THE

DEFINITIVE
BLUEPRINT
for Making Good Money
as a Freelance Writer

How To Become A Well-Paid

Copywriter In 9 Easy Steps
 Published by:

American Writers & Artists Institute

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CFRCRO
Welcome to the wonderful, lucrative
world of well-paid copywriting!

Dear Reader,

If you’ve dreamed of making a living on YOUR terms — as a writer with the
freedom to enjoy your life — this report is for you. Within these pages, we have
one goal:

Ensure that you have a clear understanding of each step you’ll take to
make good money writing…

You can follow along, step-by-step, and achieve your dream of living
the writer’s life.

You don’t have to wonder anymore, “Is there a way I can set myself up right
out of the gate, so I don’t have to figure it out along the way?”

It’s all explained here in this blueprint.

You’ll find out how to live what we call the writer’s life. And it can be anything
— whatever you envision. The writer’s lifestyle is whatever you define as
your best life, whether that’s through freelance writing for 20 hours a week,
working in the mountains, staying home with your kids, or building your own
business through writing.

Whatever that opportunity is for you, we want to help you get there.

You really can create the life of your dreams as a writer… as many, many people
from all walks of life are doing by following the path we’re showing you here.

You can do this!

Rebecca Matter
STEP 1
Understand the Opportunity
Most writers, at least those we meet, don’t really understand just how big the
opportunity is at first.

You’re not alone if you’re thinking, “Well, gosh, I’d love to be paid well to write
poetry or magazine articles or my novel, but I hear it’s not a sustainable way to
make a living.”

That’s not what we’re talking about here. When we say well-paid writing, we’re
talking about the kind of writing where there’s a huge opportunity.

We’re talking about COPYWRITING: writing that’s related to business

or commerce.

All commerce needs copywriting.

– 4–
Wherever people are exchanging money for goods or services — businesses
need to explain:

• What the product/service is

• How it solves a customer problem, need, or wish

• How it works

• Why it’s the best solution and value

• How much it costs

• How to order it

What we mean by that is wherever people are exchanging money for goods
or services, the businesses selling those goods or services need to explain to
their prospective customers what the product or service is and how it solves a
customer problem, need or wish.

In the marketing world, the two main commerce types are B2C and B2B.

B2C stands for business to consumer.

That’s where companies are selling directly to consumers who’ll use the products
or services. Take financial products or banks, for instance. As a consumer
interested in opening a checking account, you have many banks to choose from.
So, which one will you choose? Banks have to compete to get attention and show
why they’re the best bank for you. The way they do that is through advertising,
bank signage, brochures, and other methods geared to the consumer.

Here are a few more examples:

• Health and beauty products: Over-the-counter cough medicine is a

direct-to-consumer product. So are bandages, vitamins, hand lotion,
sunscreen, cotton swabs, and so forth.

• Retail is a no-brainer because you, as a consumer, buy clothing,

household items, and whatever else you need, either at retail store
or a retail website.

• Education: If you know someone going to college, think of all the

universities and colleges just in the U.S. who are competing to reach
their consumers (in this case, students).

– 5–
 • Sports: If you go to a major league baseball game, you need to buy
tickets. Plus, it’s likely that you’ll also buy hotdogs, drinks, and maybe a
tee shirt or ball cap. Those are all being sold to you, the consumer.

• Baby products: If you’re a new mom or you know a new mom, you
know you could easily fill a whole house with baby-related products from
cribs and bottles to blankets and toys, and so on. Those are all direct-to-
consumer products.

• Food and wine: As consumers, we all buy food, and you may buy wine
as well.

Now let’s look at the other category.

B2B, which stands for business to business.

In this category, businesses are selling goods and services to OTHER

businesses. These are the vendors and suppliers serving different industries.

In a retail clothing store, for example, the store owner needs to purchase store
signs, the shelves that products are sitting on, a non-slip entry mat, clothes
racks, price tags, dressing room doors and hooks, and the computer system
used to cash you out when you buy products there.

Anything that supports businesses operations is called B2B. Here are a few
more examples.

• Technology: Companies need technology to run their operations,

including computer systems, cloud file storage, specific software for
daily functions (think of Microsoft Office programs), and many other
technologies. This is a massive business category with suppliers serving
micro-businesses (sole proprietors using an online billing software, for
instance) to large corporations using global sales-tracking systems.

• Manufacturing: This huge category includes companies that make

parts and products of all kinds. Think of all the individual parts that go
into a washing machine or a toaster, for instance. Or consider business
machines such as fork lifts. Certain companies manufacture (build)
the fork lifts, while other manufacturing companies USE the fork lifts.
Everything that’s built involves manufacturing! This is just a tiny glimpse
to give you an idea.

