FREELANCE WRITING
How to Make a Living as a Freelance Writer
Janice Hally
Smashwords Edition
ISBN: 978-1-4657-6668-7
Copyright 2011 Janice Hally
All rights reserved
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Preface
No-one can become a writer if they don't have a talent for it. However, if you want to make a living as a writer you need more than talent. Making a living means becoming professional, and that means harnessing your talent and using it in ways you've never considered before. The more versatile you are as a writer, the more chances you will create for finding work.
What is technical writing? How do you write a newsletter for a business? Knowing the answers to these questions might open the doors to writing opportunities that you'd never considered.
I've made my living as a freelance writer of fiction and non-fiction for 30 years. Sometimes I've followed my heart and written exactly what I wanted, sometimes I've taken contracts to write what other people wanted and sometimes I've found myself branching out into new fields like teaching and mentoring, or ghost-writing.
I was Feature Writer for Suite101's Freelance Writing section before taking over as Suite101's Topic Editor of Freelance Writing and Writing for Stage and Screen. This book is a collection of 67 articles I wrote for Suite101 adding up to over 46,000 words of advice and information to anyone contemplating becoming a freelance writer.
Use the book as a reference library to dip in and out of when you're looking for information or inspiration. Read the chapters in any order as required. In particular, if you're hoping to make a living as a freelance writer, have a look at the section on all the different types of paid writing work you can find, like business writing and sales writing, you might discover something you have a talent for, that you had never considered. Check out the glossary section so that you'll feel more confident when you come across words and terms in the freelance workplace that you're unfamiliar with.
Browse through the titles and you'll find a wide variety of tips on all aspects of working as a freelance writer with lots of useful information and practical advice.
Getting Paid as a Freelance Writer
What is the Difference between Editing, Copy Editing & Proofreading
What is a Newsletter? Who commissions them, and what are they looking for?
Glossary of Terms Used in Freelance Writing - Words & Phrases Every Freelance Should Know
Types of Article: Filler, Feature, Service, Seasonal or Evergreen
Writing an Article - Byline, Lede, Hook, Nut Graph, Slant, and Credit
Submitting an Article for Publication - Masthead, Guidelines, Query, and Submission
Agreeing a Contract for Publication Rights - Kill Fee, Acceptance, and Publication
Working with an Editor - Crib Sheet, Tear Sheet, Galley, and Clip
Practical Advice on Freelance Writing
Scams Aimed at Writers - Be Warned!
Grammar Tips for Writers
Getting Paid as a Freelance Writer
How Much Do Freelance Writers Usually Get Paid?
What are the Going Rates for Articles or Freelance Writing Jobs?
Making a living from writing can be a risky business, one of the first questions most budding freelance writers will ask is: "How much will I be paid?"
There was an era when journalism and freelance writing was regarded as a profession, with a "going rate" for a professional job. Things are rapidly changing. Newspapers are closing their print operations and switching to the Internet.
The burgeoning of the Internet has led to:
a demand for words and articles to fill webspace
an army of budding "writers" – sometimes based in third world countries – who are happy and willing to work for nothing or next to nothing
Decreasing Rates
The National Writers' Union recommends that journalists look for a minimum of one dollar per word. They mention, however, that rates are effectively reducing all the time, citing examples such as Good Housekeeping who: "reported offering $1 a word in 1966 and the same $1 a word in 1998".
In fact, what a writer will get paid for a freelance writing job, depends on what they decide that they are worth, as it is normally up to the writer to accept the rate that is offered or to hold out for more, knowing that they might end up with nothing.
What is a Writer Worth?
It's impossible to put an estimate of what a writer might be paid "per word" or "per article". It's incumbent upon freelance writers to decide what their writing is worth and refuse to sell their articles for less.
To work out the value of an article, the writer must take account of several factors:
The writer's yearly budget of living costs and professional expenses.
The number of articles the writer is likely to sell on average each month across a year.
The length of time required for research.
The length of time required to write.
