Just Starting Out - Portfolio Help and Other Questions

I freelance as a commercial writer and also am a trained direct response copywriter - and I do both without any problems at all. When you are starting out, the key is to stick to doing one thing at a time and doing it really well until you have learnt the ropes.

When you are comfortable and confident that you can do well in each area - you can do all of these things. At the moment, I am writing a sales letter and autoresponder series for a US client. Last week I wrote some articles. I'm looking into white papers now and have just bought a book on the subject. As soon as I finish my sales letter project, I'll be going through the white paper book.

Writing (regardless of it's form) is a skilled exercise, copywriting more so. The advantage of freelancing is that you call the shots. In the last two weeks, I have applied to a dozen or so ad agencies as well (I'm still waiting to hear from them), but I have approached them on a freelance basis.

All agencies need an additional pair of hands when they can get them. My advice to you is to stick to freelance if you can. Ad agency work is great if you can get it - you end up working on lots of different and usually high profile projects. The experience it can teach you is great.

Whatever you decide, remember with freelancing, you call the shots. You can choose which projects to take on and you can decide who you wish to deal with. And the money is great. For me, the greatest advantage of having a varied skillset is that I make good use of all my skills and can take on more projects than the average freelance write who doesn't specialize in sales copy.

I wish you all the best - you are doing all the right things and I'm sure you will do well whatever you decide.

Can anyone else lend me some insight on this?

Copywriting Lesson #1: "When you write to 'Everybody', you write to 'Nobody'."

You're trying to write to 'Everybody'. Can't be done effectively.

Pick one area to start with: B2B, B2C, Direct Response, Catalog, whatever. Master that area. Move on to the next.

Also, decide if you want to be freelance, or agency. It's not easy to cross from years of freelance into agency. It's easier to go the other way.

If you want to work in an agency, your focus should be on 'selling' yourself to an agency. They're YOUR 'prospect market'. Everything else is secondary.

As a freelancer, you can write as a pinchhitter for agencies, for when they have overflow work, or when they have niche work that their in-house can't handle. NOTE: "niche work". That means "proven work/results within that niche".

If you DO want to work for an agency, samples of typical Clickbank letters are not going to help you, and may even hurt you. Many 'classic' ad agencies would DIE rather than use direct response anything in their work.

Working on samples that are not relevant to the area you want to be in is a waste of your time, right now. Don't waste your time creating portfolio stuff that's not relevant to YOUR prospect market.

P.S. The above would be "Copywriting Lesson #2" :p

I agree 100% with Collette.

However, on the other side of the coin...

If you can write long form direct response copy that sells, in my experience you can probably write space ads, commercials, emails and other marketing material that sells as well.

I'm not saying that will come without practice or experience, but once you can sell in print, you can sell in print.

And if you have direct response experience, you're going to be able to make a much more effective use of 1/4 page ad than a traditional "branding" type of copywriter would be able to do.

I think Collette is on the money above.

To answer the question "Is it plausible to be a well rounded writer", I'd say yes. I'd also say it's pretty likely that if you find success in direct response or a certain niche, you'll probably end up sticking to it, because the pay will be higher, you'll be more familiar with the work, etc.

Good luck,

-Scott