– 6–
 • Shipping companies: How do products get to stores, businesses,
hospitals, and even ball fields? Through shipping, of course. It’s a major
global industry with networks of road, rail, sea, and air shipping providers
and logistics companies.

• Training: Businesses need to train the workforce. Take safety training:

Safety is a huge issue in the manufacturing and business world, so in
the safety category alone, there are consultants, training programs,
inspection simulators, and safety products. Again, that’s just safety. There
are large industry niches specific to sales training, Human Resources
training, skills training, technology certifications, and so forth.

• Business construction. Construction is not just a consumer world.

Yes, if you’re building your own home, you hire a contractor and choose
appliances, and all that. But then there’s the whole commercial side
related to building and renovating offices, shopping malls, hospitals,
museums, and so forth.

Just to keep things interesting, you may come across companies that do both:
B2C and B2B. Here’s what we mean:

• Fish tanks are purchased by consumers for home use… but a restaurant
owner (business) may buy and install a large fish tank in the restaurant
lobby.

• Safety gates are purchased by consumers to protect their children or pets

at home… but safety gates are also bought by owners of businesses like
child care centers and doggie daycare facilities.

• Pharmaceuticals are sold directly to consumers… but they’re also

purchased and used by medical professionals in their daily work with
patients.

• Gym equipment (treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, etc.) are bought

by consumers for home use… but if you go to the local fitness center,
you’ll see rows and rows of similar equipment.

As you can imagine, B2C and B2B are massive commerce categories with
thousands of different industries involved. In every category you can think of,
companies are available in both the B2C and B2B market.

– 7–
In essence, commerce is everywhere!

Everywhere around the world, wherever somebody is buying something or

providing something, that’s commerce.

Now consider this.

Every business needs to use marketing to sell products.

When it comes down to it, every single business needs marketing to sell. They
can’t just set themselves up and imagine people will find them or know what
they do without some sort of marketing.

Below are examples of coupons, websites, YouTube videos, emails, webinar

presentations, and newsletters. These just scratch the surface. Today, one
company alone could be using 75 or more different types of marketing approaches.

– 8–
For starters, does every business need a website? Yes, probably, right? And on
their websites, in order to market themselves, they need persuasive language
or words that differentiates why they’re the best choice.

All of this selling takes COPYWRITING.

Copywriting is persuasive business writing

with the intent of driving an action.

(This includes content too!)

Copywriting is sales writing that explains to prospects why they can’t live
without a product, or why it’s so good, valuable, useful, and helpful in
solving a problem.

Ultimately the intent is driving action, which means your copywriting leads
the prospect to take the next step. You either want them to make a purchase
right then and there, or maybe they’re going to download a sample report or
something. Maybe they’re going to sign up for a newsletter. Maybe they’re
going to set up a free trial to check out the business.

Copywriting is advertising/sales writing, but it’s content writing too. As the

online world has exploded, companies have learned how to bring in more and
more new prospects with super helpful and/or entertaining content.

– 9–
Content isn’t necessarily selling the product, but it’s providing helpful tips,
pictures, videos, and ideas that build loyalty and awareness among prospects.
Then, when the prospect’s ready to buy, the sales copy comes in and sparks a
purchase.

The combination of copy and content — that’s the big opportunity for
you as a well-paid writer. It’s pretty exciting, and it’s very broad.

Let’s look at a couple of specific examples to show how the combination works.

First, we have B2C, business to consumer, in the form of camping tents.

Let’s say you go online to find a camping tent and go into Google and type in
“camping tent.” Your search may show results like the one on this image.

You may:

• Search online

• Click on an ad

• Click on a
website

• Read reviews

• Compare tents

• Find a coupon

• Choose a tent

• Place an order

This is a typical scenario that shows how each step in the buying process
involves COPYWRITING.

The same thing happens in B2B (business to business). Let’s say you work for a
small company and you’re looking for an easier payroll system.

– 10–
As a business manager, you may:

• Search online

• Click on an ad

• Click on a website

• Read reviews

• View a video demo

• Download a
free guide

• Get a consultation

These steps help you decide which one might be right for your company. And,
no matter which system you found in your search, somebody had to write the
words that guided you there: that’s COPYWRITING.

As a copywriter, you can get paid very well because you bring in new business.

You can potentially write up to 75 different kinds of projects, and maybe even
more, for companies that need you now.

One skill = 75+ different projects!

– 11–
How many companies need copywriting for all their different marketing materials?

