First of all, if you’ve submitted a question about how to make it as a freelance copywriter, I want to thank you.
I value your input and appreciate you taking time to “play along” with me.
Secondly, based on some of the questions I’ve received, I can tell certain people are NOT yet ready to be freelance copywriters.
How do I know this? Simple. The questions that are being asked reveal where somebody is at in the learning cycle.
Obviously, my goal is to attract the right kind of copywriter into the coaching program John Angel and I will be releasing in a couple of weeks.
But — equally as important — I want to help you determine whether you are the type of person who will succeed as a freelance copywriter.
With that in mind, allow me to address a few observations I’ve made (without naming names).
Sign #1: If you won’t invest money into generating leads, you’re not ready to be a freelance copywriter!
Somebody recently asked what he should do if he couldn’t afford to mail out lead generation letters.
I was floored.
Let’s calculate the cost to mail out 50 letters to a narrowly targeted list. About $0.42 for postage on each letter, plus maybe an extra $0.15 per piece to cover the cost of paper and envelope.
So what are we looking at? A “whopping” $28.50, right?
Look. If you’re not willing to invest $28.50 in your own copy, how in the world do you expect somebody else to invest $3,000 or more in your copy?
Okay, let’s change our assumptions. Let’s assume you’re going to overnight all 50 letters (which is a lot of letters to overnight, by the way). And let’s assume the cost is $30 a letter.
That would set you back $1,500.
But what if you got just one client for $3,000? Would the mailing have been worth it?
And what if you got a 40% response rate (which is on the low side of what’s possible)?
You would have 20 new clients. If each of them paid you $3,000 apiece, you’d have made $60,000!
Would you pay $1,500 to get $60,000 back?
I would.
Now, obviously, you couldn’t handle 20 new clients all at once. So you want to stage your mailings so you can handle the new clients coming in.
The point I’m trying to make is this: You’re NOT ready to be a freelance copywriter until you’re ready to invest in yourself.
Sign #2: If you don’t know what “direct response” means, you’re not ready to be a freelance copywriter!
I am a direct response copywriter. So is John Angel.
Which means we’re paid to get results.
We are NOT paid to write content, fill up web sites with articles, or write ebooks.
Ordinary content writers are a dime a dozen. You’d be lucky to make a living as a content writer. That’s because there’s so much competition from people who are willing to work for fees that equate to less than minimum wage.
You’d probably be better off pushing carts at Costco.
If you’d like to make real money as a copywriter, you must be in the direct response biz. You must place yourself at the start of the money funnel where you live or die based on your ability to convert prospects into customers or clients.
This is how you get paid (and paid well!) to write.
Sign #3: If you’re not confident in your ability to produce results, you’re not ready to be a freelance copywriter!
There have been times I wasn’t confident I could produce results; the client hired me anyway.
In fact, the more I split-test and see what really works, the more I question my abilities.
Because the results I see often fly in the face of popular copywriting theories — the same theories I studied before becoming a copywriter!
Furthermore, there was a time when I wasn’t that confident about my own abilities. But I was confident that I could eventually produce results.
In other words, if I failed the first time out, I knew I could try again and again and eventually succeed.
Just knowing that time was in my favor gave me confidence.
But that wasn’t enough. So to build my confidence, I took on low-risk, low-pay projects at the beginning of my freelance career.
I got a few easy wins under my belt, which gave me enough confidence to start asking for bigger fees and going after higher-profile clients.
So there are ways to get around the whole “lack of confidence” issue.
Still, if you’re afraid of working for clients… and so completely unsure of your ability to produce results… then you’re probably not ready for the freelancer’s life.
Better to postpone the freelance copywriting career and build up your experience — and your confidence — before making a commitment you won’t be able to fulfill.
In addition to what I’ve shared so far, I thought it would be helpful to point out that the best copywriters fit a certain profile. This has been recognized by some of the top copywriters who’ve ever lived.
