General Questions

1. Will all of my clients already be familiar with the benefits of direct-response marketing?
2. Is it worth it to try to talk a business that has never used DM before into using it?
3. What's the most lucrative type of copywriting work to go after?
4. What is the single most important insight you've discovered in your 20-year career as a copywriter?
5. How do I put together a client contract? I've heard that, for my protection, I have to make sure to include an indemnification clause.
6. I do have experience in submitting fiction to publishers and it looks like this is a whole different ball game. So my question would be are the two similar at all and if so, how?
7. I wonder if you could philosophize/forecast a wee bit and discuss the "keys" to the future of copywriting. Based on my limited experience and the understanding that web e-mail (and web sites) is increasing as an advertising medium, I'm wondering if it makes sense to learn about writing copy on the web as well as direct mail. What are the differences?
8. Since I am a woman, will I get more copywriting opportunities initially if I (a) use initials, (b) use an alias that is genderless, or (c) simply use a nom de plume that is a man's name?
9. How do I become a crackerjack direct mail writer?
10. Do you suggest specializing or being a generalist? If you recommend specializing, do you suggest specializing in a subject (e.g. healthcare) or a product (e.g. direct mail) or both?
11. Where's the work?

  Getting Started

12. Some copywriters position themselves strictly as an independent consultant. Others create a company name for themselves, but are still primarily freelancers. There are even a few who actually form writing companies with employees. From the viewpoint of a prospective client, which business model is the most appealing? Do clients prefer working with an independent rather than a firm?
13. When nabbing those first few paid assignments, how do I figure out how long it will take me to do them so I can complete the jobs on deadline? I'm concerned because the spec assignment I'm working on now in my copywriting course is taking at least twice as many hours as I thought it would.
14. Given my lack of experience, how do I persuade companies to hire me?
15. I've solicited lots of companies that looked at my work and said they may have work for me in the future – but I never heard from them again. How do I keep in touch without feeling that I'm being a pest?
16. I am feeling a little down about the job I am doing. I handed in the concept and first section on Tuesday or Wednesday but haven't heard back from the client, despite sending two e-mails.
17. I am a writer and a graphic designer, and would like to find clients for which I could do both. Any suggestions?
18. The single most important question that I have is basic. How to get some confidence in my work so that I can go out and get clients? I am in the Masters and Guaranteed Success programs and feel that I have grabbed a tiger by the tail. Afraid to let go and afraid to hold on.
    I think I need some kind of a low-key way to get my foot in the door. I have tried to volunteer work and have been rebuffed several times. I would like to do business-to-business writing and direct mail writing. I am hoping that this course will enable me to do this.
19. How do I get past the feeling that I am not going to be able to sell anything and that I am just dreaming? This question comes up because I was working up great enthusiasm until I hit my first assignment for the restaurant and I got sidelined by other demands on my time. I know it is fear of failure and a little fear of success but since I really need the success at this time I want to move forward.
20. I have some experience writing copy, but what if I don't have the right experience? (I haven't completed the entire AWAI direct mail copywriting course yet – I'm half way through).
21. Regarding the client/copywriter agreement on a deadline...When nabbing those first few paid assignments, how do I figure out the amount of time it will take me, to ensure the completion of a job, by the time the client needs it? The reason I'm asking... because the spec assignment I'm working on now is taking me at least twice as many hours as I thought it would.
22. My most pressing question for the upcoming "Selling Yourself as a Copywriter: How to Earn $100,000 a Year" is how to distinguish myself from other copywriters competing for work, leaving no doubt in the client's mind that I am the one who can get the results he or she seeks.
23. How do you make sure you have work waiting for you as soon as (or close to it) you finish your last assignment? I'd like to not only receive my first check for writing copy, but to know that when I finish, whether it be a few days, or a few weeks, that I have another one ready to begin - and to maintain a steady flow of income.
24. I am working at an ad agency as my 9-5 job. I have never stolen a client from my agency, but if I build my own client list, is that an indirect theft? Am I professionally obligated to always steer clients to the agency that employs me?
25. My goal is to build my freelance income enough to create a cash cushion, have several steady clients on board, then jump into my own practice, but I realize this may take a couple of years and I'm willing to work at it until it I can take a smart risk, and not a foolish one. Am I too cautious?
26. To what extent does a freelance copywriter advertise and operate as a consultant? The assumption appears to be that all contacts to be made will be with those already familiar with the benefits of direct response marketing.
27. Probably the single most important question I have concerning copywriting as a career would be: what is the most efficient/accepted method of contacting potential clients? I've used email and snail mail for initial contacting in the past, and to be honest, I've had the most responses from my emails. As for cold calling, I don't like the idea of it, but I'd do it if that would land me work. But only if it's an acceptable practice. For me, I just feel like someone would rather get a letter or email from someone they don't know, instead of a call in the middle of their work day from some stranger. But that's just me and how I'd feel. So that's my most pressing question about this whole business.
28. How do I land jobs for big companies that can give me regular work? I'm not interested in working for small, local companies and would like to position myself as a freelancer for the bigger companies like Rodale, Agora, Phillips and Boardroom. How do I get them to hire a new writer like me?
29. My question is this: How to get my foot in the door of local, and then national, businesses, i.e. how best to approach companies (letter/phone/fax/e-mail), face-to-face or telephone meeting etc., and particularly how to persuade companies to hire me given my lack of experience writing for clients.
30. How do I market my creative skills (both copy and art) from my ad agency days to paying clients in the direct response space? My interests are in financials, health, MLM and non-profits.
31. Do you think phone calls are more effective than direct mail?
32. How can I tap into the growing trend of corporate outsourcing? As companies downsize, they're releasing countless personnel who were responsible for both in-house and external communications. I'm wondering how I, as a freelance copywriter, might link up with these companies. As a "Copywriter on call," I would be available, but only when they need me. This would be an efficient, cost-saving approach for them, but I'm not sure they even know freelance copywriters exist.
33. Is it worth it to talk to a business which has never used DM before into using it, since you will probably have to walk them through some of the process?
34. To whom or to what area(s)/industry(ies) should I target my marketing efforts or what niche of copywriting services should I employ for increasing my chances of receiving my first paid assignment rather quickly (2 weeks after completion of your course and MM's course – Accelerated Program....)?

