RSS
Email
Twitter
LinkedInBecome a freelance god in 7 (sort of) simple steps
The world is filled with dreaming writers who have heard golden stories of the great beyond (working full time as a well-paid freelance copywriter), but who have yet to make the mysterious transformation from mere mortal to freelance god.
Many of my fellow immortals would keep you in the dark, struggling to find the secret.
But I, in my infinite mercy, shall now reveal to you the 7 steps for breaking the bonds of earth and ascending in glory to the pantheon of six-figure writers who …
Okay, even I can’t continue with that silly metaphor.
The fact is, there is very little difference between you and those “godlike” writers you admire and envy. Going from struggling writer to successful freelancer isn’t effortless, but it’s not as complicated or mysterious as you might think.
Really, it’s about 7 pretty simple ideas:
12 boring copywriting tips (that lead to exciting results)
In marketing, people are always looking for the next new thing. New technology, new lists, new creative formats, and all sorts of new whiz-bang stuff.
But when it comes to copy, the old ideas are generally the best ideas. Why? Because selling is about communicating with people, and people are pretty much the same today as they ever were.
Oh, is that boring? Would you rather that I reveal some spectacular new copywriting discovery?
Well, too bad. Because for the most part, the stuff that worked a hundred years ago still works today. And a hundred years from now, it will be working just as well.
Buzzwords come and go, of course. The style of marketing copy is generally shorter and more to-the-point now.
But if you pick up an old magazine or catalog or look at a direct mail package from decades ago, you’ll see the same principles at work as you would in any of today’s efforts.
Here are a dozen of the most important:
How to handle those pesky ASAP copywriting requests
Rush work. We all hate it, but it’s a fact of life for freelancers. Trouble is, some clients abuse our good nature with repeated requests for quick copy.
Sara Lancaster takes on this problem and provides a few suggestions for dealing with it.
***
On Monday, a client sends you an e-mail requesting brochure copy. The company’s sales team is going to a conference next week. NEXT WEEK!
On Tuesday, a potential client calls to ask if he can have 50 articles about cell phone repair ASAP.
On Wednesday, an old co-worker IMs and asks you to be a professional reference. She’d love it if you could review her résumé that afternoon.
On Thursday … oh, never mind. You get the point.
What is with all these rush copy projects?