Joe Sugarman, in his book Advertising Secrets of the Written Word, says this about what makes for a great copywriter:
The best copywriters in the world are those who are curious about life, read a great deal, have many hobbies, like to travel, have a variety of interests, often master many skills, get bored and then look for other skills to master. They hunger for experience and knowledge and find other people interesting. They are very good listeners. [...] The thirst for knowledge, a tremendous curiosity about life, a wealth of experiences and not being afraid to work are the top credentials for being a good copywriter. (p. 11)
Beyond this, David Ogilvy quotes the work of Dr. Frank Barron in Confessions of an Advertising Man. Ogilvy says Barron’s observations about creative people match his own. Namely, that:
Creative people are especially observant, and they value accurate observation (telling themselves the truth) more than other people do.
They often express part-truths, but this they do vividly; the part they express is the generally unrecognized; by displacement of accent and apparent disproportion in statement they seek to point to the usually unobserved. They see things as others do, but also as others do not.
They are born with greater brain capacity; they have more ability to hold many ideas at once, and to compare more ideas with another — hence to make a richer synthesis.
They are by constitution more vigorous, and have available to them an exceptional fund of psychic and physical energy.
Their universe is thus more complex, and in addition they usually lead more complex lives.
They have more contact than most people do with the life of the unconscious — with fantasy, reverie, and the world of imagination. (pp. 44, 45)
As you read these passages from Sugarman and Ogilvy, did you see yourself? Could you relate to their descriptions?
If so, then perhaps you are ready for the copywriter’s life.
As you decide whether or not freelance copywriting is for you, heed the ancient Greeks’ advice: “Know thyself.”
For only you can make the decision.
My Best,
-Ryan M. Healy
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17 comments ↓
Ryan-
Excellent post today. So many get caught up in the dream of “retiring this year” by writing “a simple letter like this one” they forget to look into the business of it.
There’s nothing simple about copwriting AT FIRST. Prepare for a shock the first time you look at a seemingly elementary piece of copy (such as “Trout Spoken Here”) and try to duplicate it’s effectiveness.
Copywriting is a science AND an art you must be prepared to practice forever.
From your post it sounds like you and I had very similar beginnings. My true confidence came only after I was able to write a letter that earned big for my client.
And even then I had to wait for the next one before I was positive it was my letter that had done it.
How long did it take? Only 6 months. But I had 2 things going for me…
Guidance and passion.
I was exactly the kind of person who saw myself in those passages you posted from Ogilvy and Sugarman. I knew my past careers and experiences made for the the perfect storm of copywriting success.
But that didn’t make success automatic…
Finding my way took guidance. A mentor. And I was lucky to have one of the best. He held my feet to the fire and kept me moving toward my goal.
It was tough at times, but now that I’ve “arrived” life is a little like the big promises in those copywriting course letters.
I make great money, and I control my time and my destiny. That alone makes me “richer” than most of the population.
You and I have never met, Ryan. This is not a “favor post.” But, you seem to be genuine about helping people. And if your course, or coaching, whatever it is you’re offering, is as honest and direct as today’s post I suggest anyone serious about becoming a freelancer consider it.
If you’re still wondering if you can do it, Ryan’s post should answer that…
If you’re wondering if making a good living as a freelancer is really possible, I’m living proof.
You’ll make it with passion and guidance.
Oh, and guts. Don’t forget your guts.
Hey Ryan,
I agree with not being ready until you have confidence you can produce results. One of the big things I learned from John Angelache was how to overcome my fears.
I don’t care what abilities you have … if you are paralyzed by your own doubts, you’ll never get anywhere.
“If you’re not confident in selling and marketing yourself to others…”
Ryan,
Great post. Excellent reality check.
Joseph Ratliff
Hello Ryan,
#3 really hit home for me. I’m going to start writing a sales letter today. It’s not really that I don’t think I can get results…what bugs me is having to get my sales letter approved by my partners.
I feel that no matter what I do, they’re gonna have something to say…and while it is appreciated, I just don’t have time to make changes to my copy.
“What if they don’t like it?” is the thought that runs through my mind all the time now.
Actually…that reminds me of something John Carlton says, about how if his client felt a little uncomfortable about it, that was a good sign.
