New Contest Gives You a Chance to Win a Free Spot in Our Freelance Copywriting Coaching Program

by Ryan M. Healy

in Copywriting, Getting Clients

I’ve got a big announcement today.

That’s because John “Angel” Anghelache and I have created a new contest that gives you the chance to win a free spot in our upcoming “Secrets of Freelance Copywriting Success” Coaching Program, which starts the beginning of August.

If you are serious about becoming a successful, “booked solid” copywriter, then I guarantee you will want to enter this contest.

How can I say that with such confidence?

It’s because entering the contest is quick and easy. Not to mention 100% FREE.

To enter, here’s what you need to do. Simply post a comment below and answer these two questions:

1. WHY do you want to become a successful freelance copywriter (besides the money)? I’m looking for the ultimate reason you got interested in copywriting in the first place. What does all that money get you?

2. HOW will participating in our 6-month Coaching Program help you?

If you can answer these two questions, you have a shot at winning the prize.

What exactly will you win? Simply this…

  • FREE entry into the 6-month Freelance Copywriting Coaching Program starting in August 2008 (valued at $???)

Think about this for a minute. If you invest just a few minutes of your time to answer the two questions above, you could potentially walk away with free spot in our program.

If you apply what we teach you, it is entirely possible for you to land five, 10, or even 15 (or more) clients before the program is complete.

If each client paid you $2,500 (extremely conservative), you’d be winning the equivalent of $12,500 to $37,500… and that’s just for the first 6 months!

You’ll be able to continue profiting from the skills we teach you for the rest of your life.

I’d say that’s a fair trade, wouldn’t you?

Here’s what I want you to do now…

Scroll down to the section below that says “Leave a Comment.” Be sure to add your full name and email address so I can contact you in case you win. Answer the two questions. It should take you no more than 5 or 10 minutes. But the pay-off could be huge…

DEADLINE: Saturday, July 19th, at 12 noon Mountain time.

Any entries received after the deadline will NOT be considered.

John and I will choose a winner based on what we feel is the best response to these questions. How we pick the winner is at our sole discretion and whim.

The winner will be chosen and notified Saturday night, July 19th, by 9 p.m. Mountain time.

I’m really excited to kick off our Coaching Program with this contest, and look forward to hearing from everybody.

Be sure to check back Saturday night to see who the winner is.

Alright, then…  on your marks… get set… GO!

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. If you don’t yet know what we’re including in the Coaching Program, you can listen to our two-part audio series here:

==> Details About the “Secrets of Freelance Copywriting Success” Coaching Program

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  • Answers:

    1) I am very much interested in your course for two reasons: First, because I have been reading other people's copy on my radio shows for years and would like to put fingers to keyboard to see if my scribbles might be an improvement. Second, because I crave an additional creative outlet, that potential is actually a bit more important than the dollars... not that I don't expect to create a second income, however!

    2) I would expect to digest as much of your expertise as possible and become a professional in the copywriting arena as well. I have enough time to dedicate to building this skill, and that is my goal.

    Frankly, it also offers me the opportunity to have another topic to chat about on the radio and/or my blog.

    Thanks
  • Hey Ryan & John,

    Ever since I was 19 and read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" - I've wanted to create financial independence for myself. I've been working online for the past 3 years (I'm 22 now), putting in 10-15 hour days instead of going out with my friends.

    After awhile I read about copywriting, and since I've always loved writing I figured I'd get the AWAI and give it a shot.

    Now that I'm doing it - I love it!

    There are a few reasons I want to make copywriting the thing I want to do for the rest of my life.

    #1 - It's something I love to do. Ever since I read Kiyosaki's book I knew that I'd never do something I didn't absolutely love doing (hence the reason why I'm putting in crazy hours to get it started and get out of the rat race)

    #2 - I know you said not the money..but this is kind of different. One of my dreams since I read that book was to be able to make so much money that I could hardly have to work (turn copywriting into a passive thing by creating products & selling them) and spend my time helping out people who didn't have a chance. But instead of just giving money to charity - I actually want to be the guy who BUILDS things for them personally, and holds workshops to help them get through hard times, and things like that.

    #3 - I've always wanted to be a stay at home Dad. Having just gotten engaged this past Saturday (yay!) - that day is coming up faster than I thought. Being a copywriter would allow me to do that.

    #4 - My mom has Multiple Sclerosis and my dad is, well, up in his years to say the least. In the next few years they're both going to need help, and being a copywriter will again allow me to have the time to be able to help them.

    #5 - My fiancee has epilepsy and it flares up badly if she gets stressed. Works stresses her out, so I don't want her to have a job. Therefore - copywriting would give me the money to do that (plus I could help her out around the house and keep her completely stress free).

    I know that all sounds kind of "Miss America" like...but I'm being 100% honest. I've always wanted to help other people - in high school I was the "go to guy" for any kind of advice :) I even went to college for psychology to help people - although the jobs that are available to me aren't exactly what I thought they'd be.

    As for the second question...

    As I mentioned earlier, I put in A LOT of hours to try to get my copywriting business off the ground - but something just isn't clicking. I definitely have the motivation to work hard - I just need some guidance to get my first few clients and get rid of my restaurant job so I can do copywriting full-time and start doing everything I mentioned earlier.

    I also know the value of having a mentor (it's often the difference between an average Joe and a superstar), I just never had enough money to actually pay for one.

    So, how will the coaching program help me succeed?

    It's simple really...you tell me what to do, I do it, I succeed - and have you 2 to thank for it :)

    Good luck with the program!

    Jeremy
    www.controlbeatingcopy.com
  • Hello Ryan and John,

    Where to begin?

    I love crafting sales letters. I'm fascinated by magalogs and bookalogs. I find myself stalled at the stores, checking out the labels, how they fit together and what words. On car trips, I watch the bulletin boards for logos and slogans that work, and that don't work, and imagine rewriting them so that do attract the customer. I can't think of a better field to become a professional in.

    I was raised in a home business, so I've always longed to work for myself. I love writing, so I've longed for a job that allows me to continue the personal writing while still leaving time for family.

    In our current situation, my husband is stuck in a no-end job in an environment that's endangering his health to a serious degree. Some of the locals call the place a 'concentration camp' because the atmosphere's so destructive and the management so ... at a loss for a word for it. By finding a profession that has potential to bring in enough income, and make that income mobile, it opens opportunities in our life together. He can finally get out of the corporate world and go back to school for what he truly loves - anthropology. And it gives me something to excel at that I love and enjoy working for in a situation where I'm not happy working in a 'regular' job, and where I have a foot condition that makes it more challenging to do so.

    Through AWAI's courses, I've found out that I really do have a love for copywriting, and have found my true calling. I just need a mentor's help to get that extra push, and I know I'll end up a A-level copywriter. I made the commitment to that end in December when I quit my day job and started the copywriting business officially in January.

    I believe your coaching program is designed perfectly for giving me that final push that will propel me towards becoming a top copywriter. It'll help me perfect my weak areas, make my strengths stronger, and learn so much more. Not to mention how it will also provide knowledge and connections to strengthen how I market my own writing projects.

    I know my worth as a copywriter. I'm more than willing to invest in my future. Unfortunately, I've no more reserves to draw from, and no means to get more from. Not even like someone else I know who faced his fear and asked his in-laws for a loan to get the final push he needed. considering, we've had to give our parents money to keep the lights on again ... that option's not open for me.

    Will I not make it if you don't choose to give me the coaching program? Oh, I'll still make it. I'll still absorb everything I can get my hands on for free until I get the reserves to invest in myself again. You'll still see me out there, making my own way.

    Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell you my story.
    Diana Cacy Hawkins
  • Hello Ryan & John,

    When we had children, my husband and I both decided that our ultimate goal would be to work from home. It's never been about money for us, but lifestyle. I don't mean jet-setting, either. Being parents is the greatest, most rewarding challenge of our lives, and we take this calling seriously.

    Our goal isn't just to be at home in order to avoid commutes, it's to have real time with our children and each other. Others may think we're a bit crazy, but in our dream life we would be homeschooling all our children, living off grid, growing most of our own food, nursing our aging grandparents in our own home, going on extended mission trips to third world countries with our kids in tow, etc.

    Within a year of the birth of our first son, my husband and I made the transition to working from home. We started this copywriting business and have watched it grow. Yet in the 3 1/2 years we've been doing this, we've never had it "take off" the way we want it to. We have a healthy list of repeat clients, and we've also never had a dissatisfied client. About half of our new business comes from enthusiastic referrals, so we know we're pretty good at what we do. We even occasionally land some fairly high-paying jobs in the $3-5K range. Nevertheless, we only earn about half our income copywriting, and my husband does volunteer drug studies (yes, he's a paid lab rat!) to earn the other half.

    My hope is that by participating in your coaching program, we'll get the tools we need to not only transition my husband away from those drug studies and pay down our enormous student loan debt, but also learn how to eventually make this into a passive income so that we can really have the time we need to live the life we want.

    Wishing you all the best,
    Kristen
  • Hi all,
    I love beeing a copywriter (I'm specialized to the web), cause I can give a unique voice to successful enterprises, so they can be recognized by her "herd" around the web.

    I love!! ideas, possibilities, visions - and am really, really bad at structures. So I would strongly hope to get systems for my work so I don't have to re-invent the wheel a few times each day.

    Have a good time and a successful program!

    Greetings, Monika

    PS: My Copywriting is not such bad in German, so it definitively wouln't be in vain ;-)
  • Brian
    Hi,

    Following are my responses:

    1) Why?... I have always enjoyed working with words. Also, I enjoy the freedom to structure my own time that a copywriting career brings.

    2) How?... It will improve rough spots in my copywriting skills. Also, it will help me build a portfolio of clients.

    Thank You.
  • Who doesn't love the writer's lifestyle? I have a three-second commute and I get to watch "I Love Lucy" over lunch. But it's more than that...

    I'm a storyteller. Really. I've published a novel and have finished a second one, although finding a new publisher and agent is somewhat like running the fraternity gauntlet with your pants down.

    But copywriting...well, it's a form of storytelling, too. It's telling a story about how someone's life will be better with a particular product or service. It's about grabbing a prospect's attention with a good hook and keeping them interested until the end - when they can see themselves new and improved. A good sales letter can take someone away from their stressed out routine and point them in another direction, just like a good novel or short story. And that's what I love about copywriting.

    You know, most of today's hottest business leaders have said that in order to be financially successful, you've got to do what you love.

    But I need some organization, not to mention practice. I need a good shove in the right direction - and I need to feel confident in attracting copywriting clients. The other facets of my business, the small writing projects that pay the bills but aren't much of a challenge, have kept me away from copywriting. So your coaching program will help me focus and practice. And start telling stories that provide real benefits to clients and their prospects.

    Thanks for the opportunity to share.

    Sincerely,

    Chris Amisano
  • Heather Harvey
    Why do I want to be a freelance copywriter? Copywriter because I love to toy with words and make them do my bidding. Freelance because I think I've got a touch a ADD that makes me feel antsy and anxious going to the same employer day after day. Plus, I've got this really cool home office . . . it would be a shame to let that go to waste.

    What will the money do for me? It will make going to high school reunions more fun. The cats are hoping for daily fresh tuna. Mastercard keeps demanding that I send its piece of the pie. Mostly, though, the money will bring me comfort.

    How will the Coaching Program benefit me? Teachers/coaches/mentors breathing down my back with assignments and deadlines are way more scary than making cold calls. Tell me what I need to do--tell it to me with your "boss-man" voice. Bend me, shape me . . . I'll be putty in your hands.

    Thanks for the opportunity. Hope this could bring a smile.
    Heather Harvey
  • Barbara "Rusty" LaGrange
    1. WHY? Because I'm 55, and just starting out to pull away from the small radio corporate market. I can see that others are struggling in my region with web content, marketing ideas, and costs of doing business. I don't need to be rich. I just want to do something that I love.: Writing and helping small companies do battle against the big corps to find their niche on the Web.
    2. HOW? I've been studying the processes of becoming a catalog writer, I've ghost written a biography, I have years of experience writing for local newspapers, and now it's time to focus on my own business. Getting clients is my biggest stumbling block. I need help making the next leap. Thanx for giving all of us a chance to have free help. We all need it.
  • Wayne Winkle
    #1: My motivation for becoming a freelance copywriter is to start a second career in my fast-approaching retirement age in which I can use my God-given talent for writing in a productive way. Also, I can't NOT write!

    #2: That leads me to this response to how your program will help me: Since I'm going to write, I want to do the best I can. That means I should take adavantage of the best tutoring I can get. That means you!
  • Nick Leo
    Answer to # 1.....No long drawn-out sob story.

    1 - a. Presige of being called a "Copywriter".
    b. Respect from family, friends and business
    professionals.
    c. Great pay....able to give my family secure,
    abundant, hassle free future.
    d. Clean, creative work....no restrictions about
    location or weather.
    e. I like being the "BOSS".

    2 - I took "Advertising, Art & Design in college.
    I took the AWAI copywriting course.
    I took the Jay White catalog copywriting course.
    (I preference is to be a "Catalog Copywriter".
    You, as my mentor, will hopefully help me get my
    first client.
  • Hey Ryan,

    Congratulations on the hard work you and John have been doing. I hope it's a great success for you. It should be because it sounds like you've both put a lot of thought and effort (and experience) into it.

