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Right now is a good time to be getting into the copywriting market, both as a buyer and as a seller. Am I serious, seeing as how we're in the worst recession since the 1930s? Yes, I am. I'm deadly serious, because right now people need good copywriters more than ever. But as ever, there are a few caveats. The first is don't deceive anyone, least of all yourself, you can perform miracles. You can't. No matter how good a copywriter you are, you're not a superbeing who can control people from afar by the power of the written word. No one can do that. and those sales letters you read from pro copywriters who claim they can are selling you on your hope it might be true. The truth is, while setting up as a freelance copywriter is probably the easiest way to run your own business (all you need is a phone, PC, printer and perhaps a fax, and you're in business), actually making it work is no easier, and perhaps harder than any other. Right Now The Copywriting Market Is Flooded It's true. I recently spoke at a copywriting summit, and there were literally hundreds of newbie copywriters starting up in business. There's no shortage of work out there, to be sure, but there's no shortage of competition, either. And be warned: the worst thing you can do is drop your fees, because that just means you're working the same hours for less money. And there's always someone willing to work for less than you. Here's my advice to you as a copywriter: aim for the high end of the copywriting market and offer a "concierge" service. Get some great books on marketing as well as copywriting and build value into your services by offering marketing advice as well as "done for you" service, where you deal with printers, ad departments, graphic designers, and so on. Your clients won't care too much how much they pay you if everything happens for them as if by magic! Be Prepared To Pay Higher Rates Than Before! And my advice to buyers is this: the good copywriters have increased their fees, so get used to this idea. Why? Because demand for their specialist services has increased (I, personally, am busier than I ever have been, and I've "closed the doors" on new clients for the foreseeable future). For me, at least, the copywriting market is extremely healthy. The second piece of advice I'd give to anyone looking for a copywriter is use TWO. First, bite that bullet, dig deep in your pockets, and invest in the best copywriter you can afford for your important sales pieces. But then take on a cheaper, more commoditized copywriter for the more run of the mill stuff. For example, it's really not worth your while paying my rates to get me to write you a free report or something like that. I don't charge less just because the work is less involved. My time is worth what my time is worth. In Conclusion As a copywriter you don't have too much to worry about in this recession, because demand is still high for copywriting services. But as always, aim at the higher end of the copywriting market: "cheap" clients are hard to please, slow to pay, and tend to blame you when things don't go according to plan. Grit your teeth and set your own value, and then stick to it. And as a buyer, don't be cheap! You can't expect to get a good sales copywriter for $500. If they were any good they'd be able to write copy and handle their own marketing so they were charging a high fee! You WILL get what you pay for, and there's nothing more expensive than copy which doesn't make you a profit!
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Jon McCulloch is the hottest marketing sensation in the UK and Ireland and is now taking the US by storm. Receive his free monthly newsletter through your letterbox by leaving your details here: www.small-business-marketing-tips.com/copywriting-market.html
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