The "value" of the article (unique qualities increase value e.g. an exclusive interview plus photographs of a reclusive celebrity would be worth thousands of dollars more than a "how-to" article about making healthy salads)
The value of the job to the writer (a writer might accept a job in a high profile magazine for little or no money because of the exposure - and possible rewards - it will provide).
Ways for Writers to Increase their Value
Writers can ensure that they get the highest possible rates for their writing by
Learning their craft and presenting themselves as professionals
Learning about the marketplace and being fully apprised of jargon, professional practices, and possibilities.
Targeting specific publications with specialist articles (it is important to study back issues of magazines and only offer articles which would appeal to them).
Building a strong portfolio of clips to back up their credibility and demonstrate their talent
Concentrating on a subject, and becoming an expert in a field
Finding new and unique stories or angles.
Things to Remember
It's important, when putting a price on their work, for writers to remember that everything is variable. A considerable amount of thought and judgment is required. There is no mathematical formula.
A high profile article in a high profile magazine could bring a writer a flood of work as a result of the exposure it bring. Writers who are at the beginning of their careers might considering writing articles for less than they are in theory "worth", in order to get the exposure and prestige attached to writing for a particular publication.
Knowledge and research are the fundamental tools for every writer.
Know the jargon of the profession
Recognize scams designed to take advantage of writers
How Do Freelance Writers Get Paid?
Do Print Publications Pay the Writer per Hour, Word, or Article?
Online magazines will normally take limited rights from the author of an article, allowing them to sell the article on, in print or in other digital forms; however, print publications will normally demand more rights to the work, making it difficult or impossible to sell the article elsewhere. In return for these rights, print publications normally pay much better rates for freelance writing jobs than online magazines or websites, but how they pay a writer, can vary enormously from case to case.
Freelance Writing Work
The first thing to take account of is that freelance writing work is different from other types of work. Anyone starting a freelance writing career from an environment where they were paid by the hour at the office (regardless of how much time they spent in that office drinking coffee) will now find themselves in an environment where editors want to give them as little as possible in payment for their work (regardless of how much time the writer spent researching or writing it).
Most print publications will make an agreement to commission an article in advance based on a proposal. This means there will be a negotiating process which will take into account the value of the particular article to the magazine. Although a magazine may have a publicly stated "rate per word", this rate could be negotiated up or down substantially depending upon the experience of the writer and the unique qualities of the article.
Payment per Word
The truth is that no-one should take this too literally. The more words, the less money per word a writer will probably get. For example a 200-word "filler" piece for a magazine will have a fee attached to it, but an editor may ask for a piece 800 – 1000 words long and offer the same money whether a writer delivers 800 or 1000.
In other words, no-one will literally be counting the words and paying the freelance writer for each one. Generally figures will be given in a range e.g. between x and y per word. What that range is, can vary enormously.
Payment per Article
The payment for an article will depend of several factors. There is no average rate. In fact within one magazine, rates will vary. Several factors can affect the value of a story to a magazine.
Is the story exclusive and controversial?
Does the writer have an impressive portfolio?
Is the writer the only person who can deliver this story?
If the answer is yes to the questions above, then the writer is in a good position to negotiate the highest possible payment for the article.
Payment per Series of Articles
A lucrative tactic is to sell a series of articles to a magazine. The magazine may offer a slightly reduced rate per word or per article, but the writer must balance this against other factors:
the security of knowing that they are building a long term commitment
the time saved each month by not having to sell a new idea to a different editor
Payment per Hour
Very few employers will pay writers per hour of their time. Writers are normally paid for the fruits of their labors, not the labors themselves. Whether fees are paid "per word" or "per article", it's imperative for writers to decide what their time and their writing is worth and set their own limits on what they will accept.
Writers must learn the basics of the freelance writing business. Understanding the profession and being regarded as a professional by others will always increase writers' earning potential, and their chances of winning freelance writing jobs, whether rates are paid per word, or per article.
Freelance Writing – Knowing the Market
Selling Articles is All About Knowing in Advance Who Will Buy Them
Finding an editor or publication in advance of writing articles is the best way of finding a publisher for them.
