Monday, September 29, 2008

Freelance Copywriting Essentials

By Ray Edwards

As the cost of living continues to rise, some regular copywriting positions are not able to generate the income one needs or wants. This has caused many copywriters to seek new supplemental forms of income. One such alternative is freelancing.

Unlike other career moves, freelancing allows you to continue practicing the work that you have already been doing. This means that you are able to use your previously developed skills as a copywriter to help you bring in extra income.

Besides being an alternative to a standard copywriting position, freelancing appeals to many because it gives you better control over your work schedule. Unlike other jobs at an advertising agency or local firm, you define your hours and schedule. You can mold your work to your life based on how long it takes you to complete a project. You can do less work when life calls for your attention, and then work more when things slow down a bit.

Freelance copywriters work for different clients and on a project-to-project basis. As a freelancer, you place bids on different projects from different clients. Once you've won a project, then you have to complete it within a certain timetable. The faster the turn-around, the more you can charge and the more projects you can take on at any given time. This requires that you effectively manage your time so that you can maximize your productivity.

While working an employed position as you're freelancing isn't bad, you should still try to avoid it. Working both positions can overload your schedule and remove the benefits of becoming a freelance copywriter. It can also hurt your career, because if you miss deadlines, you could either be fired or tarnish your credibility. Therefore, be very careful about doing both at the same time. Most people double up because they're afraid to make the plunge into freelancing and quit their employed position. But don't be afraid, if you can produce a good product, advertise yourself well, and get your name out there, then you will find plenty of work.

Success is found, in part, by the great amount of demand out there for copywriters. Freelancers allow businesses to get a specialized product for a better price, and since companies will always need to sell their products they will always need copywriters. The condition of the economy doesn't matter, because a good businessman will know that decreasing the advertising budget will only result in weaker sales. These two things help create a high demand for copywriters.

Along with high demand, the birth of the Internet has helped widened the opportunities for copywriters. First off, since more and more products are being sold on the Internet, the demand for good copywriters has increased. These companies need copywriters to help them create good web content for their products. Secondly, the Internet has allowed freelance copywriters more freedom with their time. This is because they can work from anywhere and any time as long as they have an Internet connection. And finally, the Internet has immensely helped freelance copywriters find projects. The Internet is one of the best medians for finding work as a freelance copywriter, it has opened up doors for freelancers that did not exist before and helped freelancing copywriters make an income that rivals and even surpasses standard copywriting jobs.

Hopefully this article helped you see the benefits of freelance copywriting. Freelancers can generate more income with a better schedule than regular copywriters. If you're interested in becoming a freelancer, then you should do some more research to see if freelance copywriting is right for you.

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