Corporations and agencies outsource most of their copywriting and need copywriters more than ever today--including for Internet marketing. Most copywriters cannot keep up with the demand for their services, and many make between $50,000 and $150,000. Start and Run a Copywriting Business is your essential guide to getting started and prospering in an industry that offers substantial income, flexible hours, and stimulating work.This book will provide new copywriters and old pros alike with proven, step-by-step strategies on how to find and keep clients, complete common copywriting tasks, set up an effective office, and overcome the unique challenges inherent in this business.Topics covered include:Deciding if copywriting is for you Mastering basic copywriting techniques Getting started in the business Setting rates and quoting on assignments Tapping into top markets Effectively marketing your services Managing your work, time, and money Troubleshooting and getting help Turn your talent into dollars by learning to write ads, brochures, direct mail, websites, and business-to-business and e-mail marketing materials. Start and Run a Copywriting Business will show you how to write copy your clients will love.The worksheets and checklists on the CD-Rom are included in MS Word and PDF formats for use on your Windows-based PC. The CD-Rom also includes useful resource information and links to sites and information every copywriter needs.About the authorSteve Slaunwhite is a recognized copywriting expert with 20 years' experience. He is a winner of numerous awards, and has written copy for more than 150 clients, including 43 in the Fortune 500. In addition to leading seminars and writing articles on copywriting, Steve is also the author of the textbook Writing for the B2B Market, plus a number of professional handbooks. His website, a companion to this book, is at .Reviewer comments on the first edition:Early chapters will help the person new to copywriting as a business; middle and later chapters will be helpful to the current copywriter. - Freelance Writer's Report.There are many resources that can help you get organized and launched. Steve Slaunwhite's book, Start and Run a Copywriting Business, is particularly helpful. - The Wall Street Journal.This book is an operational (how-to) manual. It has an honest approach, covering all the bases of starting and running a copywriting business: from a definition and detailed explanation of copywriting (to help determine if copywriting is right for you), to the basic techniques of copywriting, and all points in between. - Entrepreneurship Centre Book Review.... Slaunwhite's inspiring reference, a homeworker's delight of good, well-rounded counsel about starting and running a copywriting business. ... wordsmiths of the gifted ilk should inquire (and then frolic) within without delay. - The Boox Review....provides new copywriters and old pros alike with proven, step-by-step strategies on how to find new clients, complete common copywriting tasks, and overcome the unique challenges inherent in the business. - Ottawa Independent Writers Association.a step-by-step guide to help you determine if this is the business for you, master the techniques, get started in the business, set rates, market your services, succeed as a part-timer or moonlighter, get work and get paid. You can turn your talent into dollars by learning to write ads, brochures, websites, direct mail pieces, press releases, and commercials. The book is very easy to read and accessible. - Small Business Opportunities magazine.
Preface xiii1 Adventures in the Copywriting Business 1A Great Home-Based Business Opportunity 2What Is Copywriting? 3Copywriting versus Other Types of Writing 4Materials 4Audience 5Writing that sells 5Style and structure 5Grammar 6Visuals 6iiiThe Demand for Good Copywriters 7The Road to Success 8You as a Self-Employed Copywriter 102 Is Having a Copywriting Business Right for Me? 13Pros 14Working from home 14High income potential 14Low start-up costs 15Greater control over your work schedule 15Plenty of work to go around 15Working on creative, stimulating projects 16Cons 16Working from home 16Lack of professional recognition 16Uneven work flow 17Deadline stress 17No published writing credit 17Your wrists, butt, waistline, and back 18No regular paycheck 18Financial stress in the first few years 18A Day in the Life 193 Getting Started 25Focus on a Goal 26Are You Going to Start Part Time or Full Time? 27Playing the Name Game 28Business Cards and Letterhead 30Planning Your Work Space 30You Must Have a Computer 32You Must Have Internet Access and an E-Mail Account 33What Happens When the Phone Rings? 33Start-Up Finances 38iv Start & run a copywriting business4 Building Your Book 43What Is a Book? 43What Samples Should I Include in My Portfolio? 45Collecting Samples of Your Work 48""But My Client Won't Send Me Samples of My Work"" 48Never Loan Your Original Samples 51""But I Don't Have Any Writing Samples"" 51Volunteer writing for an association or charity 52Help a small-business owner 52Help a freelance designer 53Write for your employer 53Write articles for small publications and e-zines 53Take a course 53Create spec samples 54Get a job as a copywriter 54Try the sales letter idea 55Don't forget your own marketing materials 55Putting It Together 55Creating an Online Portfolio 56Why have an online portfolio? 