Getting Started in Copywriting~ Part 2

In my last post I spoke about a few of the bullet points to developing a mindset geared toward being self employed as a copywriter and making the changes in your life that will help you to be successful. In this post I continue my discussion about the kind of actions that you must take consistently to ensure that success.

In order for you to be a great copywriter you must read every day. As I am starting out I have subscribed to and read Early to Rise www.earlytorise.com, Bencivengas Bullets www.bencivengasbullets.com and The total package www.makepeacetotalpackage.com There are many other relevant materials out there you must chose what works best for you.

In addition it is important to read the kinds of things that your clients may be reading. You want to have substantial knowledge about the kinds of things in which they are interested and where they may be coming from. Also read any promotional product information about the product you may be promoting. Read fiction, novels and any one of a number of magazines. I like people magazine. It’s full of current interest stories and articles.

Write every day. It doesn’t matter what you are writing, just write something. In fact I have read that one of the things that some of the great copywriters did when they first started was to really study what great copywriters had done before them. Look at good and bad copy. See if you can take the bad copy and make it better. Also relax into this writing. Just write as if you were writing to a dear friend with great news about a product that is going to improve the quality of their lives.

I would think that doing your homework on your writing assignment before you actually sit down to write would go without saying. Really do the research. Study the product. Know the end result that the copy is intended to create. Knowing more than is necessary for any project will help prevent writers block.

And then there’s writers block. If you have substantially done your homework and you know more about the product or assignment than is really necessary then you may not suffer that indomitable feeling one gets when they sit down in front of the computer and nothing is coming to them. If this happens then go for a walk, take a shower, work out, do something that might jump start your imagination and creativity. It may be that you have to start fresh in the morning. One copywriter I read about just sits down at the computer and starts writing, even if it’s just about that he can’t thing of what to write about.

And finally have fun. It’s certain that the work will be much more difficult if this is not fun for you. Even in my offline business we have fun. I insist on it. And if we’re not having at least a little bit of fun, then something’s not working right and need to be changed.