Many people believe that the way to make a living as a writer is to start writing. In fact the business of being a writer is the same as the business of anyone else who has a product that they want to sell. Writers must approach their craft as a business; and for that they have to understand their products.
How To Make a Living as a Writer
Writers should first realize that they have two distinct products to sell: the first is their own talent, the second is their writing.
Selling Talent
Writers can sell their talent as a "Writer For Hire" adapting themselves to different types of writing jobs, and following the specifications of an "employer" to deliver the product. They can be employed as ghost writers, copywriters, or in any number of writing jobs. This sort of work often involves getting no credit, or name on the printed page. But writers who feel that they must "see their name in lights", still have to approach what they do in a business-like manner.
Selling Writing
Writers who want to sell their writing, with their own name prominently attached, face a far more difficult task. For any hope of success they must do a lot of basic groundwork and research first.
Know the Market
Writing speculatively is a very risky business. Writers can spend a lot of time researching and writing an article because it interests them, but unless it interests an editor and a potential readership, then that time will be wasted.
Read, Read, Read!
The first step to becoming a successful writer is to read. Writers must read everything they can in the field in which they want to write. If they want to write articles on specialist subjects such as gourmet cooking, or dog breeding, then they must find all the magazines that are available in those fields.
Who Must The Articles Appeal To?
Writers of articles must remember that they are not writing for themselves. They must write to appeal to and please three groups of people:
the editors
the readers
the advertisers.
Pleasing the Editor
Writers should examine the magazines and get to know the regular features; get to know the editors' likes and dislikes; a pattern will emerge that will reveal the tone and style of the magazine. It often helps to compare and contrast magazines that apparently have the same market, such as magazines for brides and weddings. By reading them side by side, it is possible for writers to see which magazine is most likely to be interested in their style of writing or the subject matter they have chosen.
Pleasing the Readers
Editors want to please their readers, so getting to know the editor should be a way of getting to know the readership of a magazine. It's important to note the differences of approach that appealing to different age groups might have. A cookery article for a busy young mother would be quite different from a cookery article for the 50+ year old gourmet.
Pleasing the Advertisers
The advertisers provide the life blood of any publication. it's important to give as much time to reading the advertising in the magazine as to reading the articles. Examining the types of advertising that the magazine attracts will reveal a lot about the perceived readership of the magazine. If writers can demonstrate to an editor that their articles will be good for what the advertisers believe are the magazine's target audience, then the editor will know that they will please the magazine's marketing department.
Hitting the Target
Knowing the market will increase every writer's chances of making a living as a freelance writer. Writers should approach an editor with a pitch which shows they are targeting the right readership through the right magazine. Apart from demonstrating professionalism, it increases the chance of success for writers.
How To Make Money Writing Articles
Making a Living From Freelance Writing
A career as a freelance writer can be planned in simple steps.
Making a living as a freelance writer is possible, but it requires some planning to have the best chance of success.
Learn the Craft
Success doesn't come without some hard work, study and effort. Editors will only take approaches from writers seriously if those approaches are professional.
It's important to learn the basics of freelance writing. Ingenuity and the talent to write are things that no-one can teach, but there are many aspects of the craft that can be learned and even the most naturally talented people must be sure that they are tackling the job in a professional manner. Learn and follow the rules and expectations of editors and publications.
Here are a few areas of expertise to research.
How do freelance writers get paid – and how much?
What is the market for freelance writers and what types of freelance writing jobs are there?
What is the difference between editing, copy editing & proofreading?
What is meant by: byline, lede, hook, nut graph, slant, credit, masthead, kill fee, crib sheet, tear sheet, galley, and clip?
Learn about layout and keywords for E-zine and Online Article
Learn how to benefit from research
Learn how to win bids on freelance writing sites
What are the top five mistakes freelance writers make?
Get a Collection of Clips
Once all the research has been done, it's important to get some practice writing articles. Doing unpaid or low paid work at this stage can be a good investment in any freelance writer's future.
