by Patty on November 9, 2009
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Sean D’Souza and his www.psychotactics.com web site, but I’ve been a long time subscriber to his newsletter and blog, and have even purchased how-to products from him. Sean provides very useful business and marketing information in a format that’s pretty entertaining to read.
Anyway, I recently received an invitation from Sean to get one of his workshops for free. Sean’s giving away a workshop he sells for $2500 to a limited number of people. It’s called the Brain Alchemy Masterclass and explains why structure – not marketing – is critical to growing your business.
A free giveaway like this would normally have a catch of some sort (like a forced opt-in membership site that you have to cancel within 30 days to avoid future charges), but this one doesn’t. Unless you count opting into Sean’s e-mail list a “catch” – which I don’t.
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by Patty on October 22, 2009
Before I launched my freelance copywriting business, I spent three full months planning my escape from corporate America. (Four months if you count the month I spent over-thinking whether I should quit my day job . . . or not.)
I read Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed Writer cover-to-cover. Twice. I built my web-based writing portfolio. I converted our rarely-used formal living room into an office. And I planned my business implementation strategy.
My early efforts paid off. Within 90 days of starting my business, I had replaced my full time income.
Whether you want to start a B2B copywriting business or another type of freelance writing business, there are several questions to ask yourself before quitting your day job.
Here are my top seven:
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by Patty on October 19, 2009
Congratulations to Valerie Schaeffer for winning the copy of Words that Stick! (Check your email for instructions on how to claim your prize.)
Copywriter Confession: This announcement is a few days late due to a big project deadline and a family illness. Such is the life of a full time working mom. Priorities change often, sometimes hour to hour. You learn to roll with it. (Most of the time.)
by Patty on October 13, 2009
“I’m a freelance writer, but I don’t know anything about copywriting.”
I recently had a conversation with a down-sized corporate administrative assistant who was trying her hand at freelance writing. She told me that, although she was a freelance writer, she didn’t know anything about copywriting. (I take that back. She did know one thing about copywriting: it paid a LOT better than her current assignments.)
That’s when I showed her how her odd freelance writing jobs and personal communications experience had given her the tools she needs to enter the more financially lucrative world of B2B or even B2C copywriting. She just needed the vision to tweak her talent to fit the corporate mindset.
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by Patty on October 9, 2009
It’s the first Freebie Friday give-away!
I’m giving away a copy of Rix Quinn’s fantastic book, Words That Stick: A Guide to Short Writing with Big Impact.
Whether you’re a budding freelance writer or a seasoned professional copywriter, Words that Stick is a great little resource to have within reach – especially if you’re like me and struggle with writing “shorts” that capture the reader’s attention in the first few seconds. (I’ll take a 1,000 word case study over a 250 press release any day – brevity is not my strong point.)
Why Am I Giving this Book Away?
It’s a bribe.
I recently launched Copywriter Confessions to help other writers achieve success in the world of freelance B2B marketing copywriting. But I’m not sure what you want to know.
Google Analytics tells me that visitors are trickling in. But at the time of this writing, only one person has left a comment.
(Special thanks to Maryan Pelland over at OnText for leaving me very useful feedback on my 10 Tips post. Maryan’s site offers great nuts-and-bolts advice and various resources to help writers earn a living from their craft.)
So I’ve decided to launch my first Freebie Friday give-away contest to bribe you to leave a comment – and get the conversation going!
Entering to Win is Easy
To enter the drawing to win Words that Stick, simply leave a comment below that includes one question you would like me to answer about copywriting in general or about starting/growing your own copywriting business. That’s it!
The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 5:00pm PDT. (I’ll announce the winner in a new post the following day.)