It’s just a little frustrating and worrisome when you have partners who want to see everything before it’s sent out. Then, if for some reason it doesn’t sell well, I’ll get the blame.
That’s what I fear.
It almost makes me want to just be my own client and work on my own products, with no one to have to look over my shoulder.
Anyway, thanks for this post.
Great post. Realizing that I knew enough to test my way to good conversion rates helped me a lot too.
That brings to mind another question I’m sure others have.
What do you think a person needs to go from say $500-1000 a letter to $3-5000 a letter (a) 5-10 good testimonials for letters that converted well (b) just the balls to ask for it (c) something else?
Thanks in advance
Ryan that was a fantastic post. Many people read sales letter like the AWAI one (which, even though I bought the course and would recommend it - I think is very misleading) and think that copywriting is the perfect thing to do for everybody.
AWAI says “if you can write a letter to your friends, you can be a copywriter”.
While it has SOME truth to it…it’s a lot more complicated than that. It takes a lot of dedication, passion, patience, and optimism.
Anyway… great post!
Jeremy Reeves
http://www.controlbeatingcopy.com
@Kevin Rogers - Thank you for such a well thought-out comment. And thank you for the positive feedback as well!
@Kevin Dawson - Good point: Many brilliant people never let their lights shine because they are paralyzed by self-doubt.
@Joseph - Sometimes we all need a reality check — me included!
@DK -Hence Gary Halbert’s oft-repeated quip: “All clients suck.” I don’t personally believe this, but certainly working with clients has its unique set of challenges.
@Joshua - I think you can make the leap just by having the balls to ask for it. In my case, I had already made a certain client some money… so I simply quintupled my price when he came back with a bigger project.
@Jeremy - Yes, AWAI’s appeal is not entirely accurate. But it *IS* an amazing headline. Glad you enjoyed the post!
Hey Ryan,
Nice post. A list of three, qualified and quantified. And backed up with some high profile quotes from established and credentialed writers.
In copywriting, one thing’s for sure…you can never be completely sure what you write will succeed for your client. But if you let that stop you, you’re stopped for good. So blast out there, write…re-write…and market.
Then you’re a writer,
Tony
I seem to fit the profile Ogilvy and Sugarman present. I am still in the AWAI course. I took Jay Whites course. I have contacted some clients and received two responses. I’ve picked “Catalog copywriting” as my niche. But I still do not have my first client.
I love your comments. And I will continue to try.
Another thing…
If you are scared of… or… don’t like selling in person… then… writing copy will be difficult. It’s not that you have to be a gread in-person salesman. It’s just that you have to have the mindset.
Remember the old adage… “A.B.C.” - “Always Be Closing”?
Well, I found that a good copywriter follows a slightly different one… “A.B.S.” - “Always Be Selling”.
If you’re comfortable with selling… with getting others to see your point of view… then copywriting is right up your alley.
Glad to see all the comments.
Thanks for everyone’s participation.
[...] to profiles… Ryan Healy wrote on how to know if you have the traits of a freelance copywriter. It’s good stuff. As [...]
Great post, great angle…it was a post like this many years ago that made me realize that I was not cut out to be a funeral home director! And isn’t sign #1 true of absolutely any business? I often get clients who can’t believe they’ll have to pay for copywriting and web design and business cards and…
You shouldn’t be a copywriter if you don’t read Ryan Healy’s posts. =)
If you are passionate about what you believe in and it is a path destiny has chosen,the first step is in breaking down your fear levels and learning all you can from those who have walked the same identical path.There is a plethora of information freely available for anyone who has chosen to accept this direction, Learn, Copy & Paste, Search & Commit.
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Great post, but “40% response rate (which is on the low side of what’s possible)?”
A 40% response on a mailing is “on the low side?”
@Jim - Yes. John Angel has mailed 4 letters and gotten 3 new clients. That’s a 75% response rate.
A female copywriter (forgot her name) sent out a single package to her dream client… and… got hired.
That’s a 100% response rate.
Of course, she’s continued to receive a steady stream of projects from that one client. Not a bad ROI.
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