Nick Usborne, author of Net WordsI have been a copywriter for over 20 years, but am also a consultant and speaker. In addition, I have written hundreds of articles over the years on a variety of subjects, including writing for the web and building a small business. I am also the author of Nick Usborne's Million Dollar Secrets to Online Copywriting. This course is designed to give copywriters all the skills they need to become online copywriting specialists. The demand for skilled online copywriters is massive right now. ArticlesWhy NOW is the time to become an expert online copywriter. The brutal truth is that the demand for freelance copywriters is shifting from the world of print to the web. If you want a lucrative future as a freelance copywriter, you need to learn the skills of writing online. Find out why... The top 10 mistakes made by freelance writers and copywriters Make sure you are aware of all 10 of these mistakes and be sure to avoid them, whether you have been a freelancer for a while, or are just starting out. More on freelance mistakes... Advice for freelancers - Set yourself tougher personal deadlines You'll find that your productivity will increase significantly if you not only meet your clients' deadlines, but also set and meet your own. Find out why personal deadlines matter... Freelance Copywriting and the Power of Self-Confidence As a freelancer, you depend on your feelings of self confidence. The more self confident you feel, the more you will enjoy your work, the better the clients you'll get and so on. Find out why... The lurking dangers in your To-Do lists We all use to-do lists in some form or another. We need them. But if you use them incorrectly, they can actually do more harm than good. Find out why... Make your to-do lists work harder... 5 Reasons Why I Write for a Living If you like the idea of being independent and protecting yourself against economic downturns and layoffs, consider a career as a freelance writer or copywriter. Here are the 5 reasons I choose to write for a living... Four ways copywriters get themselves fired As a freelance copywriter it's hard enough getting good clients. So the last thing you want to do is end up getting fired. Be sure to avoid these four reasons to get fired... Make money writing about products for catalogs and web sites This is a huge, untapped market just waiting for freelance copywriters who write effective product descriptions. Find out how to make money writing about products... Increase your productivity by doing work you enjoy An article about how variations in your productivity can be caused by the kinds of projects you work on. Find out how choosing work you enjoy can dramatically increase your productivity and income... Make more money from every client you get. If you get paid by the job, as a freelancer, it makes sense to try to make every job as big as possible. Find out how to increase the size of every assignment you get, and how to make each client relationship last longer. Make more money from every client... Are you in control of your clients? Or are they in control of you? At any time in your freelance career, you are always in danger of having clients who end up having too much control over your time and business. Find out the danger signs, and how to regain control... Start developing some additional sources of income. Now. If you have writing skills, there are more ways to make money than just through freelance writing or copywriting. There are numerous streams of income you can create. And the best time to get started is now. Find out how... "I’m not broke, I’m a cash flow fanatic." Whatever your freelance business, you need a steady flow of income, or you'll end up with a cash flow problem. This article shares one important way to keep those checks coming in on a regular basis. Find out how... Always keep looking for new clients, and new writing assignments. Having a freelance business is always slightly precarious. You can lose major clients quite suddenly, for a variety of reasons. That's why it's important to have new clients lined up, warmed up and ready to go. Read the full article... Whatever you plan on doing, make a start right now. Many of us have lists, mental or real, of things we should do in order to build our business of increase our income. We have plans. The trouble is, all too often we don’t get started on implementing those plans. But we should... A Freelancer's Guide to Making the Most of the Holidays. The holiday season over Christmas and the New Year gives freelancers a unique opportunity to take some time off, reflect on their business and plan for a more prosperous and profitable year ahead. Here's how... Why every freelancer needs to keep accurate time sheets. Whether you bill by the hour or by the job, it is essential that you keep accurate records of the time spent on each job. Here's why... If you want to present yourself as an expert, prove it. Just saying you are an expert in your chosen niche is not enough. You have to demonstrate your knowledge by writing articles or white papers. Here's why... When offered a new writing assignment, sometimes you should say No. There are times when a copywriting assignment will prove to be more trouble than it's worth, even if you are offered a good fee. Find out how to identify these problem jobs and be ready to say No. Here's how... Will your Day Job still exist in 10 years? There is no such thing as job security. Not any more. If you want a secure financial future, you have to make your own money. And one of the best ways to do that is as a freelance copywriter. Find out why... When you start as a freelance copywriter...stick