How to Make Money by Copywriting

Anyone who writes copy is a copywriter--copywriters, freelance writers, advertising writers, and creative writers. Copy is anything that is involved with promoting ads, commercials, email sales, product sales, and web sales. Not all people are able to sell, or are considered good salesmen. But for those who are, copywriting is considered an excellent future.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Writing resume
• Portfolio samples
• Website with articles, copywriting, etc.
• Letters of reference
• A creative mind
• Be able to persuade someone
• Be able to pay close attention to detail
• Ability to write in several fields and areas
• Be able to recognize what target is needed for a particular product

1. WHAT IS A COPYWRITER? When someone writes a specific script that sells a product or a service, that person is referred to as a copywriter. This text or script is used in advertisements, with the product promoted through copywritten brochures, public outlets, newspaper announcements, and many other avenues. Fast becoming a major part of the media world, copywriters are very much in demand--especially those who have a good command of grammar and the English language. The first step is to ask yourself, does this description fit me? Can I sell? Is English a number one language for me? Am I good in grammar and spelling? If so, this may be the field for you.
2. HOW TO BE THAT PERFECT COPYWRITER SOMEONE HIRES: Companies and people choose copywriters for their ability to write, and the Internet is one of the most powerful medias used. Writing is something learned early in life and perfected throughout the years, with a strong desire to write more than anything else a key point. Some write well, while others write slightly better, and yet some write much worse yet still get a job. As a future career, copywriters can work as a freelance writer or steady as a copywriter full-time for a certain company or individua instead of just staying in one spot.
3. IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE A LIVING AT COPYWRITING? No matter how young a person starts writing, it will never be enough experience. As far as myself, I began writing at age 57 but I had previously written in college, with one summer involving four major art papers. Now I have written free-lance for several years with two years experience as a copywriter. Writing a book is not quick even though it pays better, so copywriting could be combined with magazine or book writing to cover both aspects. But from experience, if the writer is good they will easily become swamped with work, and have to learn to say no to work over less paying projects. Choose what pays the most and requires the least work, unless it is a position that appeals to the creativity. Listed below in the resource section are websites to apply for marketing jobs and how to do it.
4. LEARNING TO DOCUMENT THE SOURCES: Probably the most important thing to do is document any and all sources of a copywriten position, whether a college paper is being written or a copywritten article. Give credit where credit is due, and every source that is researched needs to be documented with the title, the website, the date, author, and so on. Bad things can happen otherwise, believe me. The web is full of horror stories about individuals who "borrow" ideas and marketing gimmicks from others.