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Starting Out as a New Copy Writer

by samwriterr
6 replies
Hi all,
My name is Samwriterr.

Now I do not know if this is related at all to copywriting, but I figured out that since the services I offer are related to copywriting & perhaps a little of persuasion, then this might be my table.

P.S; If i have posted on the wrong thread kindly inform me.

Starting out as a new copywriter without any mentors, yet holding on to passion is a daunting task. Everyone can agree with me on this one. It gets even harder when you start your own website with the hope that the few years you have written will steer you enough to become that perfect copy writer.

Often, you will notice that this kind of copywriter (the passionate one who does not have any mentor) tries to copy the industry's best copy writers

And by this I mean go to sites like copy-blogger and copy some of their style in the about page and the service page. .

In most case when you visit the likes of copy-blogger or kiss-metric for that matter, you will notice that this guys do posses real experience.

Let me copy and paste a sample excerpt from success works
Ive worked with top companies all around the world from search engines and television networks, to Fortune 50 companies and major publishers. Over the years, Ive presented at hundreds of conferences, including SMX, PubCon, SearchFest, AWAIs Web Writing Intensive, Search Engine Strategies, MarketingProfs and more.
Now, in the example above you can see that the writer is succinct in her experience, which of course is very true.

Now what the new copy writer does is re-frame this excerpt in their about page by saying that they are also experienced. Perhaps this technique might attract customers, but then again, it might hurt the reputation of the new copy writer.

So to cut the long chase, as a new copy writer, is it advisable to say that you have no experience? Remember, this industry is weird, clients are always looking for experienced writers and if that is the case, when will the new copy writer ever land a gig.

what are best practices for a passionate copy writer located in some weird corner of the world where only few people know about copy writing.
#copy #copy writing 101 #copywriter #marketing #newbie 2016 #starting #writer
  • Profile picture of the author Brian Driscoll
    If you want to get started in copywriting from some weird corner in the world, I recommend starting on Upwork.

    You will have to create a convincing profile, have a professional photo, and then from there, write targeted proposals that get replies.

    Instead of acting like you are a big shot copywriter, many budget-challenged clients are looking for someone EXACTLY LIKE YOU.

    They can't afford to hire me because I have experience, but they can hire someone who is passionate and willing to try very hard.

    Plus, writing a landing page is not rocket science. With experience you will get better, but people are often looking for someone to take a task off of their hands because they do not have the time. And they don't have the money to even hire a junior copywriter like me.

    These are the people that will give you an in to the industry (and hopefully a nice testimonial if you do a good job).

    It's what I did to start off.
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  • Profile picture of the author james flynn
    Originally Posted by samwriterr View Post

    Hi all,
    My name is Samwriterr.

    Now I do not know if this is related at all to copywriting, but I figured out that since the services I offer are related to copywriting & perhaps a little of persuasion, then this might be my table.

    P.S; If i have posted on the wrong thread kindly inform me.

    Starting out as a new copywriter without any mentors, yet holding on to passion is a daunting task. Everyone can agree with me on this one. It gets even harder when you start your own website with the hope that the few years you have written will steer you enough to become that perfect copy writer.

    Often, you will notice that this kind of copywriter (the passionate one who does not have any mentor) tries to copy the industry's best copy writers

    And by this I mean go to sites like copy-blogger and copy some of their style in the about page and the service page. .

    In most case when you visit the likes of copy-blogger or kiss-metric for that matter, you will notice that this guys do posses real experience.

    Let me copy and paste a sample excerpt from success works


    Now, in the example above you can see that the writer is succinct in her experience, which of course is very true.

    Now what the new copy writer does is re-frame this excerpt in their about page by saying that they are also experienced. Perhaps this technique might attract customers, but then again, it might hurt the reputation of the new copy writer.