    Now...to your questions:

    Why?: I've been a "popular" writer for many years, and I've only recently come to the copywriting and its benefits. My "popular" writing got me lots of "pats on the back" but my income was always a struggle...sometimes fantastic...sometimes zilch.

    Copywriting is fascinating. It's both a creative process and a facts-and-figures process. It's right brain/left brain, and I love the challenge of taking reasoning and turning it into emotions...which, in turn, justify the reasoning.

    Words represent ideas, and ultimately anything that can be bought, sold, traded, or even given away began as an idea...a thought pattern in someone's head. Imagine...little electrons and neurons transmitting signals based on the five senses. And information building from things even the five senses can't detect...love, pain, fear, kindness, longing, satisfaction, and countless others.

    And to add to the answer...I'm not all that young anymore, and I want a career I can take into my "senior" years. A career I can build on with products and information I can pass on to other aspiring writers.

    Now; for the "How?":
    Your upcoming course is the somewhat "missing link" for me. I've been getting clients (good paying ones) but only on a hit-or-miss basis. I want the "hits" to crush the "misses".

    It sounds to me like you guys have come up with a course and methods to teach the dreaded "self-marketing" part of the equation. And I want (translate "need") to fill in that blank.

    I'm an excellent writer, and I know if and when I fill in that blank, you'll have a serious success story on your hands. I'm sure you'll have others as well, but I am, after all, attempting to win the "comp". ;-)

    Thanks again for the opps,
    And I'll make sure you get the props...
    Tony
  • Ryan and Angel: I've known for a lot of years that I can write better than most people ... and I've used that gift to help craft brochures, flyers, catalogs, and other marketing communications materials for clients. The fact is that I have never been taught formally and I want very much to learn to take my writing to the next step. Why? Because I want the freedom that being a freelancer can offer. I am acutely aware that being on ones own, beating the bushes for work and meeting deadlines may not be someone else's definition of freedom, but I have this lofty idea that I will be earning enough to pick and choose my projects. The bonus will be that I will no longer have to work an 80-hour week!

    The answer to question number two is simple. I'm sure you've heard the story of the "shoemaker's children." I get paid to help clients market their products and services. And ... I'm very good at it. I research and present them with a strategic marketing plan that I then help them to implement. Marketing myself, however, isn't that easy. I procrastinate; I find other "important" tasks to do. I would welcome the discipline that a coaching class provides ... not to mention the fun that I'm sure is a part of your curriculum!
  • I had the opportunity to be unemployed for the last year and a half. (I am working now) I looked for work, tried to find profitable self employment, and chewed through a whole lot of retirement savings. During that time I met a lot of self employed people. I saw what they did and didn't do. I loved the flexibility and freedom they had in their life. I tried to make the jump but was not able to before the savings became short. I had to go back into the traditional job market. The lifestyle is what I want from a copy writing business. I know it's not all hanging out in coffee shops and vacations. However it's a lot better than 9 to 5, five days a week with two weeks of vacation. (and course more money wouldn't be bad either)

    I'm currently writing for a few people. Unfortunately I'm doing most of it for free or little money. That's why I want the six month coaching. I think that if I had someone already successful to model and mentor me that I could make it work this time. I've only got ten more years before retirement. My savings are a little lite now and I think that a successful copy writing career would be my ticket. I think that this six month coaching could get me there a lot faster than I could by myself.

    Ed Anderson
    edanderson@bizworxtn.com
    www.masteringyourquest.com
    www.edcanderson.com
  • 1. Four reasons, 2 negative, 2 positive:

    i. Control - The freelancer life would give me the ultimate responsibility to run my life as I would like to. I control my salary, my raise, my schedule.

    Like Ryan, I find myself sleeping at work... because of the demands of a full-time-job, a one-year-old son, and while working on getting my copywriting business up and running.

    ii. Compensation - the more I work, the more value I bring to the table, the more I expect to be paid. Not so in a job.

    Last year, I was on this fast track in my job, running huge projects spanning centers across the globe affecting 230+ head count... I thought I was hot stuff. Until I saw my salary increase for the year. I brought tremendous value to the table, I want to be paid for it.

    iii. Fit - I prefer the introverted, creative work life. I can whip up the charm and persuasion at work... and it's fun for a while, but I get drained by it. But give me a project or assignment where I can go at it alone, and meet with delegates once a week only... that's my game.

    I also have an artistic streak about me. Been in rock bands, wrote fiction, painted, etc. I've realized recently that the structure and underlying emotional currents of a powerful story is frighteningly similar to an effective sales letter.

    iv. Freedom - my ultimate goal in life is to have multiple passive income streams flowing in so that I can *choose* to work, not *have* to.

    Copywriting seems to be the gateway for creating capital to invest in further businesses/investments.

    2. Going back to my fast-tracking in the corporate world above... I KNOW and UNDERSTAND the value of a relationship with a mentor. They've been where you have and can give instant, honest feedback. This blows the water out of any theory or lecturing because you can talk about real-life experience while its still fresh in your mind, and have the mentor dissect it LIVE in front of you to point out all the little subtleties.

    I would not be where I am today in my job if it wasn't for a few key individuals that took the time to mentor me.

    The worse thing about starting any new venture is "you don't know what you don't know". Nevermind getting the right answers, you don't even know what the RIGHT questions are.

    Colin Y.J. Chung
  • Why do I want to be a copywriter?
    It's a field that is unaffected by economic downturns, the world always needs copywriters - whether the world knows it or not!
    I really would love to work at home - be able to see the day - to - day things my kids do that I'm missing out of at the moment.

    Why your six month course?
    I've seen both of you go from unknowns to highly sought after copywriters. I want to discover how you did that.
    Ryan, you and I started about the same time. I'm still at my crummy day job. What made the difference in your copywriting career climb?
  • John Patten
    John and Ryan,

    I want to become a successful copywriter because of a curious incident in a bookstore one day.

    Here's how it happened: Several years ago, I was browsing fitness magazines when I saw a headline that grabbed me by the shirt collar and glued my eyes to the page. I felt myself forced to read every last word of a 4-page sales letter (in tiny print)... and I couldn't sleep until I ordered the product.

    I bought the magazine (just for the ad) and brought it home. I kept reading it... over and over. Finally, I stumbled to the phone to place my order because I couldn't stand the desire anymore.

    When I received the product, it turned out to be good... but oddly, I kept on reading the sales letter.

    Why? I was curious. I couldn't believe how well I was sold. I HAD to figure out why I couldn't sleep until I had this product.

    That's how the journey began. Since that moment, I have studied everything I can get my hands on about what exactly a grouping of words can do to get people drooling to buy a product or service.

    Fast forward to March of this year: I wrote my first sales letter for a client. He made $10,000 in the first month selling a $149 product. I cannot even begin to express the jubilation I felt that words... MY words... held such power.

    Having been a content writer for several years, I now know where my writing passion truly is... in salesmanship. I can't get enough. I read copywriting courses like other people read USA Today. I collect sales letters like some people collect coins... when I see one that fires me up even a little bit, it's in my swipe file.

    I HAVE to be a freelance copywriter. It's not a choice anymore. It's a bug... a happy disease... an obsession.

    So how will your 6-month coaching course help me? Based on a mutual acquaintance's recommendation, I believe you two have a uniquely modern approach to finding clients. You will cut my learning curve into a tenth of what I could figure out on my own. I know it.

    The very fact that both of you have BEEN THERE and are currently making money... turning down clients... and not worrying about where the next paycheck is coming from... tells me that you can guide me on the correct steps to take by telling me, "No, don't do it that way... tweak it like this... and then send it."

    I believe you have the power to show me how to take this passion for sales writing and direct it into tasks that actually find the clients and pull in the business... while skyrocketing the success of my own clients in the process.

    Talk about win-win-win!

    I also hope to create a relationship with you and your colleagues so that we can all help each other out in the future with leads, clients, and general strategies.

    Whatever happens, I'll go forward. But I'd love the amazing opportunity to be a part of this program.

    Thank you both so much for the opportunity you have created.

    I hope to be the person who makes you say, "Damn, this guy has done so well it was worth it to have had him in the program."

    Thanks again!

    John Patten

    P.S. One way or another, I'm taking action. I've already taken your direct mail contact strategy to task and should have my first mailing put together by next week.
  • Michael
    The Right Words can make you Millions!


    Dear Ryan and John,

    Here you are, two accomplished copywriters trying to make the difficult choice of who will get a shot at free coaching that could be worth thousands of dollars. You want the candidate to have the drive necessary to do the hard work of getting paying clients. You want someone who knows that even though you can guide them and give them advice about the fastest, easiest and most effective ways of making BIG money in copy writing, it stills takes more than just a drive FOR Big Money. There has to be something more driving the candidate to achieve.

    Let me tell you just a little about myself and what my goals and dreams are and then by the end of this letter you will feel that I deserve the free coaching.

    First of all my name is Michael Ellis and I am 37 years old. I live with my fiance and our 2 year old son Roman. We are currently living with her aging parents as we are very tight on cash right now. I have a part time job doing merchandising and she is going to college for her accounting degree. As I said money is tight, but that is not the reason why I want to be a copywriter.


    Words are powerful. I have always had a love affair with them. I bet you are the kind of guys that know exactly what I mean. Words are a kind of magic. I also love to help people by giving then options and advice. I am one of those people, you know the type... I just can't not sell to people. I recommend movies to my friends all the time. I am always letting people know about cool new websites or a great new book I read. I feel like it is my way of spreading valuable knowledge. I think that copywriting is one of the greatest ways of effectively giving people information in a way that they can most use. And although the money that I know I will be making would be life changing for myself and my family, I would still do copywriting even if I didn't get paid. Its not just what I do, its who I am.

    Lets face it. Everyone can benefit from having a coach in some area of life. Its a fact that most of the most successful people in the world credit having a coach or mentor as the #1 Reason that they were able to achieve such high levels of success. Nothing can compare to having access to someone who has gone through the hard work of becoming successful. You've made the mistakes and rose above them. You have learned the hard way what is and isn't the best ways to be a successful copywriter. By gaining access to your coaching program, I will be saving myself years of trial and error. In addition, having a coach who can keep you on track and accountable is invaluable and would really allow a me to make continual progress.
    Quite simply, a coaching program like yours is like Turbo Charging my progress toward my life goals and achievement.

    Thank you so much for this opportunity,

    Michael Ellis
  • Margo Twisselman
    I was excited about the opportunity you offer until I surfed over and read all these entries. My heavens, they are terrific! I simply don't know how you will choose just one person.

    Thanks for letting me dream a little.

    Margo
  • Lois Bernstein
    I want to become a successful freelance copywriter because I want to march to my own drumbeat, be master of my working domain, use my creativity and think outside the box.

    I spent many years as a classroom teacher and then went on to being a college, field supervisor for student teachers. Education is in serious trouble, and for me, it become monotonous.

    And then I found copywriting, and it was a breath of fresh air. I always wanted to do some kind of writing and copywrtiing was it. I am now "free" to do what I want, on my time, and, hopefully, produce outstanding materials.

    As for the money - it will help with retirement and allow to to fulfill the dream of traveling to those places I've always wanted to see, and possibly having a home-away-from- home.

    The Coaching Program will give me a chance to learn from the best. It will help me refine my skills through critique which I welcome. There is always room to improve, and will put me on the path to to a rewarding career.
  • Michael Lindsey
    This is an awesome idea for a contest, and I've had a blast reading the other replies so far. So, here goes with my answers:

    1)"So, what do you do?"

    That's what we say when we meet someone new. It's the grownup version of "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Since I left high school, I haven't had a good answer. I've had jobs, gigs, schemes, plans, and sometimes something approaching a career. But whenever someone asked me what I did, what I did wasn't what came to mind. If someone had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, none of my jobs would have been the answer. At worst, they were an attrition, a gulag, a sentence with a paycheck at the end. At best, a compromise.

    Looking at things from a new perspective lately, I've been reintroduced to myself. After so many life changes in such a short period of time, I've been given the opportunity to re-evaluate myself and my life, without the baggage of preconceptions or foregone conclusions. "What I did" was work for my future. I ran as hard as I could trying to get ahead, and usually ended up slowly losing ground instead. I figured that if I could just stick it out in this job or that for the next five or ten years, I'd be pretty well off.

    I don't want to do that anymore.

    What do I want to be when I grow up? I want to be a vibrant and creative being, in a community with people of a like mind. I want to entertain, to tell stories in concert with others to a rapt audience and in the span of a performance try to touch their life and their emotions. I want to sing often enough that I get my range back, and spend a good chunk of my time doing things I love so much they give me goosebumps. I want to get up early most days, and sleep in now and again when it's needed. I want to take my dog for long walks, then lie down on a hill and read for a while and let him trot around on his own. I want to see all of my friends, and not just the ones whose schedules are compatible with my own. I want to learn... not because I'll qualify for a better position with a certain degree, but because of the rush finding a new passion provides.

    I want to explore. I want to go places that only the adventurous go, places that contrast so strongly with the mundane and everyday set dressings of life you can't help but live in that moment. I want to wake up every so often in a bed that isn't my own, even if it is a little less comfortable. I want to throw open the windows to a skyline that's unfamiliar, filled with the sounds of a people and culture that are a little less well-worn than my own. I want to break bread with strangers, make new friends and hear new stories, and hopefully not share too many of my own. I want to help... locally, abroad, I want to give a piece of myself to the causes I support, and know exactly what it is that my contribution accomplished.

