Successful Copywriting

This is the companion lens to Online Freelance Writing Jobs, where you can find out more about successful copywriting. It's packed with plenty of information on how to become a successful copywriter and/or ghostwriter - and where to find the jobs that will get you there.

Photo image credit: my own (and yes this is my nicely bendy keyboard - perfect for making sure my wrist doesn't hurt anymore :)

Copywriting can take on many forms - from writing a single page press release, to writing keyword articles to promote your own website (or a client's website), right through to writing the content for an entire website, including product descriptions, sales material and much more besides. I've also written sales letters, wikis, blog entries and assorted other strange things from time to time as well. The variety of subjects is amazing and it really keeps you on your toes.

At the moment I've got a lot of larger writing projects on the go - several e-books that pay very well and keep you going for a while too. Finding work is half the battle, and that's why I have created this lens - to make sure you will get off to a faster start than I did. And you'd be surprised just how quickly you can get going when you know where to look for work.

The job feed will be updated virtually every day with information, tips and hints on how to develop an income from copywriting. So bookmark it now and visit daily to make a start on your whole new source of income. You'll soon be adept at bidding for jobs, writing for all kinds of clients and putting into practice exactly what you need to do to become successful in this field. This lens is designed to get you there as quickly and easily as possible.

When it comes to online freelance writing jobs, there are plenty of options out there and more than enough work to keep all the dedicated writers busy for months and years to come.

But you need to know what you are doing and you need to have a plan when you start looking for work, otherwise you won't get the best results you could do.

Make sure you can meet every single one of the following points and you will be well on your way to grabbing your fair share of online writing work.

1. Do a regular daily search for new work and clients. This is an absolute must if you are going to get your share of the work. You need to be in the right place at the right time and if you don't look, you won't get the best jobs.

2. Don't stick to the same old job sites all the time. Make a point of searching in Google and Yahoo for online freelance writing jobs - you can often find new sources of work in this way.

3. Be quick! There is a lot of competition for the writing gigs available online, and the best paid ones will always go the quickest. As soon as you see something, apply for it straightaway.

4. Keep records of everything you apply for. Even if you just make a brief note of it in a record book, it's worth recording all the online writing jobs you apply for so that you can gauge how successful your applications are.

5. Don't bite off more than you can chew. It's tempting to apply for every single thing in sight, but if you win lots of freelance writing jobs you might not have the time to do them all. Don't let it deter you from applying for writing work but make sure you know your limits too.

6. Persevere. This is probably the best piece of advice I could give you. There are so many online freelance writing jobs out there that there are certainly some which would suit you, so make sure you keep at it, even if you don't succeed in getting work straightaway. It won't take that long to win your first job.

7. Repeat all of the above! It's absolutely essential to have a plan which you will be able to stick to every day, and you could do a lot worse than following the steps given in this article.

I have been writing for online clients for months now, and have been a full time writer working from home since the beginning of 2008. I earn three or four times what I used to in my old job, so I am proof that this can work - so long as you have a plan.

Hiring Writers, Bloggers, Proofreaders and more!

If you are serious about carving out a career in copywriting, it pays to learn as much as you can about the tips, tricks and techniques that will make you successful.

Here are some excellent books that will do just that - and you'll be reading them more than once too.

Like any other form of writing, copywriting and ghostwriting both take practice. If you're aiming to write for online markets, you'll find the term 'keyword' comes up a lot and it makes sense to find out all you can about it.

Read as much as you can and learn from those who are already successful at what they do. Bob Bly (very well known in the world of writing - you may already have heard of him) has a website which has a section aimed at writers. Go here to read more.

This site regularly posts work, and it can be a good way to get your foot in the door. With this and Freelancer, you're well on your way to a successful copywriting career!

Allison Whitehead's Lensography
Writer, reader, cat owner (or cat possession, still not sure which), partner, business owner, food lover, blogger, tennis fan, cinema goer, bread baker...