how does one become a copywriter?

Answer 1

So, what exactly do copywriters do?
Copywriters write the words for direct mail letters, press ads and TV commercials. They also write web pages, newsletters and brochures. In fact, wherever a company wants to sell something, you'll find a copywriter producing words for it.

The pace of change is accelerating. Consumers are demanding more information. And companies are launching more new products.

That means organizations are having to renew brochures, write new sales letters, and add more web pages.

All this adds up to more opportunities for copywriters.


Copywriters are special
1Copywriters are a special breed of people. They're skilled writers. They have an excellent standard of living. Their work is intellectually demanding. And they inhabit a glamorous world.

Their work appears in glossy advertisements, in TV jingles and in beautifully produced brochures.

(OK, we also produce a lot of ordinary stuff, as well. But we don't tell anyone that).

Most copywriters work unseen; and few people know about them.

You could be part of that world.

Could you become a copywriter? Take our free assessment now. Click here2.

Can you write?
Copywriters need to condense a client's vague ideas into crisp copy. It's a skill we can nurture in you.

You also have to find a way to position a product - to highlight its advantages. That, too, we can teach you.

If you can write (or you're prepared to learn), you can be a copywriter.

And once you've learnt the secrets, you can write any kind of publicity material.

Having a client approve your first piece of copy is a real thrill. And that’s surpassed only by the thrill of receiving their payment. Imagine getting paid for doing what you enjoy.

Who knows where it could lead? Perhaps a top award at the glitzy awards ceremony at Monte Carlo or New York? Perhaps a phone call from a top advertising agency boss, offering you a job?

Is there much competition?
Unlike the world of book writing, there's little competition - because there are few copywriters.

A few people work for big city advertising agencies; but most of us work freelance.

We tend to do the smaller jobs that the big ad agencies don't want to tackle. They'd charge too much. And they can't respond quickly enough. That's when a freelance copywriter is needed.

Many client companies are too small to justify hiring a big agency (because most firms employ fewer than ten people). But they need someone to write press releases or direct mail letters. You can provide that service.

And in provincial cities and towns, many advertising agencies rely heavily on freelance copywriters. They don't have enough work to pay specialists full-time, but they need lots of different writers.

How busy do you want to be?
Some copywriters like to have just one or two clients. Others like to work all hours of the day and night. As a copywriter, you can earn $70,000 (£40,000). Well, you can earn a whole lot more. The sky's the limit. But a lot of people just want the freedom of working from home.

Many copywriters enjoy being around their children. And they get a kick out of being their own boss. We also like working with words. Does that include you? So it doesn't really feel like work.

There are very few costs. You need access to a computer, internet connection, and a phone. And that's really all you need. Some copywriters rarely even see clients - the work comes down the telephone or over the Net! Virtually every penny you earn is profit.

To find out more about the copywriting course, click here3.

Our accreditation
We're accredited by the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council (ODLQC). Set up by the government to assess standards in distance education, they check out our tutors, our finances, our management systems - the works. We're rather proud of our accreditation, which is why we're keen to maintain it.

Answer 2

There's a decent job market for people with strong writing skills. Get a college degree with substantial writing and advertising study. Then apply to ad agencies. If you want to work for a newpaper rather than do ad copywriting, you'd also be best off with a degree heavy in writing ability - then apply to newspapers. You'l probably have to start with small papers, then work your way to larger ones if that's what you want to do.