    So to cut the long chase, as a new copy writer, is it advisable to say that you have no experience? Remember, this industry is weird, clients are always looking for experienced writers and if that is the case, when will the new copy writer ever land a gig.

    what are best practices for a passionate copy writer located in some weird corner of the world where only few people know about copy writing.
    I don't claim myself to be good at copywriting but I used to have same concerns when I started from scratch . Reason because market is flooded with so many awesome people in this category that it feels that you're just a needle in a haystack. Best way to start is through Freelance or Upwork. You'll find a lot of competition there but you can differentiate yourself pretty easily with a good profile and chat conversation. For me chat conversation is always a game changer to score these type of projects because I try my best to post temporary headlines or slogans in the chat to impress the employer and show that I'm serious with my work.

    Cheers
    James
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  • Profile picture of the author JackTripper
    Freelance websites are best, Fiverr. Upwork. even Linkedin!
    Signature

    Quality Articles for $1 thearticlefactory.com

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  • Profile picture of the author DavidGWelch
    Freelancer is the best place for starting as a copywriter, the beginning can be quite tough, you will probably have to work for little money at the beginning, but you must persevere until big jobs starts to come.

    One advice: Study, study a lot, as much as you can, you need to sharpen your skills if you want to succeed in this field, have a look at the books recommendation thread on this forum, there are some greats books there that you can use for learning new things. Practice is also very important, if you are not working on any projects now, create your own blog, write your own articles or brochures, practice, practice and practice.

    Another advice: Make sure you do an awesome job for your first clients, this is extremely important, because those first jobs will shape your reputation.
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by samwriterr View Post

    Hi all,
    My name is Samwriterr.

    Now I do not know if this is related at all to copywriting, but I figured out that since the services I offer are related to copywriting & perhaps a little of persuasion, then this might be my table.

    P.S; If i have posted on the wrong thread kindly inform me.

    Starting out as a new copywriter without any mentors, yet holding on to passion is a daunting task. Everyone can agree with me on this one. It gets even harder when you start your own website with the hope that the few years you have written will steer you enough to become that perfect copy writer.

    Often, you will notice that this kind of copywriter (the passionate one who does not have any mentor) tries to copy the industry's best copy writers

    And by this I mean go to sites like copy-blogger and copy some of their style in the about page and the service page. .

    In most case when you visit the likes of copy-blogger or kiss-metric for that matter, you will notice that this guys do posses real experience.

    Let me copy and paste a sample excerpt from success works


    Now, in the example above you can see that the writer is succinct in her experience, which of course is very true.

    Now what the new copy writer does is re-frame this excerpt in their about page by saying that they are also experienced. Perhaps this technique might attract customers, but then again, it might hurt the reputation of the new copy writer.

    So to cut the long chase, as a new copy writer, is it advisable to say that you have no experience? Remember, this industry is weird, clients are always looking for experienced writers and if that is the case, when will the new copy writer ever land a gig.

    what are best practices for a passionate copy writer located in some weird corner of the world where only few people know about copy writing.
    Without a mentor. WHY? Right here at WF, you can find all kinds of people willing to mentor you, and 3 thousand dollars, for an accelerated program is probably average cost. Sell your car, or TV, everything you own and get a mentor.

    I can't help but note, so far, the advice is being given from people not much further along than yourself.

    Save your money, get a part time job, sell your junk, but get a mentor. At the very least, join and PARTICIPATE in one of the many Facebook groups for copywriters.

    Also, start selling something.

    GordonJ
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  • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
    1) find your OWN style. When people ultimately hire me, it's for the unique perspective and experience I bring to the table. It's not because of which guru I can quote or which acronym techniques I can rattle off the top of my head.

    2) STOP COPYING and start breaking it down. If a piece of copy catches your attention, pull that sucker apart and figure out why. If you see the same ad over and over in a magazine, ask yourself why? Who are they trying to reach? How does this offer help them? What techniques in the ad catch your eye or keep you reading?

    3) and I hope all the newbs read this one - be wary of the people you ask for advice, especially online. Everyone's happy to share their opinion (as evidenced by this thread), but most of them have no ******* clue what they're talking about.
    Signature

    Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.

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