How To Freelance As A Work-at-home Copywriter

Posted on May 23, 2009 05:30:29 PM

Freelance copywriting already covers a wide range of media, such as television, radio, magazines, brochures, direct mail, and SEO copy. In fact, every word in every brochure, advert, website and leaflet you see is written by the copywriter. Before, copywriters were restricted to being in-house or by marketing / PR firms; but now, many freelance copywriters offer their services globally.

Working on a freelance copywriting job can be stressful. Just like all freelance jobs, freelance copywriting means you have to sell or market yourself, meet all deadlines or complete a job on time and on budget by making use of your skills and knowledge.

Being a copywriter enables you to choose a specific or particular market sector or product. To become a successful copywriter, you should have the ability to research a certain topic, while understanding your clients and target customers.

Aside from having excellent research skills, you also have to have imagination and creative flair to keep your ideas running while keeping your clients happy.

BECOMING A COPYWRITER

As with writing many types of copy, there are also different types of copywriters with various specialties in the market today. Some copywriters specialize in specific forms of copywriting, such as direct mail or ad copy, while other copywriters take a more general approach by writing copy on general topics for no specific type of client.

Today, freelance copywriters are known to write different forms of copy and clients expect them to handle a larger workload. Despite being demanding work, freelance copywriting can be a lot of fun and one of the best ways to make a steady income if you have the skills, the connection, and the drive to be successful.

Aside from being an avenue to earn great income, freelance copywriting also offers you the ability to work from anywhere via Internet. If you are planning to become a freelance copywriter, here are some tips to help you do the job:

1. Educate Yourself. If you want to delve into the world of freelance copywriting, then consider getting a writing degree in English, Journalism, Communications, and the like. Having an education or a background on the career you wish to pursue can be a strong step in finding work as a copywriter.

If it’s impossible for you to earn a degree, try to earn a certification in a specialty (such as marketing), or take non-degree courses that teach copywriting (or technical writing) basics offered by many colleges. Having a background in copywriting can serve as a credential once you venture into freelance work.

2. Get a pro bono work. If you don’t have any other experience, writing copy or an article for free will provide you with the experience you need. Writing pro bono copy for clients can also serve as sample copies once you market yourself as a freelance copywriter.

3. Intern. An internship from a recognized business or establishment in your field will add credibility to your skills. Aside from giving you experience and first-hand knowledge, an internship may also lead to permanent employment with the company.

4. Pursue various opportunities. Since the industry is booming, there are lots of freelance copywriters who serve as your competitors. If you are really into freelance copywriting, then you should always research businesses and agencies that may need copywriting services, both online and offline.

An excellent resource to learn about launching a freelance career is Andy Anderson’s book or audio book, “How to Make Money from Home as a Freelancer,” published by PaydayPublishing.com.

COPYWRITING JOBS

The number of copywriting jobs is enormous. If you did a keyword search on “copywriting,” you would find 500-plus jobs. This is only a small part of the market, and you could find many other copywriting jobs on other websites as well, such as FreelanceWriting.com. With the evolution of the Internet, there are more and more jobs available to write good web content among other things on the Internet. Often many freelance copywriting jobs can be found where you will find a plethora of advertising agencies. A good example of this would be in New York. Within your area, there will be a good number of smaller marketing agencies where you may be able to find work as a copywriter. The number of opportunities for a freelance copywriter is very high and this is a great field to work in.

Freelance and staff copywriting salaries usually range from $41,000 a year up to $85,000 a year or more. This is a rough gauge on what you could potentially make as a freelance copywriter.

Copywriting jobs are out there for the taking. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, copywriting jobs will grow in line with the general economy over the next decade. This means you will see about average growth for the industry but you could see enormous growth if you focus on Internet copywriting.