Copywriter for Hire!

I have recently fallen in love with writing again. I trained as a journalist fifteen years ago and, in recent years, I had forgotten the thrill of telling someone something they don't know. The excitement of making someone laugh with something you've written is something you never tire of. I recently started working for myself as a copywriter and I'm loving every minute of working from home. Don't get me wrong, my dream is to write the bestseller I have in me, but copywriting is a way to get me in the groove again whilst I’m paying the bills.  I use my talents to write for cash until I finish my book and make my first million!

I recently launched a website and started the long and boring job of promoting it! The thing is, writing articles and promoting them are two very different things. A lot of my work is for websites who want to make the top of search engine results pages. Whilst I love the writing part and the chance to practice my art, I hate the laborious nature of back-linking, book-marking and never-ending article rewrites that go with the territory.  I must be doing well, however, as I’ve just taken on my first writer to help me!  Writing for a living is such hard work.  Initially, I got into journalism because I loved creative writing at school. I would write elaborate and detailed short stories from a very young age, gaining something of a reputation for my descriptive skills and my ability to create larger than life characters. 

For me, journalism was simply a way to earn a crust while I worked on my novel. Unfortunately, journalism bored me and I ended up managing restaurants for a living. The fifteen years of toil and stress in the service industry have served me well and given me self-discipline - a facet that is essential for any successful copywriter.
The vast majority of copywriters will resent the work they do as so much of it seems beneath their capabilities. They are like me, writing bland and uninteresting copy on computer programs, knee injuries or the sport of ping pong - yawn! So many copywriters get impatient and frustrated and let their emotions infiltrate their copy - this is a bad mistake. 

Let's get one thing straight - writing for websites is a completely different art-form and requires huge restraint. My clients want very simple language with text only ever in the third person. They want a keyword density percentage of between 2% and 5% without the text sounding contrived and sales orientated. Many clients want 500 words for a dollar! The funny thing is… I'm getting bored just writing about it! However, it's my bread and butter and I put my all into it; even the 100 word comments I post for clients!
The real truth is that copywriting for websites is a hugely competitive market. For new writers, with little or no experience no references, the only way of getting work is by under-cutting the competition.  New writers then get fed-up and quit before any real reputation has been acquired.  Copywriting is badly paid and different to any other form of writing. Get to grips with that and there may just be a chance of success.