Let’s say you’re a freelance copywriter. (You are, right?) Now let’s say you bought the latest laptop on the market and loaded it with all the tools a good entrepreneurial writer needs (like, say, a mini espresso bar app). Six months later, if the folks who sold you the thing clear out all those multiplayer online gaming data files clogging the system (“No idea where those came … [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...]
How to Deal With Rejection from Copywriting Clients
At some point or another, every single person is going to be passed over for a job they want. It's just the way the world works. But what separates the successful copywriters from the less-than-successful copywriters is what they do after the rejection. Here are three steps you can take to move pass that feeling of rejection and move toward your next win! 1. Remember: … [Read more...]
How Copywriting Projects Actually Come Together
For people who are just starting out as copywriters, there's an element to the copywriting process that's often kind of a mystery. Namely, well, pretty much the whole process. How does a project get started? How when do you work with a designer? How does your work get seen? Where does the writing fit in? Believe me: what seems confusing and intimidating now will eventually … [Read more...]
5 Networking Steps to Take This Month
Expanding your professional circle is important...but fairly vague. When it comes to attacking big projects, if I don't have bite-sized steps to take, I don't take any at all. So, in the spirit of attacking this goal with real action, here are five steps you can take this month to meet more people in the industry and increase your opportunities to find work. Why … [Read more...]
8 Tips for Networking Success
On the list of "Things People Hate to Do," networking probably falls just below "get a root canal." After all, nothing conjures up fear of rejection like an entire room full of people you don't know. At the same time, though, you know that you have to master networking to get started (and keep progressing) in the copywriting industry. So, here are a few easy tactics to help … [Read more...]
Stay Out of NDA Trouble
An "NDA" is a pretty common legal document employers or clients will have you sign. But, if you're not clear about exactly what it is and what it entails, you could take actions that will leave you open to major trouble—including lawsuits. So, let's be sure you're covered! An NDA is a "non-disclosure agreement." Essentially, it means that you agree not to tell anyone about … [Read more...]
Fire a Copywriting Client—Without Burning Bridges
Most of your copywriting clients will be terrific, but every so often you'll end up with a client that drains your creative resources, takes up more than their fair share of your time, and just generally makes you miserable. If that happens, you may have to "fire" that client to free yourself to take on projects that energize, rather than drain, you. Every copywriter will have … [Read more...]
Keep Your Copywriting Creative Review from Going off the Rails
If there's one aspect of copywriting that almost always comes as a shock to the new practitioner, it's creative reviews. Sure, it sounds simple: A meeting in which people get together to discuss work. But what actually happens—and how it can be perceived by writers—is a bit different. Read on for a few tips about how to survive and thrive in creative reviews. What is a … [Read more...]
Get Your Copywriting Clients to Sell Your Services For You
Once you've done work with clients, one of the best ways to get additional copywriting work is to re-pitch those same clients. But another great way to land additional copywriting work is to have your clients sell for you. What does that mean? Well, in essence, this is all about the magic of leverage: letting other happy customers sell you and your services to future … [Read more...]