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Prelim.qxp6/28/200610:52 AMPage iStart & Run aCopywriting BusinessSteve SlaunwhiteSelf-Counsel Press(a division of)International Self-Counsel Press Ltd.USA Canada
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage iiiContentsPrefacexiii1 Adventures in the Copywriting Business1A Great Home-Based Business Opportunity2What Is Copywriting?3Copywriting versus Other Types of Writing4Materials4Audience5Writing that sells5Style and structure5Grammar6Visuals6iii
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage ivThe Demand for Good Copywriters7The Road to Success8You as a Self-Employed Copywriter2 Is Having a Copywriting Business Right for Me?Pros1314Working from home14High income potential14Low start-up costs15Greater control over your work schedule15Plenty of work to go around15Working on creative, stimulating projects16Consiv1016Working from home16Lack of professional recognition16Uneven work flow17Deadline stress17No published writing credit17Your wrists, butt, waistline, and back18No regular paycheck18Financial stress in the first few years18A Day in the Life193 Getting Started25Focus on a Goal26Are You Going to Start Part Time or Full Time?27Playing the Name Game28Business Cards and Letterhead30Planning Your Work Space30You Must Have a Computer32You Must Have Internet Access and an E-Mail Account33What Happens When the Phone Rings?33Start-Up Finances38Start & run a copywriting business
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage v4 Building Your Book43What Is a Book?43What Samples Should I Include in My Portfolio?45Collecting Samples of Your Work48“But My Client Won’t Send Me Samples of My Work”48Never Loan Your Original Samples51“But I Don’t Have Any Writing Samples”51Volunteer writing for an association or charity52Help a small-business owner52Help a freelance designer53Write for your employer53Write articles for small publications and e-zines53Take a course53Create spec samples54Get a job as a copywriter54Try the sales letter idea55Don’t forget your own marketing materials55Putting It Together55Creating an Online Portfolio56Why have an online portfolio?57Putting together your online portfolio585 Identifying Target Markets61Start with What Brought You Here62Agency Side or Client Side63The Top Markets for Copywriting Services64Advertising agencies64Corporations69Direct Marketers69Charities and other nonprofit organizations70Professional associations71Contentsv
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage viLess Likely Markets — but Still ProspectsSmall businesses72Governments736 How to Get Clients75Creating a Successful Prospecting Plan76Sales letters78Postcards and other self-mailers80Cold 90What’s your prospecting personality?91Creating the Perfect Fulfillment PlanHow to get clients to say nice things about you —in writingCreating an Effective Keep-in-Touch Plan939698Ten ways to stay in touch with prospects99Remember, Each Assignment Earns the Next1007 The Fine Art of Quotingvi72101Develop a Fee Schedule102Hourly Rate or Fixed Fee?103Factors to Consider when Quoting Assignments108Meetings109The deadline109Type of industry110The technical complexity of the project110Is your client an agency or a design firm?111Size of client111Type of project111Negotiating Your Fee112Confirming the Sale113Start & run a copywriting business
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage vii8 How to Write Copy Your Clients Will LoveThree Questions to Ask before You Write1171181. Ask: “What is the goal?”1182. Ask: “What’s in it for the reader?”1183. Ask: “What do I want the reader to do?”119Unlocking the Secrets of Great Copy119Gain attention120Be better than the competition126Talk benefits127Support your claims with specifics128Use endorsements128Reduce the risk129Include a call to action130Specialized Copywriting Tasks131Writing for the Web131Writing “long copy” sales letters132Writing for the B2B market134The Best Way to Improve Your Copywriting9 How to Complete Common Copywriting Tasks136139Brochures and Other Sales Literature140Advertising142Direct Mail142Websites144E-Mail Marketing145Microsites146Case Studies149Newsletters and E-Zines149Press/Media Materials152Audio/Visual, CD-ROMs, Video, and Multimedia153Fundraising Letters154Keeping Your Skills Sharp155Contentsvii
