8 reasons YOU should be a copywriter + 5 ways to start

[The Writer’ s Life]( January 14, 2019 Hi {NAME}, The New York Times recently published an article which began with the line: "Writing has never been a lucrative career choice …" The article went on to explain that the median pay for full-time writers had dropped to $20,300 in 2017, making it an unlivable wage. It's no big surprise they were talking about book authors … Not copywriters! In our industry, we have so many ways to get paid to write, the challenge isn't how you'll make money … It's deciding which lucrative option(s) to choose! Of course, the foundation for all of the options is direct-response copywriting … And today, AWAI's Executive Director and Co-Founder, Katie Yeakle is going to give you eight reasons why you should consider choosing it as your path. (Or be happy you've already chosen it!) Quick reminder: next week, Katie and I will kick off our LIVE 10-week copywriting training … Once a year, we partner up and bring in a team of experts to walk you through The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, step-by-step, to ensure you've mastered all the concepts. We layer in real-life examples and break down all the important secrets to effective copywriting. It's a lot of fun … and by the end, you'll have all the skills you need to start working as a well-paid copywriter. We only do this LIVE once every year … [>> Go here now to get all the details and register.]( To your success, Rebecca Matter President, AWAI --------------------------------------------------------------- Copywriting is the Ultimate Way for You to Live The Writer's Life By Katie Yeakle [Female copywriter's hands typing on laptop writing web copy at desk] "Can someone like me really live the writer's life?" "I know others are doing it. But how long is it going to take me?" "And how does AWAI help us succeed?" Katie Yeakle here. As AWAI's Executive Director, these are questions I've heard a lot over the last 21 years. Since we're at the beginning of a New Year, I thought this would be a great time to answer a question I hear often: Why, of all the opportunities for writers to make money, should I consider copywriting? The answer is simple: Copywriting is the single most liberating way to make a living — or supplement your regular income — or transition from your present job to a new career or early, financially secure semi-retirement. There are so many benefits to becoming a copywriter. Just look … - Copywriting Benefit #1: Your time is your own. No time clock, no set hours. - Copywriting Benefit #2: Your office can be anywhere you like — the porch of a beach house or mountain cabin, in your RV, even the corner table at your favorite coffee shop. - Copywriting Benefit #3: Your income can be good from the start, and keep getting better. Imagine being paid $500, $750, $1,000 and more for writing simple, short, "friendly" letters about products, services, or subjects that interest you. That is as real as the ground beneath you. Imagine earning more part-time in a month or two than your present job pays all year. That, too, is very real. [We see it all the time.]( There are other financial benefits and "perks" too. For example, you could get everything from tax breaks to client-funded vacations. - Copywriting Benefit #4: You'll be engaged in a fun, fascinating, creative activity all about ideas … telling interesting stories … helping businesses communicate and put their ideas across. If you find your present way of "putting food on the table" dull or uninteresting, that can change right now. I've never heard a freelance writer complain about being bored! - Copywriting Benefit #5: You can create real financial security — the only real security, your personal ability to produce "work" that there is always an endless, expanding demand for. Never worry about looming layoffs again. Escape dependence on one employer, diversify your income with a number of clients, own skills in demand by many (both here and abroad). If you have a computer connected to the internet, there are no boundaries and you can write for clients anywhere in the world. The demand for what American Writers & Artists members do is global and local, strong in "good" or "bad" times; a reliable profession. - Copywriting Benefit #6: You'll be part of an elite, unusual society. Most successful writers are made not born, yet we are a special breed, mysterious to and admired by "civilians," and embraced by each other. The bond that writers have with each other is like nothing that occurs in any other field. You'll find others like you, building lives for themselves through copywriting. (One of the many benefits of membership with AWAI is this unique community. We connect you with other AWAI members and support the ongoing community online and at conferences.) - Copywriting Benefit #7: If you choose, you can use the skills you develop to help your favorite causes, charities, even individuals in need, and do good for the world. Nonprofit organizations of every size and nature hire and pay freelance writers and copywriters. You can also donate your professional services as "in-kind contributions" for tax deductions. Every group from the local animal rescue shelter to the American Cancer Society needs help raising funds and communicating with donors, and communicating their message to the world at large. - Copywriting Benefit #8: You will have proven pathways to follow when you begin, with AWAI as your "mentor." If living the writer's life appeals to you, know that as you seek this exciting life as your own, we will be by your side every step of the way! And AWAI's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting is where it all begins. And last but not least, you'll be in good company. Here's a partial list of people you'll recognize who worked