Want to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer? Here are 10 Reasons To Consider Copywriting
Looking to chuck that full-time job for a life of full-time
writing? Or maybe you've already dumped the day job but
aren't quite as busy as you'd like to be. Why not take a
closer look at copywriting? Copywriting, also known as business or promotional
writing, can do more than put a few extra bucks in your
wallet ? it can also help you develop as a writer. Here are
ten reasons why: 1. Copywriting pays well. Actually it can pay very well. I know
copywriters who easily make six figures in a year. That's
because copywriters charge by the hour rather than the by
the word or page. Beginning copywriters usually start at $25
or $30 an hour, but if they're good (or good at asking for
what they're worth ? a rare trait in writers but one definitely
worth developing) they can quickly move to $45 to $75 an
hour. Senior copywriters charge well over $100 an hour. Now you probably won't start at $100 an hour, but even a
few small jobs at $30 an hour can really boost your bottom
line. 2. Copywriting pays you before begin working. Yes, you
heard right. You can actually ask for a deposit before you
start writing. (What other kind of writing allows you to do
that?) Moreover, your clients will EXPECT this. Deposits range from one-third to one-half of your estimated
fee. You can also arrange it where you get paid throughout
the process ? i.e. one-third in the beginning, one-third with
the first draft and one-third when you deliver the final product 3. Copywriting fits into your schedule. Don't want to do it
full-time? Just take on jobs when your other writing work is
slow or you need the extra cash. Now to land those jobs
you'll have to do some networking, but believe me, that's a
good thing. As a full-time freelance writer, finding ways to
connect with the rest of the human race is a constant
challenge. Going out and networking can be the answer to
the secluded, sometimes-cut-off life of a writer. 4. Copywriting helps your other writing. Writing good copy
means writing clean, crisp and powerfully. It means
explaining products and services clearly. It means
organizing ideas to make the biggest impact. It means
knowing how to edit your own work ? including being able to
recognize your writing flaws and fix them. Sound familiar? As you can see, the same rules to good copywriting also
apply to other kinds of writing. But with copywriting, those
rules are even more exaggerated. Your writing has to be
lean and mean ? there's absolutely no room for extra words.
You need to get in, make your point, and get out. No matter
what kind of writing you do, learning to write this tight will
help you. I've discovered that copywriting has strengthened my fiction
and other writing. It's forced me to trim out the fat, leaving
only the powerful words that pull their own weight. In fact,
trying a variety of writing styles has helped me discover and
intensify my writing voice. 5. Copywriting helps you learn about marketing. What's the
essence of copywriting? Using words to sell. You also have
to learn about the different marketing vehicles and how to
write for each of them (i.e. writing for the Web is very different
than writing a 30-second radio spot). You learn about target
markets, goals and marketing plans. This will all help you
market yourself and your other writing. 6. Copywriting helps you develop regular writing habits.
Clients give you deadlines. Deadlines mean you have to
produce regardless of what your muse decides to do or
even where your muse is. You want to get paid? You get the
work done. Also, just by picking up a few extra copywriting jobs means
you're writing more. The more you write, the better you'll get
at writing AND the better you'll get at just sitting down and
putting words on paper no matter what your mood is. 7. Copywriting helps you develop a professional attitude
about writing. There's nothing that makes you feel more like
a professional writer than having people pay you to write. It's
a great boost to your ego (to say nothing for your bank
account). Also, as a professional copywriter, you'll need
business cards, a Web site, a desk, office supplies, etc.
Plus you'll have to start introducing yourself as a
professional writer. All these things will help you cultivate an
image of a serious writer. 8. Copywriting can boost your ego. Unlike other forms of
writing where kudos are few and far between, copywriting
clients are usually pretty good about telling you how much
they like what you wrote and how much they enjoy working
with you. Many times you'll even get thanked (I know,
amazing concept). Best yet, you can take advantage of all
that goodwill and ask for testimonials, which you then put on
your marketing materials for other people to see. (You can
even read them on those really bad days when you wonder
why it ever occurred to you that you could write). 9. Copywriting can help you learn how to handle criticism.
Okay ? I know I just got finished telling you about all the
compliments you'll receive, which you will if you do a good
job, but at the same time you will be asked to make
changes. It's a fact of life. Sometimes those changes are
very minor, but you almost always go through a second or
third draft (and sometimes even a tenth draft, but we won't
talk about those right now). However, and this is important
to remember, your clients can and will still love your writing
and still ask you to make changes. After all, you don't know
their business or their customers the way they do, and there
will be things you just won't know. Because these changes are usually completely separate
from your writing style, they're a lot easier to hear and a lot
easier to make then, say, someone hates one of your
novel's subplots. And if clients do want to make a change
you don't agree with, feel free to discuss it with them. You
are the expert here. Clients are hiring you because you
know how to write and they don't. They'll listen to you, and
even if you end up making that change, at least you've
discussed it. All of this is good practice. After awhile, you'll learn to
separate constructive criticism from nasty criticism, and
eventually learn not to take even the nasty criticism
personally. I'm not saying criticism won't still hurt, I'm just
saying all of this will help you develop a professional
attitude about it. 10. Copywriting can increase your knowledge. Not only will
you learn about different businesses, but different industries
and different niches. You'll learn about problems,
challenges and successes. All stuff you can use in future
articles and novels. There's actually more than just ten ways copywriting can
help you as a writer ? it can sharpen your interviewing skills
and beef up your contact list. But ten ways sounded good,
so I thought I would stick with that. Regardless, the skills
and information you learn as a copywriter can also help you
become a better writer in general. Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and
Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She
offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine
their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting
principles to become more successful at attracting new
clients, selling products and services and boosting
business. She can be reached at http://www.writingusa.com
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