to your plan A real danger for any new freelance copywriter is to become distracted from your plan. It takes time and effort to succeed as a freelancer, and allowing yourself to become distracted will undermine your chances of success. Find out why... How to Get Started as a Freelance Copywriter The biggest mistake you can make when you start out as a freelance copywriter is to rush. Give yourself time to learn the skills you need. Give yourself time to get some work under your belt. Don't be impatient. And don't imagine freelance copywriting is a get-rich-quick scheme. It's not. Find out how do it right... Why Should a Prospective Client Choose YOU? When competing for freelance business, you need to do all you can to keep your name in the minds of prospective clients. You need to keep in touch, remind them of all your successes...but you can also leverage differences in your personal life. Find out how... Being efficient and productive in your work habits is a good thing. As a freelancer you need to discipline yourself and work hard. That said, there is a balance to be achieved. If you become a non-stop writing machine, you can quickly dull your creative edge. Read the full article... How to Avoid Back Pain when Sitting at your Desk and Writing As freelance writers we spend most of our time sitting in front of a computer. Whichever way you look at it, that's not a good way to stay fit and healthy. In particular, it can lead to back pain. However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the risks. Avoid back pain... Know Your Software and be More Productive As a freelance writer or copywriter there are certain software programs you depend on each and every day. But how well do you know them? How efficiently do you use them? How many billable hours do you lose by not working faster? Software tips... Feeling Overwhelmed? Take it Step By Step. As a freelancer, working alone, being responsible for every aspect of your business...it can get a little overwhelming at times. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to manage your time and tasks, one step at a time. Find out how... The Over 40s: The Perfect Age for Freelance Copywriters If you are over 40, you have some great advantages. You know more about life and business. You have more work experience and a larger network of business contacts. You probably have more empathy for people than you did twenty years ago. You're in a great position to start a second career as a freelance copywriter. Find out how... Self Doubt: A Barrier to Freelance Success You Need to Eliminate Freelance copywriters are always vulnerable to self-doubt. The trouble is, self-doubt can quickly drain your confidence and lead to a downward spiral of diminishing success. This article suggests some first steps towards eliminating self doubt. Find out how... To Find the Hottest Freelance Markets, Study the Media If you are writing for a market with little demand, you're unlikely to make six figures as a freelance copywriter. The trick is to identify the markets which are "hot". Here's how... Used Laptops: A Buying Guide for Mobile Freelancers Not everyone can afford a brand new laptop, particularly in the early years of their freelance careers. Fortunately, you can save good money by buying refurbished machines. Here's how... If you want to establish yourself as an expert, few things will achieve that goal faster than writing articles and getting them piublished online. Find out how... How to Overcome Your Writing Inhibitions So many people would like to write...but hold back because they don't think they can do it. Or they don't think they can write well enough for publication, whatever the medium. It's just a matter of inhibitions. Find out how to overcome those inhibitions now...Working from Home: 4 Rules to Follow There are numerous advantages to working from home - with regard both to saving money and enhancing your lifestyle. However, to be productive you need to be disciplined in how you set up your office and schedule your time. Learn from my four rules... Part Time Resume Writing: Another way to Monetize your Writing Skills Commercial writing is one of the most flexible and portable skills you can ever develop. You'll find plenty of opportunities to make money by writing, and one of those ways is to write resumes. Read the full article... The One Word Guide to Getting Freelance Work: Ask It seems absurdly simple, but the very best way to get more freelance writing and copywriting work is just to keep asking. Don't give up after the first refusal. Just ask again, and again, and again. Read the full article... Health and Fitness: A Huge Industry in Need of Writers Billions are spent on health and fitness every single year, and that figure is growing by leaps and bounds. If you have an interest in medicine, alternative therapies or fitness and diet topics, you should be able to find all the work you'll ever want. More about writing about health and fitness... Go Where The Money Is: Advice for Freelance Writers Some copywriters earn a great deal more than others. Is it because they are better writers? No. It's because they carefully choose markets that pay top dollar. Find out which markets they choose... Hardware and Software Tips for Your Freelance Home Office When you set up a home office, it's tough to choose the equipment and software you need the most. In this article I take a quick overview and make some recommendations for two or three software programs. Find out which programs... Scheduling: Get the Most Painful Tasks Completed First Most of us start the day with a "to do" list. And on that list there are probably one or