• Advertising spending continues to grow, predicted to reach just over

200 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. (Statista)

• The average company has allocated 62.3% of its ad budget to digital

in 2021, predicted to grow to 66.8% by 2023 (eMarketer)

Wow. Every business needs copywriting to compete, thrive, and even survive.
And, they need writers who understand how to write the words that sell.
They’re not writers. That’s where you come in.

Next up: let’s talk about the money you can earn.

– 12–
STEP 2
Determine Your Money Goal
Here’s is an important question: how much money are you realistically looking
to make to support your life’s goals?

Try this analogy to answer these questions. When you’re starting out on a
journey, you’re getting into the car for a road trip. But where are you going?
You need to know this, right? You can’t just start driving. You need to have
a destination in mind because it will dictate, or at least impact, the way you
decide to get there.

Same thing with your freelance writing business. You need a destination so you
can follow a path to get there.

What are you shooting for right now?

• Are you looking for extra cash? (Also considered “mad money”?)

• Are you looking to supplement your income with additional revenue? Or…

• Are you looking to replace your current income (day job) with a
new career?

– 13–
Let’s say you’re just looking for extra cash. You might be thinking, “I’m really
not looking for any big change in my life, I just want extra money. When things
pop up like a vacation or a car repair or a wedding, I want to have that extra
money where these things don’t cause me pressure or stress. I want to be able
to fit this into my schedule. I’m fairly busy. I’ve got a lot of stuff going on. I’ve
got kids at home.” Or, “I have a full-time job that I love and I want to keep
doing that. I just want to do this on the side and I don’t need it for my basic
monthly bills. This is mad money, just so I can have cash under the mattress
and do things I want to do when they pop up.”

If extra cash is your goal, you can go for one-time pickup projects for clients.
Projects such as:

• Articles or blog posts: Earn $150-400+ each to create helpful articles

that bring prospects to a client’s website

• Site audits: Get paid $1,000-$2,500 to review websites, identify content

problems, and make recommendations

• White papers: Charge $2,000-$7,000 to write research documents

that explain how something works (and its benefits) … or report on an
important new study or survey findings. These reports are really big in
business, technology, and manufacturing. They take a about a month to
write and they pay very well.

Or, you can choose to write for your own projects. No client needed. A few
ideas include:

• Money-making websites: This is a blog or website you create around a

passion of yours … such as dog training, gardening, craft beer, camping,
or another interest. Once you build a following, advertisers pay you to
place ads on your website.

• E-books: These are very specific how-to books you can write and sell
online. They’re very popular when they help solve specific concerns
people have all the time, such as building a tree house, putting on a great
children’s birthday party, and other how-to ideas.

Now, what if you’re looking to supplement your income on a steadier basis? In

this case, you’re willing to commit to certain hours each month. We know many
writers who enjoy their day jobs, but would like to count on some extra income
each month.

– 14–
The best way is to create a steady supplemental income
is to line up retainer projects.

These are projects where a client pays you every single month to write for
them. For instance, blog posts: clients will pay 200 bucks or more for every
post that you send in, and may expect four posts a month, whatever it may be.
Blogging is just one type of retainer project. Here are a few more.

• Newsletters (also called e-newsletters if they’re sent via email): You

write the client’s newsletter every single month and they send you a
check for $1,000. It could be a monthly newsletter. Just imagine, if you
have two newsletter clients each month (one newsletter a month each),
you could at least knock out two a month in your spare time. That’s an
additional $2,000 a month!

• Social media management: Companies need people who can

communicate in the written word to talk with their prospects and
customers, engaging with them on a regular basis. You can get paid
$2,000 each month to manage their accounts and communicate with
people who want to connect with your clients. (This is a great gig if you’re
a big fan of a company and already participate in their social networks.)

To learn the ins and outs of retainers, check out our free presentation:
“Get Predictable Writing Income with Retainer Deals.”

The final money-goal option is replacing your current full-time job or

career with the same (or better) salary as a copywriter.

When you’re thinking about a new copywriting career, consider the following
three things.

– 15–
 • First, write down how much money you’re making now.

• Second, write down how much money you need to make — how much
you need each month to pay all the bills plus leftover for savings and fun.

• Third, write down any other financial considerations you’ll need to plan
around, such as an upcoming wedding, house purchase, etc. You also
want to factor in your new-career learning curve and investment. As with
any new career, you’ll want to plan on investing in training, so you’ll have
to skills to make this dream happen.

Now, consider this scenario as an example to create your own picture. If you
currently make $60,000 a year but your bills/needs are $40,000… exactly how
much copywriting work do you need to feel comfortable before making the leap
and leaving your full-time job and starting a writing career?

