As we’re wrapping up the new year, I thought I’d share a year-end ritual that preps me for success in the new year. First, I start by looking back at the year that’s ending and asking myself a few questions. The key, of course, is to be gentle with myself and what’s over, but also be ruthlessly honest in my evaluation. What went well with my career this year? What were my … [Read more...]
Why Copywriting Discounts Don’t Work
There are certain times of year (Black Friday, in particular!) where it can feel like every business is running discounts. But does that mean you should be discounting your copywriting services? Let’s dig into exactly what discounting copywriting services means for building your business. It’s true that many (if not most) businesses run some kind of sale on Black Friday, … [Read more...]
Copywriting Job Sites Will Cost You BIG Time
We’ve talked before about how copywriting job sites—sites where you post a profile and bid for work—are trouble. But today I want to show you just how much you could be losing. Our team receives a lot of questions about copywriting job sites or freelance job listing sites in general. They seem like a great deal: You create a profile, then people who are looking for … [Read more...]
What Copywriters Should Charge for Content Work
Professional copywriters know the difference between copy—writing that sells and persuades—and content—writing that educates, entertains, or inspires. They also know that, as copywriters, it’s likely that their clients will call on them to write content at one point or another. But what many don’t know is what they should charge for that content work. It’s true that content … [Read more...]
Creative Ways to Market Yourself as a Copywriter
Marketing your copywriting services via your website, networking, and with pitch emails is both crucial and here to stay. But with new technology and new outlets appearing every day, there are all kinds of opportunities to market yourself as a copywriter in new and creative ways. As I’ve said before, and I’m sure I’ll say thousands of times more, you absolutely must have an … [Read more...]
How to Deal With Copywriting Clients Who Don’t Pay
Every freelancer’s fear (apart from not finding work) is that their clients won’t pay them. For the record, it’s very, very rare that a client will just never pay you. In the course of my nearly 20-year copywriting career, it’s never happened. Remember: clients are human. And, as such, it does happen from time to time that they put off paying invoices longer than they … [Read more...]
How Copywriters Can Deal With Lazy Clients
Landing clients is your first (and very doable) challenge to build your career as a copywriter. But after that, there are some clients who require more assistance than others. And some who require a lot more assistance. Here’s what to do with the clients who don’t want to hold up their end of the bargain. Most clients understand that if they want good output … [Read more...]
Keys to Getting Recruiters Interested in You
Recruiters can be amazing resources for getting you work—but they’ll only be great resources for you if you’re a great resource for them. After all, they work for the companies looking for copywriters, not the other way around. So how do you attract a recruiters’ attentions and get them interested? The mistake a lot of people—including copywriters—make is thinking that … [Read more...]
What to Look for in a Copywriting Job
When you’re applying for copywriting jobs, you’re looking for a good fit for you just as much as the company is looking for a good fit for the position. But what does that mean? What makes one job great and one job “meh”? What, ultimately, should you look for in a copywriting job? First, let's set aside salary and benefits. A job has to have a salary that is commensurate … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: Planning for Taxes
If you’re moving from on-staff work to freelancing—or even just freelancing on nights and weekends—you’re in for a whole new world of taxation. Here’s what you need to know… Today’s question comes from Meera V., who asks, “Are there any tax implications I should know about when I accept freelance work? Clients don’t withhold taxes, do they?” This is a very astute question. … [Read more...]