Why Did YOU Get Into Copywriting & What Do You Ultimately Hope To Achieve?

I love words. All of them. I love the way they go together, the images they paint, the fun you can have with them.

I've wanted to write since I was five. I love writing fiction. But, I also wanted to get paid to write, and while you can do that with fiction, it can take years just to land an agent.

Copywriting jumped out at me as an opportunity to make a good living while still playing with words. So that's why I'm a copywriter. But, I love writing copy almost as much as I love writing fiction, so it's turned into something more than just a way to earn an income.

Right now, I just hope to keep growing my income and my client base, to keep getting the opportunity to write for new companies (it's always interesting to learn about new products and topics) and to eventually develop my own products that I can use my copywriting to bring to market successfully.

Oh, and to write an irresistible query letter that will land me a publishing contract for my first novel.

What's the fun if you don't shoot high, right?

After graduating with a Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour degree, I couldn't find a job in my field and there were implications with my grad school app so that was out for the year.

My friend got me into internet marketing a bit and started me with affiliate marketing.

Didn't like it.

So I did some research and discovered copywriting.

Now, like you Toniy, I'm a writer. My long term goal (and still is) is to be a fiction novelist. I had been writing for over 10 years and was like

"Writing?. . . Psychology?. . .C-O-P-Y-W-R-I-T-I-N-G?!"

Felt like the right fit, so I went for it. Never looked back, really. Except for that novel thing, of course.


Edit: What do I hope to achieve?

Greatness, in a word.

But most important is results. I don't ever care about the rest as long as I'm comfortable. My goal before I die is to make a difference for others and be remembered outside of my friends and family.

I want to go to sleep knowing I wrote the letter that made that business a million bucks.

I don't want to kick the bucket. . . I want to kiss the sky. And I want to do it knowing that people are reading what I'm writing and it is making a difference -- whether it be sales, entertainment, or best of all. . . inspiration.

Well first of all I gotta say thanks for the insights guys... some really wonderful concepts

Web - We're not so different... I've had an affinity with words for as long as I can remember... I just read a lot as a kid I suppose and always found the meaning of words I didn't already know... I like the point about working for new and interesting developments... It was actually part of why I enjoyed writing articles in the beginning... too much of a good thing, huh?

Alex - That sounds like a pretty decent set up if I may say... Fortunately / Unfortunately for me I never had the funds to nail down a PPC campaign in the earlier days... but I have wondered about the application and actually formulated an idea regarding the two that might take off some day... not for now though :p

Eric - You couldn't find a job? You're kidding, right? :p Nah that's a grind man. I actually did the opposite... graduated with a business degree and open spots with grad schemes and decided to move to Wales and become a waiter. I was one of the greats, but aching bones and minimum wage and growing hate and resentment got me out of it... Seriously though... we have similar goals, as with Web Writer above... I'd love to write a work fiction some day, maybe a screenplay, who knows? I started a collection of erotic short stories (seriously), but then I realised I needed to make money faster than that wouid've allowed me... unless I set up a phone line and read it out loud... I think I'm disparaging the name of writers everywhere now so I'll stop :p Noble goals though, I'm with you.

Steve - Wow... I think you just exploded my mind with inspiration and an autumn project... I think you've got a PM coming to you sir! Oh hey and you're a Brit, excellent I gotta say though, I've now got this picture of you looking all bewildered as you pace around the forum... "what the hell's a google?"

Thanks though man, valuable response indeed!

Cam - 1,000 words right there man, thank you. Exceptional.

Jake - Man I know exactly what you mean... I've basically got a whole business infrastructure here: Customer Support, Comms, Marketing, Finance, Administration etc. etc. and I ran through my first month's accounts (I registered as 'legit' business last month), realising most of my expenses (that aren't made up, shh ) were less than $10 a piece, in many cases under $5... and I've only got a handful of them...

I want to be getting that comfortable living up and running too, still currently paying off a bit of debt that I accumulated in the past 6 months of 'making it'... but travelling is the ultimate goal for me as well. Can't say it's a passion yet, because I haven't done enough to feel that way... but it's important to me that I DO travel, as a personal philosophy. There's too much out there not to see, and we have everything we need to fund the experience in a briefcase... (sounds better than laptop bag ) Thanks man.

Why Did YOU Get Into Copywriting?

I got into copywriting as soon as I'd crafted my very first one for my very first online product launch.

I remember at the time I approached learning how to copywrite the same way I try to learn everything: by studying the best copywriters. To me it was similar to how when I very first learnt HTML, you sort of just mess arround with the source code, do abit of research, run your own tests and you achieve real results.

What Do You Ultimately Hope To Achieve?

Honestly right now I am quite contempt. I am a Web and Graphic Designer, Copywriter and Author and Webmaste but I do also have ambitions. What intruiges me about 'internet marketing' is the £600,000 launches and the mass spread of knowledge.

I am personally always on a hunt for knowledge, I love it! I would consider myself a polymath; my 2nd home is the libary trust me! So, for me to be able to teach and spread knowledge is a dream and a pretty cool career.

