SELF-EMPLOYED FREELANCERS & HOME-BASED SMALL BUSINESSES: How Do I Find My First Client?

by C. Hopkins

Do you want to be a successful freelance copywriter? Do you want to have the freedom that comes with being your own boss? Do you want a job that doesn’t feel like a job? Do you think about life in a cubicle and it makes your skin crawl? Do you enjoy writing and being creative and getting paid for it? Well, then, this is the job for you. And what a job it is! Creative freedom, working from home (or a rented office), working for great pay, the sheer variety of types of projects, and the interesting people you get to meet. It’s a struggling writer’s dream come true. And it is completely attainable. You just have to know what steps to take to accomplish success. And that’s the big problem with this line of work. There is so much information about freelance copy writing that it’s hard to pin down exactly what information to use to guide you down the correct path to accomplishing your goals. Internet gurus, web sites and books all seem to have the answer. But there’s just so many of them and they all seem to have differing opinions. And that makes it very hard to get down to the bare bones of the thing and understand it all. It would take a million years to read every book and every web site and every guru’s newsletter written about the business of freelance copy writing. There is just too much information. When I first began my freelance career I was pulling my hair out trying to find exactly what it is I should be doing to accomplish my goals. Every question I asked was answered with another question. Everyone seemed to know everything but no one was telling me anything. It was very frustrating. So through trial and error and following the advice of several other veteran copywriters, I finally found my way through the maze. I feel for beginning copywriters because I used to be one. I understand the frustration of not knowing what to do or who’s advice to follow. There are so many resources out there claiming to have the answers. And I’ve read all of them in an effort to make it through the maze that leads to the elusive first client. Some great information can be found from copywriter’s Bob Bly, Peter Bowerman, and William Allen. These copywriters have written material that include all the information you need to get your first paying client. And once you get your first client you gain momentum and getting more work becomes easier. I liken it to pushing a giant rock down a hill—it is very difficult to get it started rolling but once you do, it takes less effort to keep it going. Bob Bly’s The Copywriter’s Handbook, Peter Bowerman’s Well Fed Writer, and William Allen’s Beginning Copywriter’s Instruction Manual (beginningcopywriter.com) are great resources that really specify how to land that first client. Bowerman and Bly’s books are lengthy but chock full of great advice and examples. Allen’s The Beginning Copywriter’s Instruction manual is short and to the point. It doesn’t inundate and overwhelm you with information. I liked it because it didn’t include any superfluous material that you can’t use and don’t need. It pretty much lays out the steps for you to follow one at a time, with only the information you need to get you where you want to go. C. Hopkins may be contacted at http://www.beginningcopywriter.com info@beginningcopywriter.com. Professional, veteran freelance copywriter living in San Diego California. Visit my site at www.beginningcopywriter.com to learn how to get your first paying client.