I've written many articles for websites, emails and sales letters. I write poetry, humour and boring stuff like FAQ's and product information. But I'm never bored because work can be so varied.

Then there's money of course. A good freelancer should be able to make around 50K a year. Some make less but some can make over 100K a year. There really is no limit. Make a name for yourself and not only will you be earning a good living, you could possibly find yourself in enviable position of being able to pick and choose work you do.

Still want to be a copywriter?

Good! Now let's dispel a few myths by answering a few questions that I get asked all time.

The 6 Most Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you need a formal education and a degree? No way! Although most agencies will only employ graduates, there's no reason why a freelancer needs anything other than a good command of English language, creativity and a flare for writing. There are many copywriting courses available, if you're a little unsure or want to hone your skills, but make sure course work is set by an experienced and reputable copywriter.

2. Can previous work experience help? Yes! Sales and marketing experience is very useful if you intend to make a living as a sales copywriter. At very least, you should understand sales process and customer service aspect.

3. I don't have a portfolio. How can I get work? Create one! Write some articles, write a small book, write some sales letters, brochures and emails. Show what you can do. Write for free. Write for charities, magazines or newspaper letter pages. Use your imagination and write about anything.

4. Where are best places to get work? You could try contacting marketing agencies by way of a letter of introduction, but don't hold your breath. Magazines are always looking for fillers, so this would be a good place to start. Local small businesses might be interested in having some leaflets written for door to door delivery. Contact them by letter, listing your services and your rates. When you have gained a little experience, go online and subscribe to some of freelance websites. Elance, Freelance Work Exchange and Getafreelancer are quite good, but be prepared to compete with other bidders from all over world. Some Indian freelancers will work for as little #3 an hour, so you're up against it. Still, I think it's worth experience. I get some of my assignments this way.

Build a website or have someone do it for you. I'm of opinion that all businesses should have a website if they want to stay in business.

Create a mail shot and work your way through your local Yellow Pages. Sell yourself. It's what you will have to do anyway, so get used to it.

5. What should I charge for my services? This is just a guide. You'll instinctively know when you've become established.

A one page letter consists of around 500 words and should take no more than 2 hours to write, revise and finalise. If you want #10 an hour, that'll be #20 for job. Don't bother quoting a price per word as you'll find yourself writing a load of drivel in order to fill pages.

Again, once you're established you can charge what you think your work is worth. It's not uncommon to charge #400 for a 6 page sales letter, if you're good.

6. What do you think is most essential skill of a successful copywriter? If you can't do this, you won't be very successful.

"Write as you talk"

That's it! You must be able to communicate with your reader right off page. Your words must be conversational. You must be able to 'speak' to your reader and stir their interest, their emotions, their desires.

If you're trying to sell them something, you must be convincing. Your letter has to be compelling and attention-grabbing. Finally, your letter has to make them take some action. This could be filling in a form, making a phone call or writing a cheque. It's a call to action.

Still think you have what it takes?

Then go forth and return with bountiful harvest of your creative genius!

Good luck and warm regards,

Bill Knight

http://www.knight-writer.co.uk

(# denotes GBP or US Dollars)

If everything reads well and there are no errors, submit your press release for distribution.

How Often Should You Submit Your Press Release? We receive this question many times and now have decided to finally include this bit of information within our Press Release Writing Tips section.

How often should you submit your press release? Rule of thumb is once to twice a month if you have news to tell. This being said, if you do not have any news worth mentioning, then once a month is a good rule of thumb again IF you have news to write about. If you do not have anything to write about, wait until you do. Many Companies go through changes. Management changes, product changes, service changes or other changes. To not have something to write about, in most companies would be rare. Do you have a hot new service you are now providing? Do you have a great new service you plan to offer coming up in future that you would like to inform public of? Do you have some new widget that you are importing that no one else has? Are you hiring some new executive from a Fortune 500 Company that will add an asset to your Company? These are just a few ideas to keep in mind.

As long as you have a good story to tell that will be interesting to general public and of course editors and journalists, a press release may also be viewed, indirectly, as a way of brand marketing. People will begin to recognize your Company in news. This being said, we do stress that you should have a story to tell. Do not flood media or public with garbage in an attempt to spread your name. All to often we come across those who send out weekly press releases with no story to tell. These types of Companies will eventually become tuned out by editors and journalists.

Are images important? You bet! If you are in position to be able to include an image within your press release, you will definitely increase readability of your release.

Images are worth a thousand words. This is why magazines are so popular. They have images, they tell a story. Try to imagine your local newspaper with no image on front page, but rather straight text. Try to imagine People magazine with no images of your favorite celebrities. Need we say more?

Some press release distribution companies such as 24-7PressRelease.com allow you to attach images to your press release.

Images tell a story. Images get attention. Images within your press release are a great way to extend your Companies logo. This works especially well when you are sending out multiple press releases. Permission When writing your press release, you may run into common instance of attribution or writing a quote from an individual.

Having permission from this individual, to use their quote within a press release is extremely important. Failing to do so may result in a lawsuit, something that no Company would like.

If you are close to an individual, a verbal ok may be all that is required but we always recommend written permission.

Start Strong Not only should your press release have a catchy title and sub headline, your first paragraph will also be very important.

This is perfect location for giving information about what you are trying to portray to reader. Perhaps use of some statistics may be used, as long as you do not go overboard.

If you have already written a strong headline and sub headline, chances are you are well underway to writing a good press release.

Target The Media > Press Release Distribution Writing Tips At 24-7PressRelease.com – Targeting The Media

What not to write about There are certain don’ts that are fairly simple to follow.

Do not write a press release that reads like an advertisement. Do not submit your press release if it is riddled with grammatical errors and typos. Do not submit your press release if it is geared toward illegal activity, stock promotion (unless you are a registered member of NASD with a registration number), hatred towards others, or terrorism. Nobody will publish this type of release.

Do not continually submit same press release over and over, or even one that is slightly modified from original. If your press release was not picked up or you did not receive any enquiries, this should be a clue.

Conclusion A well written press release with a catchy title will bring attention to your Company. This type of media attention is invaluable and could move a Company from launch pad, to moon. Keep it simple, interesting, informative and to point. Keep your facts and figures accurate with sources where available and you are well on your way to success!

Resources: Press release distribution and further press writing tips may be found at: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com