Finally, which types of copywriting careers can you realistically count on, to
replace your current salary? In order to leave your job… let’s say you know you
have to make $8,000 a month as a writer… How will you do that?

Copywriting careers — all with $100K+ potential:

• Direct-response copy and content writer

• Online copywriter and optimization specialist

• B2B copywriter

Here’s a specific example.

Let’s say you plan to offer services as a B2B copywriter, and you’d like to set
up retainer clients. In one scenario, you can get paid $2,000 to write B2B white
papers and $1,000 to write B2B newsletters — which is a realistic expectation.

With three newsletter clients ($3,000) and three white papers ($6,000) a
month, you’ll exceed your $8,000 money goal by a nice sum of $1,000.

If you want to have a solid foundation in B2B writing, the Writing White Papers and
Writing B2B Newsletters programs can help you perfect the necessary skills. In these
programs, you’ll discover how to start getting clients. And, once you land steady
clients for those assignments, you’ll be confident in leaving your job. Good plan.

Now that you know about the opportunities and you know how much money you
want to make — it’s time to start exploring the options that will get you there.

– 16–
STEP 3
Explore Your Copywriting
Options
What kind of well-paid writing interests you? To find out, consider the
following options.

• Short copy, long copy

• Salesy, non-salesy
• Projects you write on retainer (newsletters, social media, and content)
• Projects you write for yourself (money-making websites, e-books, and
information products)
• Projects that are great for journalists (case studies)
• Projects that are great for story tellers (video scripts)

That’s just for starters. The two main options come down to a style of writing.

– 17–
Direct-response copywriting is more about making a direct sale or making
an offer that leads to a sale. It’s writing that gets someone to take an action
through sales copy, such as a longform online sales letter, online ad, landing
page, sales-focused email series, sales video, and other direct-sales formats.

Content writing is more about generating interest. The prospect is attracted

to a helpful article or how-to video that isn’t directly selling at that point. It’s
more about creating awareness and building an audience that will be eager to
buy when ready. This category includes blog posts, articles, case studies, white
papers, helpful videos, etc.

(Spoiler alert: everything in copywriting is actually direct response. Whether

you’re writing an article, a blog post, an actual sales letter, a video… everything
is moving the reader or viewer towards a sale. Even if you never ask for the sale
in your writing. If you’re writing an article, that article is still moving somebody
forward so that when they get the piece of sales copy, they’re ready to buy.)

This AWAI Copywriting — Content Continuum graphic shows the four different
stages of a buyer’s journey, with different marketing communications efforts
moving your prospect from awareness to buyer to happy customer.

COPYWRITING–CONTENT CONTINUUM

Moving your Prospect from Awareness to Buyer to Happy Customer

STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4

Content that Builds Copy Linking to a Direct-Sales Copy: Retention Copy

Traffic/Awareness/Leads Direct-Sales Page Buy/Order Now and Content

• Blog Posts • Funnel Series • Classic Sales Letter • Newsletters

• Free Reports
• Online Ads
• Free Content
• Articles
• Newsletters
• Web Pages: General
• Podcasts
• Videos: Demos, How-To
• Case Studies
• Press Releases
• White Papers
• Social Media
• Radio/TV
• E-Books
• Webinars
• Brochures
• Single Direct Emails w/Links
• Online Ads: Teasers w/Links
• Articles w/CTA
• Web Pages w/Links
• Newsletters w/CTA
• Social Media Posts w/CTA
• Chatbots
Packages: Short, Long • Emails: Special Sales,
• Catalog/E-Commerce Renewals
Product Copy • Social Media: Groups
• Online Ads: Buy Now • Exclusive Content: Video,
• Appeal/Fundraising Webinars
• Letters, Advertorials • Live Office Hours
• Radio/TV w/CTA • Membership Sites
• Video Sales Letters • Regular Updates
• Magalogs • Upsells, First Dibs
• Bookalogs
• Postcards
• Sell Sheets

– 18–
Stage 1 is where a company builds traffic, awareness, and potential
business leads by publishing valuable information (content)… such as blog
posts, free reports, articles, videos, and more.

Stage 2 is where a company publishes different pieces that link to

a direct-sales page. This may include emails, online ads, social posts and
more… sending the prospect to a product or service to buy.

Stage 3 is where a prospect becomes a customer by making a purchase.

The prospect may read a sales letter, catalog product page, or other piece that
motivates him to make a buying decision — filling in the order form and clicking
BUY NOW.

Stage 4 is the customer retention stage. It’s important to continue

communicating with new customers in all kinds of ways — such as emails,
newsletters, how-to-use videos, and more… so they stick around, enjoy their
purchase, and even buy additional offerings.

