Considering a new career is a lot like trying to find a place to live in a new town. You don’t know the areas, you don’t know who to trust, and you don’t even really know what questions to ask. Well, that’s where I come in. I’ve been a copywriter for more than 20 years now, plus teaching others how to launch wildly successful copywriting careers fore more than a decade.
Everyone seems to have an opinion about copywriting and it seems like they’re all different. What’s the real deal? There is a lot of information out there—including from copywriting “gurus” circulating information that is just plain wrong (especially myth #10!!) or based on very limited copywriting experience.
Let’s try to fix some of that, shall we?
These are some of the most alarming, confusing, and downright silly pieces of misinformation. So, let’s get started!
Prefer watching? You can catch Nicki and Kate talking through these myths on the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast!
Myth 1: If you can write (including content), you can write copy.
Yup, this one is unfortunate—mostly because a lot of well-intentioned people jump in with both feet, can’t get work, and then get discouraged and disappointed.
The truth is that copywriting is a career just like any other, and just like any other, it requires training. You need to know how to write copy if you want a copywriting job. After all, just because you’re good at slicing things doesn’t mean you can be a vascular surgeon, right?
Some people try to jump into copywriting, assuming that because they see ads all the time and because they’re good writers, that they’ll be good and successful copywriters. With the right training, this could very well be true! But without the right training, it’s certainly not.
It’s not the same as any other kind of writing. There are structures, techniques, and tools that are totally different from anything else—including content writing. Writing blog posts or articles doesn’t mean that someone knows how to write copy.
Copywriting is writing that sells things, whether they are products, services, ideas, or the impetus to take an action. The purpose of content and editorial writing, however, is to inform, entertain, or inspire. Content and editorial writing do not directly sell anything.
Copywriting requires knowledge of how to incorporate benefits, features, calls to action, brand voice, strategy, concept, and a number of other elements. Article writing requires skill, too, of course, but it requires different skills. This is not to say, though, that content and editorial writers can’t become great copywriters. A good understanding of and appreciation for words is the basis of both and, with the right training and ample practice, a content writer could become an excellent copywriter.
And no—people won’t be able to learn on the job. Businesses want to hire copywriters who know how to write copy, not people who are hoping to learn.
Listen to more: What Does It Take to Become a Copywriter?
Myth 2: It’s hard to find copywriting work.
“There’s just no work out there!” This is 100% absolutely not true. There is plenty of work for copywriters out there. Check your job listings, look on freelance boards, or just survey some small business owners. There is plenty of copywriting work—and not enough skilled writers to fill the need. The work doesn’t fall into your lap, but it’s out there. And if people don’t have the skills and the portfolio, they can’t find work.
Don’t assume that just because you put up a website, clients will come banging down your door. You need to have a system for finding and landing clients (Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students: check out the Client Pitching Masterclass!).
If your dream is to work at home whenever you feel like it, well, sometimes you’ll luck out and get clients that will let you do that. But sometimes you’ll get work from agencies or companies that want you to come into the office and work with them from 9-to-5. And if you’re flexible and say, “You bet! I’ll see you Monday!,” you’ll be much more likely to find work and be recommended.
It’s not going to be “easy” to find work…until it is. Chances are, once you get the ball rolling, once you really put yourself out there and exhaust all your resources, you’ll start getting inquiries from people you never expected.
Listen to more: Are There Too Many Copywriters?
Myth 3: You need to know someone to get a job.
Boy, is this a popular one: A lot of people will tell you that in order to get a job, you need to know someone with clout to get you in the door (usually a creative director). The reason that this misconception is so popular is that people have had trouble getting in by the traditional methods—submitting a cover letter and resume and interviewing—and so they conclude that you have to “know people.”
But this conclusion is faulty because it’s based on faulty inputs. The reason most people who apply can’t get an interview isn’t because they’re not in on nepotism, it’s because they’re submitting cover letters and resumes without training in writing copy and experience writing copy.
