Copywriters aren’t designers. But when it comes to concepting ideas, you do need to come prepared with ideas for the project. For example, if you’re writing a banner ad to get people to book a vacation and want the copy to say something like “Go from ARGH! to Ahhhhhhh” you may envision someone yelling in an office contrasted with someone relaxing in a beach chair. When … [Read more...]
Can You Become a Copywriter If You’re Not a Grammar and Punctuation Dynamo?
A confession: I can’t diagram a sentence. I mean, I could once. In seventh grade, I was a master. But now…participles, gerunds, modifiers? I’ve got no fricking idea. It’s important to understand the rules of English so that you can intelligently break them. Unless you’re teaching English or writing academic papers, the logistics of gerunds (et al) don’t really come … [Read more...]
The Real Math on Job Bidding Site “Success”
Those freelance bidding sites like Upwork or Fiverr or Freelancer 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 … [Read more...]
The Sneaky Distractions That Will Block Your Copywriting Career Progress
When people think of the things that might get in the way of being successful in their copywriting careers, they tend to all think of the same things: not enough time, other commitments, having trouble finding clients, etc. The good news is that all these are easy to identify and surprisingly easy to surmount with a good plan. But it’s the other distractions—the sneaky … [Read more...]
Copywriting Resources to Add to Your Tool Box
At some point in everyone's career (not just copywriters), you'll hit some resistance. That's what happens when we start to get outside our comfort zones. It's also just part of being human! More often than not, we'll face obstacles of our own making. Think: "I'm not going to send this email to this potential client because what if they already have a copywriter and don't … [Read more...]
Creative Brief: The First Step to Any Successful Copywriting Project
Here’s a copywriter’s nightmare scenario: You land a client. You agree on a price and deadline. You work your rear end off, writing, revising, and perfecting the copy. And, when you send it to your client, they reply with: “This really isn’t what I wanted.” Or, maybe even worse, pages and pages of changes they want made. Huh? What went wrong? How did this project … [Read more...]
Business Strategies for Copywriting Success in the New Year
Congratulations! You’re this close to making it through another year and starting a whole new one. Yippee! And, if you ask me, part of what makes this time of year so exciting is the potential for positive transformation in the new year. But guess what? True transformations don’t happen by accident. If you want an amazing 2023, you have to PLAN for an amazing 2023. … [Read more...]
Create Your Own Free 2026 Planner (and Hit Your New Year Goals)
If you’re anything like me, ‘tis this season for spending 45 bucks on some “must-have” planner, only to use it four or five times in January, feel guilty in February, and then finally recycle it in March. What if there were a better way? (I mean, come on, we know there is.) Instead of spending an excessive amount on a premade planner, pop into your local convenience … [Read more...]
Learn How To Stay Focused Year-Round With Help From These Books
I used to think that bouncing around from project to project (or activity) every few minutes was the key to my productivity. “I need variety!” I thought. Wrong! What I was actually doing was burning up attention and willpower each and every time I switched tasks. I wondered why I was so exhausted only halfway through the day and why I’d gotten so little done at the end of … [Read more...]
What Software Do You Need to Run Your Copywriting Business?
I have a very firm rule when it comes to purchasing software for copywriters (and things for your business in general). (And this probably traces back to when I started mine decades ago and bought a phone I never used, a business line I never used, letterhead I never used, and a desk and chair that were so much less conducive to work than my sofa.) My rule is this: You … [Read more...]