  Selling Yourself through Direct Mail

35. I'm concerned about the cost of marketing myself. If I send out 400 letters, it will cost $148 in postage alone. I really need to be making money now – maybe not 100 grand a year, but enough to pay off my debts. What would you advise?
36. The conclusion of my sales letter directs the prospect to e-mail me or visit me on the Web for more information. Is this method just as effective as providing a reply card?
37. Should I use attention-getting teaser copy on the envelopes that I'm sending to prospects?
38. I belong to a trade association. As a member, I can view the entire membership roster online. There is a warning that the list is "not to be used for commercial purposes." Does that mean I can't send a prospecting letter to each name on the roster?
39. I sent out my first 75 direct-mail solicitations a few weeks ago, and I am getting letters back that are undeliverable – address unknown. There are five so far. Is this normal?
40. Is it a good idea to promote my freelance copywriting business by submitting articles to targeted newspapers in my area?
41. I've been sending direct mail letters to advertising and marketing firms with limited success. I know (because I've read your books) that I have to present these prospects with something they can use to profit their businesses. What do they need? Proven talent? Inexpensive services?
42. You say clients have different needs. If that's the case, how will a direct mail letter work if you send it to hundreds of prospective clients?
43. Sounds like a letter can satisfy only a few clients at a particular point in time.
44. If the teaser or headline talks about how bad the economy is, it's only going to attract those people who care about costs.
45. I would like to know how Beth decided who to send her 20 letters/week to? Were they all form letters, or individually written specific to the company? Did she concentrate on major companies who already send lots of DM, or did she try to convince local businesses to use DM advertising (and naturally her services)?
46. Being at the point I'm at in building my copywriting business, how can I best identify new potential clients so I can reach them through a combination of direct mail and follow phone calls? Perhaps using the targeted mailing list you mentioned in your sales letter is my next step to generate new clients?
47. Suppose I wanted a specific list of companies and their contacts. This list could be advertising firms in a particular region or companies who frequently use direct mail. It's difficult to get these lists from libraries because either the right books are unavailable (one librarian used the term "lost") or too old. It also takes a long time to compile the lists. Is there a broker who can provide such lists at an affordable cost?
48. How many households should a direct marketing newsletter go to in order to be tested for its return?
49. What is the estimated cost to attain the one time usage for that list of names?
50. Where is the best place to purchase that listing?
51. Do you teach workshops on writing direct mail? (I do have your book, as well as your co-authored "Dummies" series book.) If so, may I have a schedule of upcoming dates and places?
52. You create a direct mail package and want to test the envelope teaser versus no envelope teaser/personal letter scenario. So, you send out 500 sales letters with an envelope teaser to a target group of businesses. You also send out the same letter with the "no teaser/personal-looking" envelope. Does the second group go to 500 DIFFERENT businesses (a totally different list, but the same target market)?

