Finding clients or planning a project is one thing, but actually sitting down and writing copy is another thing entirely. Here are four keys to improve your focus to write copy. First of all, keeping your mind on work is rarely an easy task (especially when you work from home)—even when it's something you're excited to do. Luckily, there are a few keys you can incorporate … [Read more...]
3 Books Every Copywriter Must Read
Our team often gets asked which books we recommend for copywriters and we have a ton of recommendations (see them all right here). What can we say, our team loves to read! But, if you're looking for the best-of-the-best, the ones that every copywriter—really, anyone who writes anything—should read, then these three books are the ones we keep coming back to again and … [Read more...]
Home Office Essentials for a Copywriter
If you're planning on working from home as a copywriter—whether it's full-time or part-time—you'll need a home office. What are the home office essentials you must have to work as a copywriter? Let's assume that you're going to be writing copy as a freelancer and doing it from home (as opposed to being on staff or working as a contractor at a company). The great news is that … [Read more...]
Conquer Blank Page Panic For Good
If you're the type of person who freaks the f#!% out every time you have to start a new copy project, you're not alone. Sheer, unadulterated, new-project, blank-page, "What if I can't do this?" panic is common when you're first starting out. But I have two pieces of good news for you. First, it gets better. With some practice and some patience, eventually, you'll get to the … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Destroy Procrastination
We've all been there: you have a deadline and need to get started on a project, but when you sit down, you're just not feeling it. Or, you're tired after a long day at your 9-to-5. Or ... it could be any number of reasons! So, you procrastinate. Here's the bad news: you will never stop procrastinating. Never, never, never. Your first urge will always be to go do something … [Read more...]
When the [ahem] Stuff Hits the Fan
Over at Filthy Rich Writer HQ, we faced a serious problem this weekend. We ran an update to our site only to discover that the update kept us from being able to access our site. Think of it as trying to work on a car when the hood is fused shut. Now, we're a savvy bunch of technology lovers, but not one of us knew how to fix it. And, of course, we were on deadline to get the … [Read more...]
5 Easy Steps to Overcoming Feeling Overwhelmed (Really)
With all due respect to Nike, sometimes "Just Do It" is easier said than done. Often (and more often than I'd like to admit) when I'm facing a big project, my gut reaction is to shut down, stare into space and deeply, deeply panic. Not so useful. Years ago, when I moved into my first condo, my Mom came out to help me get moved in. I signed the papers, the movers brought the … [Read more...]
What Should a Copy Doc Look Like?
Starting out as a copywriter, you may wonder what you actually deliver to clients. The document that you put your copy into is usually called a "copy deck" or, even simpler, a "copy doc." Every writer has their own way of formatting copy docs (I'll show you how I do it), but the most important thing is that you make it clear what's what. … [Read more...]