Try approaching local freesheets or newspapers.
Apply to online magazines and offer to write for them, even if they do not pay very much, they offer excellent opportunities to learn the techniques.
Every writer has the freedom to start their own blog. A blog can be used as a showcase. Blogs need not be simple diaries, they can be used to create a writer's own online magazine, with articles about subjects of their choice. The important thing for every writer is to have their writing available for people to read. Gone are the days when only the chosen few could find their names and their writing in the public domain.
Approach Magazines
Becoming a credible, published freelance writer usually means being published by a recognized print magazine. Freelance writers should not be too afraid to present their article ideas to an editor of a magazine. Provided that the writer makes an approach in a professional manner, and can provide samples of their work - online or in print - experience is not necessarily required to get a commission for an article.
Even if a writer does not have a long professional track record, some considerations will help to swing the editor's decision in the writer's favour.
For example:
Is the writer an expert in the field concerned?
Does the writer have unique access to the subject matter?
Does the writer have a unique idea?
Credibility, special connections, and originality will help any writer secure that first contract with a major magazine.
Find out more about the basics of freelance writing, and remember that becoming a writer, like everything else, starts with research and hard work.
Become a Blogger and Make it Pay
Writing a blog is the easiest way for any freelance writer to make their work available to the public. Most people do it for fun, but it can be profitable, too!
Making money from blogging is possible, there have been a few examples of people who have been highly successful at it. The key, first of all, is to have an entertaining blog which builds an audience. The next step is to become acquainted with all the possibilities that exist for earning money from a blog.
Incorporating Contextual Advertising
Advertising programs such as Google's Adsense are easily incorporated into a blog. They generate advertisements tied to the content of each blog entry and the owner of the blog receives a percentage of the advertising revenue which is generated.
Selling Advertising Space Direct
Another way to handle advertising is to sell the space on a blog direct to advertisers. The advantage of this is that deals can be struck which guarantee a set amount of money over a set period. This requires a little more selling and administration on the part of the blogger, but it can have rewards.
Promotion
Similar to advertising is direct promotion of a company or product in a blog. For example if a writer is a fan of or an expert on a certain product, or company, and the writer creates an entertaining of informative blog, dedicated to that product, then it could be possible to do a sponsorship deal where the product or company is actively promoted on the site.
Selling
Becoming an associate for a company such as Amazon allows writers to sell a wide variety of items through links on their blogs, and in return they will receive a percentage of the profits. The most obvious example of this is a blog dedicated to book reviews, where there are links for people to buy the books through the blogger's Amazon Associates account.
Self-Promotion – Selling Services
A blog may be used to promote services that the writers themselves offer. For example, if writers offer editing services, writing courses, or they have e-books of their courses or advice, then the blog can be a shop window for them.
Self-Promotion – Selling Goods
Following on from the above, it's possible for bloggers to sell their own merchandise direct from their blogs. If bloggers are also artists or photographers, for example, then they can write about their work, show it and sell it direct from a blog. Humorists can also sell items such as mugs, T-shirts, tailgate stickers or greetings cards with humorous slogans printed on them, by using a company like CafePress.
Blogging For Someone Else
Companies are now hiring writers to keep their blogs up do date. Writing jobs like this can be found advertised on freelance writing sites such as Elance.
Turning a Blog into a Book
Blogs which are collections of humorous stories, blogs giving advice on a subject, personal diaries which read like first person novels: all of these can be turned into books, either using a print-on-demand service, such as Amazon's Booksurge or Createspace, or by creating and selling E-books direct to the public through the blog itself.
No matter what method is used, the bottom line is that the blog must be entertaining, informative, and popular. Building a regular audience, and keeping them is crucial to the success of making money by blogging.
Making a Living as a Freelance Writer
How to Find and Secure Writing Jobs
Freelance writing work is advertised everywhere, but establishing your credentials is the key to getting work as a writer.
