How to be a copywriter or ghostwriter
Welcome! This is the companion lens to Online Freelance Writing Jobs, 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. Copywriting can take on many forms - from writing a single page press release, to writing keyword articles to promote your own website (or someone else's), right through to writing the content for an entire website, including product descriptions, sales material and much much more. 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.
You will also get a chance to read my writing blog further down the page, where I share some of my experiences of online writing and how I got started, as well as how I fare now that I am a full time writer working from home.
This lens 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.
By the way, if you click on the link to the left of this column (the one that says 'lenses by Allison Whitehead') you can also see some of my other writing related lenses.
CLICK HERE to add Online Freelance Copywriting to your favorites!
CLICK HERE to add Online Freelance Copywriting to your Lensroll!
Contents at a Glance
- Grab some copywriting jobs now to start your new writing career
- Latest copywriting work available from Get A Freelancer
- Start reading my writing blog today!
Here's my favorite link:
Grab some copywriting jobs now to start your new writing career
Latest copywriting work available from Get A Freelancer
Get A Freelancer is one of the best ways to get started in web copywriting. It's free to join (yup, totally free!) and you can bid on lots of jobs within minutes of joining.
It doesn't usually take long to start winning jobs and gaining feedback, and once you get started you'll be winning even more work for yourself.
Below is just a taster of what's currently available. This lens is updated daily, so be sure to bookmark it and visit regularly to see what's available, as there are always plenty of new opportunities.
Click on a job that appeals to you, take a closer look and then join to be able to bid on it. Make a name for yourself today!
If the feed doesn't load first time, try refreshing this page - it usually does the trick.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byStart reading my writing blog today!
... the space where I write...
Fetching RSS feed... please stand by7 Points to Remember When You Are Looking For Online Writing Jobs
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.
Follow my writing life on Twitter!
My writing experiences
- allison_w
- aka Allison
- 763 followers
- 827 following
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- Morning all - working early before hosp.appt. later on. Kind of a two part day I think - more work tonight to catch up!
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- Day off today; watching the Men's Single's Final later on, and then relaxing for a day...
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- @GeoffWakeling Now that's just about perfect! I've blogged about tennis a bit for a client recently, so that was nice too :)
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- My new blog is developing well - not quite ready to share yet though. Still some work to be done...
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- Back to writing - got that wrong didn't I? lol Well done Serena though - she played really well. Roll on the Men's Singles Final tomorrow!
Copywriting advice and resources on Amazon
Here are some excellent books that will do just that - and you'll be reading them more than once too.
Words that Sell, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Thesaurus to Help You Promote Your Products, Services, and Ideas
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/06/2009) 
List Price: $16.95
Used Price: $7.41
Usually ships in 24 hours
How to Write Great Copy: Learn the Unwritten Rules of Copywriting
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 07/06/2009)
List Price: $25.00
Used Price: $9.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words to the Bank
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
List Price: $18.00
Used Price: $44.95
The craft of copywriting: How to write great copy that sells
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
List Price:
Used Price: $10.92
Elements of Copywriting: The Essential Guide to Creating Copy That Gets the Res (Elements of ...)
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $7.88 (as of 07/06/2009)
List Price: $10.95
Used Price: $1.75
Usually ships in 24 hours
Tips and advice for success
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.
If you're looking to gain some more experience as a copywriter, why not try investing the small sum of $2.95 in a trial subscription to Go Freelance.
This site regularly posts work, and it can be a good way to get your foot in the door. With this and Get A Freelancer, you're well on your way to a successful copywriting career!
Inspirational items for copywriters on CafePress
Writer's humorous journal
What better place to jot down ideas for your writing?
Journal
Price: 11.50
A shameless plug for my other lenses!
Check out Online Freelance Writing Jobs - it's packed with information and is the companion lens to this one.
There are also more writing related lenses at the Squidoo Directory.
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Feedback for my Successful Copywriting lens!
wilson wrote
Hi,
This action proves to be a win, win situation. This is a true art work, which will be a success story.
wilson
Job Search Advice
Posted April 20, 2009
Allison_Whitehead wrote...
Couldn't agree more vbright105. There ARE some very low paid jobs out there. You do have to sort the wheat from the chaff. If you persevere and you are good enough, you will get the better paid stuff. Many people stop trying too soon.
Posted February 25, 2009
Allison_Whitehead wrote...
Couldn't agree more vbright105. There ARE some very low paid jobs out there. You do have to sort the wheat from the chaff. If you persevere and you are good enough, you will get the better paid stuff. Many people stop trying too soon.
Posted February 25, 2009
vbright105 wrote...
Interesting, however, having been a freelance writer for 20 years, I can tell you that most of these places that want writers are offering WAY too little money? .75 for a 200 word article? NO WAY! Don't be undercut. If you are new, demand at least, at the VERY LEAST 1 cent per word.
Posted February 25, 2009
Allison_Whitehead wrote...
Hi InternetJunkie,
It sounds like a cop out but practice, practice, practice is exactly how I did it. The more you write, the faster you get and the more you learn how you personally can research quickly and effectively.
Keep on going!
Posted September 11, 2008
InternetJunkie wrote...
At my writing rate (2 hours for an article at best), I'm not sure I could live from my writing; any tips on how to research your topics and write quickly?
Posted September 11, 2008
Temagami wrote...
I love your lenses! I've even 'stumbled' some of them, lensrolled and favorited them. lol
Great informative lenses you have here. :-)
Posted April 03, 2008
Signhappy wrote...
Another great lens. Really pulls in information from a variety of sources.
Posted September 17, 2007
Warrenpeace21 wrote...
This site is great. All the best in your writing projects.
Posted August 06, 2007
kohuether wrote...
Another great lens! I have found that I like to do a combination of copywriting and personal projects. As long as I am writing, I am happy. :)
Posted July 21, 2007
Karendelac wrote...
Congratulations on a well designed site.
This was most informative and I learned a lot !
Best wishes,
Karen
Karen at Karens
Kinkade Art Store
Posted July 04, 2007
by Allison_Whitehead
Hey there, thanks for stopping by!
If you want to know a little bit about me, here are the main bits - I'm a writer, working mainly for online c...
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