A Day in the Life of a Freelance Copywriter
Ever wanted a job where you could spend all day, every day, writing clever and inspiring prose' Yes' Well don't become a freelance copywriter!
Don't get me wrong, it's a great job, and for some of us it's a calling that won't be denied. And you definitely do get to write clever and inspiring prose. It's just that you don't do it all day, every day. In fact, when you sit down at the end of the day and think about what you've done, the percentage of time spent writing is surprisingly low.
So You Want To Be A Copywriter?So You Want To be A Copywriter'
Wannabe copywriters often check out my site for information relating to my services and fees. And quite right too! I still .....
So what does a freelance copywriter do other than write copy' Well, basically, they run a business. This article discusses 11 daily rituals involved with running a freelance website copywriting or advertising copywriting business (other than writing). It also provides some tips for performing them successfully.
Common Writing MistakesMost books aren't rejected because the stories are "bad." They're rejected because they're not "ready to read." In short, minor stuff like typos, grammar, spelling, etc.
I don't mean .....
1) Quoting
Freelance copywriters serve many masters. They generally have quite a few clients, and spend quite a bit of time quoting on new jobs. When you quote, you're calculating how much to charge for the job. For a freelance copywriter, there are a number of important factors influencing quoting. You need to have some way to accurately estimate time. Generally the best way to achieve this is to be diligent in your tracking. If you know how long past jobs have taken you, you'll be much more confident and accurate in your estimates. You need to know how much time you spend not writing (as you should try to cover as much of this as possible). You need to have a feel for what the client is prepared to pay (are they a big or small company, how highly do they seem to value copy, etc.). You need to know how much your competitors are charging for the same thing. You need to understand what differentiates you from your competitors. You need to think about how badly you want or need the work. And, of course, you need to estimate how time-consuming the client will be.
Writing Off Vehicles As Tax DeductionsYou?ve heard it a hundred times: That shiny new car your buddy just bought? It doesn?t really cost him anything. He writes off the car as a tax deduction.
Your first thought is usually, ?That can?t .....
2) Submitting Proposals
A quote is not the same as a proposal. A quote is generally contained within a proposal, but it's not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you're marketing your skills, your solution, your work ethic, your customer service, your commitment, and your experience. Basically, you're justifying your price, and differentiating yourself from your competition. And it's not just about WHAT you say. It's also HOW you say it and how you PRESENT it. Everything about your proposal plays a part in the client's decision! If possible, include additional helpful information. Use a title page, a table of contents, headers, and footers. Introduce at the beginning and summarise at the end. Include your price, but call it an 'investment', not a 'cost'. Show the client you've thought ......
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