Why Be A Professional Copywriter?

Really good copywriters don't stay for-hire copywriters for long. They go write for their own products. That's why when you get a shot at working with someone you admire who's still for-hire, you should snap them up, even if the price tag gives you sticker shock.

If they're good... they likely have plans to not be for-hire much longer.

Get 'em while you can.

--- Ross

Certainly not even implying that there's something wrong with it. Just curious about the inner motivation. Lighten up

I agree.

Right now, it's a less stressful life for me. I owned and ran a massage therapy center for over 6 years. I'll admit to doing a 110 hours per week during that time... but there were plenty of times where I worked a lot more because of all of the business tasks that come with owning a brick and mortar business. Finding reliable people to outsource tasks to was... difficult. So I wound up having to do many things like payroll, staff training, marketing, etc myself.

I'm not in a rush to get back to owning a business where I have to wear a ton of hats. These days, I get to spend as much time as I want with my wife and 2 kids. I still put in long days but it's far more enjoyable.

Mike

Please do not post and tell the poster to lighten up. Is this how you get your kicks. If you do, there are a lot of people around here with some very big boots. Or are you trying to fit in someone's boots? It is hard to answer a not serious poster. All the posters above me have talent, determination, and integrity. Only part of that was learned by reading the book of someone you may idolize. If you are sincere, please prove it. Only 42 thanks for 407 posts is not something to brag about.

No... it's the customer clicking the "buy" button that does that.

Customer -> Copy -> Product

Copy is a bridge between the customer and the product. There has to be a customer to read the copy, and there has to be a product on the other side of the purchase.

Your ability to build a bridge has absolutely nothing to do with getting people onto the bridge, nor does it have anything to do with having a desirable destination on the other side.

Some copywriters are not good at driving traffic (i.e. getting customers). Some are not good at developing products. (MOST are not good at writing sales copy for their own products.) Others simply are not interested in learning to do either of these things - much like a veterinarian may never learn to actually ride a horse, let alone own one, even though he's treated thousands of them and delivered hundreds of foals.

And no matter how you slice it, a world-class copywriter almost certainly can't build a world-class product (unless it's about copywriting), nor can he drive world-class traffic (except to something about copywriting). He's better off getting other world-class people on his team than he is trying to do it all himself, unless his entire business is all about copywriting.

Sheesh!

What is it with some people?

All I see in the OP's question is a desire to find out why some writers write for themselves and others write for others.

What's wrong with that?

There are some good replies, but others seem to have a stick up their backsides.

Give it a rest. This is a forum for discussion.

Just MY personal opinion, if you don't know who Gary Halbert was, or who Ben Suarez is, then you really don't yet have a good enough education about "copywriting", OK? My OPINION.

Sir Gary Halbert. Prince of Print. One of the greatest ever, copywriter that is. AND he too "sold his own products" as the OP suggested. HOWEVER, he quickly found out he was not a manager or a businessman. Even though he owned several businesses throughout his career, the only one he sustained for his lifetime was his COPYWRITING business.

His "protege", Ben Suarez, turned out to be an excellent Copywriter too, perhaps surpassing Gary in terms of sales and also to be a businessman. A guy who sold his "own" products and built a sizeable business. With over 750 employees and doing 350 million a year in business, primarily from strong "copy" in his thousands of promotions over the years.

So ONE answer to your question might be, some people just aren't suited to running a business. Some copywriters are much better at writing copy (and selling their services) than owning or managing (even as absentee owners) a business. Other copywriters might build a line of products and be content with being very small in the scheme of things, but very happy with their lifestyle.

OTHERS, actually enjoy the corporate setting, where they have fellowship, co-workers, get well compensated have good benefits and like having a "job". Others like to become executives.

So there are many reasons (as there are people) for choosing to either stay as a "pure" copywriter for hire, or for developing other skills and going in a different direction.

I'll tell you this, however, that ALL the executives I've known in several good size marketing companies, either got their start or were forced to learn copywriting...it was and is considered the primary skill of operating a "remote direct marketing" business that sells products.

gjabiz

PS. Isn't it a great skill to build off of? No matter what direction you take yourself, once you have written copy that sells stuff, it gives you a pretty big boost of confidence about your abilities to "compete in the marketplace" and sustain your chosen lifestyle.

I personally stay a copywriter because I love to write. It's the same reason I run two blogs, volunteer to moderate forums, write articles, and spend way too much time making lists. My hands feel good on the keyboard (or a pen.)

I sell some products, but to be honest, I just find it hard to be passionate *enough* to make a long term commitment to a project like that. I'm passionate enough to write the copy, get the product out there, and evangelize for my own work - but when it comes time to do the un-fun parts, like customer service, shipping, finding affiliates, managing PPC campaigns... I find them boring and unfulfilling.

That's probably why so many copywriters have at least half a dozen products - with salesletters - sitting on their hard drive, unsold. They enjoy the creation part, and the rest is just boring for them. I love sharing my knowledge of what works and what doesn't with others, but when it comes to doing it myself... I'd just rather be writing.

But that's just me

This thread's got me thinking.

I'm going to stop trying to increase my list.

I'm going to set up a few valuable reports and leave them online for trickles of cash.

And I'm just going to write copy.

I have a decent employer who I write copy for and from whom I can literally make an excellent income.

And, if I need the odd extra I can write some copy.

In fact, income from two decent copywriting jobs would be more than enough to last me a year, even if I didn't have an employer to write for.

So, that means I'm going to sell my blog and concentrate on those things.

Yup, I'd say that's a plan.

Anyone want to buy a blog?

I'm a copywriter because I love the magic of words.

Learning how to stitch words together to inspire and
persuade is one of the most powerful gifts to have.

ANYBODY can make money, but FEW know how to
make people buy.

-Ray Edwards

I love writing. I love the challenge of having to get inside a service, a company, a product, and the head of the target market. Figuring out what makes my client different, truly different, than their competition, and then communicating that difference in the most compelling way.

And then...I love walking away, and going on to something completely different and starting all over again!

Copywriting hits most of my high points. I love to learn, communicate, start new things. I'm an improvisor in my spare time, so I also love making things up on the fly and creating something new from scratch. I also love to edit, and re-create things in a totally new, improved form.

That said, I do my own promotions as well (affiliate stuff) and enjoy that too!

Of course, what I REALLY love is working from home in my pj's with a cat on my lap.

One of the best list of responders I have ever seen. You can not buy passion or creativity for writing, it is a talent you have.

I do not need to spend $3,000 on learning programming. That is not my talent, like so many other areas. Right away I find someone who is talented there, before I mess everything up.

Don't write just for the money, take your talent and keep consistently improving. Most writers are independent thinkers, and prefer to be so. Few are a jack of all trades or even many different copywriting areas.

I am speaking about my personal limitations, as I happily and financially made my living despite them.