two things you keep putting off. These are the tasks that we just don't feel like doing. The trouble is, procrastinating on these tasks can have a very negative effect on your whole day. Find out why... Self-Esteem: The Foundation of All You Achieve Many of us fall short of achieving the ambitions we set for ourselves. We have ambitions, and we have "where we are". What prevents us from closing the gap between where we are and where we want to be? Often the answer lies in our self-esteem. Find our more... You're already a Networker. But how well do you do it? We're not all natural born networkers. In fact, getting out there and meeting people fills many of us with dread. Don't worry -- there are plenty of other approaches to being a successful networker. Find out how... Online Retirement Opportunity: Freelance Copywriting Do you have a second income for your retirement years? If you don't, and unless you are already very wealthy, those golden years could be very lean indeed. Now is the time to start building that second stream of income... Freelance Copywriting Advice #1: Take the Scary Jobs As a freelance copywriter you will sometimes be faced with work opportunities that seem just too challenging, and well outside your comfort zone. My advice is to take these jobs every time. Here's why... The Mobile Freelancer: Freedom to Work From Anywhere As a freelancer you can now create a mobile office with all the hardware, software and services you need to work and run your office from almost anywhere in the world. Read the article... Freelance Productivity: Do One Thing Extra Each Day As freelancers we often worry about getting into bad habits. But here is one good habit you can get into. It takes just a few minutes every day and could make a big difference. Read the article... Can Anyone Succeed as a Freelance Copywriter? The honest answer is no. Some people don't have what it takes. But if you think that being a diploma-carrying writer with a degree is one of the requirements for success, that's not it at all. Read the article... Why Every Freelancer Needs a Weblog Freelancers always need to expand the ways in which they promote their services. Every medium offers different strengths and opportunities. Find out why blogging is such an important part of the mix. Read the article... If you write for a living and have worked with deadlines for a few years, you probably know what I mean...when suddenly everything seems impossible...and you start to panic. Here's a way to get past it. Read the article... How to Overcome Procrastination If you work for yourself as a freelancer,
or run a small business, the shadow of procrastination can have
a very negative effect on your ambitions and success. Are there
ways to address the problem? For most of us, yes. Read
the article... If you are interested in a career writing in the advertising industry, but are not really clear about what a copywriter does, this is the article for you. Read the article... How to Position Yourself as an Expert Whatever kind of freelance or consulting work you do, one of the fastest ways to get yourself known and respected as an expert is to start writing articles. Read the article... Freelance Copywriters: Double Your Income Most freelance copywriters leave a lot of money on the table simply because they don't treat what they do as a real business and don't earn the kind of money they could. Read the article... Direct Response - The Fast Track to 6 Figure Freelance Copywriting If you are looking for your niche as a freelance copywriter, one of the most lucrative areas to work in is direct response. Find out why... Secrets of a 6-Figure Freelance Writer It's not the freelance writers who write the best that make the most money... it's the freelance writers who work the smartest. Earn a 6-figure income with these 4 secrets to freelance writing success. Read the full article... Is the Freelance Life Right For You? Being a freelance writer has its advantages and disadvantages. This article may help you decide whether you have the personality and ambition to be a successful freelancer. Read the full article... To be successful, you need to be seen as an expert in your field. You can't be an expert at everything, and companies like to hire 'experts'. Find out how to choose your niche. Read the full article...
After over twenty years as a freelance writer, I can't think of a better way to earn a living from home - whatever your age or background, wherever you live. Read the full article...
Being a freelance writer often means you are in a position of 'feast or famine' - too much work or two little. The trick is to find the best balance, and achieve a profitable middle ground. Read the full article...
Related resources: Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting Improve your copywriting skills and enter the very lucrative market for direct marketing copywriters. This is a comprehensive course and my #1 recommendation for anyone who wants to learn how to write copy that drives results. Read my in-depth review The 2005 Freelance Copywriter Fee & Compensation Survey Finally. Now you'll know how much to charge for that next freelance
copywriting job - without having to worry about estimating too high
or too low. Freelance Work Exchange - for Freelance Job Listings A great resource for listings of hundreds of current freelance writing assignments. They list a huge variety of writing jobs to fit just about any niche or skill set. Freelance writing assignments... |
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Popular Articles 10 Ways to Make a 6-Figure Income
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