    The structure of my life, as it stands, is in almost direct opposition to how I want to live, but it's not beyond repair. I've lived like someone who wants to get rich and then think about what they want to do with the money. Copywriting seems to be that perfect fusion of something that's profitable combined with something that lets out my creative forces. In my work history, I've found one thing that I'm very, very good at: sales. And in my friendships, I've found another thing that I'm not too shabby at, either: storytelling. (I'm that friend who's always asked to "tell them about the time...") My forays into copywriting so far have been a blast, but without the extensive resume, they haven't been as profitable as I'd like. I want into the program to get the gameplan for my business.

    I've just learned that it's not all about the money. I turned 24 this year, and it's probably the first year my income will break the six-figure mark... and I'm less happy than when I was working overnights at a diner, staying up till dawn and drinking coffee with my friends. I want to write copy to re-learn how to work to live, instead of living to work.

    2) On the wall of my room, above my desk, is a dry erase board covered in scribbles, thoughts, and pictures of things that trigger thoughts of my goals. In the middle is a quote, oft modified but first written by Caesar - "Experience is the teacher of all things."

    Both Mr. Healy and Mr. Anghelache have experience in being successful copywriters that I currently lack. The clear path is to listen to what they have to say, determine the direction of success, and begin to move in that direction at the best possible speed. With the passion of my goals, the knowledge of two experts at hand, and the talent I work daily to further cultivate and expand, the question is not HOW will I succeed, but WHEN. I plan on putting all of my efforts behind every step of your process, and trusting in your success as a building block for my own.

    - Michael Lindsey
  • 1. Being persuasive (the skill every successful copywriter has mastered) is the key to world dominion.

    2. You will hone my already considerable experiences and talents into an unstoppable force with which to be reckoned, propelling me to the apex of possibility.
  • 1. While reading Jack Canfield's "The Success Principles", one of the first exercises that he does is to have you figure out your life's purpose. My purpose in life is to inspire others to live in happiness and in gratitude.

    Now while this may sound very "mumbo-jumbo", what it means, bottom-line, is helping people to be happy.

    I have used my writing and my blog to begin that process, and I want to take it to the next level. I want to help people find products that help them to be happy. One way to reach people is through copywriting.

    I would imagine that, to a certain extent, you share this vision. Otherwise, you wouldn't be helping people to improve in their copywriting and giving away a free seat. ( I know it is also good marketing - isn't it great when you can give something away AND benefit!)

    2. While I have beginner's skills, I need to hone those skills. In addition, I need a coach and a mastermind group to help me "get off my butt" and do the things I know I should be doing.

    Most of us know what we should do but have something blocking us from executing. The program will help me get over (or under or around or blow up) those blocks.
  • 1. Why I want to become a successful freelance copywriter:

    That's because I realize the power of the WORD, and how it structures our lives and whatever we do. And because of this, direct-response copywriting for me is not just about money, influence, persuasion, recognition etc. First of all, it's about mastering my MIND and my LIFE, and being able to affect minds and lives of others. That's WAY more that just $.

    2. How participating in Coaching Program will help me:

    Right now I'm getting recognition as one of the best direct-response copywriters within Russian Internet. But its direct-response culture is right in its infancy, and I realize that there's WAY to go to match your real-world level. And another thing that I know is that COACHING under a proper supervison is the only way to get maximum results in minimum amount of time.
  • I have always wanted to be a writer, but it didn't take me long to realize that I'll never be the next Stephen King and that journalism will never pay all the bills. In spite of having a college degree, I'm working in a dead end, low paying job I hate, and I want desperately to break free. I have a daughter on the way, and I want to be here in the evenings with her and to sit down and eat dinner with my family, a simple pleasure my day job makes impossible. Plus, I want to show my daughter that anything is possible and that anyone can make their dreams come true. I want her to live in a world without limitations.

    What I want to get out of the course is how to choose better clients. I'm getting there, but I've made some bad choices that I'm still paying for (does the 125 page book for $400 ring a bell?). When prospects get in touch with me I find out they are already a bad fit, and I am attracting the wrong kinds of people. I have some promising prospects, but those aren't a done deal yet. I need to know how to get good direct marketing clients who need sales letters.
  • WHY?

    Why? Because there’s nearly unlimited opportunity out there, and copywriting fits my talents and temperaments perfectly.

    However, opportunity is fueled by time, something I have in short supply these days. Since our son was born four months ago, my wife has had to stay home to take care of him. This presents certain difficulties since our mortgage requires two incomes. We’d sell our home if we could, but we’re upside down and in this market, we will likely be in that position for another couple of years.

    I started a business on the side that helps make ends meet, but it requires my constant attention. I spend 10 hours per day at my J.O.B., then spend another five or so hours per day working on the side business. I now measure time in minutes, not hours, weeks or months. So, in addition to freeing me up to be my own boss (everyone’s dream, and occasionally, every entrepreneur’s nightmare), becoming a professional copywriter will directly help this fledgling business that NUMEROUS people have told me is “ingenious,” “brilliant,” or “just what I needed.”

    But of course it’s also about the money. I am currently employed as a proposal writer for a non-profit in D.C. I raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the organization, but my take-home paycheck is the same every month – a couple thousand dollars that doesn’t pay the bills. Why would I want to continue spending ten hours per day making money for someone else when I can spend the same amount of time making a LOT MORE working on projects I CHOOSE to do?

    Just one year ago I was simply a consumer. I had a day job, I paid my bills, and I hoped for that little raise every year. But when the housing market tanked, it was like opportunity kicked in my front door, grabbed me by the collar of my stained t-shirt, and screamed in my face, “Get up, you lazy blob! I’m here to whip you in shape. Now drop and give me twenty business ideas!”

    Only one year later, I’m a business owner who knows the value of time. A W-2 job is no longer for me. It shouldn’t be for anyone, because this country offers too much opportunity for anyone who wants to break out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

    Being a professional copywriter will allow me to set my own schedule and see a direct connection between the time I spend and how much money I make. THAT is value, and that is why I want to be a professional copywriter.

    HOW?

    The 6-month Coaching Program will help me by providing much-needed mentorship. When I started my side business, I knew next to nothing about my industry. I’ve built this company up from nothing by making my own mistakes, teaching myself, and making much-needed improvements along the way. While this method is extremely enriching, it’s very time-consuming. What I hope to get from the coaching program is expert, professional guidance that saves me from making time-wasting mistakes. This program will streamline the learning process and hopefully even bring in some extra income while I learn.

    Thanks much for the opportunity. I know there are many other worthy contenders for this “scholarship,” and I thank you for the time you took reading my entry.

    Best,
    Chris Jolma
    cjolma@gmail.com
  • Hello Ryan and John,

    A few years ago, my Island home Bermuda, was steam-rolled by Hurricane Fabian. It left a trail of death and destruction throughout. We were left reeling from the sheer devastation. We had no electricity, no decent drinking water and the island infrastructure was all tore up.

    Five days after her deadly visit, after seeking high and low, I was finally able to secure two Picnic Coolers. They were like gold dust. The Picnic Coolers were used to hold meats and other food items that needed refrigeration.

    That first weekend after Fabian struck, my wife (a nurse), and one of her Church friends walked throughout a community that was struck extra hard by Hurricane Fabian. Their intention was to pray with and for the members of that community.

    The last house they visited was the home of a retired elderly couple. They were in a bad state. No electricity, no water, low on food, Husband was sick and needed medical attention, Wife was stressed out with worry and concern for their plight. My wife and her friend hunkered down and started to take care of the several needs of this elderly couple.

    Around this time, I was at home doing 'Hurricane' repairs. Suddenly, my cell phone rang.

    "Who is bothering me now?" I grumpily thought out loud.

    I looked at the cell number coming in...

    Oh...

    ...it's the Missus.

    I answered in the sweetest voice I could muster, "Hi Hon."

    She quickly told me what was happening.

    Right off the top of my head, I asked, "Need my help?"

    "Yes," she immediately shot back!

    Why was I feeling as if I walked directly into a trap?

    She fired off these precise instructions, "Take our food out of the two Picnic Coolers. Clean the coolers. Reload both coolers with ice. Bring them to me immediately."

    My mouth dropped open.

    I pleaded, half-heartedly, "You mean the two coolers that took me five days to find?"

    Silence...

    She does that every now and then. Don't really know why. Maybe she picks up the half-heartedness in my voice. Or... lets take it to a really simple level. She didn't consider my response to be a question.

    Nevertheless, I continued, hoping against hope to jog some sense into my givish wife, "What do you want me to do with the food?"

    In order to assert some authority into the situation, my voice rose a few decibels and I added, for good measure, "Trash it?"

    She gingerly but calmly responded, "We have two people whose needs are greater than ours."

    I replied sarcastically, obviously without words, "We?"

    Then I replied, humbly, but with words, "Give me fourty-five minutes to an hour."

    She sweetly responded, "See you then Honey... love ya."

    What would you have done? I know what I did!

    I removed our items from the two Picnic Coolers, cleaned and filled them both with ice and promptly took them to my wife.

    A smile comes to my face whenever I tell this true story. But guess what, in the end, we didn't lose our refrigerated foods. I was able to secure another Picnic Cooler which served us until electricity was restored.

    All I can say is that when my wife prays, things happen. That couple never forgot the kindness of my wife, her friend and myself (smile).

    Anyway...

    My Queen is now unwell. After years of doing for others, I now want to do for her. Copywriting will allow me to take care of her.

    Thank you for your consideration,

    Clef
  • Cory Winn
    This may seem kinda strange, but I've always been interested in magic spells.

    You see, from my late teens I've always had a passion for NLP and therapeutic metaphor. I liked to help my friends with their issues and tell stories that help people...

    But it wasn't until recently I began learning that the skills I've developed to help me change people can be useful for copywriting as well.

    For making the sale.

    One way of doing this is called eliciting criteria. (I'm sure both you guys understand this on some level)

    A criteria is your prospect's main, overriding "hot button," or feeling he'll get from the benefits your product (and/or copy) povides.

    And it's probably the reason you asked me what the money will mean to me. It's important.

    So let me tell you my criteria for learning this stuff:

    Long time ago there was a copywriter who did not know how to get clients.

    He took a rather crass approach and walked into people's businesses and started trying to fix things.

    He soon learned this was not the best way to get a client, because he genuinely wanted to make something better...not piss people off.

    So that idea went down the drain. Flush.

    Next, he tried a less invasive approach. He wrote one or two page letter to a list of businesses he legally stole from the D&B Million Dollar Database.

    This letter had much flare... but nothing to back it up. Afterall, our young writer had never had a real client before.

    So down the shitter it went.

    And as the nixies came in (and no calls), so did the frustration.

    So like any smart 25-year old in a tough spot, our hero went out and finally did something intelligent:

    He went out and got laid. Repeatedly.

    And even though this didn't solve his client problems, our young cub was feeling good about himself...

    And as you know...that means something...

    (to be continued)
  • 1. It's not all about the money - although that definitely feeds the ego beat - instead it's about the flexibility. My fiancee is going to be getting her nursing degree in May 2009, one month before our wedding - and I want to be able to work when she works and play when she plays.

    You see, nurses can sometimes have wild schedules - three 12 hour shifts for the week and they're done. What a great opportunity to hang out with my best friend, eh? No 9-5 can give me that opportunity, but freelance copywriting can!

    (and I just flat-out love writing copy - from headline to PS...it's a blast)

    2. Your program will help because I'm willing to learn. It's like anything in life, you can be taught a lesson and get nothing from it if you don't apply it. There are millions of lessons around us every day - but in order to work it has to come from somebody that you know, like, and trust.

    Well, I don't know you - but I've been following your blog for a year and watching your videos along the way. I know you have valuable tools that can help me achieve my dreams...and I can't wait to see them in action.

    Right now my budget for "education" is dry since I purchased Clayton Makepeace's Ultimate Desktop Copy Coach program. But if I was able to squeak through the cracks, I'm sure you and Makepeace would make a deadly combo for my career!
  • c'mon men! I have never thought about this writer stuff! And i'm starting to think this can be VERY nice... even your course!!! Thanks for this post... i'll try to know a little more about this...
  • Brad
    I got interested in dm copy back in the early 60 and 70's. When I was a manager of a jewelry store back in the late 60's. The most successful ad we ever ran was selling and indian penny pendant surrounded by faux diamonds. The headline read: " Buy A Penny For $10".That one small ad got 40 people inthe door with cash in hand. Then i used to subscribe to a retail ad newsletter by Hubert Simon in NY, and I used to talk to him on the phone all the time. He wrote the second most famous ad in dm history:" How To Get Out Of The Rat Race And Into The Chips". The first was Joe Carbo's, " The Lazy Man's Way To Riches". I moved on to another job in the 70's for a music distributor. My job was to write ads and run them for the mail order division. There was no internet, and not many books available on the subject except for John Caples and Claude Hopkins. So I had to wing it. Then I moved onto another retail company where I wrote ads and subscribed to Halbert's newsletter when he lived in LA. I used to talk to him on the phone for pointers too. It was a thrill to write an ad and watch the people come to the store in droves. I moved away for a few years, and got away from it all. Now, it's a lot easier to learn how to write copy since there's a ton of info on the internet and a lot of the hard to get ads and books have been reprinted. I would still like to learn from people who has already done it since you can only learn so much from reading books. Learning from a pro cuts your learning curve done to ziltch. Just look what happen to all the guys Halbert personally taught. They're all copy superstars. Like I said, nothing is more exciting then writing a winner or beating a control. To sum things up, it's like the headline for an ad that sold a money making mail order opportunity. In his ad, the copywriter feigned going to his PO Box to see if he got any mail orders: "When I peeped through the glass and saw the stacks of mail, I almost dropped the key"!
  • Mark Pyrc
    Why become a successful freelance copywriter? Freedom! Freedom to express my creativity. Freedom to help others grow their businesses. Freedom to enjoy a lifestyle most only dream about.

