From creative writer to copywriter – 10 steps to build a business
Are you a creative writer? Do you want to transition from creative writer to copywriter? Great! It’s an obvious match for your skills, and you can make a good living at it, if you play your cards right.
But often, creative writers don’t have business skills training, and don’t know how to start one. I was in the same boat a few years ago, and there frankly wasn’t much help out there.
Most business and marketing courses and books around were fine for large companies, but not really suitable for one-person copywriting businesses, or writers with a creative writing background.
So, I’m now writing a handbook to help other creative writers make the transition from fiction, poetry plays or journalism to copywriting for a living. In the meantime, here’s broadly how I did it then, and how I’d do it differently now.
10 steps to get from creative writer to copywriter
- Do a basic course in copywriting (I did Chartered Institute of Marketing, but wouldn’t recommend that now).
- Get some cards printed at a local printer.
- Do an online course.
- Read some copywriting books (Andy Maslen is good).
- Join the Federation of Small Business.
- Join the local Chamber of Commerce.
- Research local graphic designers and email them.
- Do a first job at a low rate.
- Over-deliver.
- Get more work from word of mouth. Rinse and repeat.
However, things have moved on since I started 10 years ago.
10 better steps
I made so many mistakes when starting out in copywriting. Expensive ones, too! Here’s what I’d do differently now:
- Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) course – no. Too expensive, and very basic for an experienced writer.
- Cards – yes. But use Moo.com, and don’t get too many. 50-100 is plenty for a first print run. Same goes for headed paper, if you want to go there.
- Online course – yes. But further down the line.
- Copywriting books – yes, yes, yes. Andy Maslen.
- FSB – yes, but only for the insurance, not for networking.
- Chambers – didn’t work for me. Read an introduction to marketing instead.
- Graphic designers – yes, yes, yes.
- First job – see it as an apprentice piece.
- Over-deliver.
- Get more work from word of mouth. Rinse and repeat.
Clearly, this is a wildly simplistic view of how I got into copywriting. There are no sanctioned routes from creative writer to copywriter, and people take many different journeys to get there.
Like most people, I made plenty of false starts and learned valuable lessons along the way. Everything (including embarrassing mistakes) is in my book below.
Read more on how to build a creative-commercial freelance writing portfolio:
Writing business – 10 reasons to build a creative-commercial writing portfolio
Productivity – 10 tips to balance a creative-commercial writing portfolio
From creative writer to copywriter – 10 steps to build a business
How to Launch a Freelance Copywriting Business