as copywriters before achieving fame outside the direct marketing world. One name that's missing … Benjamin Franklin. He started the first mail order catalog in 1770. - James Patterson, author - Sir Alec Guinness, actor - John Hughes, writer and filmmaker - Bob Newhart, comedian and actor - Helen Gurley Brown, former publisher and editor (Cosmopolitan) - Lawrence Kasdan, screenwriter - Gary Comer, founder of Lands' End - Bryce Courtenay, Australian author - Steven Pressfield, author - F. Scott Fitzgerald, author - Terry Gilliam, director and animator - Elmore Leonard, author - Dashiell Hammett, author - Mary Higgins Clark, author - Ogden Nash, poet - Indra Sinha, translator and novelist - Kurt Vonnegut, author - Salman Rushdie, author That's great for them, but I know what you are thinking … Can someone like me REALLY do this? It's important to know that successful AWAI members have had many different starting points. Unemployed for eight months and terrified. Stuck in depressing, dead-end jobs. In jobs they like, but can't earn enough money from to meet their needs. 20 years old, 75 years old. Already confident of writing talent — others, doubtful they can write anything worthy of payment. Silver-tongued salesmen, small town schoolteachers, shy homemakers suddenly having to re-enter the work world after traumatic divorces … You name a beginning — any beginning — and I can introduce you to an AWAI member with a similar starting place, now earning an excellent income, feeling secure, doing work that is interesting to them, leading a fulfilling life … and thanking copywriting for it all! By choosing copywriting as your writing career, you'll instantly be part of and embraced by this entire community, too. You see, copywriters like to share information and help each other succeed. That's one of the nicest things of all about choosing to be a copywriter … you'll have plenty of help along the way. You'll be assisted not just by our [Board of Advisors]( but by successful members who generously share their experience, who appreciate having had a helping hand extended to them and now extend theirs in turn. You'll be mentored, coached, encouraged, and supported as you first explore, then find your way to the writer's life just right for you. Now, how can I get started? One of the great things about copywriting is you are in complete control. Depending on the time you can allocate, the resources to invest in a new career, and the urgency about when you want to start, there are a number of options for how you can begin immersing yourself in this lucrative industry: - Keep reading The Writer's Life. Every day, we outline ways for you to become a paid writer. - Go on our website and [check out our archives](. We have a library of free articles on every topic related to becoming a copywriter, copywriting training, building a business, and more. - Become a Barefoot Writer. Read our monthly publication to discover more ways to make a living as a writer, productivity hacks, business-building tactics, success stories where people like you who've made the transition to paid writing share how they did it, and much more. ([Sign up here]( by January 23, 2019, to get a special Writer's Life reader discount.) - Get our flagship, foundational program: The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. Immerse yourself further into the world of copywriting … learn the bigger and more powerful skills … and get professional-grade training in the art of persuasive writing. You can work your way through the home-study program at your own pace. ([Sign up here]( by January 23, 2019, to get a special Writer's Life reader discount.) - Join our Accelerated Companion Series, where Rebecca and I walk you through the entire Accelerated Program step-by-step. Over 10 sessions, we'll make all the concepts come to life, and explain them so you have a clear understanding. You can see real-life, up-to-date examples from guest experts working in the industry today. This is the shortest, fastest way to become a paid copywriter! The most important thing is to get started — opening yourself up to the possibilities and opportunities. I'd love to hear what the writer's life means to you, as well as hear what questions you have about the copywriting industry. Let me know in the comments [here](. Fastest, Easiest Way to Become an In-Demand Copywriter … Guaranteed! Join Katie, Rebecca, and special guest experts for an in-depth, comprehensive LIVE webinar training series where they'll teach you ALL the skills, secrets, and techniques you need to become a successful copywriter — all in a matter of just 10 weeks. Warning: They only do this LIVE training once a year — don't miss out on this rare and highly effective learning opportunity. [Learn more and enroll here.]( Save $700 on the "Copywriting Event of the Year!" Attending AWAI's 2019 FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair is by far the best thing you can do for your career as a freelance writer. It's the place to launch your career, land new clients, and make industry connections that can take you to the next level of success. Nowhere else will you find the biggest names in direct-response marketing together under one roof … All there to help you achieve your dream writer's life. Right now, you can save $700 by reserving your spot for Bootcamp 2019. [Reserve Your Spot and Save]( Get $25,000 of Training for $1 Right now, you can access over $25,000 worth of training webinars — along with templates, pricing guides, invoicing tools, "how-to" videos, and much, much more — to help you launch your paid web-writing career. Wealthy Web Writer has everything you'll need to become a paid web writer. And during this 30-day "test-drive," you can get access to the entire site for just $1. 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