Guess what? If I apply to become an architect, they’re not going to call me in for an interview. But it won’t be because I don’t “know people”—it’ll be because I don’t know architecture and it’s not on my resume. Copywriting is a merit-based career: Creative directors want people who can write great copy. They’re just not going to hire people who can’t. Case closed.
Listen to more: How to Land Your First Copywriting Clients
Myth 4: Copywriters work long hours.
It’s likely that this rumor was started by someone who has a buddy that works at an ad agency. Sure, there are some long hours sometimes (especially at ad agencies). But these tend to be during big campaign pushes or when a client has last-minute request. Meaning: it’s not all that often.
However, copywriting isn’t all long hours. Internal agency copywriters and many ad agency copywriters will be the first to tell you that they work perfectly reasonable hours. And freelance and contract copywriters who have built a high-level of flexibility into their careers will tell you they work, generally, only as much as they want to. Nah, it’s not all long hours.
Read more: Copywriting for Ad Agencies: What to Expect and Why It’s Great for Your Career
Myth 5: You need to be clever or funny to be a copywriter.
It’s true, there are a lot of funny ads out there. But there are just as many (in fact, many more) pieces of copy that aren’t funny and don’t need to be. There are thousands and thousands of businesses that need copy that delivers their benefits messages to their target audiences effectively and in brand voice—but they don’t even want the message to be funny.
If you don’t think of yourself as a comic, don’t worry: You don’t need to be funny to be a great copywriter. You just need to write great copy. And by “great copy,” I mean effective copy—copy that gets people to take the action you want them to take.
Read more: Why Brand Voice Matters in Copywriting
Myth 6: Copywriting bosses are divas/jerks.
Ah, another likely holdover from ad agency lore; there are legendary stories about terrible creative directors. And, sure, some creative directors are lousy people. But you’ll find lousy people in every role, in every industry.
More important, though, is the fact that you’ll find many more creative directors that are brilliant, supportive, and insightful. They may (and, really, should) challenge you, but that will help you be a better copywriter. You’ll probably encounter a crummy creative director during the entire span of your career, but you’ll also encounter many more that will become lifelong mentors.
Read more: Why Tough Creative Directors Can Be the Best Ones
Myth 7: Copywriters spend all day writing.
I guess this misconception kind of makes sense; after all, you’re a copywriter, so you’d just spend all day sitting at your desk and writing, right? Wrong. A copywriter’s day is much more varied. (And if you’ve ever spent eight hours writing, you understand how great that is.)
Copywriters spend time concepting new projects with designers, collaborating with their design partners to tweak layouts on screen, meeting with product managers to kick off projects, and presenting projects to the stakeholder teams. And that’s just a few examples. There’s plenty of writing, of course, but copywriting is so much more than that.
Read more: How Copywriting Projects Actually Come Together
Myth 8: You have to be a full-time copywriter.
Sure, copywriting is a career, but that doesn’t mean that it needs to be your full-time career. You can get trained to do it and then pick up clients to write for in your evening or weekend hours and make some extra cash on the side. Of course, if you want to, you can transition to full-time after you’ve picked up some experience and gotten your footing, but that’s up to you.
Having extra skills never hurt anyone. And knowing how to make money in a field aside from your full-time job can only add to your financial and career safety nets.
Read more: How to Be a Part-Time Copywriter from Home
Myth 9: Contracting is the same as freelancing.
So, I’ve mentioned before that there’s a lot of potential flexibility in copywriting, but it’s not just full-time versus part-time or on-staff versus freelancing. Contracting is when you don’t work on-staff for a company, but you often work in their office on an hourly basis for a certain (usually project-based) period of time. This means you have the flexibility to adjust your hours, but you also get the benefit of being able to interact with people in the office. You usually charge by the hour and, for various reason, you usually make more than you would if you were on staff.
Freelancing, however, is slightly different: Generally, it means that you’re not on-staff for a company, but you work for them on a project basis and usually from home. You may come in for meetings, but it’s up to you to create your daily schedule. In this case, you usually charge by the project.