AJ

Seek - I like where you're headed AJ (hey, same initials ... incidentally have you noticed that 'AJ' and 'TJ' and 'CJ' are basically the only initials that get used instead of real names? Madness...)... I guess the learning process IS basically the same for everything... study the best, do what they do, then go your way

On the point of 6 figure launches... that's just networking and relationship building man... get your name out there, make some friends, show off your mad skillz and leverage favours

... and you meant 'content', right? Instead of 'contempt'... Otherwise you just sound quite angry

Alex - I literally read your post and went looking for it straight away... I've been interested in Adwords / PPC for quite some time now... seems like one of those things (like copywriting) that you need to do right, or not at all... so it puts loads of people off, leaving plenty of cash on the table for folks like you and me

Cam - PPC Coach you say? I'm actually in contact with Will who runs that... and Ken who co-runs their other venture as well. Thanks for mentioning it, I think I'm gonna have to reacquaint myself

Oh man... I DO have a Kindle... best not let my Mum know about that software though, it was a christmas present :p

I'm on it

I was walking across the street one day when I saw a sign that said, "Barbeque".

At that moment I knew I was destined to be a copywriter.

Seriously though...

I had a career in sales and it was just a natural flow through.

I hope eventually to become a billionaire...

I was actually talking about UltimateIM, that's the one he does with Ken, not sure about the other ones (as in, don't know Ken's involvement)

They always pump out quality though, they're good guys... I've been considering PPC-Coach for a while now... guess it's worth taking a look!

I got into copywriting because of two things: inclination and necessity. Writing has always been fairly easy for me (that first half-hour's the worst, huh?), and in business development consulting I discovered that my clients *needed* me to write advertising & promotional literature for them. Or, you know, they wouldn't achieve their revenue targets and yours truly wouldn't get paid.

A long time ago, in a galaxy a little different than this one, I started out by reading David Ogilvy and Dan Kennedy. Back then, contrarian thinking was considered as sensible as trying ride one of the pterodactyls that were constantly swooping overhead. Thankfully, both that kind of thinking and the beasties have gone extinct. Over the intervening years I picked up techniques every so often, usually learning through trial and error though, and these days I listen closely to Seth Godin. Generally speaking, I don't do much print work anymore, but concentrate on Web copy because that's where it's at.

I don't rely on copywriting alone for steady work, but typically include it as one of the necessary components of my business development and sales training services. Cranking up the old writing talent (coughs and sputters for about half an hour like I said earlier, but after that runs like a charm) remains one of the most fun parts of helping clients, though.

Arfa - I was hoping you'd drop by It's so rare I get the chance to say this... but you are so truly deserving of every single success that comes your way, it fills my heart with that feeling of... 'way to ****ing go' . Well done Lady ... now where's that reprobate Andrews...? :p

Steve - I had the pleasure of speaking with Arfa by pure and fortunate coincidence about a month or so back and she is the sole reason I was able to get 100% back into the copywriting game. I was jumping from 'business interest' to 'business interest' and I needed to focus, because I wasn't actually getting anything substantial done... at least not as well enough as I felt was needed.

She told me that story and it gave me tremendous hope... I had an epiphany, an 'a-ha' moment and a wave of clarity all at the same time

I realised my purpose and I set to work with more intensity and dedication than perhaps ever before in my life.

So once again, thank you Arfa, for being the kind of strong, inspiring and courageous woman that's so severaly lacking in this world.

Jason - Thanks man, I really enjoyed that post... Interesting stuff, that's a pretty different path than I think most other folks take. Certainly different from mine Bet you're glad it became a necessity though, huh? Ain't it cool being a man of many talents

Cam - I don't want to leave you out buddy... Agreed

If I may say Arfa, you're goal is probably bigger than any of ours... which is to have a happy life

Well essentially it's mine too... I don't want cars (can't drive), motorbikes (they took my license away :p) or really anything expensive.

I think the biggest thing on my wish list is a new laptop...

I do have plenty of people to pay back though... and I haven't given myself a choice either.

Like I said earlier... I just up and quit regular 'job' work because my soul couldn't take it anymore. I was sick of settling for second (or third, fourth, whatever) best and I just threw myself into the thick of it.

But it's not as simple as being able to set my own hours now... I've got a wonderful sister and nana who have both lent me quite a sum of money to keep me going with my ambition... so now I'm doing it to maintain my honour... I want to do them proud

I've got a list of people I want to buy expensive gifts for, as a thankyou for contributing to my acquisition of a happy life.

I've also got a few 'I told you so's' to hand out

But while I'm very cautious to compare our situations... we both took the plunge out of the desire for happiness, and to take care of the ones we love, I think, which rightfully includes ourselves.

Amaan's adorable by the way, thought it'd be weird to bring it up myself though

In the beginning, I got into it to make money.

Now I hope to achieve greater mastery of communication and persuasion techniques in general through my study and practice of copy. =)

That's pretty much a summary of my journey too, thinking about it

Question is... what do you hope to achieve with your mastery of communication and persuasion techniques? and why?



Gettin' DEEP!!