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage viii10 Managing Your Work, Time, and MoneyFrom Start to Finish: How to Complete a 168Edit169Submitting the Assignment170Handling Requests for Revisions172Scheduling Your Time173Tips for Improving Your Productivity174Keep regular hours174Write during your power hours175Stay seated175Separate work from home176Invest in productivity-boosting ideas176Minimize time spent on non-billable tasks177Stay organized177Watch the Money178Sending invoices178Getting paid181Keeping good books181Some Final Advice11 Troubleshooting GuideProven Solutions to Common Problemsviii157183185186“HELP! My client complains my quote is too high!”186“HELP! I have more work than I can handle!”187“HELP! My client has given me an impossible deadline!”189“HELP! I don’t have any assignments!”189“HELP! A client won’t pay my invoice!”190“HELP! My client hates my copy!”191“HELP! I can’t stay motivated!”194Start & run a copywriting business
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage ix“HELP! I have to back out of an assignment!”195“HELP! The client I’m working with is a jerk!”196“HELP! I can’t get all the information I need frommy client to complete the job!”196“HELP! My client wants a teleconference. What theheck is that?”197“HELP! My client wants me to do more workthan I bargained for.”199Warning Signs200BEWARE! Small agencies and design firms200BEWARE! Entrepreneurial startups201BEWARE! New product launches201BEWARE! Clients who want a cheap price in return forthe promise of future work202BEWARE! Assignments with no set deadline203BEWARE! Large approval committees203BEWARE! Handshake agreements204BEWARE! Signing confidentiality agreements that limityour ability to freely market your services204BEWARE! Disreputable marketers20612 Advice from the Pros: Three Famous FreelancersTell Their Stories207Donna Baier Stein207Bob Bly210Ivan Levison214Contentsix
Contents.qxp6/28/200610:53 AMPage xChecklists1 Is a freelance copywriting business right for me?232 Ideal materials to include in your book463 Other materials you can include in your book47Samples1 Copywriter’s office setup342 Start-up budget403 Letter for getting samples of your work from clients504 Lead-generating sales letter (Targeted at ad agencies anddesign firms)815 Prospecting tracking form876 Getting more mileage from your articles897 Cultivating referrals928 Request for feedback979 Fee schedule10410 Quotation/agreement11411 34 ways to write a headline12212 Five-Point strategy for understanding any B2B product13713 Tips for writing e-mail messages and landing pages14714 The case study writing sequence15015 Five tips for writing a fundraising letter15616 How to prepare for a copywriting assignment16117 Product master sheet16418 Submitting an assignment17119 Invoice18020 Friendly reminder letter182Table1 Comparison of agency side versus client sidexStart & run a copywriting business65
Chap01.qxp6/28/200611:04 AMPage 11Adventures in theCopywriting BusinessBeing a self-employed copywriter can be a lot of things. It can befun, creative, challenging, invigorating, lucrative, tough, intensive,scary, relaxing, stressful, a pleasure, and a pain — but, thankfully,not all at the same time. One thing it’s not, though, is boring.Copywriting is always an adventure.Personally, I get a kick out of the new creative projects that hitmy desk each week. One day it’s an ad; the next, a website. Thisweek, for example, I’m working on a series of brochures for aninsurance company. I’m also writing an annual report for a largesoftware firm. I enjoy learning about new products and services.And, like all writers, I love seeing my work published in the dozensof ads, brochures, websites, direct mail, and other material I writeeach year.1
Chap01.qxp6/28/200611:04 AMPage 2A Great Home-Based Business OpportunityMany freelance copywriters Iinterviewed for this bookbegan writing copy part time,slowly developing their skills,knowledge, and client baseuntil they were ready tomake a full-timecommitment.When it comes to a home-based business, copywriting is (in myopinion) as good as it gets. I can think of few pursuits that offer amore optimal mix of low risk and high income potential. Hangingyour shingle requires little more than a computer, business cardsand stationery, and a desk to work on. Yes, a little writing talent andmarketing savvy help, but not as much as you might think.Perseverance and a willingness to learn can take you a long way (asthey did for me).As a copywriter, you can expect to be well paid. Self-employmentgurus Paul and Sarah Edwards report in their book, The Best HomeBased Businesses for the 21st Century, that an established, self-employedcopywriter can earn between 80,000 and 175,000 a year. Thisseems a little high to me, but most copywriters I know do earn atleast 50,000 a year, with some incomes creeping well over the sixfigure mark.Freelance copywriting, I might add, can also generate a goodincome from working on a part-time or casual basis. Just one project per month — whether it’s an ad, a brochure, or a website —can earn you an extra income of several hundred dollars permonth. Many freelance copywriters I interviewed for this bookbegan writing copy part time, slowly developing their skills,knowledge, and client base