Once a writer is established it is easy to give examples of published work and use them to secure writing gigs with new editors or publications; but how does a new or relatively inexperienced writer secure work in the first place?
Whether writers are just starting out, or are experienced in one field of writing and trying to switch to another type of writing, they face the problem of establishing their credibility. How does a writer without a curriculum vitae showing an impressive list of published work, or a large selection of cuttings or clips, convince an editor or client to trust them with a writing job?
It is not as difficult as it sounds.
Choose the Right Freelance Writing Marketplace
It will be hard, but not impossible, for an inexperienced writer to sell an idea to a major magazine. A much easier marketplace in which to compete is a freelance bidding site. Bidding sites such as Elance may attract many thousands of writers who are willing to work for very little money, but they also attract a huge number of clients who are genuinely looking for writers. The trick is to ignore the extremely low-paid work and examine carefully the jobs which offer higher pay and may require specialist knowledge of some sort.
Break into the Book Market
There are many business people who are willing to employ writers to write a book for them. The variety of subjects is enormous, from investment or mortgage advice, to medical or health issues, or spiritual advice. The books are usually being sold through the client's own website in either "Print On Demand" or E-book form.
Use Your Specialist Knowledge
Seek out jobs for which you are uniquely qualified or have a particular interest, and can bring some sort of specialist knowledge to your writing.
Create an Attractive Profile
Remember to take some time making your profile as professional as possible on the bidding site. Don't apologize for lack of experience, but instead highlight your talents and abilities. If possible, upload samples of your writing, published or unpublished. Finally, always write your profile in third person.
Have a Website
A website is the essential online calling card for all writers. It's important that you have your own website.
Put Your Time and Talent Where Your Mouth Is
Be prepared to do what it takes to get a break and some experience.
Offer to write a sample chapter on spec (at no charge) to demonstrate that you have what it takes to write the book
Be prepared to lower your price to get the job - having a book on your CV may be worth more in the long run.
Demonstrate your Professionalism.
If you are dealing with a client who wants a book ghost-written, and intends to self-publish, remind them that before a book goes to publication it requires to be properly formatted and proof-read. Point out what it would cost for a proof reader, copy editor, or to have a book formatted, and offer a price which includes everything to make their book ready for publication.
Write a Killer Bid
The key to a great bid is not what the writers say about themselves, but what they say about the client and the job in hand.
It goes without saying that no potential client will be impressed with a "cut and paste" bid that could be applied to any job. E.g. "My writing skills are second to none, if you employ me you will be extremely satisfied with my work".
The key to winning a bid is to make sure that the bid refers specifically to the job that the client wants done.
Give the reasons that this job appeals particularly to you, and describe the special qualities that you will bring to it.
Show evidence that you are uniquely qualified for the job, attaching examples of any work you have done in similar style, or field.
Demonstrate that you have given the job a considerable amount of thought and suggest ways in which you would tackle it. For example, draw up a sample table of contents, showing how you would organize the chapters.
Offer extras, as suggested above, and offer to be open to discuss the various possibilities with the client.
Remember that striking up a rapport with a potential client is very important. As well as the fact that it could lead to other work, good communication with a client makes the process of doing the job and ironing out any wrinkles much easier.
What Types of Freelance Writing Jobs are Available?
Many people who dream of making a living as a freelance writer, think about journalism and writing articles. In fact there are many more types of writing around.
Writers are in demand the world over. If freelance writers look beyond the idea of simply writing articles, they will find a wealth of possibilities, many of them lucrative.
Freelance Writing Sites
Sites such as Elance highlight the opportunities around for freelance writers, offering jobs for writers in categories such as:
Copywriting
Freelance Technical Writing
Creative Non-Fiction Writing
Academic Writing
Business Writing
Writing Web Content
Ghost Writing
Editing, Copy Editing & Proofreading
Sales Writing
Writing Press Releases
Creative Writing
Many writers are capable of doing several of the above. Anyone hoping to make a living as a freelance writer should find out more about each of the types of writing and experiment, not only to widen the possibilities of finding freelance writing work, but because the talents acquired for one type of writing will often benefit a writer in other types of writing.
