Hi Angie,,

Basically, the process is quite simple.

Search out copywriters you respect and admire. Craft a letter and snail mail it to them. I recommend not e-mailing to avoid having your e-mail being put aside and forgotten.

In the letter, talk about your ambitions... Talk about how you respect and admire the copywriter... Maybe show them samples of your work you're proud of.. Make a proposal.

Follow-up with a phone call if you have their number. If they don't answer, leave a message. And keep following up. They'll respect that. Every copywriter has to start somewhere.

The key is to write a letter that will impress the hell out of them with your copywriting skills. If it takes you a week to write a two-page letter, so be it. Ultimately, you want a response from them, like "Wow, this is a really good letter."

Maybe in the PS you can say something like:

"PS: Although you are my first choice of someone to work with, if it isn't appropriate for us to work together at this time, can I ask a small favor? Would you mind forwarding my name and number to someone that might?"

At the upper echelons of copywriting are very small, very tight knit communities. Sometimes there are little cliques where copywriters pass jobs and Clients around to each other. Or there is one person who's a bit of bird-dog and has a stable of copywriters. Again, for the most part, everybody knows everybody in these little clans.

If your letter is memorable enough, it's not out of the realm of possibility they'll refer your name when the opportunity arises.

Good luck in your efforts,

- Rick Duris