willing to work for bargain basement rates. Many of them are writing for content mills (more on the difference between copy and content here) and some well... just don't know what they're doing. But instead of letting that discourage you, it should encourage you—and help you realize … [Read more...]
The Worst (and Best) Places to Get Copywriting Advice
One of my favorite sayings isn’t appropriate to print here, so I’ll paraphrase: Opinions are like [unpleasant but necessary body part]; everybody’s got one. Advice is similar—everybody’s got some. Unfortunately, though, a lot of people who want to give advice have bad advice to offer. That's especially true if you're becoming a copywriter or even if you've been running … [Read more...]
When You Need to Get Down to Work: The 5 Second Rule
I’d love my clients to think I have a super-human ability to get down to work and churn out amazing copy. However, the truth my students need to know is that I absolutely do not have that super-human ability, and I often find it just as hard to get focused and sit down to work as anyone. And because I know I face this challenge—and because I get the questions about it … [Read more...]
Frustrated, Disillusioned, and/or Procrastinating? It’s Time to Fight Resistance
There are some truths that you can’t just remember. When you hear them, they make sense…but after a time, your brain goes back to trying to convince you of something different. This is our friend Resistance and, the moment Resistance starts to play tricks on our mind is the moment we need to go to war to fight Resistance. I was reminded of this recently when I was doing a … [Read more...]
How Copywriters Can Deal With a Difficult Design Partner
A designer is a copywriter’s partner in creative work. When that relationship is good, the work is golden. (If you haven't, check out our 9 tips for how copywriters can most effectively work with designers.) But when that relationship is not as good, the work can suffer and job satisfaction plummets. Let’s talk about what to do when that relationship is strained. A strained … [Read more...]
The Self-Care Habit That Copywriters Just Can’t Skip
Many new copywriters have questions about which computers are best and which services are best for building their website and things like that. And those are important questions, but they’re putting the cart in front of the horse a bit. There’s one crucial habit that most copywriters don't give enough thought to, and it can be deeply detrimental to their work. Now, … [Read more...]