I say “new truth” but it’s really been creeping up on us for a while. First, companies got rid of pensions…then workers moved away from being “lifers” at companies…then it became common—if not necessary—to change jobs every three to five years. Now, the importance of freelancing is clear: you need the skills to find and land clients (and bring in income) whenever you need (or … [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...]
What Does a Typical Copywriter Day Look Like?
It’s one thing to want to make money through your writing talents and another thing entirely to actually do it. You might be able to imagine writing copy for a living: making a good, quite possibly really good living from your writing. But you might get a little fuzzy when it comes to the details. What does a day in the life of a copywriter actually look like? You can … [Read more...]
You’re Most Secure When You Take Control
A few years ago, I was talking with a friend who’d lost her job. It wasn’t her fault at all; they were restructuring the company and downsized her role. She kept saying, “I was so loyal to that company! I can’t believe they did this to me.” Here’s the thing: The most important thing for a business is the survival of the business. And that’s not just because they’re … [Read more...]
The Secret to Sustaining Freelance Copywriting Success
If you’re creative and you’re looking to make money as a writer, I have good news for you: Copywriting is absolutely the way to go. You get to be creative and you get paid well for the work that you do. However, if, to you, “being creative” means being airy and free and without constraints, I have bad news for you: You’re not going to make much money. For a lot of … [Read more...]
How to Find and Write for Solopreneurs
I always recommend thatbrand-new copywriters start with brick-and-mortar, local small business clients. You have a lot to offer them, even when you’ve just started learning. But there is another excellent source for copywriting clients: solopreneurs. A solopreneur is a person running a one-person business—hence the “solo.” They run the gamut from health and business … [Read more...]
Copywriting for Nonprofits: 2 Tips to Crafting Compelling Copy
Copywriting for nonprofits can be great for your portfolio—and your personal fulfillment. But nonprofits are one of the most challenging clients to write for. How do you get their message across and compel people to take action when writing for a nonprofit? As you know, conveying the benefit to the consumer so they will take whatever action you want is crucial to crafting an … [Read more...]
Ways to Achieve Career Freedom With Copywriting
More than ever before, people are interested in a career that gives them freedom. They want to control where they work and how they work, and, for many people, they think that that means freelancing. But there’s another option and, for some, it may even be better. As a creative, one of the biggest benefits of our careers is that we can engineer our careers to suit us. For … [Read more...]
Why Freelance Bidding Sites like Upwork and Fiverr Are Bad News
Those freelance bidding sites where you can submit quotes on copywriting projects seem like a great deal. You get to just scan through listings, submit a quick proposal and quote to potential clients, and land tons of work. Great, right? Wrong. Freelance bidding sites are great for clients ... and a waste of a good copywriter’s time. How Freelance Bidding Sites … [Read more...]
Protect Yourself From Agency Layoffs
One unfortunate truth about ad agency work is that there are periodic layoffs and, for reasons you'll see in a bit, they're pretty much inevitable. That said, though, that doesn't mean that you can't plan now to protect yourself and your livelihood. So, I've titled this article "Protect Yourself from Agency Layoffs," but I'll admit that that's slightly misleading. You can't … [Read more...]