Copywriting
"Copy" refers to any piece of writing which fills pages of brochures, magazines, or newspapers. Copywriters specifically write scripts for advertisements, material for promotional brochures for companies; public relations material; press releases; and all sorts of marketing material.
Freelance Technical Writing
One of the most lucrative forms of freelance writing is technical writing. A technical writer normally writes manuals or presentations explaining complex information of a specialist nature. The technical writer may or may not be an expert in a particular field, but must be capable of doing research and understanding scientific or technical material. The writing may be required to be written for technical professionals in the same field, or non-specialist members of the general public (e.g. manuals for computing software)
Creative Non-Fiction Writing
Creative non-fiction is a wide genre of writing which is essentially subjective. It is either written in the first person, or the first person perspective is implicit. Personal observations bring the subject matter to life for the reader. Creative non-fiction writing can take the form of literary journalism, literary non-fiction, personal essay or narrative, travel writing, food writing, nature writing, literary memoir, even blogging. Potential earnings from creative non-fiction writing can come in the form of grants, prizes, writing fellowships not to mention competitions.
Academic Writing
Freelance writers can find jobs writing academic papers such as essays, theses, and the writing of reports. Specialist writing skills and a knowledge of the correct form and layout are required. Academic writing can be extremely well-paid, but as well as the additional skills required, it is essential that there is no hint of plagiarism, so the work can involve intensive research.
Business Writing
Business writing draws together many different forms of writing, such as press releases, marketing brochures, web copy, blogging, reports, power point presentations, as well as secretarial skills of memo and letter writing. Freelance writers who are proficient in these forms of writing can find work from home as a "virtual assistant" for a business.
Writing Web Content
Freelance writers can be commissioned to produce copy for websites, or may even be employed as bloggers for a company who wants to use a blog to promote their products.
Ghost Writing
Ghost writing, basically means writers selling all rights to their work and allowing someone else to publish it under their name. Ghost writing can encompass all types of fiction and non-fiction: from movie screenplays, through memoirs, to 'how-to' books.
Editing, Copy Editing & Proofreading
A skilled writer can find work editing other people's work. It is important to understand the differences between editing, copy-editing and proofreading.
Sales Writing
Sales copy or sales letters are used by companies for direct mail contact with the customer to sell goods or services. They may be brochures, leaflets, actual letters, or E-mails. Writing sales copy can be much more lucrative than writing articles, but requires a similar amount of research.
Writing Press Releases
Many companies hire writers to produce a single press release for them. It is important that freelance writers learn and abide by the strict layout and content rules of the press release.
Creative Writing
Creative writing is the most difficult but potentially most profitable forms of freelance writing. Novels, screenplays, television drama writing, even poetry can bring rewards for the writer, but in most circumstances the writer must take the risk of working speculatively, producing their work for no money in the hope that they will eventually find a producer or publisher.
How To Become a Writer For Hire
Making a Living Writing Can Mean Selling Talent Instead of Books
Writers can have more chance making a living if they are prepared to tailor their writing to other people's demands.
Writing articles in the hope of selling them to online or print magazines or newspapers can be a risky business. If a person has a talent as a writer, and is prepared to work to someone else's specifications, then it is possible to make a living as a writer for hire.
What is a "Writer for Hire?"
In journalism, most reporters answer to their editors and deliver their stories in the form that is required by the newspaper. A "writer for hire" does the same thing for a variety of different employers.
Freelance writers who want to become a writer for hire, must have certain abilities. They must:
Be adaptable and open-minded to possibilities. There is no room for ego as a writer for hire.
Know the Market. A lot of research is required in terms of getting to know the types of jobs that are available.
Know their own Abilities and Talents. There is no point in writers putting themselves forward for jobs they cannot do. They will only end up ruining their reputations.
Learn To Sell their Talents. Writers for hire must be able to sell themselves and their abilities. There is no room for modesty when they are trying to convince employers that they are the best person for the job.
