How do you become a copywriter?

Question

I would like to know what qualifications are required from people within the business. I am thinking of a change of career.

Answer 1

you should have a degree in English, marketing, advertising or communication.  i recommend start applying to small local companies to create merchandising and they have their own catalogs and web. before you apply look over their products and website look for error and areas where they need improvements. this would help you and prepare you for the interview. remember when discussing a company's error to the company sound professional and critique wisely.

Answer 2

Hi Becky,

It was not all that long ago that I was asking myself the same question. I was in still in college, however, so my situation was a bit different. Here are a few words of advice for you.

QUALIFICATIONS

- A copy writer has to know how to write. Period. You may not need an actual degree in English, but you should have excellent command of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

- A copy writer also needs to be a fast learner and have an inquisitive mind. These traits are somewhat innate, but if you have a natural curiosity about the world around you, you will probably do well as a writer.

- A copy writer has to be a "nimble thinker." On any given day, you may go from writing a car commercial one minute to writing a brochure for a veterinary clinic the next. That's just the nature of the business.

- The most valuable word of advice I ever received as a young writer came from a creative director who once told me, "If you want to be a good writer, you must first become a good editor." Copy writing isn't about writing a lot of words - it's about writing with power and persuasion. This requires a good vocabulary, and a willingness to write, write and rewrite.

TRAINING & EDUCATION

If you are still in school, I would encourage you to take any writing courses that you can. This will help train yourself to "think like a writer" and to understand what a concept is. You should also take any available courses in advertising, so that you have a good understanding of what a copy writer does. Finally, you should become a student of advertising. Read magazines. Explore advertising agency web sites. Come to recognize the difference between a good ad and a great one.

If you are out of school and looking for work, you need to develop a portfolio of your work. This can include advertising projects you've done at school or any other ads or commercials that you have developed on your own. (You may know a designer or art director with whom you could join forces with to help each other out.) Or, you can do as others have suggested and try to land some freelance projects on your own. Be advised, however, that most potential clients are going to ask to see samples of your work. There is NO getting around this if you are serious about becoming a writer, Becky. A writer is only as good as his/her last project.

One last word of advice, Becky: Learn as much as you can about the Internet. The Internet has drastically altered the way products and services are being marketed today. So the more thorough your understanding of how the Web functions as a marketing tool, the more marketable you will be to a future employer.

Copy writing and Advertising have been very good to me. I enjoy what I do immensely. (As I tell my friends, "I'm paid to sit around and think of ways to spend other people's money.")

Good luck to you. If you have further questions or the like, feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Answer 3

Well, you do not need to have any degree in english to become copywriter. This is true and can give you references upon request :)

All you need to see is, IF YOU CAN WRITE, then you can become a copywriter. Remember there is nothing impossible. With proper plan and smart work you can achieve your goals.

But if you do some certification course it will give you much boost to kick start your career.

My advice is to do certification, do some freelance jobs for peanuts but product quality work. Make a deal with your clients that you work for less but need solid references for your work. Also no company will ask you how much you charged for freelance works :)

There are many different places where you can find freelance job works. But I suggest you try out in webmaster forums as its quick and hassle free rather than registering in freelance websites for work as it will be much competitive and time consuming factor for a newbie.

If you do not know what a copywriter do? then you should know that before thinking on how to become. Copywriters write the words for direct mail letters, press ads and TV commercials. They also write web pages, newsletters and brochures. In fact, wherever a company wants to sell something,  you'll find a copywriter producing words for it. The pace of change is accelerating. Consumers are demanding more information. And companies are launching more new products. That means organizations are having to renew brochures, write new sales letters, and add more web pages.

As a copywriter you can earn ranging from 30k - 40k per annum.

I suggest you check these reference

http://www.inst.org/copy/

http://www.odlqc.org.uk/index.htm

Answer 4

There are no set entry qualifications for becoming a copywriter, but advertising is a very competitive industry and most employers will expect you to be qualified to degree level or equivalent.

You may have an advantage if you take a course that includes copywriting, such as:

    * a foundation degree, BTEC HND or degree in advertising

    * Communication, Advertising and Marketing Education Foundation (CAM) Diploma in Marketing Communications

Other useful subjects include journalism, English, media studies and marketing. You should check entry requirements with colleges and universities.

When you are looking for jobs, you will need a portfolio of work (often known as a 'book') to show to potential employers, as you are employed on the strength of the creativity and writing ability shown in your portfolio. You will find it useful to have experience of writing in different styles.

It can be a good idea to team up with a would-be art director and work together on campaign ideas for your portfolio. D&AD runs advertising workshops to help people build a portfolio and make contacts in the advertising industry (see the D&AD website for more details).

Most people get their first job as a ‘creative’ as a result of work experience and placements in advertising agencies. Some advertising copywriters start by getting experience in direct marketing and business-to-business (B2B) marketing companies.

See the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) website for a list of member agencies that offer work experience.

Answer 5

Well, there are a few different types of copywriters. Are you considering working for an offline agency or independent online clients?

With online clients, the only requirements are that your copy sells for them. As an independent copywriter, you can basically choose who you work with.

I hire copywriters to do my sales pages and write ads for me, so I know there is a project by project opportunity out there.

I normally find my writers at http://www.Shelancers.com

Here are some free ebooks that might help you learn more about writing effective copy on the web:

http://www.free-ebooksonline.com/copywri...

If you're looking for an offline job working with an agency, though, I'm sorry I don't have any info for that. :)

I wish you the best of luck!