As you can see, there’s a lot of copywriting opportunity at every stage in this
continuum…

whether you’re on the “pre-suasive” side of things, just having a conversation

to prime somebody for a sale (just educating them)…

or you’re on the persuasive side of things, getting them to buy…

And of course, keeping those paying customers happy.

Every company needs copy and content for all four Stages.

Which projects should you write? It’s all up to you. It depends on your money
and lifestyle goals, as well as your project preferences.

The other options involve B2C or B2B.

Remember, in B2C, businesses are talking to consumers. You might decide

you like writing sales letters, websites, emails, Facebook posts, how-to videos,
blog posts, e-newsletters, ads, postcards, catalogs, advertorials, or at least 75
different projects you can write for consumers.

– 19–
B2C/consumer sales copy (online, print)
• Sales letters
• Websites
• Emails
• Facebook posts
• How-to videos
• Blog posts
• E-newsletters
• Ads
• Postcards
• Catalogs
• Advertorials

Or you might be on the other side (B2B), the business-to-business side of

things, which also includes a wide range of project types.

B2B/business sales copy (online, print)

• Websites
• White papers
• Case studies
• Email campaigns
• E-newsletters
• Blog posts
• Tradeshow material
• Sell sheets
• Demo videos
• Ads
• Catalogs

– 20–
There’s really no right or wrong answer. It’s really about what you enjoy writing.

The good news is there’s never been a better time to be a copywriter,

not only because the industry is so huge and there are so many
opportunities, but also because companies value writers now!

Our recommendation, if you’re brand new to this, is to explore them.

Use our AWAI Product Catalog as a resource to see what different writing
projects look like, what they involve for your writing skills, and how much you
can charge for them. It gives you a great understanding across the board. For
instance, if you have no idea what a case study is, go to our catalog, look up
case studies, and read that promo. You’ll be fully aware of what the project
entails by the time you’ve finished that sales letter, and then you can decide if
that’s the right opportunity for you.

Next up? A super important step for finding your ideal clients — the people
who’ll pay you the big bucks.

– 21–
STEP 4
Decide Who You’ll Write For
With all those different opportunities and industries out there, you may be
thinking, “Who do I even think about writing for?”

You want to find an industry with a variety of companies, including small,

medium, and large businesses. Ideally, you also want to find an industry that
matches your career background, so you don’t have a huge learning curve. Or,
consider a field that draws you in based on your personal interests or lifestyle.

Start with these questions:

– 22–
What past experience do you have?

• Solar panel installer

• Teacher
• Nurse
• Pilot
• Mechanic
• Sales
• Lawyer
• Plumber
• Vet technician

What personal interests do you have?

• Health and fitness

• Wine
• Martial arts
• Gardening
• Sports
• Stock market
• Boating
• Antiques

What kind of buyer are you?

• New mom
• Retiree
• College kid
• Health conscious
• Boomer
• Millennial
• Homeowner

The answers to these questions will steer you toward a niche-industry choice.
And, of course, you want to make sure the industry is strong and filled with
opportunity for you. For instance:

– 23–
 • The financial world, which means banks, newsletter publishers for
investors, software to manage your money, anything like that.

• Health, which includes healthcare, supplements, fitness, alternative

medicine, medical devices, and more. People are always going to be
interested in improving their health.

• Software is another one. With the invention of apps, online cloud

storage, and so many other devices and technologies… it’s an exploding
market.

• Sports. Today, there are so many different kinds of sports, whether you
go to a big major league game or you’re a kayak enthusiast. It’s so wide
and broad now that if you said, “I want to write for the sports industry,
but I have a background as a show horse jumper and rider,” then you
could write for the equine industry. Think of all the products and suppliers
and events in just the equine sport industry.

• Food and wine. We know someone who left her corporate job after
many years and now she does wine sailing trips in Maine. She takes
people on a boat and teaches them about wine while sailing on the ocean
at sunset. It’s amazing. That’s her life now. You could be a copywriter for
the wine industry.

Look at your job experience as an excellent place to start. For instance, let’s
say you’ve been a solar panel installer and you’re sick of doing that job, but
you’re an expert on the industry. You’d be the perfect resource to write about
the solar industry. Your knowledge plus your copywriting skills would make
clients in the solar panel industry go, “Perfect! I don’t need to look at any other
writers. That’s the one for me.”

To help make the niche industry choice easier for you… watch our two
free presentations:

• How to Choose a Profitable Niche to Attract Copywriting Clients

• The #1 Easiest Way to Choose a Copywriting Niche and Start Attracting

Well-Paying Clients

Once you decide, you’ll know exactly who to approach about your copywriting
services!

