From J-O-B to well-paid freelancer

Use these 5 insights to make your move [The Writer’ s Life]( May 11, 2023 "The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do." – Charles Duhigg Hi {NAME}! Not everyone interested in making money as a writer is looking for a career change … At least not at first. 😉 But once they see the opportunity firsthand, connect with AWAI success stories who are living their dream, and the money starts coming in … Most writers see a different future … one far greater than they ever imagined. So today, I want to introduce you to AWAI Success, Jon Stoltzfus. Since making the dedicated effort to become a copywriter, Jon went from zero writing income to over a million dollars in just six years. 🤩 His is an amazing story … and he shares a bit of it with you today, before giving you five insights from his own personal experience you can use to transition to your version of the writer's life. Your timing couldn't be better … Not only are there so MANY ways to make great money writing … the demand for copy and fresh content is relentless. Businesses need a lot of help to keep up! That spells big earning potential for you as a writer … And all you need to get started is some basic training. [>> Training like this one!]( Even if you've NEVER written a word of copy … you haven't done ANY training yet … you have ZERO samples and no portfolio to show prospective clients … We have created a BRAND-NEW training that will change everything for you. We're calling it the 4 Days to $400 Writing Challenge … It's a LIVE online training event held over four days where you will master the simplest, most in-demand writing skill … have a shot at being published with a byline … plus earn a $400 cash payout! You'll also learn how to land clients who will pay you well … and how writing just got a whole lot easier with AI as your "personal research assistant" and idea generator. We've created this event for TOTAL NEWBIES. So if want to be a paid writer … Let's make it happen now. [Go here for all the details.]( Today's your last chance to get in though — so make sure you register by midnight tonight! To your success, Rebecca Matter President AWAI *LAST DAY*! Total "Newbie" to Paid Writing? SEE THIS! Do You Still Dream of Being a Well-Paid, Work-From-Anywhere Writer BUT … - You've NEVER written a word of copy … - You've not done ANY training … - You have ZERO samples, no portfolio … - Maybe you're not even sure what "copywriting" is … THEN WE'VE CREATED SOMETHING EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU! An event with ONE SOLITARY GOAL … to finally launch the paid writing career you've always dreamed about! HURRY — This is the LAST DAY to be part of this life-altering event! Reminder: This is ONLY for total newbies! [DETAILS HERE]( From Cubicle to Copywriter: 5 Tips for Managing the Transition from Day Job to The Writer's Life By Jon Stoltzfus [Motivational saying: Build the life you can’ t wait to wake up to] For those who don't know me, let me recap my story quickly. I'm a former aerospace engineer, having spent 20 years working in the defense industry. I began transitioning to copywriting in 2013 after I got laid off due to budget cuts, though I did find another engineering job to continue to support my family at the time. I found clients and success quickly as a copywriter, and in 2018, I finally left engineering in the rearview mirror to become a full-time copywriter. That means I juggled two careers for the better part of five years. Today, my base pay (plus royalties) is higher than I ever made as an engineer. So it probably comes as no surprise that one of the most common questions I get asked by fellow AWAI members is this … Do You Have Any Tips for Making the Transition? Yes, I do. And that's why I'm here today, because I know how stressful and scary this transition can be. Whether you're the bread winner in your family or not, voluntarily giving up a steady stream of income is a hard decision. To make that a little easier, I'm going to share with you five tips for managing the transition. Tip #1: Be Prepared to Give Up Some Freedom at First Not what you wanted to hear? Probably not. But I'm not here to baby you. I'm here to help you become a successful copywriter because I know how rewarding it can be. And that means you're going to have to give up some things. Your favorite TV shows. Binge-watching Netflix. Mindless time playing games on your smartphone or scrolling social media. It all needs to stop. Because one of the most common excuses I hear is "I don't have any time" and that's simply not true. The truth is, you need to take the time you're currently wasting and make it productive towards building your writer's life. And weekends? They're probably gone too, to an extent. I know you need to recharge a bit, but you'll need to set aside a couple of hours on your days off to commit to working on your craft and finding clients. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move to … Tip #2: Don't Hide What You're Doing There's a very good chance your first copywriting project is going to come from somebody you know. Maybe directly, or maybe just a referral or a mention from a friend to your future first client. So as much as possible, you want to announce to the world that you're taking on new clients as a copywriter. Your first client could even end up being your current employer. That's what happened for more than a few freelance copywriters, including AWAI's own Pam Foster. In fact, Pam got her employer at the time to pay for her to learn copywriting so she could add that to her job duties, and I know she's not the only one. That said … Tip #3: Don't Jeopardize Your Current Position In some cases, people have very strict employee contracts that either do or seem to restrict any outside work. And