Why Few Talented Writers Transition to Freelance Copywriting

These days, it seems everyone is a writer. Blogging has had a huge impact on this, but it’s almost more than that, I think. Why? Well, millennials, more than any previous generation, have placed a great deal of emphasis on creativity. 

Whether it be photography, graphic design or traditional art, more young professionals than ever before are foregoing law and medical school for careers that require real out-of-the-box thinking.

Freelance copywriting is one of said career types. But, oddly enough, great writers often forego the freedoms of freelance copywriting and instead continue to write as a hobby, more than anything else. Based on my experiences as a freelance copywriter, there are a few reasons for this:

The Sales Hustle Is Real

Freelance copywriters need to be excellent salesmen to make any real money. It doesn’t matter how many deadlines you’ve got on the horizon, the sales process is a continuous one and should always be given proper time. 

While stressful, the conscious pushing of editorial services is very much necessary. Seeing as how most writers prefer leisurely writing and complete and total creative liberty over having to become a spokesperson for their own personal brand, freelance copywriting is bypassed.

Writing Under Pressure

As a copywriter, writing is a race against the clock. The faster you write, the more copy you produce. The more copy you produce, the more projects you can take on during the work day.

The end result of all of this? More money. I very much enjoy the “ball’s in your court” side of freelance copywriting. That said, understandably, many don’t.

Impure Writing

Impure writing is basically advertorial writing. I’ve covered this in the past, but there’s this idea within the creative writing community that if the sole purpose of an editorial work is to make money, you’ve “sold out.”

Freelance writing is wholeheartedly driven by money. If you’re not motivated by bringing in as much capital as possible, you’re going to struggle to make a name for yourself.

So, is it just me or is there an astounding number of great writers who would rather do just about anything other than work as a freelance copywriter? If of a similar mentality, why do you think this is? If not, why am I so far off with all of this? Take to the comments section below to voice your opinion.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

The Best Thing I Ever Did as a Creative Writer Was ‘Sell Out’

There’s this idea out there that “money is the root of all evil.” I’m not saying that isn’t true, but when I was an up-and-coming writer, I sure as heck didn’t want to live out the remainder of my many days (fingers crossed) having to cut coupons from the Sunday morning paper every weekend.

So, what did I do? Well, in the eyes of those artsy-fartsy professional writers, I did the unthinkable: I sold out. Yup, I put aside my dream of becoming a sportswriter and focused wholeheartedly on copywriting. 

While this might be seen as sad for some, looking back on the decision, it was the right move and, most importantly, I couldn’t be happier. How can this be, you ask? Keep reading …

Cold Hard Cash

As previously mentioned, money is important—at least I think it is. Listen, I’m not the kind of guy who craves shiny new toys all the time, but I do want to live comfortably. Is that such a crime? 

While there are a handful of sportswriters and novelists who live rather lavishly off of their editorial production, I’m not smart enough, handsome enough or skilled enough with the ol’ laptop to make this happen.

Yes, I chose the safer route and went with copywriting, but I have zero debt and have never lived paycheck to paycheck. Not too bad, eh?

Complete and Total Professional Happiness

In college, my buddies were always freaking out about what they were going to do with their lives. You’d always hear things like, “It’s just that I’m not passionate about anything.” Or maybe something more along the lines of, “There aren’t any majors out there that really catch my attention.” 

For starters, choosing a field of study should’t be treated as if you’re battling over whether or not it’s time to pull the plug on grandma—it’s just school.

Secondly, if you’re willing to modify ever so slightly what you wanted to do as a naive college student, the core of your passions can very much be present in the professional sphere. 

This is what happened with me and writing, anyway. I love to write. I love sports. As a copywriter, depending on the project, I’ve actually been able to focus on both passions at the same time.

I’ve Learned to Love Utilitarian Writing

I’ve always loved writing, and now I spend basically every hour of every day doing just that. While it’s true that the production of sales letters, email marketing campaigns and generic web copy might not be the sexiest projects on the planet, I’ve learned to enjoy doing all of them. 

The best part of it all is that this newfound passion of mine shows in my work. Clients can see this and, as luck would have it, they come back time and time again for repeat services.

Peace of Mind

There’s a certain tranquility that comes from knowing you’re spending a ridiculous amount of time doing exactly what you want to do. Sure, I’m not interviewing Kevin Durant after a game-winning triple, but I’ve got a pretty sweet gig. Honestly, I wouldn’t trade this peace of mind for anything.

Alright, what about you? Has your writing career turned out like you thought it would? If it has, congratulations! If it hasn’t, how have you adapted to maintain professional satisfaction? As always, head on down to the comments section to share your thoughts on the matter.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

The Numbers Behind Making 100K as a Freelancer In a Year

Boy, how sweet would this be, right? Well, to be completely honest with you, it’s not all that far outside the realm of possibility. In fact, it’s not outside of it at all—it’s totally doable. 

