Copywriting – Is It The Right Choice For You

Copywriting can be a lucrative and successful career move, but it takes a special talent – or so it’s claimed. So is it right for you? Here are a few points to help you decide…
Copywriting is a talent, you can’t learn it. False! Copywriting is a learned skill that, provided you have a reasonable level of intelligence and are prepared to work, almost anyone can learn. That said, almost anyone can learn to play the piano – but they won’t get to Carnegie Hall! It’s a discipline that’s totally different in many ways to, say, fiction writing.
Copywriting is a closed shop, you can’t get in. False! Good copywriters are in almost constant demand and, at times, demand outstrips supply. Why? Well, many people want to write – but the majority want to write novels, short stories, poetry and the like. Maybe they see copywriting as not creative enough but believe me, that’s just not true! Good copywriting demands high levels of creativity and an attention to detail that you may be surprised by.
Copywriting requires a full-time learning commitment. True! But that doesn’t mean you have to attend college – there are many how-to books and online course available that cover the subject. Nor does this mean you get short-changed – these courses cover all aspects of freelance copywriting.
So you have to be freelance, then? That’s scary! Yes, it can be. Relying on your own skill and confidence can be daunting if you’re not 100% sure of what you know and that it is what you need. What gets a soldier through a battle? Training and discipline, that’s what. Without it, he’s just a guy in a whole lot of trouble. With it, he stands a fighting chance. Freelancing is the same: arm yourself with skill and confidence will follow in its wake. The rest is up to you!
Copywriting is just for selling products, isn’t it? Not always, though most copywriting is aimed at the promotion of a product. That does not detract from the skill needed. Consider – if you were given the contact to write the advertising copy for, say, a new model of Mercedes-Benz, with all the massive investment that is commensurate with such a venture – wouldn’t you consider that a pretty huge feather in your cap? And yet you’re only selling a car, aren’t you? Don’t let anyone ever belittle your skill as a copywriter – you will have earned them.
So – how do I get started? Like most everything worthwhile, learning the skills of the copywriter take time (unless you’re very talented, of course!). For we ordinary mortals, starting out means learning the basics. Let’s face it, you wouldn’t expect to take a racing car round Indianapolis just after getting your license, would you? I’m not going to dress it up – it takes time, dedication and practice. It takes guts. There may well be times when your enthusiasm ebbs to almost nothing. Will you ever get your first commission? Have you really got what it takes? Then the day comes when you’re paid for your skills – believe me, that’s a great day. Then, like all creative people, you forget the work and dedication that brought you there – only that letter of commission matters!
You make it sound great! That’s because it is! You’re treated as an expert, company CEO’s defer to you in your field (now that really is a good feeling!) and, at the end of the project, you can look at promotional literature, professionally produced on heavy gloss art paper and say – ‘That’s my work!’ It’s hitting a home run in the final of the World Series – it’s holing that last long putt to be the Masters champion, it’s – well, let the moment come and you’ll see what I mean! Just go for it!