  Selling Yourself over the Phone

53. I am considering implementing a cold call program to target specific markets. I won't be making these cold calls myself – I will be hiring a small teleselling firm to do this for me. My goal is to expand my client base of "Golds" and "Silvers". What is the best approach to planning this kind of campaign? What should the hard and soft offers be? What do I need to know about hiring someone else to make these calls for me?
54. On a cold call, what are the types of questions to ask the screener to find out who makes the decision on copywriting projects?
55. What are the well-targeted questions I can ask the decision maker to help him identify or discover his own copywriting / marketing problems? What types of questions could I also ask to help him discover that he's leaving money on the table? My goal is to make him aware that I could write different types of offline or online letters to create new opportunities to increase sales or leads for his business.
56. On a lead that I generated, what type of consultative questions should I ask that lets the decision maker know I'm the copywriter he should hire for his next project – based on the types of questions I'm asking?
57. Another I-could-do-better mail piece arrived today. So, the more information on the up front/beginning approach the better. What are the exact words I use once I'm beyond "What would it take for me to be considered for a copywriting project for you?" Various overcoming-objections replies would be great. Closing that first sale will make me very happy. I trust (only economists assume) that many of my questions will be answered when the package arrives. So, burning issue right now is step-by-step nailing that first client.

  Selling Yourself through Display Ads

58. What would be considered a reasonable $ test budget for classified ads.
59. Would a 2x2 ad be ok?
60. If you wanted to generate leads for direct mail copywriting using small ads, what publications would you use for 1) Local Business (surrounding towns) and 2) Regional business; (New England or NY, NJ, CT)?

  Using the Web

61. I'm an 18-year copywriting veteran and am just now getting around to setting up a Website. Problem is, I've been really bad about getting testimonials from people I've worked with – although I've worked with some of the world's most prestigious companies. I can't go back to people I haven't worked with in over a year, so I'm gathering what I can. Right now, I have only about 10 testimonials. Should I wait to get more before posting them? Won't it look bad to have just 10 after 18 years in business?
62. How realistic is it–from a marketing perspective–to launch and operate and succeed with a web-based copywriting business? By that I mean attracting any potential clients to a website that would offer copywriting services, whether they are web-based or traditional. It seems that more and more organizations are utilizing the web as a key component in their marketing strategy.
63. Your advice to reserve a domain name, and try Go Daddy.com was taken. My Question is: Since I'm reserving a domain name and not starting a web page as of yet...I chose to go the way of signing up with 'Domains By Proxy' which among other things will keep my identity private for now, do you think that was a good choice?