    There’s a multitude of reasons why me – or anyone – would desire the successful freelance copywriter career. It’s the “how” that holds many of us back or keeps us from reaching our true potential in this profession.

    I think that you two characters have the keys to unlocking the mystery! Your Coaching Program provides me with proven, practical knowledge, been-there-done-that experience, and yes, even the foot-to-the-fire accountability factor. A Coaching Program with you gents elevates all that book learnin’ into real world experience. The know-how to build…and grow…an unending stream of clients. Good, paying clients! Why spend years stumbling in the dark?

    So teach me guys. Make me dangerous! I’ll even pay the tuition – and then some – with my initial copywriting jobs. No reason you two can’t join in on all the fun!
  • Dave C
    1. WHY do you want to become a successful freelance copywriter (besides the money)? I’m looking for the ultimate reason you got interested in copywriting in the first place. What does all that money get you?


    I like writing because it has always come naturally.

    And as I learn, I can see my writing improve.

    Despite trying hard, I have to face reality -- I don’t fit into corporate structures, and have been fired from jobs.

    My Mom wanted me to be a writer.

    As for “all that money”, I’ve yet to see it.

    Sure, I have clients; it’s just that – at the risk of sounding greedy – I want more.

    With more income…
    I’d increase the size of my tithe.

    I’d fix the corner of the foundation that’s currently resting on what one contractor called “a load-bearing window”.

    Next summer I’d send a few kids to camp…. not so much for them, but because it makes me feel good to do nice things for people.

    And when I’m finally above the water line, then maybe I’ll be able to pick up one or two of the hobbies I’ve always wanted to try.

    2. HOW will participating in our 6-month Coaching Program help you?

    I figure over the last several years I’ve spent about $20,000 on copywriting books and courses – including Shaune Clark’s. I’m reasonably sure I know HOW to write copy… I’m weak on the business aspect.

    And not for lack of trying. I don’t get flyers out in the country, so I asked many people to save me theirs. Nobody has come through, so I haven’t been able to try Ryan’s technique.

    I tried working with small businesses, but small business people don’t get it – they think advertising is an expense, not an investment.

    I spent a day going to the nearest big city library to try John’s SRDS technique. Unfortunately the Canuck version doesn’t list the same info as the US one.

    Still I keep plugging away, trying new things.

    For example, I have some Jason Leister consultation time in the bank, and currently I’m trading time for lessons with John Manley to learn how he does Internet marketing.

    So learning how to do the business part of copywriting-marketing is the most important.

    But there’s more…

    Having studied all the greats, I don’t want to mimic any of them. It’s too easy to slap up a headline and body copy, testimonials, and closes. As Gene Schwartz wrote, “Why haven’t television owners been told these facts?” could be transposed into “Why haven’t fishermen been told these facts?” but it isn’t the same.

    Research and interviewing are important… but so is being able to tell WHAT the copy needs, and WHEN it needs it. That’s where experience and knowledge come in. Shaune calls it “discernment”.

    As I’ve been following both of you for a while now, I’m certain your course will help “round out” my knowledge.

    Hope you can forgive my name-dropping.

    And please resist the notion that I’m a perpetual student who lacks the spheres necessary to take action.

    I truly want to make it in this business.
  • Ryan . . . John . . . Greetings!

    Your informative videos have been very helpful. You guys are top notch all the way! Thanks for sharing your expertise!

    To answer question #1: MORE . . . MORE . . . MORE!! Guys I know this sounds like a greedy man talking here but I’m not a selfish person at all. But I do want more FREEDOM; FLEXIBILITY and EXCITEMENT that only comes from being a successful freelance copywriter.

    There is no other career in the entire world gives so much. As direct response copywriters, our persuasive words start cash flowing in a new business and keep it flowing in an existing one.

    Our words touch the hearts of generous donors that help fund new research to find new cures for disease, keep the needy fed and sheltered, and help build a better tomorrow for generations to come.

    And I want to be a part of this!

    I want the freedom to choose when and what projects I work on. I want the flexibility of taking time off when I see fit. I want to experience the excitement of seeing a client’s face light up for the first time her business grows beyond her wildest dreams!

    As far as question #2 is concerned –well quite frankly I see you guys as the treasure map to the Wizard in Land of OZ . . . the bridge that will get me from where I’m at now to where I want to go. And I know by participating in this program you can take me there because you both are living the dream right now!

    Prospecting is one of my weakest areas. And that’s what I want to get out of your program. Learning from a couple of “real-live” direct response players who are in the trenches day in and day out would be exciting and challenging-not to mention profitable.

    Ryan and John thanks for giving us this contest opportunity. That’s pretty cool. And thanks again for sharing you knowledge as you have been doing.

    I bid you both greater successes in all your endeavors,

    Emette E. Massey
  • Owen
    healymarketing.com has a spelling mistake?

    'exhilirating' jumped out at me like a bipolar orca on the up cycle.

    'exhilarating'?

    -o-
  • I’d make my clients more money. Much more money. And with the rewards…I’d enjoy life to the full. I’d work shorter days. I’d start work early and finish early. Whisk my wife off to surprise lunches in great restaurants. Do more cycling flat out in quiet country lanes. Go mountain biking on wind swept cliff top paths…Take my children playing golf or tennis when they come home from school. Have more beach BBQ’s with family and friends after surfing. Watch more golden sunsets kiss the Atlantic Ocean. Take more time out to relax and reflect how good life is. I’d take more holidays and long weekend breaks. Do more exploring. See more of the world. Discover far flung places. Taste exotic dishes. I’d be a better parent by being around more for my children. I’d entertain more often. Attend culinary classes to add new skills and recipes to my repertoire. Of course this all happens when my business is super successful.

    You’d be helping me to be a top class copywriter. Only quicker and easier. After all, I’m on the way by being mentored by the world’s best copy coach. You’re providing the missing piece of the jigsaw - solving the hardest bit of copywriting; the feast and famine of getting clients.
  • @Owen - I misspelled a word just so you'd find it. ;-)
  • 1. Why: money to me means freedom—freedom to spend my time on higher pursuits than slaving away at a j-o-b, taking orders from people “above” me and giving orders to people “below” me. Sure, there are j-o-b-s that need to be done, but they can be done by people who thrive in that environment. I have the gift of writing and I intend to use it.

    My “higher pursuits” have recently taken on a greater urgency, because I’m in the process of creating two new ventures, www.bon-bagay.com and www.fitnesssolutionsforyou.com. These are family projects with lofty goals: 1) they will give my three kids financial freedom, and 2) they will provide life-changing benefits to the groups they focus on.

    Some startup capital would help, and that’s where income from client projects would be useful. Please visit these sites and see what I mean!

    2. How: your 6-month Coaching Program will help me skip the learning curve and go right to making money. I plan to use my copywriting skills to make my own Internet businesses the best they can be, and work with clients only if they have “grand visions” of making the world a better place.

    You guys obviously know what you’re talking about and can tell us what you did so we can do it too. I’m tired of wasting my time on things that don’t work. Thanks for reading.

    Lisa
  • birdiebob
    well....all those seem to be good reasons..
    but

    I want to be A CULT LEADER..mesmerizing atttractive young girls to follow me to the end of the world, climb a tall mountain to the top and spend endless hours taking care of me ....

    or not

    I am interested in being able to write, effective, cash pulling copy for some clients so that we make extend the reach of our Stewpot Service out to more people in the community . We need to generate revenues to support our newly envisioned Dental Service for the poor and under employed. This is budgeted for annual expenditures of 200K , so I need to make my buddies in the business community enough from your mind bending copy writing to allow them the 10% deductions I want them to have...

    At any rate, this is phun ....and quite entertaining....

    (left that mis spelled for our examiner)

    and also , would like to introduce to the world, our new amazing simple method to increase your IQ 50% through our SECRET , Patented, until now ...never before seen or heard...method of brain rejuvenation..(by the way , this is true )

    email me for more information and when I should show up for the classes

    bob, the birdie man ( as in golf)
  • Nick
    To be mentored and coached by two successful and respected copywriters would be a dream come true for me.I am a retired auto worker for G.M and feel its up to me to become a selfsufficient and self producing individual as the market place changes and at some time G.M may no longer be able to provide for my pension.I have been drawn to and fascinated by ad copy since I was a kid and read all those Melvin Powers and Joe Sugarman ads over and over.I have written them and others by hand for several months as well as some Halbert and the like.I long to be able to do this for a living and help those in need with copy that brings them huge returns oh how cool that would be and I feel confident I can do this! But I thrive best when I can work with mentors and coaches to draw from and get feedback from my efforts and as my resources are somewhat lacking at the moment this would get me into the playing field and on my way.I have never won a contest before and if this were to be the one my gratitude would be beyond expression.To finally work in an area I love would be at last, working for a loving instead of as the past years have been working for a living.As my children are now of college age I could give them the financial support they need as they continue their education.
    Thanks for offering a shot at this
    Nick
  • Ruth
    Ryan and John:
    1) Why do I want to write? Because I know I can..I've been writing stories and poetry most of my life, but never for $$. Never thought I was good enough...but with proper help, I can be. The letters above overwhelm me, and I believe all of them deserve The
    Writer's Life.
    2)How would my life change if I were succesful? I volunteer a lot, so I know the needs out there...to slip $100 in the hand of a sister who can't afford gasoline for her car, take food to help feed children and homeless
    give life and hope to the downtrodden...what more can I say? Happiness to the winning one!
  • Why I Deserve To Be Free

    I don't know if I can speak for everyone here, but I can say with a degree of certainty that living the life of a freelancer is one monumental step toward freedom, however any of us defines it.

    Let me tell you how I define it, and a bit about my story. You'll soon see why I feel a bit nervous about publically stating some of this, but this contest is
    important to me, so I'll do it anyway.

    My name is D.K. Fynn. I currently live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

    Ultimately, I believe--actually, I know--that my life purpose is to become a higher consciousness person. "Enlightened," as some folks would put it.

    Becoming financially stable so that I can focus my life moments on the higher issues that matter, instead of working the daily grind is what I need to do to reach this
    higher level of consciousness.

    So let's look at me right now, and where I am.

    Though I'm home in Ottawa right now, I am a naval reservist, and my duty to my country involves me having to leave my family and go to one of the coasts.

    On April 5th, I returned home from being away for over 10 months.

    When I left in May 2007, I left little DK and my girlfriend behind. What I remember most was that, the night before I left, little DK and my girlfriend were crying in his room, because little DK didn't want me to leave.

    Let me tell you, going away...leaving your loved ones behind can take a brutal toll on your relationship with them.

    I don't want to get into the details, because it would expose my personal life a bit too much, but in short: I'm not with her anymore, and the relationship I have with
    little DK isn't as close anymore. (A 7 + year relationship...gone.)

    I've learned that even though serving my country is worthwhile, I would like to spend the greater quantity of time at home, with my loved ones.

    So, what makes me a good candidate?

    For one, I have a very helping nature. (I think a lot of us do.) I love to help people share their messages and attract people who are right for that message.

    Second, I've been studying copywriting for over 2 years.

    I joined the Copywriter's Board in December of 2006, and although I haven't been active recently, I have helped a lot of forum posters with my insightful advice.

    I've spent a tremendous amount of time reading, writing, listening, and practicing this trade, this profession.

    I've written a number of articles and a few reports, too.

    In fact, now that I think of it, I've done almost everything you do, Ryan, except that I haven't learned how to make an income from it.

    Oh...and here's another thing that makes me a prime candidate: I'm not just a copywriter, I'm an online entreprenuer, too.

    That is, I have my own sites (ShortcutFitnessSecrets.com and MortgageAccelerationReport.com), so I have the bigger picture about what it takes to run an online business. With this insight, I can relate to my clients better too, since I'll be able to identify with the issues of traffic generation and strategy implementation.

    How I Intend To Participate

    I've already started to participate!

    As I listed to your second audio, I decided that I'd focus more on the online marketing for now.

    Ryan, I think it was you that said that I had to differentiate myself, so you'll be happy to know that I own the domain name, Web2.0copywriter.com (Actually, the
    domain name is 0Copywriter.com, and I put the Web2 in front, since I want to differentiate myself as the Web2.0 Copywriter).

    I've already written 2 or 3 articles dedicated to people who want to hire online copywriters and marketing consultants. I haven't typed them yet, but they're in
    my article marketing arsenal.

    And yes, I have to admit that I've broken one of the cardinal rules of this business: I am writing for free (mind you, I'm a partner on one project). I've resolved that this writing-for-free thing will end by the end of summer. I'll either earn the money I deserve, or leave my partners, my client, and strike out on my own.

    So that's it Ryan, it's game time. Let's get this thing goin'.
  • Having purchased your ebook about copywriting, I know that what you teach is solid. I have tried other copywriting courses, only to be extremely displeased with both the content and instruction methods. Though I have secured a few paying clients, I know that my knowledge and skills are still lacking. What they lack is information that can only come from someone with a proven track record of success. Why do I want to "win" this contest? Simply because I always choose to be the best at what I do, and to do so, I need to learn from the best.