Many copywriters—regardless of experience, mind you—are able to bring in well over $100,000 in any given year. Yes, they’re hardworking writers, but many of them are only as skilled, if not less skilled, as you and me.

Make Earning Money a Focus

So, what sort of black magic are all top-tier copywriters working with that you’re missing out on? Well, for starters, they understand the concrete numbers behind making $100,000 an annual occurrence. 

If you’re going to pull this kind of coin on a regular basis, the first thing you need to do is make money a real focus. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that your wife and children need to wander the streets both naked and afraid while you trap yourself in your home office, slaving away at project after project. But, you will need to understand the numeric stepping stones that lead to making awesome money.

The Numbers

For starters, don’t focus on the totality of the year; instead, look at what sum of cash is to be made each and every day. Assuming you work 8-hour days, 5 days a week for 50 weeks, this means you’ll have to nab roughly $400 a day.

Seems fairly doable, right?

Basic math provides more detail: if $400 are to be made each week, by the end of said week, you’ll need to have brought in $2,000.

Save yourself the headache—that’s 9,000 bones come the end of the month. Simply put, to ensure this happens, dedicate your time only to the kinds of projects that pay the most money.

Proofreading and article generation are great projects, but you’ll need to focus on ghostwriting e-books, fundraising letters, speeches, annual reports and web copy if you’re to ensure this comes about.

Lastly, remember that you’re not going to make $400 every day. The work of a freelance copywriter is sporadic and involves activities other than writing. 

Realistically, maybe you’ll need to take a day or two to promote yourself and do a bit of digital marketing.

You’re the One In Charge

Just remember the specifics of what needs to take place on a more micro scale and hold yourself accountable. If you spend two days networking and bringing new projects onboard, that third day, your earnings should total $1,200. 

Conduct every work-related activity with this in mind. Though more money can always be made, time is your most precious commodity and can’t be taken for granted.

Alright, I’ve presented my findings—what do you think? With the numbers in place, is it really possible for mediocre copywriters to bring in six figures in one calendar year? Voice your take on the matter in the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

Why Freelance Copywriters Must Rid Themselves of the ‘Poverty Mentality’

I’m sick of copywriters working under the “poverty mentality.” You’re a writer, you know that right? Like, the skill you’ve taken years to develop isn’t an easy one. 

If you think about it, there are skills that require substantially less time and effort to master, but still bring in disgusting amounts of money.

Plenty of Opportunity Out There

In fact, while I was in college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, there was a young man from Ghana who’d joined the football team after having been spotted by the head coach at track practice one day. 

His name was Ezekiel Ansah and after only two years of playing defensive end for BYU, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Clearly, Ansah’s innate athleticism played a role in this fortunate turn of events, but the point that I’m making here is that little learned skill was needed to transform him from a scrub to a star. 

As a defense end, he gets the quarterback. Yeah, there’s more to it than that, but not much.

More Evidence

You’re probably thinking the following: “Lucas, makes sense, but that’s an outlying incident. Generally speaking, people don’t pay real money for easy-to-obtain skill sets.”

Really? Well, were you aware that a doorman in New York city earns on average about $30,000 a year by simply opening the door for other people? 

Not too much difficulty there, right? Yet, innumerable are the freelance copywriters who are making similar annual salaries.

The point I’m making is this—if there are employers out there who are willing to pay for skills that don’t demand much in the ways of much raw ability, the vast majority of them certainly will. 

It’s illogical to think otherwise.

Take a Stand; the Work Will Still Come

Writing is hard, so stop accepting work that’s beneath you and demand more from those who desperately need your services.

Now, with that in mind, it’s your job to always produce top-tier work so as to command higher wages, but if you can consistently do that, there’s no reason for why you can’t make anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 a year as a freelance copywriter.

I’m not one of those guys who’s always looking to revolt against “The Man” or anything like that, but this gets to the point where it’s sad sometimes. 

There are many individuals, businesses and organizations out there whose top priority is not to simply find the cheapest editorial option; moreover, they’re looking for quality, lots of it and are willing to slap some real money on the table for it. 

Find them. Work with them. Get paid. Stop eating off the McDonald’s Dollar Menu.

However, as copywriters, until we stop with the constant pity party and make it a point to seek out and astound the best, most reputable of clients, most of us are going to be unhappy with our bank statements. 

Keep at it and earn what you deserve.

Newer copywriters—what’s your experience with wages been like thus far? On the flip side of things, experienced copywriters—how were you able to overcome the aforementioned “poverty mentality” while still continuously earning real money? 

Take a moment or two to share your knowledge in the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.