Start & Run a Copywriting Business by Slaunwhite, Steve -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

START & RUN A COPYWRITING BUSINESS

Preface

Adventures in the Copywriting Business A Great Home-Based Business Opportunity What Is Copywriting? Copywriting versus Other Types of Writing Materials Audience Writing that sells Style and structure Grammar Visuals The Demand for Good Copywriters The Road to Success You as a Self-Employed Copywriter

Is Having a Copywriting Business Right for Me? Pros Working from home High income potential Low start-up costs Greater control over your work schedule Plenty of work to go around Working on creative, stimulating projects Cons Working from home Lack of professional recognition Uneven work flow Deadline stress No published writing credit Your wrists, butt, waistline, and back No regular paycheck Financial stress in the first few years A Day in the Life

Getting Started Focus on a Goal Are You Going to Start Part Time or Full Time? Playing the Name Game Business Cards and Letterhead Planning Your Work Space You Must Have a Computer You Must Have Internet Access and an E-Mail Account What Happens When the Phone Rings? Start-Up Finances

Building Your Book What Is a Book? What Samples Should I Include in My Portfolio? Collecting Samples of Your Work “But My Client Won’t Send Me Samples of My Work” Never Loan Your Original Samples “But I Don’t Have Any Writing Samples” Volunteer writing for an association or charity Help a small-business owner Help a freelance designer Write for your employer Write articles for small publications and e-zines Take a course Create spec samples Get a job as a copywriter Try the sales letter idea Don’t forget your own marketing materials Putting It Together Creating an Online Portfolio Why have an online portfolio? Putting together your online portfolio

Get a website address Sign up with a web hosting service Decide which portfolio samples to include Convert your portfolio to online images Decide how your online samples will be read Get the word out Keep it up to date

Identifying Target Markets Start with What Brought You Here Agency Side or Client Side The Top Markets for Copywriting Services Advertising agencies Corporations Direct Marketers Charities and other nonprofit organizations Professional associations Less Likely Markets — but Still Prospects Small businesses Governments

How to Get Clients Creating a Successful Prospecting Plan Sales letters Postcards and other self-mailers Cold calls Advertising Articles Speaking Networking What’s your prospecting personality? Creating the Perfect Fulfillment Plan How to get clients to say nice things about you — in writing Creating an Effective Keep-in-Touch Plan Ten ways to stay in touch with prospects Remember, Each Assignment Earns the Next

The Fine Art of Quoting Develop a Fee Schedule Hourly Rate or Fixed Fee? Factors to Consider when Quoting Assignments Meetings The deadline Type of industry The technical complexity of the project Is your client an agency or a design firm? Size of client Type of project Negotiating Your Fee Confirming the Sale

How to Write Copy Your Clients Will Love Three Questions to Ask before You Write 1. Ask: “What is the goal?” 2. Ask: “What’s in it for the reader?” 3. Ask: “What do I want the reader to do?” Unlocking the Secrets of Great Copy Gain attention

The headline Visuals Presentation

Be better than the competition Talk benefits Support your claims with specifics Use endorsements Reduce the risk Include a call to action Specialized Copywriting Tasks Writing for the Web Writing “long copy” sales letters Writing for the B2B market The Best Way to Improve Your Copywriting

How to Complete Common Copywriting Tasks Brochures and Other Sales Literature Advertising Direct Mail Websites E-Mail Marketing Microsites Case Studies Newsletters and E-Zines Press/Media Materials Audio/Visual, CD-ROMs, Video, and Multimedia Fundraising Letters Keeping Your Skills Sharp

Managing Your Work, Time, and Money From Start to Finish: How to Complete a Copywriting Assignment Collect Organize Draft Edit Submitting the Assignment Handling Requests for Revisions Scheduling Your Time Tips for Improving Your Productivity Keep regular hours Write during your power hours Stay seated Separate work from home Invest in productivity-boosting ideas Minimize time spent on non-billable tasks Stay organized Watch the Money Sending invoices Getting paid Keeping good books Some Final Advice

Troubleshooting Guide Proven Solutions to Common Problems “HELP! My client complains my quote is too high!” “HELP! I have more work than I can handle!” “HELP! My client has given me an impossible deadline!” “HELP! I don’t have any assignments!” “HELP! A client won’t pay my invoice!” “HELP! My client hates my copy!”

Don’t be defensive Explain your approach Ask for specifics Confirm Set a deadline Complete the revision exactly as directed

Advice from the Pros: Three Famous Freelancers Tell Their Stories Donna Baier Stein Bob Bly Ivan Levison Acknowledgments About the Author Other Titles in the Start & Run Series Notice to Readers Self-Counsel Press thanks you for purchasing this ebook. Contents