    Thank you

    Tom
  • Hi guys, Kirk Bardsley here.

    I'm a direct response copywriter and marketing
    consultant from over the other side of the pond here in
    the UK.

    > 1.WHY do you want to become a successful freelance
    > copywriter (besides the money)? I’m looking for the
    > ultimate reason you got interested in copywriting in
    > the first place. What does all that money get you?

    To be absolutely honest, I simply drifted into the world
    of copywriting when I was a successful eBay
    PowerSeller looking to hire a copywriter to write the
    sales letter for my front end eBay course.

    I made the mistake at the time of looking in places such
    as Elance where you’re looking at silly fees such as $500
    (or less) for a 12 page letter… yeah right!

    It is a mistake getting someone on Elance to write copy,
    however, it turned to be a huge turning point for me
    when I submitted my first project; I was contacted by
    one of the World’s top copywriters (he used to use
    Elance for lead generation for his offline $100 a month
    Newsletter), who placed a bid of $20,000!

    Needless to say, his bid stood out and made me contact
    him – to cut a long story short, I took him as my mentor
    and discovered I actually had a natural talent to write
    my own compelling copy – a talent I now use to charge
    an average fee of $500 a page.

    Now, the money is great, however, the biggest ‘kick’ I
    get is when my copy pulls and makes the sale - after all,
    that’s the main purpose of writing the copy, right?

    Right!

    So yes, the money is great, but it’s only a means to an
    end – for me, the lifestyle this business brings is what
    it’s really all about. I’m married with two wonderful
    children, and I’m delighted to say I’ve been a ‘stay a
    home dad’ for the last two and a half years since
    starting out in this business.

    I make a short 5 meter commute to work whenever I
    feel (NOT when someone else tells me to do so), then
    leave and play with the kids whenever I wish - I’m in full
    control of my life, and I’m loving every minute of
    working at home with my supportive, loving and very
    happy family who love me being around… unlike other
    dads who are away most days!

    It’s also very satisfying, giving you a real sense of
    purpose when your clients leave glowing testimonials
    and comments on how great a copywriter you are… I
    genuinely love helping others succeed in obtaining a
    better lifestyle.

    > 2. HOW will participating in our 6-month Coaching
    > Program help you?

    I’m looking to join this 6 month caching program to
    boost my skills and client base – much of my copy is for
    my own products at the moment. I do get the occasional
    client who I charge an arm and a leg to write copy for
    (and it’s worth every penny to them). Of course I’m
    always looking to improve my skills, aren’t we all?

    But the big thing, for me, is to have a more consistent
    flow of clients to write copy for. and to increase my
    reputation – I’m still in my 20s and have time on my
    side, however, I want to speed up the process and
    become the UK’s answer to Halbert!

    You may wonder why I would want to be in such a
    coaching group if I've already got a mentor?

    Well, I've had to leave his group due to me not having
    enough work to cover his high fees. We still remain
    good friends and keep in touch regularly - in fact it's he who recommended me to have a go at joining this
    group.

    So, my biggest aim is to bring in more clients to build
    my reputation and income to sustain this lifestyle - it's
    my hope to join your coaching group and achieve this
    goal... then, leave you with the most glowing
    testimonial you could wish for, GUARANTEED!

    Thanks for this opportunity.


    Kindest regards,

    Kirk Bardsley.
  • WHY: I’ve been working as a freelance copywriter since 1994, and I’ve sold my writing in Europe, Asia and the US. Almost all of my clients have been satisfied. Trouble is, I’m still working a second job as a part-time teacher, sometimes six or seven days a week. And some months I still have to pull money out of savings to cover expenses. I know I’m a good writer, but I’m not connecting with people who recognize it, and are willing to pay for it.

    From this course I have two objectives: 1) become a great writer; and 2) learn to attract customers who need, appreciate, and can pay for great writing.

    HOW: I’ll reach those goals the same way I tell my students to reach theirs: devote the time and effort to maximize what the profs have to offer. There’s no “magic bullet” to learning, but there are field-tested methods for improving the return on my investment for copywriters. You two guys know those methods.

    I have to add, though, that knowing the methods is only half the story. I also need people who know how to teach. I’ve used much of the material on your site. You’ve proven to me that you guys know what you’re doing and how to teach it.

    So if you guys are providing the knowledge and the instruction, what will I bring to the table? The same thing that my best students give me: extra effort above and beyond the requirements of the lessons themselves. I want to do more than just master the material; I’d like to profit so much from what you teach that I become the “poster boy” for your course.
  • I am about to collect my first social security check. I have wanted to write for years but "life" sorta got in the way. Now I want to do what I want to do.

    Getting paid for it is a bonus - a VERY welcome bonus.
  • Heidi
    Hi everybody,
    I am serious about becoming a successful, “booked solid” copywriter and when I started a course last year I did not have a clue what it was all about. I just sort of stombled on it.And I got to like it. This happened after I struggled throuh a 2 year training to be an Intensivecare Nurse and this made me hate learning. I promissed myself never, ever learn anything new in my life again. In the add for the copywriting course they asked: could you write a letter like this? You could make a living with writing letters like this. Writing letters was the thing which I remember as something I liked and the postoffice grow rich bec. of my writing.That how I got to copy writing. Befor I didn`t even know, that there was such a thing as copywriting......
    My vision is to become a sought after copywriter here in good old Germany. As I am not that young any more I better hurry up.Thats where I could do with the coaching course so I keep going towards reaching my goal.
    I also want to become a copywriting teacher for people like me, who could do with some advice. But:Fist I need the advise myself...
    By the way: thanks for the smile on the picture- it is so naturel and encouraging. I have to smile back, whenever I look at it.
    Greetins from the far away but good old Germany
    Heidi
  • Traci
    1.) How I got into copywriting and why I want to be a copywriter:

    My story starts out like many others out there: I wanted to be home with my kids and still make an inome.

    I started looking around for writing work on the internet about 6 years ago. I didn't have kids yet but knew when I did I would be staying home with them. I started out writing articles and web content for a few years. I finally found copywriting and it really interested me. I joined the Warrior Forum and the Copywriters Board and have been lurking around both ever since. I've gotten little tips here and there from exceptional copywriters on how to get started, including Ryan's ebook. I have been following and studying copywriting in all forms for the past 2 years. Direct response has been the most intriguing to me by far. I love the process of writing to a certain audience and actually being able to see that my writing has affected them.

    I want to be a copywriter to continue my lifestyle, while allowing my husband a much needed break. I work from my computer about 15-20 hours a week, after the kids go to sleep at night. I want my daytime hours to be spent with my kids and have the luxury to spend those 20 hours a week hard at work for my clients. My husband currently works 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day with the occasional Sunday off. He is an industrial electrician and works outside most of the time. He makes good money, but at a huge cost to his happiness and time without his family. He provides for us and never complains, saying I do enough just being here with the kids. It broke my heart a few weeks ago when he told me how much it hurts him to miss out on the simple things. Our daughter plays a learning game on t.v. and always talks about it. She made a reference to it and he didn't know what it was about. I said he was lucky he didn't have to sit and learn about it at least 2 hours everyday. I teared up with he said he would love to be able to learn it with her, but by the time he has time to, it will probably be too late.

    I want to become a successful copywriter to allow my husband the time to become more involved with his family. To allow him the freedom to not have to worry about bills and money and here to enjoy the daily lives of our kids.

    2.) How will your 6 month program help me?

    Simple. It will open the starting gate for me. I feel I have done enough studying, reading, planning and sitting on the sidelines 'waiting' for the right time to begin. (Although I am completely ready to do much more reading, studying and planning to further my career :)) I believe having the two of you as a coach will allow me to see my future in copywriting and provide me the steps I need to really take off. I am treading in uncertainty at the moment. I know I can write well, I know I can become a successful direct response copywriter, I just need an outline on how to get there.

    Thank you,

    Traci
  • First of all, I'd like to add my thanks for making this contest opportunity available.

    Becoming successful as a freelance copywriter, to my mind, creates a winning situation for everyone involved. It would give me the freedom to be my own boss (with all the accompanying benefits), release me from financial concerns and give me the chance to get paid for doing what I love. That, or course, is writing, and playing with words and getting that inner "yes!" feeling that comes when you know you've written a winner.

    The other part of the equation is that my clients win too. I get to help them increase their sales, so that they can enjoy all the benefits of what financial success means for them. Even better, supposing that their products and services benefit their clients, then I'm indirectly involved in helping those people improve their lives as well. What more could a person want from a career!?

    The Coaching Program sounds like it will give me the missing link I need to move my career forward. I'm one of those people you referenced in the audios, who's taken copywriting courses but who's having little success marketing myself. I've had a few clients - enough to be sure that I love writing copy and that I this is what I want to do - but I've scarcely been able to re-coup the investment I made in the one-on-one coaching programs and courses I took. I know I "should" be making a lot more money, I just don't know how to get the clients. Plus I could definitely benefit from some instruction on how to talk with clients. And it would be so nice to find out how I can have more leads than I could handle! Hey, then I could refer them to my copywriter friends!

    Again thanks for creating this program and for your generosity in allowing one person to attend free of charge.

    Best wishes, Nicoline Lentze
  • Bob
    Ryan and John,

    Why do I want to become a successful freelance copywriter (besides the money)?

    Throughout my life I have had a passion for helping people. Several years ago I realized that I could do this best through my writing. As I have looked at this more closely, I now understand that copywriting offers me the way to help the most people I can. First by writing sales letters and brochures I will be helping those people who hire me. Next - for the people reading my pieces I will be helping them understand how the products and services I am writing about will help make their lives easier, better their relationships or achieve something they always have wanted. Last, copywriting will enable me to give to those less fortunate than me. I am a firm believer that if you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he can feed himself for a lifetime. Copywriting will provide me the opportunity to teach many how to fish.

    How will participating in the 6 month Coaching program help me?

    I think John said this best on the audio when he talked about when he entered the real estate profession. He said during the first 6 months, he earned $2,500. Then he found a mentor. I am looking to both of you for mentorship. You have learned how to get prospects, then turn them into leads and turn the leads into clients. On the audios you indicate that you will focus on how you have done this. You also add how you have learned from your mistakes and you will share them with those of us in the program. I plan to model you. That will be the fastest way for me to build my business. The homework assignments will help me follow through on what I am learning. An added bonus that I am looking for is a Master Mind group which will aid us in getting to the next level.

    I want to thank both of you for this contest. It has given me the opportunity to really look more closely at the reason I want to be a copywriter and how your program can benefit me.

    Bob
  • Richard
    Hi Ryan...

    Why do I want to become a successful freelance copywriter?

    Nine Solid Reasons (and then some) "Why I want to become a successful freelance copywriter"...

    Well -- I've explored many, many areas as hobbies and interests and changed careers a few times so I know what I want to do now and know that I am cut out for copywriting and or marketing.

    It's not just the money either, it's also possible to use this skill to make the world a better place. And if money really did come in, my wife and I dream of the good we would like to do with it.

    An easy life for me personally? Not likely because I LOVE to work and develop myself and will probably always be a workaholic (includes fun stuff too). But I sure do love freedom!

    I am in the actual beginning of a copywriting/marketing business right now.

    My background fully qualifies me as having the potential to be a successful copywriter (in brief)...

    1. Have always been a voracious reader.

    2. Writing has always come pretty naturally to me. I used to write stories at night before going to sleep when I was very young. In high school the principal once called me in out of the blue to praise something I wrote and I wasn't into school at all then.

    Also, long ago took the course "Writing For Children and Teenagers".

    I'm very good at resumes -- too good (just my own though) with my own attention-getting style. Nine times out of ten they call for an interview.

    3. Entrepreneurial pursuits in childhood and beyond.

    4. Extremely hard worker.

    Have worked in a number of different industries. Enjoyed them all. Always voluntarily studied up on whatever field I was working in on my own time and at my own expense.

    5. Many, many interests FAR too numerous to name. Am an information junkie, have books on a wide variety of subjects, and have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on books and information on many subjects over the years.

    6. I absolutely fit the description given by Joe Sugarman of what makes a good marketer/copywriter. Read it two or three years ago which has partly kept me going in this line of work.

    7. Began becoming seriously interested in marketing/copywriting ten years or so ago after getting involved with web design and internet technology. Purchased the hit ebook "Make Your Site Sell", became an affiliate, carved out a tiny niche smack in the middle of all the competition, and, as a total rookie, actually SOLD one of the ebooks off my site out of the wild, blue, internet!

    Wow! After that I knew I could do it but continued studying heavily in many other areas.

    8. Five or so years ago discovered Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy and others. Studied day and night every spare minute.

    Day and night reading and studying (because I wanted to).

    9. Am presently FINALLY in the action mode instead of learning all the time, taking my first REAL action steps fail or not ("Nothing Happens Until Something Moves" Robert Ringer).

    Participating in your Coaching Program would be very helpful. To actually work with experienced pros who understand what it's all about.

    Yes indeed! As soon as I heard your (Ryan's) interview with John Anghelache about his marketing course when it very first came out, I rushed right home and purchased it. I had the interview on an mp3 player while out laboring (I was on that marketing course like a bee to flowers!)

    I know which side my bread is buttered on.

    And I know YOU Ryan from back in '05 on the AWAI forum board (though I am a quiet sort), and signed up on your list. I thought you were good from the start.

