Every week I receive several emails from people looking for advice on how to get into freelance copywriting. Although there are no simple answers, and none of the answers that apply to everyone, there are a few tips that I believe will help most people make the move into freelance copywriting, and survive the first few months at least.

1) Invest in a website

The best place for any freelance copywriter or advertising copywriter website to get started is to pay for a website. A website is invaluable because when you are cold calling and email prospects, you will need to redirect them to a place that gives them more information. Keep your website simple, including a portfolio page, add samples from all kinds of copywriting you’ve done, talk about the places you work, your client has been written to, and include any testimonials you receive. Make sure you include your address and contact details as well, so people do not think you are operating fly-by-night. Of course, it never hurts to include a good photo. If you can not say much about your experience, do not talk much. He did not even really matter if you do not say anything. Remember, like any other form of advertising copywriting, writing about yourself requires the art of subtlety. If you lack experience, but you sure can do the job, you can be very good at what you do not say, and most people will read it the way you want.

2) Do not target the institution

If you have never worked as an advertising copywriter or website copywriter before, do not target the advertising agency and web design agencies. They know exactly what they are looking for, so if you do not have a portfolio, you will not stand a chance. Managing an inexperienced copywriter and controlling quality takes a lot of time and introduce risk. Most agencies are too busy to provide proven copywriters a break, even if you are ready to do work on spec. Target end-client directly.

3) Cold calling, cold calling, cold call

One of the best ways of generating business in the early days of the cold call potential end-client. It’s hard work and very time consuming, but you can produce some very high quality instruction. For more information on cold calling, see http://www.divinewrite.com/coldcallingcopywriter.htm.

4) Use a contacts & jobs database

No matter where you are at in your freelance copywriting career, you NEED a database of contacts and jobs. Type scaled down CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool. Use it to record everything! In particular the name, phone number, and details of any correspondence (especially phone calls). I created my own database using Microsoft Access. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com/downloads/contacts and jobs.mdb to download a 208KB working copy for FREE. You will need Microsoft Access 2000 to run it. I am not a database expert, so it’s not a work of art. This will definitely help you get started though. (TIP:. When using the database, press Ctrl +; to enter today’s date)

5) Write a few sample

If you target a specific client or industry, do not be afraid to write some of the samples and send them through. You can offer discount free (everyone likes something for nothing) or at a discount, or you can use it as an incentive to register them for future work. It all depends on the type of work and the type of client. The important thing to remember is that the sample is almost as good as a portfolio to most prospective clients.

6) Investments in the accounts package

Do not be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you NEED a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You’ll understand why when you first do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you’ll understand why every time you need to hunt down outstanding invoices

7) Provide good service

This may seem like an obvious one, but it is important to remember that “great service” means different things to different clients. Most of the time you will be working with direct clients (quite often startup businesses) and institutions. Both appreciate the great service, but determining the totally different. Agents rely on their freelance copywriters to meet the strict requirements (get the job done well, done on time, not exceeding the budget). They have an end-clients breathing down their necks, so reliability is as important as the writing quality. End-clients, on the other hand, requires an advertising copywriter or website copywriter who sees their business the way they do, and can deliver that vision. They probably will need a lot of guidance as well, especially if they are just starting out on your own. If you can, help them understand that copywriting is not just about telling people what the business offers products and services, it’s about delivering the benefits of products and services. A good advertising copywriter or website copywriter will be able to help their clients to think in terms of benefits, not products and services.

Expect hard times

The first year or two as a freelance copywriter or advertising copywriter web site will be difficult. It takes a while to generate momentum and during that time, you’ll probably find yourself wondering if you’ve made the right career choice. While it’s possible to earn six figures every year, you have to be patient (so not ideal for new or intending parents or anyone with a big mortgage commitment).

9) Do not spend too much on training

In my opinion, no money is spent learning is wasted. However, you have to weigh the return on investment. I do not know much about what copywriting courses are available, but if they are expensive, I would think twice. In my experience, most clients (either agency or end-clients) value copywriting ability over training.

10) Know you can do

Confidence on your copywriting skills are a must. If you do not insist you can produce the results the client is after, you will never be able to convince the client. Remember that everyone feels daunted at the beginning of a new copywriting job. There is always a steep learning curve in copywriting, and generally less time-consuming work. Do not fall into the trap of focusing on what you do not know and what has not been done.

Good luck, and happy writing!