How to Get Started as a Freelance Copywriter

by Nick Usborne

Unless you have already been doing some commercial writing at work, making the jump to a career as a freelance copywriter can be quite a scary prospect.

Here’s my first piece of advice...don’t jump. Walk slowly into freelancing, step by step.

It takes time to build your skills, start your business and attract paying clients. Be patient, and don’t expect too much too soon.

Here are a few tips to help you:

1. Don’t give up your day job too soon

As with any new business, it’s going to take time before you see a good income from freelance writing. Unless you are just plain lucky, you won’t land big clients with big budgets during the first few months.

So if you have a job, keep it. Start building your freelance business in the evenings and weekends. It’s far better to get started with the security of a salary coming in each month.

2. Spend your learning time wisely

It is going to take you hundreds of hours to truly learn the craft of copywriting. And a few hundred more to become really good at it.

As you scale the learning curve, spend your time wisely. Learn from the right people. On the web it’s all too easy to be seduced by the promises made by authors of “instant wealth” e-books and mini-courses.

Be cautious, and always keep in mind that no new skill or craft can be mastered in a matter of just days or weeks.

Keep your eyes focused on the long-term. If you want to do well as a freelance copywriter, you’re going to have to keep improving your skills. There is no fast option.

For almost anyone who wants to do well as a copywriter, the course I always recommend is Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. You can take the course at home, and it is self-paced.

This is the one copywriting course I know that will give you a solid foundation. Once you have that, you can look at exploring other courses and materials for whatever niche area you choose to serve.

3. Write every day

If you take the Masterson course, you’ll have a number of copywriting assignments to complete. Beyond that, start writing now, and do some copywriting every day.

This doesn’t mean you should aim have paying clients from day one. Just set yourself your own projects.

Rewrite a piece of direct mail that is sent to you.

Look at an email you received from a company, and think about how you would rewrite it better. And then write it.

Think of local businesses you know and write ads or web pages for them.

You won’t get paid for any of this. But you will be learning.

4. Work for free

When you are confident that you have mastered the basics, offer your services for free.

Approach one of those local companies and tell them the truth about yourself. Tell them you are learning. Offer to write them an ad, a direct mail piece or a web page. Once you are finished, show it to them and listen carefully to their opinions and feedback.

This is how you learn.

When you write for free, always make sure you are “paid” with feedback from the client. This way you’ll learn a lot about what companies are looking for. And you’ll also be learning how to deal with clients. That’s an essential skill. Some clients are easy to work with, others are not. And you need to know how to handle both types.

5. Now go for some smaller, paying assignments. And put out feelers for big ones too

When you feel you have sufficient knowledge and skills to start copywriting commercially, start approaching companies for work.

Because of the free writing you have done, you will already have a small portfolio of work to talk about.

Your best chances for those first few freelance assignments will be with smaller companies. Make that your meat and potatoes for the first little while.

But at the same time, keep sending letters and making phone calls to bigger companies too. Often you will be met with a refusal, but some companies will try an unknown copywriter from time to time. Not all of them work only with ad agencies, inside writers or established freelancers.

If they like the sound of what you offer, they might give you a try on something.

Don’t rely on big company assignments too soon, but keep fishing, keep trying. One day you’ll land one.

Concluding thoughts...

My key piece of advice is to develop your skills and business carefully and slowly. Becoming a successful freelance copywriter can earn you a good six figures a year.

But only if you put in the work and take the time.

This is absolutely not a get rich quick scheme. This is a highly paid career, achievable by anyone with good writing skills.

But you have to work hard at it. And you have to invest the time to build your skills and attract good clients.

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Related learning materials:

Nick Usborne's Million Dollar Secrets to Online Copywriting

The demand for print and direct mail copywriters is static, to say the least. The real demand right now is for copywriters who have the skills to write effective copy for the web. This is a professional-grade course that will make you a specialist in online copywriting. This is where the future for copywriters lies! More about this online copywriting course...

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.
Read my review...