How did you get started in copywriting?

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Hey all,

I'd like to supplement my income by doing some copywriting in the future. Right now I'm doing some small-time free work to get my feet wet.

I'm curious to know how you got started. Did you teach yourself through books? Through other people's copy? Did you take a course?

Looking forward to hearing your stories!

Chris
#copywriting #copywriting #started
  • double posted somehow...
  • I got started writing direct mail copy when I had a cabinet-making
    business... but I was interested in copy from when I was a kid.

    I suggest reading the classic books on the topic and also just taking
    an interest in direct mail, catalogs and things. The catalog I like the
    most is the J. Peterman catalog - great, entertaining copy.

    There's a lot of breadth to what copywriting is... it's not all about
    "kicking ass" with "rocket fueled" "homerun" salesletters. There's
    a lot of workmanlike stuff to be written and you can get paid to
    do it for businesses while you are working on learning the hardcore
    skills of selling in print on your own time.

    Businesses need brochures and websites written, copy for industrial
    parts catalogs, etc... the demand is out there and you can learn
    to fill it if you can write clearly.

    I'd recommend you read Peter Bowerman's book on freelance writing -
    it covers a lot of what you would like to know about the business,
    in a down-to-earth, realistic way.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • This is definitely something I need to learn.

      Do you recommend learning print copy as well as web? I understand there is a pretty big difference in how you write. I'd like to (end result) work in web copy so I would think that I'd need to focus my time on that. Although having both skill sets would be great too.
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  • i started write articles regarding health when i find a title so to write a content read books and google in the net the title...it is useful for me
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    • Okay... but is any of it copywriting?

      Okay... but is any of it copywriting?

      I'm not saying it's not. I'm just asking. Because if there's one thing I see as rampant on the WF copywriting forum is people who have never written copy, thinking they are copywriters.

      In most cases article writing is not copywriting...
      In most cases blogging is not copywriting...
      In the vast majority of the cases info-product creation is not copywriting.

      I think bloggers... article writers and copywriters will all be better served once these lines are sharpened and everyone realized what they are... and are not.

      That said, some of the best blogs used by people who are selling something, use classic copywriting tactics and techniques...

      Some of the best articles used by those who sell use these techniques too...

      Same with product creation. There's a concept widely used by the bigger marketers at least, that employs copywriting techniques inside the book (or whatever) to continue to sell the customer even after they have bought.

      This is all advanced stuff that can all be done by most good copywriters.

      Most good article writers and the like are real good at word counts and phrase stuffing. None of this will help you sell anything.
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    • I started off doing freebie work and then, as my skills improved, I charged a little, then a little more...

      But if you want to get really good, really fast...

      Get a mentor.

      If you can afford him get Vin Montello.

      I was happily stumbling along as a fairly decent copywriter getting the $1000-$2000 jobs on the freelance sites.

      I read all the books, studied the masters etc.

      I needed to up my game so teamed up with Vin and got much, much better.

      In my case I needed someone to say "hey, don't write it like that, write it like this..."

      Also, it's no good charging a few hundred dollars for a letter and then rushing to complete it so you can move onto the next job.

      You need to get higher paying work and for that you need to get good and to get really good (in my opinion)...you need a mentor.
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  • Chris,
    I started by doing free work as well and as a result I ended up with a couple of good customers as well as friends.

    The best book I have read is Dan Kennedy's "The Ultimate Sales Letter" and the best course I have seen recently is actually in the WSO right now. He actually writes 3 sales letters in real time to demonstrate what he taught in the course. I think the thread title is "mind control sales copy" last time I checked it was still on the first page.

    Good luck
  • One of my favorite quotes from Dan Kennedy is...

    If you want to learn how to write good copy fast, then you have to write a lot of it slowly and badly

    Paraphrased, but I think the only way to get good is to cram all the how to's and then just start writing like consistently.
  • Just start writing about something you're enthusiastic about !

    I simply began writing my blog about personal growth years ago and noticed what people liked reading - a blog like that on the side helps you practice enormously.
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  • The Best Advice I can give is

    1) Read the best sales letters you can find.
    2) Rewrite them in your own words
    3) Keep all the great copy you find in a file and read through them.

    Try to find what people are looking for online, then find a product for them. Now try your hand at writing great copy to sell it. If you get sales, that is great copy!

    By the way 2% is not a good conversion - It just means your copy is acceptable.

    So I guess that means to write great copy you have to read , research, make notes and then write! Wait a day then come back to it, if you did not get any brainwaves.

    Thats all for now!

    Brian



    Remember - what people say is always the correct answer but not always the true answer!

    Great copy sells - check results by payments made not by votes
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    • Needed copy for my own products, started learning how to write it (through free reports, articles etc.) - and here I am today, 8 years later

      Adi Friedman
      Two Believers.
  • I did a video addressing this question a few months back ...

    YouTube - How I got started as a Copywriter
    -Ray L.,
  • I did a degree in Creative Writing and English Literature and part of the course covered copy writing and editing. I guess this is what started me off, as I found it very interesting. I put the word out on other forums about my services and read other people's work to get ideas. From there things blossomed. I don't think it is really necessary to complete a course. It is probably more worthwhile reading as much as you can and working from there.
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    • I have a degree in Marketing, and I write brochures, catalogs, and online sales pages. Remember that copywriting is sales in print, whether on the web or as hardcopy. It is not article writing. You need to understanding sales psychology and there are differences in selling online and offline. If you are serious, you should take some courses in writing and marketing. Many local and community colleges offer these, and the really big advantage of taking courses is that you have a mentor.
      • [2] replies
  • I started off as a typographist and was working for various ad agencies. One day I noticed a single punchline, "Think Pink Mink", in a book by David Ogilvy (founder of "Benson Ogilvy"), and ever since I have tried to delve deeper and deeper into the amazing world of copywriting.
  • One name: Bob Bly.

    Seriously, I read his work and every book he writes completely floors me. Not only that, but once I gave copywriting a try, I realized how astoundingly deep and complex (and fun!) it was. You essentially put yourself in someone else's shoes and look for what makes them tick.

    Since then, I've gone through the AWAI course, went to seminars, anything I can to just keep learning and improving. Writing just comes naturally to me and it's something I love doing, so that makes it that much easier

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