Speaking of services, now it’s time to get real about acquiring the skills clients
want now. This is your next step in the blueprint.

– 24–
STEP 5
Get the Skills
Copywriting is a valuable skill that will take you to places you never imagined.
It’ll apply to everything in your life at some point once you know it. If you want
to become a web copywriter in the equine industry, for instance, you want to
learn how to write websites, online articles, and email copy.

The best news is… if you love to write, you’re halfway there.

Take your love of writing and apply it to different training programs that match
your goals.

We offer programs for every type of project mentioned in this report. Some are
easy to study in a single weekend. Others take a few months. You’ll find some
programs where you practice writing and get feedback. You’ll find others that
are quite simply so clean, that in just a weekend you can start using what you
learned with real clients or real projects or even people you know in the industry.

Then you never stop learning. You’ll get better and better as time goes by.
You’re getting momentum as you work with different clients. Soon you’ll be
able to call one of those bigger companies that manufacture equipment in a
particular niche industry (for instance) and they’ll say, “Oh my gosh, we have
a whole plan for this year that involves website copy and articles and email
campaigns, and we want to start a monthly newsletter.”

You’ll be the perfect person to jump in there and be their hero.

– 25–
To start this train in motion, decide how you want to proceed to learn the skills
and work in an industry you love.

If you feel like you still need to learn the basics of copywriting for business, we
have a few foundation programs that can help you fill your toolbox of writing
techniques with all the necessities:

• The first one is The AWAI Method™ for Becoming a Skilled, In Demand
Copywriter. That is our core, foundational program that walks you through
everything you need to know to write effective, persuasive copy and content.
The lessons in this program apply to EVERYTHING ELSE you’ll write.

• If you’re excited about writing direct-response sales copy in particular, check

out The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. Since 1997, this
has been the “copywriting bible” for A-list sales copywriters. And while some
of the principles in this program are timeless, we update it every year to
make sure you have the latest, greatest secrets for sales copy success.

• Modern B2B Copywriting, business-to-business copy, is the foundation for

the world where you’re going writing to business decision makers (versus
consumers).

• If you’re interested in writing websites and other online copy and content,
you’ll want to study this comprehensive program, The Digital Copywriter’s
Handbook. You’ll be in great shape to offer clients exactly what they need
to market themselves online.

Maybe you feel strong in your basic persuasive writing, but you’re interested in
developing some specific skills that seem to be in high demand on all the job
boards these days. You can use any of our complete collection of skill-building
programs to tailor your skills to the jobs that appeal most to you. For example,
SEO Copywriting Success teaches you the extremely valuable search-engine-
optimization skill that helps companies bring in prospects searching on Google
and other search engines.

And if you’d just like more opportunities to try out what you’re learning, you
don’t want to miss our Persuasive Writing Prompts. They’re very short “writing
sparks” that help you practice your writing in a conversational tone (an
important secret to copywriting success).

Ultimately, with AWAI, you decide how you want to specialize and become a
copywriting expert.

Onward to Step 6 in your blueprint: getting clients.

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STEP 6
Market Your Services
You’ve got the skills. You know who you want to work for. Just one more question.

How are you going to reach the clients?

You’ll find a range of self-marketing options out there for copywriters, and
there’s no one perfect answer. Here’s just a taste of the different marketing
approaches you can use to attract clients:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Writing
• Networking
• Speaking
• Cold calling
• Email
• And many more!

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Every approach is different, and the beauty is… you get to choose which is right
for you.

Let’s start with a strong, proven method: LinkedIn. Connecting with

colleagues and other professionals on LinkedIn is huge, because LinkedIn really
has become an amazing marketing tool for people who want to connect with
potential clients in the same industry.

Clients are on LinkedIn searching for copywriters for the boating industry or
software for fitness club industries. It’s that specific. If you have a LinkedIn
profile that tells clients what you do (for a specific industry), great clients will
find you.

Beyond LinkedIn…

Your own website is very important for a number

of reasons.

It’s your best writing sample and an ice-breaker for clients to see why you’re
the best choice for them.

LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media platforms are great, but they
can change the way they work from time to time, as we know.

Your website is something you own and control, so it’s really good to have
a website.

Other ways of marketing yourself?

Write articles or blog posts that bring attention to your skills.

Attend local networking events, such as business Meetup events.

You can cold call. If you have a list of companies you’d love to work for, pick up
the phone and say, “Hi. I’m a copywriter. Do you hire freelance copywriters?” If
they say yes, you have a lead. If they say no, thank you very much, move on.

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You can also email companies in the same way, to find out if they hire
freelancers.