Knowing the Market
Knowing the market is one of the most important elements of becoming a writer for hire. Freelance sites, like Elance, offer a variety of opportunities perhaps in areas that a freelance writer may never have considered. So understanding the possibilities will increase every writer's chances of being employed For example, writer for hire jobs can be found in…
Copywriting or Sales Writing
Freelance Technical Writing
Business Writing
Writing Web Content
Ghost Writing
Editing, Copy Editing & Proofreading
Copywriting or Sales Writing
Writing copy for brochures or advertising material or direct mail can be extremely lucrative if a writer can demonstrate the talent to write in persuasive and compelling way.
Freelance Technical Writing
Freelance technical writing is very well paid because it requires the ability to research, understand and then explain complex scientific or technical information. The technical writer must have the ability to become an expert - temporarily - in a particular field in order to write manuals or other material of a specialist nature.
Business Writing
Freelance writers can find work as "virtual assistants" for a business. Many managers are looking for someone who can combine organizational skills and basic secretarial skills such as memo and letter writing with the ability to write press releases, web copy, reports, power point presentations, marketing brochures, as well as. Some companies are even paying people to blog for their company!
Writing Web Content
Companies who create and design websites often do not possess the writing skills required to finish the website in a professional manner, and will hire writers to write the web content for them.
Ghost Writing
Ghost writer can find themselves doing all sorts of writing jobs: from "autobiographies" to "how-to" books. If a writer has a particular talent, such as screenwriting, then they can find work re-writing other people's scripts. As long as a writer is prepared to give up the idea of having their name credited on the piece of work, they can find work and make a substantial amount of money being a "ghost".
Editing, Copy Editing & Proofreading
Editing other people's writing, copy-editing, and proofreading are all areas where a writer can be hired as a freelance. These are specialist jobs, however, and it is important to know and understand all the professional requirements and expectations.
Can any Freelance Writer Learn to Become a Copywriter?
Professional copywriting skills are in demand and copy writing jobs are among the highest paid for freelance writers, so what does it take to become a copy writer?
Copywriters write "copy" or material which is commissioned by someone to perform a specific purpose, e.g.
Scripts for advertisements
Material for promotional brochures
Public relations material such as press releases
Marketing material of all sorts
The skills required are the same as for general freelance writing: a good command of the English language and the ability to communicate ideas and messages well.
In addition a copy writer requires exceptional creative flair and the ability to work within extremely restricted word counts. They also need to have a knowledge of marketing methods and have the ingenuity to incorporate marketing techniques into their writing.
Copywriting is a craft, and there is much that has to be learned.
Writers who are hoping for copywriting careers can find many copywriting courses available online. A copywriting course can help by teaching the marketing knowledge and skills people which people with natural talent can combine with their writing ability to meet the very specific requirements of copy writing.
Compelling, Eye-Catching, Irresistible!
The first thing that people considering copywriting careers have to learn is the skill of writing headlines. Novelists often say that finding the right title, is more difficult that writing an entire 100,000-word novel. The copywriter is always facing the challenge of communicating with the fewest number of words, and the headline is where everything starts.
Catching the Audience and Keeping Them
Once a copywriter has mastered the art of grabbing the reader with a compelling, eye-catching and irresistible headline, the next task is to keep them and get the message across without boring or losing them. Whether it is copy for an advertisement, a press release, a web landing page, or a newsletter, the copywriter's job is to hold on to the reader and make it impossible for them to go.
Engaging the Audience
Making a reader stay until the end requires the ability to intrigue, entertain, and offer something that the reader is looking for and cannot resist. Copywriting requires clever structure that is constantly moving onward and upward. If the headline was compelling and irresistible, the parts which follow have not only to live up to the promise, but to increase in intensity to take the reader step-by-step through to the end.
Make the Audience Act!
The ultimate objective is to provoke the reader into action of some sort. A press release should be designed to make a journalist want to pick up the phone, do an interview and write an enormous feature article. A sales pitch should be designed to make people get out their credit cards and place an order immediately.