  How to Approach Direct Mailers about Their Copy

64. What do you think of offering to rewrite a prospect's direct-mail package on spec? Is that a good way to get people to give me a chance?
65. I've received a DM letter from a national organization and I know I can do much better. How do I approach them?
66. I get a lot of direct mail for studying. Most of it is pathetic, so badly done I don't know how the mailers make any money. Do you think approaching the senders of these packages is a good idea and if so, how do I do find out who they are and approach them?

  What to Do When a Prospect Asks for Samples

67. My previous copywriting was dull, dry stuff (in-house newsletter copy, press release for small wine boutique, etc.) So far, my main hard-hitting writing is the first assignment for AWAI Copywriting. When responding to inquiries, do I wait to send a package or send something off now? My thoughts tend toward thank you letter, resume and proposing a letter on spec.
68. Clients always want to see samples, a catch-22 for us newbies with shallow portfolios. How can we change the conversation away from the typical "initial contact-send us samples-we'll keep them on file" tango?

  Breaking into a Specific Market

69. I'd love to break into the more creative copywriting at ad agencies, but they seem like very closed markets: hiring from within, or looking exclusively for previous agency experience. I want very much to have high-profile, creative portfolio pieces, and it seems that agencies are still the place to get those. How do I break into this market?
70. I can't seem to find many auto manufacturers, dealer groups or local dealers who use direct marketing. And beer through the mail has not yet been perfected. My Prudential "real stuff" is all television/image work. My career has mostly been spent creating and producing image advertising that does not relate well to the direct response world.
71. My only direct response materials were B2B for high tech and very high dollar stuff that most of the people I have shown it to can't understand (although it pulled very well).
72. Given my experience, what approach should I take to selling myself as a copywriter? I have 50 articles and 2 books published in the Christian market.
73. My question is about leveraging my background. Like yourself, I have an engineering degree (B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering). I also have a decade of experience in working as an engineer (primarily in software), and have done some graduate work in physics as well. Now I'm switching careers to copywriting, and need to understand how best to leverage this background.
74. I am currently employed as a writer at a computer software company in Delray Beach. I create both marketing materials and technical publications (users guides, on-screen help, etc.). How can I use my existing skills set to jump-start my freelance career?

  Portfolio Building

75. I'm pulling together my portfolio samples – but I don't know what to do about the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the people I've written for. Do I cross them out to protect their identity?
76. How does a copywriter develop a portfolio?
77. How does someone setting up a copywriting business, who has no samples or testimonials, overcome this important component of a marketing campaign?
78. What kind of marketing pieces do I need for my services?

  Royalties & Rates

79. My client just asked for one hour's work from me, to make a document more persuasive. What do you charge for an hour of your time?
80. What would be a reasonable price range for an electronic (e-mail) sales letter?
81. I'm quoting on a Website job for a client who also wants a new tag line. What should I charge for that?
82. I just got off of the phone with a gentleman who asked me to submit a bid for a project. Apparently another copywriter had better samples (although he said my price was competitive). It seems to me that bidding for jobs is unprofessional – too much like an auction. What do you think?
83. Prospects in the software industry are saying my prices are out of their range? Am I overpriced?
84. How do you handle "kill fees"?
85. How do you raise your rate, for the next assignment, if you have sold yourself too low, or if you have an established client relationship but need to raise your rates?
86. There's one topic I am hoping will be covered – in detail – in your "Selling Yourself..." program. And that's royalties. I admit I don't know a lot about them. In fact, I am receiving royalties from only one direct mail package I wrote, and that fee structure was initiated by the client, not me. (I get paid quarterly, and it's nice to receive cheques this year for something I wrote last year.) Will you be covering royalty arrangements during one of the teleconferences? Is there any preliminary information you can give me before the teleconferences?
87. My question is about the dynamics of charging fees and especially royalties: how, how much, how do you check, how do you trust, etc.?
88. If you have to meet with a client, do you charge from the time you leave your office until the time return or do you charge just for the meeting itself and discount travel time?
89. Since your book was last updated in '97, are you guys going to post updated fees for the different types of writing projects on your website...OR...are the fees in your book still valid for 2003?