And there are many, many more.

Whether you’re an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between… you can

find a method of landing clients who’ll be more than happy to pay you for the
skills you’ve acquired.

We walk you through self-marketing step-by-step in many of our programs as

you’ll see in the “Business Building” section of our catalog… but there’s also a
ton of free content on our website. For example:

AWAI resources for marketing yourself:

• Free Articles: Look under “marketing” or “getting clients”

• Inside AWAI: Several presentations on getting clients

• AWAI’s Job Board: DirectResponseJobs.com (requires an AWAI

membership)

• AWAI Writer’s Launch Party www.awai.com/writerlaunchparty

– 29–
STEP 7
Complete a Project
Before we talk about completing projects in a polished and professional way, we
wanted to mention a resource on what to charge for your projects.

Every year, we publish a free, downloadable copywriting pricing guide that

includes fee ranges you can charge for 75 different projects. (2020 cover).

It demonstrates how to use your

new skills to charge …

• Web pages: $250-$1,000+

• Blog posts: $150-800+
• Sales letters package: $1,500-5,000+
• Emails: $250-2,000+
• E-newsletter: $800-$1,500+
• Case studies: $1,200-$2,000
• And many others!

Now, let’s talk about working with clients.

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There’s always going to be a learning curve, and the best experience you can
get is real experience by actually working with clients. Be patient with yourself
and know that, right?

We’re all nervous starting out. What you write now will be much better in
two years, and it’s OK. The clock doesn’t start on the learning curve until you
actually start writing, so just go ahead and jump on in. The following tips will
help you feel comfortable.

• Do your best work, based on what you’ve learned to date. If you

take any of our programs, you’ll have step-by-step instructions on how to
do the project, so just do your very best to make sure the copy is clean
and correct for the job at hand.

• ALWAYS meet deadlines. Marketers and companies are deadline

driven. If you say the client will have your copy by next Thursday, you
should have it in Wednesday. You have to meet your deadlines because
copywriters are the first piece of a very long chain of production, from
proofreaders and copy editors, to other reviewers or critics, marketers,
product owners, the web chain, email production… All of the stuff that
happens after the copy comes in, and you don’t want to put a lot of
pressure on your client by being late… so you meet your deadlines.

• Learn everything you can from experience: good, bad, ugly,

indifferent, it doesn’t matter. There’s always something to be learned,
even when things go badly. Whether it’s a win or a flop, step back and
figure out what can be learned from the experience.

• Finally, rest assured that with millions of potential clients, you can
literally mess up your first ten projects and be just fine. There’s no list
of bad copywriters circulating on the internet, okay? And there are hundreds
of clients just waiting for a writer who can help them. If you make a
mistake, learn from it and then move on. Don’t even worry about that.

This report shows you the blueprint and opportunities, but this is the 30,000-
foot view blueprint. Now that you have the big picture, you’ll want to dig in and
see which areas you’d like to learn about and master.

– 31–
If you’re still wondering how to work with clients, we offer a number of
resources. Whether you want quick advice on a particular situation or more
in-depth training on building long-lasting business relationships, we have
plenty to guide you, like …

• Articles on working with clients (search

for “clients” in our article archives)

• A program on working with clients

• Essential business templates you

can use as your own, from invoices
to proposals

These materials will help you become a

confident freelancer in no time.

What’s next? Step 8, of course… and it’s a

great step.

– 32–
STEP 8
Get Paid!
You’ve submitted your final draft … now it’s time to get paid! But how exactly
do your invoices get paid?

Clients will typically mail you a check. Some companies will set up direct
deposit or wire transfer (asking you to send them your bank information).
Some may also be willing to pay you via PayPal or another online service, if
that’s what you prefer. In any case, you can discuss this with your clients and
work with them accordingly.

That’s a very simple process. But the bigger question is… wouldn’t you love to
turn the invoice into an opportunity for more work?

You can! Here’s how.

When you’re closing out the project and sending an invoice, be sure to open the
door for more.

– 33–
Email the client this message (or something similar):

“Thank you so much, client, for this opportunity. I’d really love to work with you
on your [blog] as well. It seems like you have all kinds of potential to bring in
more prospects through your blog.”

OR

“Thank you very much, Client A, for this case study opportunity. In talking to
this customer who’s so satisfied, I think it would be great if we could do three
more case studies with similar stories or three other case studies on different
topics.”

Always pitch what’s next. Don’t leave it up to your client to come back to you.
You always want to have an idea so the client can just say, “Hey, that sounds
great. Do that.” This is the #1 easiest way for you to keep making a lot of
money as a writer.