    I've probably read everything both you and John have put out there for the public that I know of. And that is saying a lot because I am subscribed to, at least, dozens of newsletters and blogs many of which I do not make time to read.

    I've already put in years of hard study and work. Not only in copywriting, but everything else such as general marketing, web design, and many areas of internet technology in addition to any other work I do.

    I know the value of an opportunity such as this.

    I've known for some time now the value of a mentor and have been keeping my eyes open.

    Trouble is --well-- with all the time I've spent studying and learning instead of making money (I've been self-employed doing labor and things the past four years)...

    ...and the fact that learning marketing and copywriting is very dangerous to your wallet! (the best copywriters out there constantly selling you stuff)...

    My wallet is empty. I'm essentially starting life over from scratch but this time with some serious education and a powerful toolbox of ideas.

    In fact, I think I am stuck with too many ideas now and am trying to get focused.

    I have all the pieces but it would sure be nice to have a little personalized help putting it all together.

    Thanks for offering the opportunity.

    Blessings!

    Richard
  • 1. Why?

    Because when you are a REAL copywriter, I mean someone who understands from a physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional level that THIS IS WHAT I WAS MEANT TO DO... then you understand the rush, the exhileration of the winning promotion... as well as the crushing despair of the ad that didn't make the cut. And you accept both equally.

    When you are a real copywriter, you understand this opportunity for what it is. You understand that -- finally -- you can start reaping financial dividends from the nights of sacrifice, the countless times you forsook family time, friend time, and rest, just to look over that promotion one more time. To read that Bencivenga Bullet one more time. To read that snippet from John Carlton one more time. To rewrite that close one more time because Clayton Makepeace's latest blog post inspired you.

    There is no greater, more inspiring reason than... because this is what I was meant to do, and this is the best opportunity available to become one of the next great copywriters to not only make a name for himself... but to inspire the next generation of copywriters who (like the pedagogical Ogilvy) who will continue the war cry of "YOU TOO CAN DO THIS."

    Because... my advancement in the copywriting game equals the advancement of countless other copywriters that will realize that they too can succeed.

    2. How?

    Because sometimes, a slight push is all someone needs to skyrocket into the stratosphere of success.

    Because sometimes, pushing the first domino will cause that chain reaction that changes a young copywriter's life forever.

    Because sometimes, all a guy needs is a chance.

    I've got the chops, I've got the credentials. (Written for guys like Neil Strauss, Internet Guru Mark Widawer, online dating coach Grant Adams, Dan Kennedy Platinum Members Scott Tucker and Mike Miget to name a few) but the seat at the Feast is still not QUITE within arms reach. That's the truth.

    Sometimes, all a guy needs is a slight shove in the right direction, and this program is obviously that shove.

    I read Ryan's 80/20 letter and was disgusted at how good the story was, and how easily the copy flowed. (Then I tried to swipe it as best as I could)

    When I read the site at www.JohnAngelCopywriting.com I realized how different a Gary Halbert trained copywriter was from the rest of the Dilbert's out there. (Then I tried to swipe that as well)

    The point is, I understand the value here, and you can count on me to skyrocket to success under your influence... and write you a killer testimonial expounding the virtues of the program.

    That's how I will (and you two) will benefit. With minimal help I know that I can become the 'poster boy' of this program. It's that simple.

    James Lee
  • Heidi
    Hi again,
    after writing my post last night, my unconscious told me that I forgot to tell you something important.
    For some time I'am thinking about a posible niche for a german copy writer. It is writing german copy for companies who live in the english speaking parts of the world. I don't mean just translation. I would write copy from scratch so people here would read it and not notice anything strange with it. During the coaching I would learn from an American but would work and praktice in German as well.

    Greetings from good old Germany from
    Heidi
  • I would like to hone my writing skills so that I may do a better job of blogging.

    I especially want to be able to make pleas on my Endangered Spaces blog that will prompt people to take action and to persuade them to look beyond what is being relayed as truth. On my travel blog, I would like to write persuasive copy so that people will be drawn to Texas next time they are planning a trip.

    I would also like to be able to write more effective letters to the editor, my representatives and top management of companies that desecrate our lands.

    It is not about money at all, but about the life on this planet.
  • Jim B
    The WHAT’s become much easier if you understand the WHY! Freedom, pursuit of happiness, ability to make a positive impact in areas important to me…that’s why. Money is the ticket to freedom, the ability to enjoy my family, especially my kids, and live life to the hilt. The 9 to 5 is all well and good and has treated me well. But rising up the corporate ladder comes with a price…I’m ready to see if I have what it takes to say “See ya’ “to the rat race. Even if copywriting remains a second stream of income I’ll be happily on my way to zero debt through the additional income – goodbye mortgage! You have to make every minute count, why not do something you enjoy? Hey - maybe even rise to the top ranks of copywriting...hmmm.

    Having you guys help by coaching? It is the difference between shoveling snow using a shovel versus a spoon …I would gain huge leverage from your experience. Coaching would also help focus my efforts so I can get into copywriting sooner. Learning by doing under the guidance of someone who knows the ropes is THE BEST way to get on the fast track. It will be a real test too…working full time and doing this in my “free time” (did I mention kids?).

    Thank you!
  • Angela Morgan
    I've searched my whole life to find a place where my talents and the world's need could meet. That place where suddenly it all made sense, and I had a purposeful career that would actually MEAN something to me.

    When I was introduced to the idea of being a copywriter I was floored. When I found out there was a specialized field of work writing for non-profits and fundraising?

    I cried.

    I can actually do something REAL to help. On a global basis even. I can help raise money for the poor, the starving, the abused, dying children, the dying planet. I can be a part of that, not after work hours when I'm exhausted and financially strapped, but as a part of a viable, doable career!

    Why would such a lofty goal leave me so alone?

    My family thinks I'm crazy. They want me to quit dreaming and get a "real job." Work for the pension, the retirement, and follow the crowd. But my dreams aren't crazy. This is real. You are real. Copywriting is real.

    I finished the AWAI training program. I'm ready to show them that this can happen. This is what I'm doing for the rest of my life, whether it takes me 7 years or 7 months to get there.

    But... how?

    How do you turn an artist and a dreamer into a business woman capable of marketing herself to her chosen field?

    This is only the beginning.

    I learned the copy basics, but it doesn't teach me how to build a business, market myself, make smart choices in how I spend my marketing dollars. Should I cold call? Send postcards? Write letters? Do I need a lawyer? Contracts and fine print?

    I feel so alone.

    I don't have anyone to turn to, talk with, or help me understand and break down (and even fully understand) what it is I'm trying to do. No boss, no co-workers, nobody else even knows what a copywriter is.

    A coaching program with support, encouragement, and real human connection during a long-term training period would be the missing link connecting the dream and the goal. Like being in college again, but this time with so much more purpose.

    Here's to the dream filled and purpose filled life!

    Thanks for your time,

    ~Angela
  • INVISIBLE SCHOOLIN' . . .

    You know it just occured to me that one of the coolest things about being a direct resonse copywriter is seeing tangible, put your hands on it results--just like what's going on here in this blog. . .

    RESULTS

    Ryan you and John know exactly how to stir up excitement and get excellent results.

    What's more is your going to teach us (and some lucky winner) for free how to fill our dance card with hot prospects!

    Heck, you're practically giving us the first lesson right here in this outstanding blog!

    I gotta tell you boys I don't envy you-- cuz everyone represented here has written winning entries.

    But on the other hand you've gotten yourself a captivated audience for your program.

    Peace,

    Emette Massey
  • Everyone has their reasons...I've got my own...


    I remember the moment like it was yesterday. It's funny how a single moment can change your life forever. Most memories are conjured from some dark, cavernous place hidden deep within the recesses of the mind. They ignite like sparks, fly upwards and dance with a fiery glow, burn hot, and quickly disintigrate into nothingness. Faint memories are summoned only by some familiar song. Not this one; this memory is seared into the forefront of my conscience, still burning beneath the skull.

    New York City can be a cruel master in the throes of winter. The wind blew cold and hard through the canyon of buildings along Astor Place, in Manhattan's East Village. The raw blasts of wind pierced like icy spikes, crystallizing every blood cell and nerve ending in my tense, shivering body. It was as though mother nature had to have her final word, the unloving rebuke of a scorned lover, before I passed through the door that would soon reveal my destiny.

    I entered the same three-story Barnes and Noble book store where I had been writing at for several years. Every day was the same ritual: trek the narrow stretch to the bathroom located at the back of the store, pass the rows of new fiction, autobiographies and travel guides, take a piss, head back and march up the flight of stairs leading to the third floor, where Starbucks and a bakery offered a respite from the cold.

    There were plenty of tables and chairs where I could sit and write undisturbed. I always anticipated seeing the usual band of misfits, weirdoes and mentally disturbed conspiracy theorists littered about the cafe. At times it looked more like a "psych ward" than a place to write the greatest novel in the world. I felt right at home. This is what became known as my "Village office". It was a familiar routine, robotic, etched like grooves on an overplayed record.

    That day something stopped me dead in my tracks as I began to climb the staircase leading to the "office". Suddenly my attention was drawn to the stairway leading to the floor below. I turned and looked into the yawning, melancholy mouth of the stairwell. I shrugged it off and continued to climb.

    I was then arrested with an incessant nagging feeling. My legs grew heavy; my thoughts went blank, and my head swooned with some strange lobotomizing sensation. Seemingly, against my will and adamant writing plans, I found myself heading downstairs, as though guided by some unseen force.

    Click...click...clack...click...clack...clack...

    And down the stairwell I went, into the store's great underbelly. I soon stood before a tall bookcase lined with rows of "how-to" books about writing. I searched the titles curiously, running my finger along the books until one finally caught my attention: a brightly colored book designed with striking orange, blue and green blocks. "The Well-Fed Writer," I muttered.

    I pulled Peter Bowerman's copywriting book from the shelf and rifled through its contents. And as I stood there flipping the pages one by one, that's when it happened. The moment...the moment that changed everything...that fleeting speck of time when I realized the course of my life would be altered forever. Revelation.

    At that very instant a voice spoke to me, saying "This is the way. Walk in it." With a sudden jolt, I flung around to see who was behind me. The room was empty and silent. Nobody. The mysterious voice rang unlike any I have ever heard, clear, bold and majestic. Startled, my hands quaked, and I turned a ghastly shade of pale as the book loosed from my grip and fell to the floor.

    I was utterly shaken. I became confused and overwhelmed. Then a gentle yet powerful presence washed over me, pouring over my being like a sweet sunshower, soft, electric. This was evidently a call from someone or something otherworldly. This was divine intervention, an ethereal messenger sent to guide and anoint me to fulfill a sacred purpose. But who or what spoke to me? Was it the voice of an angel? Devil? Jesus? Could this have been the voice of God Almighty?

    Something inside me changed that day. And ever since then I've been a freelance copywriter. I've worked with numerous agencies and have repeat clientele, but I have yet to achieve a steady stream of "quality" clients. I feel like I keep ramming into the same brick wall over and over again. I'm exhausted. I believe you and John hold the secrets that can pull me out of this pit of despair.

    The mission is clear. And the path predetermined since before the foundations of the world is yet fully realized. There is a throne set in the marketing heavens; and the "prince" who once sat upon the throne no longer rules from it. It is void. My mission has nothing to do with money.

    It is my destiny to ascend to the heights of the marketing heavens. And you, Ryan Healy and John "Angel" Anghelache, are part of a master plan. Your 6-month Coaching Program will play a divine role in helping me fulfill the great commission, to take my rightful seat as heir upon the throne and accomplish my universal and everlasting reign as the "Marketing Messiah".

    Over my dominion there will be no end. I will rule in majesty and great glory...INSTEAD OF A PRINCE YOU WILL HAVE A GOLDEN KING! BRILLIANT AND TERRIBLE AS THE SON...MIGHTY AND MERCIFUL AS THE DAWN...AND ALL THE MARKETING WORLD WILL BE BLESSED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I WILL BESTOW UPON IT FOREVER, AMEN!
  • Sudheendra D
    Hello Ryan,

    Regardless of whether we admit it or not, most of us are into copywriting just for the money.

    My story is also somewhat similar, yet refreshingly different!

    I originally started out as a content writer - writing articles and website content for business owners on the internet. I was also a Featured Writer on Suite101.com for a while.

    Then one day, a client asked me to write a promotional piece for one of his company products. I had never written anything like that before but still managed to crank out a darn good one. It was only then that I realized I have the knack for writing copy, and I thorougly enjoyed the experience. And seeing that the money was also better on this side of the fence, I decided to make the plunge into copywriting.

    My first few months in copywriting didn't yield much in terms of money, but I was convinced this is what I was meant to do because I was loving every moment of it. I had finally figured out the one thing that I could do really well and was determined to convert it into a full-time occupation, come what may.

    I was never a day-job fanatic to begin with. I don't possess the kind of attitude that enables people to work for somebody else. Moreover, most people don't recognize the tremendous opportunities out there today. I do. So I'd rather work from home and make more money doing what I love ...than take up some day job that I hate and make a lot less. And what better way to do this than by writing copy?

    Now, I can give you numerous other personal reasons why I just HAVE TO BE a copywriter, but I feel there are only 3 important things that you need to know.

    1) First off, English isn't even my first language.