until they were ready to make a fulltime commitment. I began part time, and the money I earned andlessons I learned went a long way toward more successfullylaunching my full-time business.If you’re a freelance writer used to the pittance magazinesoften pay, copywriting can greatly augment your income. This isbecause the magazine market is a buyer’s market — with plenty ofwriters willing to work for free, simply to see their name in print.It’s tough to break into, and even tougher to earn decent fees foryour work.Copywriters, however, encounter a demand for their services. AsI explain later in this chapter, it’s not exactly a seller’s market, butit’s close to it. And there is certainly no reason for you to accept acopywriting assignment for little or no fee. Even as a beginner, youcan expect to earn good fees for the work you do.2Start & run a copywriting business
Chap01.qxp6/28/200611:04 AMPage 3Just how much experience and expertise do you need to earnthese great fees? Obviously, the more experience you have, thegreater your chance of success. But don’t let a perceived lack ofdirect experience prevent you from tackling your goal of becominga self-employed copywriter. Operating a successful copywritingbusiness essentially involves a combination of writing ability andmarketing strategy. If you have a modicum of the first, you canlearn the second in this book.Copywriting is a subset of business writing. Think about thebusiness documents you’ve written: memos, reports, proposals,query letters. Were some of these written to persuade others to actor make a decision, or to steer them to your point of view? If so,then you already have some experience as a copywriter. Even if youhaven’t, your love of writing and commitment to learning theunique strategies and approaches to crafting effective marketingcopy are the keys to succeeding in this business.Copywriting is “. a broadterm. The words on a menuare copy. So are the words inan ad, product description,press release, annual report,announcement, invitation,package insert, sales letter,web page, broadcast fax,What Is Copywriting?CD-ROMA few of years ago, while attending a business networking event, aman introduced himself to me and asked, “What do you do?” WhenI explained that I’m a copywriter, he immediately launched into along story about his nephew, a patent and trademarks lawyer. “Heworks with copyrights all the time,” he told me. “Perhaps you knowhim?” I tried, of course, to explain that I don’t copyright anything.I am a copywriter. But to no avail.presentation, andfood label.”— Elements of Copywritingby Robert W. Bly andGary BlakeSo, no, copywriting does not involve trademarks, patents, andcopyright. Copywriting is a creative process of organizing information and writing words (and sometimes suggesting concepts, structure, and visuals) used in creating effective sales and marketingdocuments. These include print ads, Internet banner ads,brochures, case studies, direct mail, sales letters, sale sheets, flyers,case studies, and new product announcements — in fact, the list isendless.Copywriters seek to inform, persuade, and sell. The processsometimes goes by other names — marketing writing, sales writing,persuasive writing, ad writing, and public relations writing are justa few. Sales letter guru Herschell Gordon Lewis likes to call it “forcecommunication.” Mal Warwick, an authority on fundraising letters,refers to the process simply as “writing for results.”Adventures in the copywriting business3
Chap01.qxp6/28/200611:04 AMPage 4My definition? When my wife comes home from work and asksme what I did that day, I often reply, “I wrote about segregated lifeinsurance” or “I wrote about industrial imaging sensors.” So for me,copywriting is writing persuasively about products and services andthe benefits they bring to the lives of customers. Tom Stoyan, authorand sales coach, teaches that selling is “influencing the thinking ofothers to get them emotionally involved in an idea to help themmake a buying decision.” Copywriting is very similar. And it’s not abad way to spend the day.The term “copywriting” refersspecifically to writingpersuasive text for sales,advertising, and marketingCopywriting versus Other Types of Writing“But wait a minute,” you say. “Isn’t copywriting just good businesswriting?”materials.Well, yes and no.MaterialsCopywriting does have everything to do with good, clear businesswriting
Bob Bly 210 Ivan Levison 214 Contents ix Contents.qxp 6/28/2006 10:53 AM Page ix. Checklists 1 Is a freelance copywriting business right for me? 23 2 Ideal materials to include in your book 46 3 Other materials you can include in your book 47 Samples 1 Copywriter’s office setup 34 2 Start-up budget 40 3 Letter for getting samples of your work from clients 50 4 Lead-generating sales letter .