57Putting together your online portfolio 585 Identifying Target Markets 61Start with What Brought You Here 62Agency Side or Client Side 63The Top Markets for Copywriting Services 64Advertising agencies 64Corporations 69Direct Marketers 69Charities and other nonprofit organizations 70Professional associations 71Contents vLess Likely Markets but Still Prospects 72Small businesses 72Governments 736 How to Get Clients 75Creating a Successful Prospecting Plan 76Sales letters 78Postcards and other self-mailers 80Cold calls 80Advertising 85Articles 86Speaking 88Networking 90What's your prospecting personality? 91Creating the Perfect Fulfillment Plan 93How to get clients to say nice things about you in writing 96Creating an Effective Keep-in-Touch Plan 98Ten ways to stay in touch with prospects 99Remember, Each Assignment Earns the Next 1007 The Fine Art of Quoting 101Develop a Fee Schedule 102Hourly Rate or Fixed Fee? 103Factors to Consider when Quoting Assignments 108Meetings 109The deadline 109Type of industry 110The technical complexity of the project 110Is your client an agency or a design firm? 111Size of client 111Type of project 111Negotiating Your Fee 112Confirming the Sale 113vi Start & run a copywriting business8 How to Write Copy Your Clients Will Love 117Three Questions to Ask before You Write 1181. Ask: ""What is the goal?"" 1182. Ask: ""What's in it for the reader?"" 1183. Ask: ""What do I want the reader to do?"" 119Unlocking the Secrets of Great Copy 119Gain attention 120Be better than the competition 126Talk benefits 127Support your claims with specifics 128Use endorsements 128Reduce the risk 129Include a call to action 130Specialized Copywriting Tasks 131Writing for the Web 131Writing ""long copy"" sales letters 132Writing for the B2B market 134The Best Way to Improve Your Copywriting 1369 How to Complete Common Copywriting Tasks 139Brochures and Other Sales Literature 140Advertising 142Direct Mail 142Websites 144E-Mail Marketing 145Microsites 146Case Studies 149Newsletters and E-Zines 149Press/Media Materials 152Audio/Visual, CD-ROMs, Video, and Multimedia 153Fundraising Letters 154Keeping Your Skills Sharp 155Contents vii10 Managing Your Work, Time, and Money 157From Start to Finish: How to Complete a CopywritingAssignment 158Collect 159Organize 167Draft 168Edit 169Submitting the Assignment 170Handling Requests for Revisions 172Scheduling Your Time 173Tips for Improving Your Productivity 174Keep regular hours 174Write during your power hours 175Stay seated 175Separate work from home 176Invest in productivity-boosting ideas 176Minimize time spent on non-billable tasks 177Stay organized 177Watch the Money 178Sending invoices 178Getting paid 181Keeping good books 181Some Final Advice 18311 Troubleshooting Guide 185Proven Solutions to Common Problems 186""HELP! My client complains my quote is too high!"" 186""HELP! I have more work than I can handle!"" 187""HELP! My client has given me an impossible deadline!"" 189""HELP! I don't have any assignments!"" 189""HELP! A client won't pay my invoice!"" 190""HELP! My client hates my copy!"" 191""HELP! I can't stay motivated!"" 194viii Start & run a copywriting business""HELP! I have to back out of an assignment!"" 195""HELP! The client I'm working with is a jerk!"" 196""HELP! I can't get all the information I need frommy client to complete the job!"" 196""HELP! My client wants a teleconference. What theheck is that?"" 197""HELP! My client wants me to do more workthan I bargained for."" 199Warning Signs 200BEWARE! Small agencies and design firms 200BEWARE! Entrepreneurial startups 201BEWARE! New product launches 201BEWARE! Clients who want a cheap price in return forthe promise of future work 202BEWARE! Assignments with no set deadline 203BEWARE! Large approval committees 203BEWARE! Handshake agreements 204BEWARE! Signing confidentiality agreements that limityour ability to freely market your services 204BEWARE! Disreputable marketers 20612 Advice from the Pros: Three Famous FreelancersTell Their Stories 207Donna Baier Stein 207Bob Bly 210Ivan Levison 214Contents ixChecklists1 Is a freelance copywriting business right for me? 232 Ideal materials to include in your book 463 Other materials you can include in your book 47Samples1 Copywriter's office setup 342 Start-up budget 403 Letter for getting samples of your work from clients 504 Lead-generating sales letter (Targeted at ad agencies anddesign firms) 815 Prospecting tracking form 876 Getting more mileage from your articles 897 Cultivating referrals 928 Request for feedback 979 Fee schedule 10410 Quotation/agreement 11411 34 ways to write a headline 12212 Five-Point strategy for understanding any B2B product 13713 Tips for writing e-mail messages and landing pages 14714 The case study writing sequence 15015 Five tips for writing a fundraising letter 15616 How to prepare for a copywriting assignment 16117 Product master sheet 16418 Submitting an assignment 17119 Invoice 18020 Friendly reminder letter 182Table1 Comparison of agency side versus client side 65