In addition, ask your client for a testimonial if she is happy with your work.
“Great. I’d love to use this on my website. Thank you for your kind words.” “I’d
love to use this as a testimonial on my website. Is that okay?” Then follow up,
follow up, follow up, follow up.

If they don’t say yes right away, pitch something else after a short time. Just
remember the best time to ask somebody for something is when they’re happy,
so if you can make it easy for them to just say, “Yes, I loved working with
her. I can’t wait to work with her again. Oh, she’s got this great idea for the
newsletter. Yeah, we should totally do that. Yes, let’s do that.” Ask somebody
for the next sale.

Your recap on closing out a project:

• Pitch “what’s next”

• Ask for a testimonial

• Follow up!

– 34–
Remember: the best time to ask for the next sale is when someone is happy
about the current project.

Still feeling tentative about setting up your business and getting paid? Check
out these resources:

• Inside AWAI: Setting Up Your Freelance Writing Business

• Simplest Guide to Pricing Projects and Negotiating Fees

• Freelance Writing Business Success: This program answers many of your

questions about setting up a thriving freelance business.

Please note: If you’re looking for specific accounting or legal advice, please
consult a professional in those fields. That’s not our profession, and everybody
here is so different as far as their current situations go, so for your taxes,
business structure, deducting expenses, tracking invoices, etc. — definitely talk
to a professional service provider.

And now, the final step, which is hopefully super easy for you.

– 35–
STEP 9
Celebrate and Repeat!
We cannot stress the importance of celebrating, because it rewards you for a
job well done. The minute you take one step on this blueprint, celebrate it.

The minute you create your own personal plan… you define your money goal…
and you know how you’re going to get there, celebrate it.

When you get your first client, your first check, and when you raise your fees
for the first time, celebrate it.

Celebrate your little butt off, because it’s very important to look back and say,
“Hey, look at all I’ve accomplished so far! I’m doing this! It’s happening, and I
want more of that.”

Remember, as a freelance copywriter who follows the steps in this blueprint,

you’re in control of your life. You’re in control of your financial future. So
celebrate, celebrate, celebrate.

Closing thoughts just before we wrap this up.

– 36–
You may be wondering, “All this sounds great, but do I need a college degree or
an expensive office to do this?”

Here’s what you DON’T need to get started.

• Expensive office: You don’t need an expensive office. You can literally
just get started with a laptop and an internet connection. You don’t need
big equipment.

• College degree: You don’t need a college degree. Yes, you’ll see ads out
there requiring a journalist background, communications background,
Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in marketing. None of that
matters. It really just depends on how well you can write the persuasive
copy styles you’ll learn through us. If you have a good website, if you
have a good LinkedIn profile, if you can put together a really good
email... I get emailed by AWAI members daily, and oftentimes they
are asking me client questions or questions about their future, and my
response will be, “Hey, I can tell from this email that you have the ability
to string together words in a way that are going to get people to respond
to you. Just start getting clients. Stop chasing other webinars, books,
programs, things like that, and just put yourself out there.”

No experience, no problem!

What to do next

Now you know what to do. Follow this blueprint. Pick a niche industry, pick 10
clients, and start reaching out. If you don’t have any experience, it doesn’t matter.
You’re not going to go out tomorrow and say, “Hey, I’m brand new, give me a
shot.” No. Just say, “I’m a copywriter, and I can help you bring in more business.”

Go through each of these steps in this report to determine your next step. If you
need more information on that step, we’ve given you the resources to do that.

Invest in yourself. Learn a skill. Learn how to write a case study, a whitepaper,
or whatever it is. Know that if you don’t have a skill and a client asks you, “Hey,
I love that you can write emails, but I really need a case study writer. Can you
write me a case study?” Your response will always be, “Absolutely I can,” and
then you’ll figure it out with the resources we offer. You’ll hang up the phone,
go to AWAI, order the case study program, learn how to write a case study, and
turn the client’s work in on time. You’ll meet your deadline, collect your check.
Easy, right?

– 37–
You have the best safety net with AWAI. We have everything you could
possibly need, so just get out there, start promoting yourself, set up
your business, and just keep going.

If you need help, direction, and support from a community of writers, we

encourage you to join the Barefoot Writer Club to find…

• Roadmaps you can follow

• Copywriting quick-start training

• A private Facebook community

• Monthly advice from experts and working writers

• Ongoing support

You could be on an upcoming cover!

You can join all these people doing really cool stuff, writing from everywhere
in the world. We’ve been published for over seven years now — seven years of
covers of Barefoot Writer members. We’d love to publish your story.

If we can do anything to help you be successful, you can count on us.

Best wishes for success!

– 38–