Read more: What is the Difference Between Freelance Copywriting and Contract Copywriting?
Myth 10: Copywriters HAVE to choose a niche.
A lot of people think that the best way to build a booming career is to get ultra-specific with their services right away; “I’m an email writer for high-tech health companies.” And you may very well find that you love some aspect of copywriting and want to focus on a niche.
But you can’t possibly know that until you’ve explored a bunch of avenues. When you’re getting started, you want to get as broad experience as possible: write for digital, write for print, write for in-house agencies, write for ad agencies, write for B2B, write for B2C…you get the picture.
You want to get experience in a bunch of different realms to show potential employers that you have flexibility. After all, you have a much better chance of getting hired if many employers are interested in you, instead of just employers in an ultra-specific niche. Sure, later, if you decide you just love a niche and want to focus on it, great. But don’t start there.
Listen to more: Why Choosing a Copywriting Niche is Terrible Advice
Myth 11: You can’t make money as a copywriter.
This is an egregious lie and I’m actually shocked that it’s gotten any traction. My guess is that people are confusing copywriting with content writing (blog posts and other writing designed to entertain, inspire, or inform).
It’s, sadly, very true that content writers—and pretty much every other kind of writer—don’t get paid well. But copywriting is the exception. Companies recognize the importance of great marketing and great copywriting, so not only is there more demand for copywriters than ever, we’re also getting paid exceptionally well.
Listen to more: Actual Freelance Copywriting Salary: Digging Into One Copywriter’s Numbers
Myth 12: You need to go to portfolio school to become a copywriter.
Actually, annoyingly enough for those of us who have had to hire copywriters, there are very few schools that offer copywriting programs. Sometimes there will be an hour or two devoted to it within an advertising class, but that time can’t even come close to preparing someone for a career. In my own case, I had to build on the initial lessons that my dad gave me while I was in high school and just learn as I go. And, while I did learn a lot, it was a long process full of unnecessary mistakes and missteps.
You could go to portfolio school, of course, but it will take two years and roughly $35,000+.
There is a lot to learn in order to become a successful copywriter, but it doesn’t have to be difficult to learn it. You don’t need to go to school to write copy—but you do need training. If you’re interested in continuing your copy journey, get started with our free training right here.
Listen to more: Are Portfolio Schools Worth It?
Myth 13: Copywriting is a young person’s game.
Copywriting is a profession in which you’re judged almost entirely on your output. (Of course, professionalism and being a pleasure to work with don’t hurt, either.)
If you write great and effective copy, your bosses/clients don’t care if you’re 19 or 79. The only caveat is that if you are 79, be sure not to ever let yourself get an “I know all there is to know” attitude. The world, not to mention the internet, is constantly changing and there are always new things to learn in the marketing, advertising, and copywriting realms. Utilize your experience but keep yourself open to learning and improving and you can start writing copy at whatever age and keep it up as long as you want to.
Myth 14: All the money is in online sales letter writing.
Well, there certainly are a lot of websites out there that would like you to believe that this is the case, but it’s simply not. In the vast world of copywriting: writing emails, websites, banner ads, microsites, direct mail, sales letters, newspaper and magazine ads, radio and TV for agencies, large corporations, small businesses and nonprofits, online sales letters are a very, very small share of the market.
Sure, I’m sure it’s possible to make plenty of money in online sales letter copywriting, but why limit yourself to such a niche market? (See more about why limiting yourself to a copywriting niche is a terrible idea in this video.) Learn the skills that translate across all the different copywriting arenas and then build up your portfolio in several so that you can be a boss’ or recruiter’s or client’s choice for any of them, not just one. There is plenty of money to be made in copywriting—but you’re almost certain to make less of it if you limit yourself.
Your Turn
Have you heard any of these myths and, if so, did we help clear it up or do you still have questions? What other things have you heard about copywriting that have turned out to be wrong? Let us know in the comments below!
Last Updated on November 1, 2024
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