if you're worried about quitting your job early, getting fired from it probably terrifies you. So first things first, review your employee handbook or contract and make sure you understand what's there. Is it a non-compete clause? Or is it a statement that says you need to get permission to have any second job, even one at the local 7-11? That was the situation I ran into in 2013 — I needed permission to have ANY outside job. So I had to decide … do I hide it and do it anyway or do I put in the request? First, try to understand why it's there and what the rules are in your area. Second, don't create a problem until you need to. While you're learning and practicing copywriting, you don't have any conflicts. It's only when you start getting clients that you need to consider your options. And finally, don't do things that may bring unwarranted attention. For example, a nice, new LinkedIn profile of you as a copywriter may help you bring in clients … but consider the downside if your current profile is visible to your co-workers and managers and your current company values that visibility. When in doubt, talk to a lawyer. Fun fact … many employee benefits programs these days include an employee assistance program with free legal consultations for personal use. And those conversations are private. Tip #4: Know Your Walk Number Over the past few years, more than a few people asked me why I was still working my day job when I was already having success as a copywriter. The answer was simple … I hadn't hit my walk number yet. Your walk number is the amount you need to make on a consistent basis to allow you to leave your day job behind. It might not always be your current salary, though it was for me. Nobody else can pick this for you. Figure out how much you need to make consistently on a monthly basis to give notice to your current employer, because the next part is knowing how to lock that number in. Tip #5: Put Your Freelance Income on Autopilot Replacing a steady income with an unsteady one is scary. So start with the end in mind and always look for opportunities to turn a single project into a recurring revenue stream. The best way to do that is to deliver outstanding copy and be easy to work with. When you do that, clients who have more work will be quick to give you more opportunities. And then, you can look to create a long-term relationship by changing from contracts for each project to a consistent retainer contract. There are a lot of different types of retainer contracts and pricing strategies and I can't cover them all here. For more info, check out the [free Inside AWAI webinar]( on landing retainer contracts. And when in doubt or when you have a question, call AWAI's Member Success Team or reach out to a mentor and ask for help. If you want to be living your ideal writer's life — and I highly recommend it — you just need to take the steps that will get you there. Editorial Note: For the ideal kick-start, check out AWAI's 4 Days to $400 Writing Challenge. It's a live event created specifically for brand-new writers. [You can read all about here]( — but hurry because all enrollment closes at midnight tonight!! What's Hot at AWAI … 🙌 [Tips on how to move from fear to confidence.]( 🤔 [Stop dreaming of being a well-paid writer and make it real.]( 👉 [5 steps to FOCUS (Follow One Commitment Until Successful)](. 🎉 BIG NEWS about Bootcamp?! [Read all about it here.]( 👀 LAST CHANCE: [Get certified as a SEO Copywriting Specialist!]( 🤩 [Ad exec breaks out of 9-to-5 "Prison."]( Way to go, Karen! [Social media post about creating packages for services to help get hired on retainer] Congratulations on creating packages for your services to make it that much easier for clients to hire you! Retainers are a "holy grail" and it's great that you set yourself up for that option. Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! The BEST Niche for NEW Writers! You want to write. But with so many options, choosing a niche can be daunting. Fact is, one niche is PERFECT for new writers. Here, the writing's easier to learn, easier to write … and there's no hard selling. Plus, you're likely more qualified for this niche than you even know! And the pay — just wait until you see! Recently, Rebecca Matter met with one of the top experts in the world from this lucrative niche — and together they walked you through EVERYTHING you need to know. [Go here now to see this life-changing event — IT'S FREE]( Your ALL-ACCESS Key — Just $1! Get instant access to this exclusive B2B writing community and ALL their private resources, including … All the success roadmaps … All the writing templates … All the articles … All the how-to videos … All 150+ training webinars … The Forum, the Job Board, the tutorials, the tools … And much more! [Go Here for More Details]( Featured Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: --------------------------------------------------------------- Content Writer — Mployer Advisor Contractor, Remote Analyze, create, and deploy targeted content pieces for product launches into new industries. --------------------------------------------------------------- Copywriter — Qured Part-time, London, UK In this role, you will support the business by creating engaging and persuasive content for various channels, including sales enablement materials, blog posts, website content, lead generation content, social media posts, and email marketing campaigns. --------------------------------------------------------------- Search Engine Optimization Manager — Cypress HCM Full-time, San Francisco, CA Create and maintain the keyword mapping, classification, and strategy for prioritization recommendations. --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble viewing this email? 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