A Guide to Starting Your Copywriting Career Or 5 Ways to Make 6 Figures on the Beach (maybe)

 

Have you heard the online buzz about copywriting? Make $100,000 a year writing! A laptop and an Internet connection are all you need! Work on a beach in Costa Rica!

They’re clickbait, but they can reel me in. And you know what? Those headlines aren’t entirely misleading. If you love writing and it’s been your long-time dream to be a full-time writer, then copywriting is the simplest and most straightforward way to make that dream come true.

You really can write copy from anywhere, and you can earn a living doing it. Sound good? Then, let’s get you started.

What is copywriting?

          Copywriting is crafting words in such a way that you cause people to take action. Usually, action means buying a product or service. Copywriters work for companies, marketing agencies, non-profits, and sometimes government agencies. It’s one of the highest-paid writing jobs available, and it’s a fast-growing field.

Some copywriters work in offices, and others work from home or their favorite coffeeshop. Can you make $100,000 a year working from a beach in Costa Rica?

Can you make $100,000 a year working from a beach in Costa Rica? Share on X

Actually, yes. Probably not your first year, but you can eventually make a living and work from anywhere you like with an Internet connection.

          How do I get started?

You do not need a degree or a certificate. Please don’t spend money taking an expensive online course or earning a certificate from a college. For pity’s sake, don’t get your master’s degree in order to become a copywriter. You may find that one of those things is right for you later, but to start with, just write.

Few marketing teams care what degree you have, anyway. They want to see your portfolio, instead.

“But I don’t have a portfolio!” you say.

Make one. You can write for your church, a local non-profit, a friend’s business, or even publish on your own LinkedIn page. Here’s a secret – your pieces can even be unpublished. Just make sure they’re good. There’s a website called www.journoportfolio.com that lets you put a small selection of your own articles online for free. Attach that link to your resume. Voila! Portfolio. You’re in the game.

          Where can I find jobs?

Online. From friends. At local advertising agencies. With non-profits.

Sign up for freelance sites such as Upwork, Hubstaff and LinkedIn Profinder. Upwork can be a race to the bottom so I recommend you don’t bid on the lowest-dollar jobs even if you are totally green. Most of those jobs will accept second-language copywriters in India or the Philippines who can afford to underbid you. Bid on the mid-level jobs to start with – $15 to $25 an hour range. Once you have more experience, bid on the higher paying jobs. On Hubstaff, you don’t have to bid. You can apply to job posts, or a company can approach you if they like what they see.  You set your own hourly rate on Hubstaff before applying to anything.

Another effective strategy is to send a brief introductory email with a link to your portfolio to every advertising agency in your area. You can find them all online. Tell them you’d like to be added to their stable of freelance writers. They’ll probably have a process for hiring freelancers. Usually, that’s a phone interview and a writing assignment. If you sound sane and do a good job on the assignment, you’re in. Sometimes, you just have to do a good job on the assignment. Sanity is optional.

Be careful with non-profits. The small ones often do not see the value of your service or have the money to pay you. But larger ones with ongoing programs and paid staff are always communicating with their donors. Your best-known local non-profit just might need some copywriting skill in the marketing department. Send them an email and ask.

          How much do I charge?

          Have you seen those headlines claiming copywriters can make $75 or $100 an hour? Well, some can. They have thick portfolios with samples they’ve written for household brand names. Years of experience. Connections. You’ll have those things one day, too.

For now, I suggest starting in the $15 to $25 an hour range. Alternatively, you could charge by the project, such as 5-10 cents per word or $30 for a blog post. Once you’ve built a solid portfolio, move to the $25 – $45 an hour range. Many agencies have a set fee they offer for a project or as an hourly rate. You can accept their offer or pass on it as you like.

Do not write for peanuts, or because someone begged you. If you are good enough to be asked, you are good enough to be paid for your work.

Do not write for peanuts, or because someone begged you. If you are good enough to be asked, you are good enough to be paid for your work. Share on X

          How do I grow as a copywriter?

Write. A lot. Get yourself a fierce copywriting editor. There are several websites with plenty of free educational content about copywriting. Some of my favorites are Kopywriting Kourse, Copyblogger, and Freelance Hustler.

Bid on new kinds of jobs. Have you been writing blog posts? Bid on a video script. Have you written long form content? Bid on writing a series of short e-blasts.

What about searching out a different kind of client? I’ve written for an international development agency, an urban charter school, a genetic research facility, four hotel chains, a high-end cat litter box company, a Bible college, a construction and engineering software solutions retailer, and a land development company.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started making that portfolio. And when you deposit your first check, look me up on LinkedIn and drop me a line to tell me about it. I’ll celebrate with you from my beach house in Costa Rica.

About Holland Webb

I love telling the stories that people put down so they go take action. I’m an advertising copywriter by day, an aspiring novelist by night, a parent, a dog-lover, a prison volunteer and a follower of Jesus.