It’s Monday — that means it’s time to open up the mailbox and answer YOUR questions!
If you’re one of those people who keeps wondering what it takes to get started in copywriting, you’re either going to love or hate this…
It’s Mailbox Monday. Which means it’s time to answer YOUR questions.
To have your question answered in an upcoming issue of Breakthrough Marketing Secrets, shoot it to me at [email protected].
Here’s today’s question…
—
Roy,
I’ve been studying copy for years. I finished AWAI accelerated program. I’m committed to make this my next career as soon as possible. I’m a member in Kevin Rogers Copy Chief and his personal coaching program. I will be at his event in October along with AWAI boot camp.
What else can I be doing to make this transition from my day job to a full time copywriter?
Thanks,
J
—
What I’m going to tell you will be painfully obvious…
But then again, sometimes that’s exactly what we all need — someone to tell us the painfully obvious.
(In fact, that’s half the value of a consultant — to show up and ask the really dumb questions that everybody else thinks are too dumb to ask.)
But here’s the thing…
If you’re really serious about success, you will take my painfully obvious advice, and IMPLEMENT it…
In fact, implementing is EXACTLY what will make you successful in this business.
I got two emails last week underscoring this.
I answered Callum’s question a few weeks back. The essay was Building credibility (when you’re starting at or close to zero). Callum wrote last week to tell me, “Thought you’d like to know that ACTED on it and landed my first paying PPC client a few weeks ago! I’m continuing to apply your strategies to get move up the value chain.”
April has been implementing my advice in An alternative approach for cold-pitching clients. She said, “Doing this strategy… Been getting NO’s lately. But I have 3 calls lined up already. Yay! Wish me luck!”
Seriously. This stuff works. Seriously.
You can read what I write for intellectual entertainment. And that’s all well and good. You get your kicks when I hit your inbox. But if you really want to build a better career and life for yourself, you’ve gotta take action and do what I tell you to do.
Okay, okay — I guess it’s time to answer the question…
J’s studying AWAI. J’s studying Kevin Rogers. J’s spending money to go to all the events.
But…
Wait a minute…
Where’s J talking about the copy he’s writing? Uh oh…
You can’t just fall in love with the IDEA of being something — you have to DO THE THING…
Writers and artists do really get a bad rap for this. There are a million writers’ conferences and workshops — and here I’m not just talking about copywriting — where “aspiring” writers can go to develop their craft.
And it’s really easy to show up at conference after conference, and go through program after program, just doing the assignments.
“I’m going to be a great writer,” you say. “One day, I’m going to really start writing some amazing things.”
If that describes you — if that PAINFULLY describes you…
You…
Are…
A…
WANNABE!
Seriously. It’s tough love day.
But my job here is to twist the knife. My job here is to show you that you’re living in the gap. My job is to really agitate the pain of this until you’re salivating at the mouth in search of a clear solution.
A little more knife-twisting and agitation, before I can share the solution…
As long as you keep jumping from program to program, you will NEVER make a career out of copywriting.
In fact…
As long as you keep jumping from program to program, you will never even really learn copywriting!
There’s no such thing as learning without doing…
You can get yer book learnin’ all day long. But until your learning is grounded in real-world experience, you don’t really know nuthin’.
It’s not until you’ve suffered the wounds of failure that you’ll learn one good lesson.
You might think I’m being dramatic, but…
I really don’t think so.
Think of your last really embarrassing failure… Where you stretched outside of your comfort zone… I’ll bet you learned at least one really good, salient lesson from that experience.
Now think of your last easy success, where everything went smoothly and as planned… Now think of the really important lesson you — nope, didn’t think so.
So — THE ultimate secret to breaking into copywriting (or any field) is…
Go be a copywriter.
That is, write something, get it put into the market, and see how it does.
Then, do that again. And again. And again. A handful of times. Then a dozen. Then dozens. Then maybe hundreds, and thousands.
Did you know I’ve written over 1,000 emails/essays since Breakthrough Marketing Secrets was launched in April 2014? And I passed the million-word mark so long ago that I’ve forgotten when.
Throw a few calls-to-action into these, and you learn a few things.
Plus all the client work.
Plus substantial amounts of my own money.
Plus getting a full-time marketing and sales job, from 2005 to early 2010.
There’s nothing that replaces actually working…
It can start with a project.
It can start with a single assignment.
It can start with a deal you set up where you don’t get paid until the client gets results.
You can create your own website and sell something you source — it’s easier than ever and can be done with rudimentary computer skills.
But seriously — if you want to be a copywriter, you have to write copy, and put it in the marketplace.
If you’re not ready to launch your full-time freelance career, fine! I wasn’t either. I discovered copywriting in spring 2005 and wasn’t a full-time freelance copywriter until February 2010.
Be patient, but do things…
Definitely don’t just keep buying programs (although you could go ahead and invest the paltry monthly sum in my BTMSinsiders membership and that would be brilliant).
Yes, keep learning. I really never stop.
But you have to go out there and put that book learnin’ to real-world use.
And actually develop competence, capabilities, and experience-based confidence because you’ve actually been there, done that.
I know it takes some courage to go out there and think, “I’m going to write my first real piece of copy.” But feel the fear, and do it anyway.
And remember: failure is good because it teaches you things.
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