    There are some copywriters who feel that writing direct-response copy is the prerogative of native English speakers. But I think that's bull. Both you and I know that these guys are just trying to ward off competition. And when they see people like me writing copy, they need to understand their tactics aren't working.

    Writing copy comes to me naturally. It's now coming up to 2 years since I started writing sales letters. Though I haven't done anything extraordinary during this period, I've managed to climb one step after other gradually. My copywriting has got better with every project I've completed till now. And yes, I do have a couple of six-figure sales letters under my belt.

    2) I reside in a country far, far away from any direct-marketing land you can think of.

    Businesses in my country don't use direct mail in their marketing. So I've always had to depend on foreign sources for work. For most part of this 2 years I had no idea how to contact and successfully close prospects in other countries. To be frank, I still don't.

    I'm still testing different things to find out what works, all by myself without any kind of expert guidance.

    3) At times when business was slow, I'd feel maybe I should give up copywriting completely and concentrate on affiliate marketing or creating niche products or something else. I saw that my copywriting clients were making much more than me, doing things much simpler than copywriting. But I never got around to doing any of those because I don't like and don't enjoy anything other than writing copy. So I could never get my mind to do any of those.

    Despite all these hitches, the desire to be a "booked solid" direct-response copywriter hasn't died down.

    So if you ask me again why I'm wanna be a copywriter, my answer will be this - My rendezvous with copywriting, though accidental, has brought me into contact with something that I can do really well and at the same time also enjoy doing. I've always known that copywriting as a profession can give huge returns. But now I wanna experience it for real too.

    You hinted in your audios that the fee for this course might be around $5,000. Agreed, $5k is a large amount. But in my country $5k is worth much, much more. Where I live, some people make this much in a whole year. And FYI, we also don't get this kind of credit on our credit cards.

    So I couldn't possibly have dared to pay something like that for a coaching program. Maybe that's the reason I'm still trying to learn things on my own and haven't made much progress in the last one year despite being a good copywriter. You already know that having an experienced mentor or guide can slash your learning curve dramatically.

    Why do I wanna join your program?

    When I first started writing copy, I was happy to write even for free. At that time, I was just glad that I had found a client, even if he wasn't gonna pay me a penny.

    But both you and I know that writing copy is hard work. It takes a lot of mental and physical effort to write profit-pulling sales copy. And when the financial incentive is good, the copy comes out even better since we look to give our best in this case.

    I've often had to unwillingly write for clients who wouldn't pay me properly, and I clearly missed the motivation to put in the effort and the joy associated with writing copy. Additionally, I also came across bungling clients who wouldn't make anything out of the best copy I gave them.

    So with your help, I wanna find clients who can pay me properly and would also make good use of the copy I give them. That way writing copy will be a truly enjoyable experience, instead of being the tedious "home job" that it is right now.

    I've also often been scared to ask for a huge fee, and even low-balled at times fearing that the prospect might get snatched up by some other copywriter. I believe your program will give me the ability to identify a project's worth easily, ask for it confidently and eventually get it also.

    On that note, I'd like to add something else also.

    I had purchased your "Get copywriting client in 14 days" ebook. We had also exchanged a couple of emails back then, though I don't expect you to remember that now.

    Anyway, some of the suggestions you made in that book were actually not possible to implement for me because I'm not based in the US. I've also read some other "get copywriting clients" books that advise new copywriters to attend seminars and hand out business cards, which is not possible for me...at least not at this point in time.

    What I'm trying to say is that mine is clearly a 'special' case which IMHO requires special attention. So would you be willing to take this as a challenge and help me build a lucrative copywriting business from outside the US?

    I honestly believe your program has all the elements to make it work even for someone like me. If you're looking for commitment and desire to "make it" as a copywriter, I've got loads of both. But the final decision is still yours.

    I did a mailing to US-based prospects recently, but it didn't work out well. In fact, it didn't work at all...probably because of my inexperience, or probably because I did something wrong.

    With yours and John's help, I'm sure I can get much better results this time around.



    Thanks,
    Sudheendra.
  • PART ONE: WHY?

    1. I already consider myself a successful freelance copywriter - I just don't make quite enough money to support myself and my wife doing it yet.

    2. The author of 2 how-to books, I struggled for decades to be a "pure" writer who only wrote from his vision. As a result, i struggled terribly for a long, long time. Nonetheless, in order to promote my own books and seminars, i had to write my own copy.

    It turns out the joke was on me. Now that i've finally "sold out" by writing website copy for people trying to make money on the net, i am discovering a potential for supporting and nurturing success in others that still has me floored. And im having a great time doing it!

    I used to be a therapist as well, and it is fascinating to see how my role as copywriter and marketing consultant enables me to bring my collage of skills to my clients. I am not shy about calling this "nurturing" or "love." My only regret is that i did not try making my living this way long before, but i guess i wasnt ready.

    3. I am 58 and it sure would be nice to have something to fall back on other than flipping burgers at McD's!

    4. My wife is my age and she has numerous ailments, including diabetes and fibromyalgia. She needs me at home to take care of her, so it is imperative that i work out of the home. She has applied for disability from the government, but thats a big unknown right now.

    5. Writing copy for clients is a source of real passion for me. I get excited doing it! One thing i've discovered which surprises me is that i feel like i am a detective solving a mystery. When researching my 2 books i never felt that way. Maybe its the interactive nature of how i approach a copywriting project, but to me its like a treasure hunt. I am looking for the hidden theme, the secret trigger, the deep push buttons. I am here to be a rainmaker for my client, and my job is to solve the mystery of producing money for his business by finding the magic hidden somewhere in his business flow. i know its there - and im gonna find it!

    6. Via the copywriting career i have now, i am finally experiencing a spiritual principle i heard about a long time ago: if you focus on providing great value and first-class caring, empathic service for your clients, the money end will take care of itself.

    All those years as a book writer i had been trying to survive writing in isolation in the proverbial garret, and all that time my natural tendencies to help people and enthusiastically support what they wanted for themselves could have made me rich a long time ago!

    So, upon reflection, i was living a split existence, where my caring energies went into being a therapist, and my creative energies went into the "pure" book writing. Now, finally, via copywriting, they are getting integrated, and i am having a blast writing, being creative, helping people and making money. Whoopee!

    7. In sum, i want to be a successful copywriter because i have discovered from my own experience that it brings out and synergizes some of the very best parts of me to help and support others (my clients) and make a real difference in their lives and the lives of their customers (via the products or services being sold).

    PART TWO: HOW

    Section A: Me

    1. You guys are awesome... im not an idiot... therefore, i will rock as a copywriter after you are done with me!

    2. At the risk of sounding arrogant or something like that, i believe that i have tremendous talent as a copywriter. this is based largely on the enthusiastic responses of my clients: "like magic... i am simply amazed... the next time i need copy, i will just wait until youre available!" frankly, im surprised myself by how good my copy is!

    3. Since i have written short stories and worked on screenplays and novels as well as how-to books, i have spent decades developing my craft to communicate emotion with words in a natural voice. This is crucial copywriting skill, and i already have it.

    Please take me to the next level, to the inner sanctum sanctorum of theme and the deep structure of copy and how to work up the big pieces and what to really do with copy elements like color, graphics, etc. Yes, the knowledge is out there, but i cant afford it yet.

    4. If i keep floundering at the success level im currently at, and also given my age, i simply may never, ever achieve the level of success - and service to great clients - that i am capable of. The clock is ticking for me. I believe there are million dollar clients out there that would just eat up what i have to offer, but based on my current knowledge of the markets and how to approach them, it may be a very long time before i reach them - if i ever do. this would be a shame not only for me, but also for them. i know i can do some amazing things to help clients big or small - i just hope i get the chance in this lifetime. i intuitively know that with your help i will make an incredible quantum leap in a wonderfully short time - hey you, yeah you... Makepeace! Look out!

    5. i am at the level in my writing that i can make excellent use of a pro copywriting mentor or trainer, and the efforts of the mentor will not be wasted.

    6. on top of my years of writing experience, i am absolutely hot right now with my copywriting. this is the perfect time for me to hop on a wild ride of life and copy transformation by immersing myself in the kind of help only experts at your level and with your kind, caring and generous character - and obvious teaching ability - can provide.

    7. since i am naturally a long sales letter writer, i think id be very good at direct marketing letters. but thats an area i know nothing about and, frankly, it intimidates me a bit. so i could really use some major hand holding to help me break into that market and spread my wings, as it were.

    Section B. You

    i could go on about how you can help me, but i think you get the idea. so let me tell you how i can help you:

    a) i will ask great questions, as a student i will put pressure on you to rise to a higher level as a teacher

    b) as a book writer, i can be of real assistance when you guys write your copywriting guide. you are going to write a book, or at least provide an online course after this, arent you?

    c) while i really appreciate the gift, the only reason i would accept it is that right now i cant pay for it. as i see it, once i was making the kind of money we all know can be made in this business, it would be my joy, delight and pleasure to reward your generosity by paying you DOUBLE your Course Fee ASAP.

    Now that offer is contingent on the course being around 2K. If its 10K or something like that, i might have to work out some kind of payment plan...

    The other option is to work out the dollars via trade, where i functioned as a copy cub and supplied copy in lieu of cash. personally, i prefer paying you back in cash - money for money.

    Frankly, it seems like nonsense that you should not get paid. Also, since you are losing the time value of your money, you are actually suffering a bit of a financial loss - you lose the cash you would have gotten up front from the last sign-up, and you lose the earning potential of that money...

    plus theres the invisible but substantial value of the earnest energy in this money, that you have offered such a generous gift. this too needs to be recognized and rewarded.

    so just paying you back is simply too weak... therefore, just like in Vegas, i am offering to DOUBLE YOUR MONEY!

    P.S. this aint no bull, John and Ryan... i mean every word of it, and i consider it a contract. All you have to do is sign on the dotted line!

    P.P.S. in fact, if you refuse my offer to literally DOUBLE YOUR MONEY, i will spit in your face!

    i will send the money to your favorite charity, or donate it to your church, but i will not be clutching it in my grubby little paws for long. You guys deserve to be REWARDED, and i am here to see that you are!!!

    P.P.P.S. you must act fast. yes, you must make your decision now. i am withdrawing this offer tomorrow! :)
  • The secret hunger of every aspiring Online Marketer...

    Are You Prepared for the Explosive Changes in Your Life When You Master the Much Envied Skill of Copywriting, and Make Six Figures Per Year ... With Ease?

    I must be divinely blessed to have discovered this craft, because if there’s a better way to go, I sure can’t see it.

    A copywriter soars through life as easy as if he or she were on a hand-glider above the clouds. Here’s why:

     You master the art of persuasion: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” becomes a way of life. From getting the best seats in a restaurant, talking your way out of a traffic ticket, getting the girl of your dreams, negotiating the best price on your cars or your house ... your entire life runs smoother and easier.

     You can make tons of cash: If you can string together a coherent paragraph, you can learn sales copy and make money. Lots of it.

    Ironically, most writers starve. You may be surprised to learn that some of those bestselling authors on the New York Time’s list are barely making a living. A decent, competent copywriter, a B-level writer, should have no problem pulling in six figures a year ... if they learn a few simple marketing tricks.

     You clearly understand human nature: Imagine being able to read minds ... well, a copywriter has such a deep understanding of people that’s the next best thing to knowing their thoughts.

     You are in demand: Nothing happens in business without advertising. And if they either try to avoid advertising, or avoid paying for good advertising, they’re not going to be in business very long. Smart business owners are seeking you out. They want you. They NEED you.

     You have power and influence: Copywriters often know more about marketing than their clients. This means you are positioned to be the authority, and your clients often become beholden to you for more than a simple letter. This is why Gary Bencivenga’s analogy of a “hired gun” is so much on target ... you are the “expert from afar.”

     Fame, recognition, and Prestige: You become recognized in business. When you can do this, people know who you are. Several businesses rely on you as their go-to-guy. You may not make the cover of the “Rolling Stone Magazine,” but would you settle for “Business Weekly?”

    So that’s why I want to be a copywriter. Now here’s how your program can help me...

     Both Ryan and John are authentic. They are doing the same thing I want to do, so it’s not about theory from another struggling writer.

     Ryan has some of the smoothest writing I have had the pleasure to read. I WANT that ability, too.

     John has more marketing skills up his sleeve than Jay Abraham. I’ve never seen such a diverse and varied arsenal of tactics for getting clients.

    So, these guys are teaching both the writing of copy and the business of copy. It kinda makes it a drop-dead-simple choice ... what Gary Halbert would technically term a “no-brainer.”

    If you want to be a copywriter, there’s simply no way to lose with this.

    And yeah, I’ve heard rumors of what they are charging. If the scuttlebutt is true, then it’s less than a single semester of college ... but it’s going to pay off better than 87% of Ph.D.’s, who barely touch six figures in their entire lives.

    So, folks, strap yourself in, because it’s going to be one wild ride. I can guarantee you this – your life will never be the same after this program.

    Sincerely,
    Kevin Dawson, Web 2.0 Copywriter

    P.S.-I’ll bet anyone a C-note that it will be sold out within 24 hours of going live. Any takers?
  • Loren Humes
    Why does copywriting interest me?

    I'd like to be the person people are talking about when they say, "If HE can make it as a copywriter, ANYBODY can."

    Why would it be such a shock? My professional writing is focused on technical software requirements, which provides a living wage, but in no way is focused on generating a response.

