User Comments

1. 

   8/30/08

   TheRedFedora

   working you a** off
   and being good at it
   
   Those two things help.

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2. 

   9/01/08

   rebelpreneur

   As with most professions -- it all starts with applying yourself and learning all you can about it.
   
   1. Lots of websites to help you get a start on the basics -- here are a few great places to get started is www.copywritersboard.com .
   
   Here's a list of resources recommended by Harlan.D of sixfigurecopy.com
   
   
   
   1. Breakthrough Advertising - by Eugene Schwartz Master this book and you will be at the top of the heap. It is not a simple book. Free Mindmaps at Breakthrough Advertising Eugene Schwartz Freelance Copywriting Direct Mail Internet Copywriting ***
   
   2. The Ultimate Sales Letter - by Dan Kennedy. What I hate about this book is that Dan makes it look so easy. This is a great place to start. ***
   
   3. Tested Advertising Secrets - by John Caples. This is the first book John Carlton told me I had to read. An incredible classic. ***
   
   4. The Robert Collier Letter Book - by Robert Collier. This book is not an easy read but is the Bible of every serious copywriter. The famed dollar bill letter has its roots here. A favorite of Gary Halbert and John Carlton. ***
   
   5. Ogilvy On Advertising - by David Ogilvy. This is by the person who taught copywriting to many of the legends of advertising including Lord Vorldermort [he who must not be named.] While not a book on copy per se, many people believe it is the single best book on advertising and knowing the market.
   
   6. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word - by Joseph Sugarman. This is one of my favorite books. It's an easy read and brings across the concept that in copy - every word counts. ***
   
   7. My Life In Advertising & Scientific Advertising - by Claude Hopkins. This is the grand daddy of direct marketing. Jay Abraham says he read Scientific Advertising more than 60 times. It should be near the top of your list. ***
   
   8. How To Write A Good Advertisement by Victor Schwab. This is a classic.It's clear and precise and a must read. ***
   
   9. Billion Dollar Marketing by Maxwell Sackheim. This book goes into great detail on specifics and offers. An easy read packed with info. ***
   
   10. The Associate Press Guide to News Writing by Rene Cappon. This book probably doesn't make it to the top of most lists. And that's a pity because this book teaches power and brevity. It may be hard to find so good luck.
   
   There's my top ten books.
   
   As far as programs go or seminars:
   
   1. Anything by John Carlton at John Carlton - The Marketing Rebel - Operation MoneySuck Salesmanship Essentials is worth its weight in gold. Buy everything he has if you have the dough.
   
   2. Dan Kennedy's Last Copywriting Boot Camp. If you can find it, get it. The more recent material by Bill Glazer is not worth the money in my opinion.
   
   3. Gary Halbert's Triple X Seminar. Rumor has it Joe Polish is going to release this again. Actually, any seminar - especially the classic Key West seminars - are gold.
   
   4. Matt Furey's Email Copywriting Program. No body writes like Matt Furey. He's got the magic touch. If you can get this program. It is well worth the money.

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3. 

   9/01/08

   ThriftShopRomantic

   I went to school and double-majored in Professional and Creative Writing, which has helped me get my foot in the door in the professional writing field. I've done everything from the technical writing of software manuals, to proofing/editing for a financial services firm, medical writing for pharma companies and general marketing communications for a range of other businesses.
   
   Know the good solid basics of business communications and marketing, and you can pretty much write for anyone.

   [reply]
   1. 

      9/01/08

      aningeniousname

      I thought copywriting was a nice way of saying plagiarism.
4. 

   9/06/08

   annaswan

   This is sort of a strange time in cyberland for making money with copywriting. As ThriftShopRomantic was explaining, there's plenty of truly high end paying markets if you have the experience. But - there's also plenty of paying markets for people with zero experience. These would include Associated Content, Constant Content, Text Brokers, etc. Then there's also the... well I hate to say this, but it's what they are - bottom feeders - of the content market... the sponsored review writers. All you need is a blog 90 days old with a Google index, and to sign up with places like Smorty, LoudLaunch, etc. - and start writing 150 word posts that contain a link for their advertiser - the pay is generally in the neighborhood of $5 each.
   
   That's why I sometimes joke on here when I say I'm a professional freelancer and type (aren't we all? lol) because so very many people are taking advantage of all these different levels of earning potential with their content writing.
   
   All of these different levels now being placed under the "freelance copywriter" hat is also driving the market WAY down for those of us who write "high end" content, opposed to "web content". The buyers are being led to believe they can purchase 500 to 750 word articles for as little as $4 and $5 - because that's about the price range of "web content". We normally charge as much as $60 to over $100 for articles of that length.
   
   So personally - I'm a little sour on web content writers and sponsored review writers, I wish these occupations had never gotten associated with copywriters.

   [reply]
5. 

   9/06/08

   abc

   Thanks friends. Really grateful for your replies. The fact is that i've majored in literature, n heard that copywriting is a creative n paying job. Plz refer to me if you are too busy to accept any copywriting offer!

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