New to copywriting, help please

The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman is a great resource for new copywriters. It tells you how to find business, market yourself, the best ways to contact your market, and tons of other stuff. It's the book that made me think copywriting is a feasible career path.

I would also recommend Bob Bly's Secrets of a Freelance Writer. It tells you all of the basics about starting a freelance writing business.

As for actually improving your copywriting, there is a thread stickied at the top of this board that lists some of the best copywriting books ever. That's a good place to start. Before you even think of marketing yourself as a copywriter, you should read most of the books on that list.

Yeah...a lot of guys are looking to "get into copywriting".

F*ck Dan Kennedy. Funny the way people think he's the King of copywriting.

Discuss.

BTW I'll help you if you're serious.

There's a lot of "kings" in the copywriting world. While most are just trying to make a quick buck off of new guys, they all have at least SOMETHING to offer. I wouldn't buy the books just because I'd feel like a sucker, but I'm sure you could pick up something online.

While getting the right books and reading them multiple times helps in learning the basics of

copywriting. The fastest way to become a good copywriter is to work with a coach.

There are a number of copywriting coaches on the Warrior Forum. Here is a list of

Copywriting Coaches that currently offer their services here on WF. I have purchased

products and/or have worked with all of these coaches. They are all great copywriters and

more importantly, great coaches.

Mike Humphreys
Paul Hancox
Paul Hooper-Kelly
Raydal Edwards


Good luck

Small tip, add all the great copywriters on facebook, they are very approachable and often give out great advice. I've been back and forth with Drayton Bird, John Carlton and a few other numerous times.

Go on my facebook, if you want their contacts details.

Hi there

I would be happy to talk to you personally about this

you can contact me here

Work Samples | Creative copy that converts

Where to Start
This may sound dumb, but start by reading the books you've already bought. (It's amazing how many people don't.) But don't stop there. Also read the classics -- as in anything you can get your hands on by David Ogilvy, Victor Schwab, Claude C. Hopkins, Eugene Schwartz, and John Caples.

Peter Bowerman's book is good also (it's what first turned me on to copywriting), but it's far from all-inclusive. Instead, I strongly recommend The Copywriter's Handbook by Bob Bly. Or anything else Bob has written for that matter.

Also, be sure to sign up for Bob's free ezine at Copywriter - Bob Bly - Copywriting Services. It's one of just two or three ezines I read the minute it higs my inbox. And while you're at it, head over to MakepeaceTotalPackage.com and read everything in the archives. Clayton Makepeace has essentially retired from writing new articles, but what's already there is 100% pure marketing gold.

Marketing Yourself
Once you have the nuts and bolts of copywriting down, marketing yourself is actually very easy. Just treat yourself as your first client, and write accordingly. If you need portfolio samples, approach local businesses or simply create mock pieces. Even ads and letter selling products that don't exist will showcase your ability.

Then contact the creative/marketing departments of the companies you'd like to work with.

One of the things I love most about copywriting is that it doesn't matter if you have a college degree or dropped out of school in the fourth grade. Clients don't care if you're white, black, or green with yellow polka dots. They don't care if you're a man or woman. They don't care where you live. All they care about is how good your copy is.

And don't overlook the power of networking. LinkedIn has plenty of groups for copywriters and marketers. So jump in and contribute to the conversations -- there's a good chance you'll get noticed.

Copywriting Basics
Here are a few basics of copywriting to remember:

• The most important component of any promotion is the offer. The best copy in the world can't save a bad offer.
• After the offer, your headline is most important. And it has one purpose only: Grab your prospect by the eyeballs and get him/her to start reading the rest of your copy.
• Specifics sell. Don't just say it's made of wood -- say what type of wood... describe how beautiful the craftsmanship is... and how wonderful it feels to the touch.
• Don't just list features. Describe the benefits they bring to your prospect -- and then connect those benefits to the applicable emotions in your prospect.
• Make use of white space. Nothing tires the eye more than a massive block of copy, so make it easy for your prospect to read what you've written.
• Don't write AT your prospect. Have a conversation with him/her, where you talk about a problem he/she is having and help them solve it.
• Don't get too formal. You're not writing a college paper. So write like you speak. Better yet, write like your prospect speaks.
• Use bullets, illustrations, and sidebars to break up your copy and illustrate your points.
• Keep your paragraphs short and fast-moving. Especially as you approach the end, where you make your offer.
• Make it easy for your prospect to order.
• Never fake testimonials. (Prospects can tell.)
• Never, ever lie to your prospects and prove every claim. Once you lose credibility, that's it.
• Create a "swipe file" of successful promotions. Study them to figure out why they worked -- and to get ideas for your own promotions.
• Don't write in a vacuum. Connect with another copywriter -- or several -- and critique each other's copy. You'll all benefit.

Hope this helps!

i hope this will helps you out.

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