    And in today's economy, response is what hundreds of small business owners in my area are praying for. It would be awesome to be able to come alongside them and provide a means of generating new leads and ongoing business, especially when many owners are wondering whether they'll be able to survive.

    How would this coaching opportunity help a rookie like me?
    Only as much as experienced skydivers who strap themselves to the backs of first-time jumpers ... but this time it seems like the jump is starting at 30,000 feet. I know the ground is down there, but I'm going to need oxygen to survive.


    Many thanks for providing this opportunity.
  • Ann Kensek
    For Immediate Release…

    Fledgling Vermont Copywriter Wins Coveted Coaching Program!

    On Saturday night, July 19th, 2008, Ann Kensek received an email that will change her life- and the lives of countless others- forever. Ultra-successful copywriters Ryan Healy and John “Angel” Anghelache contacted her with the news that she was the winner of their 6 –Month Freelance Copywriting Coaching Program. She expressed her deep thanks to Healy and Anghelache for this outstanding opportunity.
    Asked why she wants to be a Freelance Copywriter, Kensek replied, “I was elbow deep in dishwater, while my husband watched the evening news on TV. Half listening and half absorbed in my own thoughts, the story came on about the cylone in Myanmar. I froze, listening intently. Unable to take in how huge the suffering was, how helpless the people were, how important minutes and hours were in saving lives, I thought, ‘I wish I could help’. Something inside of me said, ‘You can’. At that moment I decided to take my years of informal studies of copywriting forward and begin formally studying the art and science of writing effective copy.”
    In addition to writing for the Fundraising market, Kensek wants to tap into the growing “Green” market, helping ethical businesses grow through her work. “The return to families and communities when businesses are successful is immeasurable,” she said, “ And to be able to contribute on multiple levels- economic, social, spiritual and ecological- all at once would make me deeply joyful.”
    Well into her studies, Kensek welcomes the opportunity to learn and utilize successful and rapid marketing techniques with master copywriters Healy and Anghelache. “This Coaching Program will take years off my learning curve, and teach me to get the clients that need my services sooner,” Kensek said.
    When asked if this program was “like the icing on the cake”, Kensek thought for a moment, then replied, “No, it’s not. This course is like the eggs or the baking soda. Without them, the cake won’t rise. Till you add them, you just have a bunch of ingredients in a bowl. I have most of the ingredients I need. Time to add the eggs!”
    As to the money she’ll make as a result of the program? “Sure. I have goals… It’s been a tough year here in Vermont. My husband hasn’t had steady work since February. Thanks to this Program, he’ll be back in Graduate School next spring, realizing his dream of becoming an Analyst. When our 21 year old comes home from Iraq in November we can roll out the red carpet! And our 11 year old will benefit from growing up in a home where he’ll know both the value of dreaming and what it takes to make those dreams into realized goals. I look forward to enjoying the money and all the perks that financial freedom can bring. But money is only part of being wealthy,” she continued. “ True wealth is about living fully, about living authentically, about living a meaningful life. This is what I strive for, and what winning this Coaching Program will help me take to a higher- and deeper level. Many thanks, guys!
  • Logan Hankins
    Ryan & John,

    I’m so happy you guys are doing this.

    The bottom line, guys, is I need this. More to the point: my family needs this. I look at my wife, two step kids and my 22 month old daughter and I know we are stuck until I take this massive action.

    See, we're trapped. I’m in a job that enriches the community but pays very little. My family’s in a home and neighborhood that's becoming unfit to raise children and we’re struggling with debt. It’s a very suffocating feeling. Clearly, we need to make drastic change.

    The money and the lifestyle are cool but just incidental. It's about being empowered by knowing my future is in my hands -- that I'm accountable for my success. I want to rule my own destiny and not feel trapped anymore.

    Copywriting is a way to break free and do what I was meant to do. Writing and art are my only two natural talents (two great tastes that go great together). It has the added benefit of inspiring my family and friends to follow their dreams.

    Fact is I'm a good writer. I've never been turned down by a magazine. And I’ve even written for one of the top copywriters in the country. But the pay is a joke. My copy skills have reached critical mass and it’s time to dive in head first and get paid what I’m worth.

    Also, it would be nice to silence the naysayers and eye-rollers who snicker and say copywriting is not a "real" career. I call them the dream killers because they try to plant the seeds of self- doubt.

    If your coaching program provides two complete systems of actionable strategies as you say then I’ll make it work. You guys seem really authentic and real to me.

    I’ve spent enough money getting good and any money I spend from here will be on marketing and getting clients.

    I will give myself over to the coaching process because this is a make or break endeavor. I want you guys to look back and know you made the right choice. You’ll be able to say that guy Logan busted his ass and implemented the strategies fearlessly.

    I’ve read a lot of great posts here. (good luck Sudheendra – really compelling). Whatever happens it’s time to move forward. Thanks for the opportunity!


    -Logan
  • I am already a copywriter, but I want to take my business to the next level because I love the idea of getting paid for doing something I was born to do—to write for the benefit of others.

    When I was a child, I was incredibly shy. Writing gave me a voice. As I got better, I learned that writing was not only a personal outlet; it was also a tool to help others who could learn from my experiences. When I discovered copywriting, it felt as if I had found my home.

    I’ve always had the entrepreneurial spirit…but it isn’t all about me. As cliché as this may sound, it’s about what I can do for others. I get a real charge out of hearing a client’s excitement when he or she sees what I’ve created for their business. The process of writing may be about me because that’s what I love to do; the outcome is about the client and how I can improve his business. Both of us win, and both of our lives are improved by it.

    I know some copywriters make the business all about them and how much cash they can rake in, but I also believe you have to give back in order to receive. I certainly know that my family benefits when I have enough money to live, and I know that when I write rockin’ copy for someone, I’m affecting helping more than just the voice on the other line. It’s the “pay it forward” principle but for pay. It doesn’t get any better than that.

    If you ask what all this money gets me, I’ll have to break it down into three parts:

    1.) FREEDOM. I’m a divorced mother with three children, and I have a full-time day job and a copywriting business. My son has Selective Mutism and cannot go to public school. I’d love to be home with him during the day so I could give more attention to him and his online studies.

    2.) It also gives me a SPIRITUAL PURPOSE. While we all have to make money to live, I love the idea of using my career to help others prosper physically, mentally, and financially. The products I’ve created are dedicated to helping others live with peace and prosperity.

    3.) The next thing I’ll get from all this money is the ability to GIVE TO OTHERS. The money means nothing unless I can help my family, my friends, and even strangers who need a hand up. At the end of the day, if I cannot think beyond myself, the money has no value.

    All my life, I’ve worked in professions that have given me joy as I’ve helped others. I’ve worked as a counselor, as a teacher, and as a writer. Copywriting allows me to combine the best of all three worlds.

    The 6-month Coaching Program will help me get bigger, more established clients. In the past two years—as a copywriter—I’ve had the pleasure of working with entrepreneurs who sell their products worldwide as well as those who are just starting out. I’ve loved every minute. However, I started doing everything: copywriting, editing, proofreading, writing articles, writing blogs, etc. You can probably guess that sometimes the paycheck was sweet and sometimes it was just a little extra.

    I want to fish in bigger ponds so that I can support my family and give them a comfortable lifestyle. Your coaching program isn’t about the writing for me, although I'll certainly benefit from your experiences. I want to learn the BUSINESS of COPYWRITING. By learning the business, I will be able to be home for my son and daughters when they need me and still continue to do the work that I’ve grown to love.

    In essence, I want to walk away from the day job and walk full time back into my life. I can’t be any more honest than that.
  • I made a typo. Sorry, for the confusion. Here it is:

    "I’m affecting helping" should read "I'm affecting someone other than the voice on the other line."
  • Judy Kettenhofen
    Thanks John and Ryan. The videos have
    been wonderful, as has the experience of
    writing this.
    So let's get at it!

    1. WHY do you want to become a successful freelancecopywriter (besides the money)?

    To answer that, let's get in the wayback
    machine to a bit over 3 plus years ago.

    I was attending nursing school.

    And a funny thing happened to me I was attending to this new education courtesy of an inheritance that filled
    my bank account at a timely moment: right at
    the dot com "bust".

    While I had endured any number of economic downturns
    in my 20+ year software career, I was having my
    first difficulties in finding a job. Maybe it was the
    gray hair. Even though age-prejudice is against the
    law, I've had people admit that hiring "over 50s"
    would require extra justification.

    Here in Silicon Valley, healthcare career courses
    were jammed with folks left high and dry after
    "the bust". I was no different.

    While starting my second year in nursing school,
    I caught a minor infection. The minor infection
    forced me to miss too many clinical days and I
    dropped out for the term. It would be six months
    before I could re-start classes.

    While waiting for school to start again I dusted off the AWAI course, became active ontheir forum, and met up with a young copywriterwho I split a "two-fer" with to attend a copywriting seminar. (The young copywriter was Ryan.)

    And have been pursuing copywriting ever since.
    Along with a healthy dose of internet marketing.
    Hey, I'm a computer geek! Technology comes
    naturally.

    Altruistic dreams run through my brain neurons
    nearly as much as the glucose they require.

    It's many times easier for me to help, and to
    want to help, others than it is to ask for money
    for doing so. You can see volumes of advice that
    I've given on the copywriting forum on the Warrior
    forum.

    But that altruistic spirit, which I certainly
    don't want to deny, gets in the way of getting
    the money.

    Let me also say what, a kindred spirit to that
    altruistic spirit, says. It's not just about
    money. People have hailed certain letters because
    they made so much money. Personally, they made
    me puke.

    Why?

    Not because the writing is bad -- it is quite
    persuasive.

    But because the salesletter over-promised, and
    from my research, vastly undelivered.

    That's not the kind of copy I write, or want to
    write.

    Copy serves a wonderful and useful purpose. But
    it can be abused -- and, frequently is.

    I want my copy to connect real buyers with real
    products that are useful to real people. Not
    some pie-in-the-sky instant riches scheme.

    It's said that "bad money drives out good money."
    I fear that "bad" copy -- the persuasive copy that
    sells unrealizable pipe-dreams -- will drive out
    "good copy".

    My goal is to not just provide for myself, or
    even just to fund my altruistic activities. It's
    also to be a copywriter whose copy sets an example
    of copy of high integrity.

    2. HOW will participating in our 6-month Coaching Program help you?

    One of the purposes of participating in a
    coaching program is to be "known". No, I
    don't mean in a publicity kind of way.
    I mean, known, as in, someone knowing who you are.
    As in the way an interior decorator might walk into
    a room and know exactly what needs fixing.

    What I want out of a coaching program is not
    so much the pieces. I have lots of pieces.But
    I want a consistent, coherent, and, more
    importantly, well-seqwuenced, set of pieces.
    I want the "whole". The synergy that comes with that.

    And it's to have someone with the success and the
    compassion to help me assemble the pieces,
    sequence them properly, into a happy, successful,
    and goal-accomplishing career.

    Thanks for the opprotunity.

    (and I love the involvement. :)

    Live JoyFully!

    Judy Kettenhofen aka "NextDay Copy"
  • John Kane
    At the tender young age of 54 I am happy to
    report that every day STILL brings excitement.

    Not all my parts work like they did at 16 but,
    still I can get excited.

    I've logged in an unbelievable amount of hours
    selling belly to belly with customers.
    The wonderful world of retail and business
    prospects was my turf.

    Retail gave me the most enjoyment in many ways.
    First, the number of "at bats" in retail
    compared to business kept me from the dreded "B".

    That's B for boring!

    I have worked where I only talked to 2 or 3
    prospects in an intire day and hated it.

    When I was a marketing rep visiting Best Buy
    I promoted Epson printers and that was fun.

    When I saw sometimes 50 or 60 people in a day
    during christmas season I "HAD" to learn how
    to sell or the store managers would have
    tossed me out in the dumpster.

    How this relates to writing copy is that I
    have learned that word choice is critical in
    order to land a sale.

    I've also spend some big bucks in NLP training.
    Gave me some more knowledge of mental processes.

    I did not push crap. I found out the main
    bullets of each product and fit my pitch to
    the needs of the customer.

    I developed the authority by giving them a
    inside glitch that showed the product was not
    perfect. They weren't just hammered a high
    margin printer.

    Copywriting would allow me to transfer my many
    years of selling to paper.

    Way too many businesses are struggling.
    Even with great products because their marketing
    copy sucks pond scum.

    I'm looking for satisfaction of helping them.
    The money will come so, I won't bother with
    that here.

    Ryan and John's tutoring is what I need to take
    my gold of experience and focus it into a
    proper technique to drive sales for my clients.

    I could search and study on my own for years.
    That is not the smart way.
    You guys can help prevent me learning wrong
    methods as well as tips and tricks to get me
    cranking at top end levels fast.

    Thanks for the opportunity,

    John
  • Wow! You're amazing! I can't believe how many people have entered the contest just in the last few hours.

    Well, believe it or not, my watch battery died this morning halfway through the alarm. Beep, beep, beep, bewww.....

    So, having just gotten back from Target, I've installed my new watch battery -- and the time is 12:07 p.m. Mountain time.

    The contest is officially closed to new entries.

    John and I will be deliberating over who should win. We'll announce the winner later today -- no later than 9 p.m. Mountain time.

    Thanks!
  • Update: We have selected the winner of this contest. I've written a new post announcing the winner here:

    http://www.ryanhealy.com/and-the-winner-is/

    If you entered the contest, THANK YOU!

    You guys (and gals) rock.

    Ryan
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