My First Copywriting Client

April 10, 2008

I’m sure you’ve heard the stories.

  • I made $300,000 my FIRST year as a freelance copywriter.
  • You can become wealthy by writing a simple letter just like this one.
  • All you need to do is BELIEVE. If you’re not seeing success, you just aren’t believing ENOUGH.
  • I used to clean up after dogs at the kennel… but now, only a year later, I’m living on the ocean in a beachfront mansion! All thanks to my copywriting business. And you can do it too!

Bull SH(*@#!

My first months in the copywriting business are still clear enough in my head to remind me what a load of junk that is.

And let me tell you, in my experience, a new freelance copywriting business just doesn’t start out that way.

You start where you ARE. You leverage what you’ve GOT. (Sometimes, that’s not much.) And you build from there.

Almost everyone I know who “blasted off to success” in the copywriting world got there because of who they KNEW, not what they could DO.

It’s like that in just about every industry I’ve ever experienced. And if you’re older than 12 years old, then you’ve probably experienced the same thing.

Here’s an example…

When I got out of college with a degree in Pipe Organ Performance (don’t laugh), I was told I had such “potential.”

And I did. I won national music competitions. Beating out folks almost TWICE my age and experience.

If you’re curious, here’ a clip of me playing a live recital with my wife in NYC. She’s playing the oboe, I’m playing the harpsichord.

Big Deal…

It didn’t pay the bills. Not the bills I had. Like the $100,000 tab for my “priceless” education.

Because when I got out into the real world, I realized something shocking about the “music business.”

It wasn’t the best player that got the job.

It was the best CONNECTED player that got the job.

And the copywriting world is similar…

So let me tell you about my first paying “copywriting” client. I want to give you a dose of MY reality. To show you where I started.

I had no connections and little experience.

And if you’re starting from square one, it should make you feel pretty good. And that’s the point.

So what did I deliver to my first PAYING copywriting client?

  • I wrote 2 sales letters (about 15 pages each).
  • I coded a website and membership system (I’m a former geek. Shhhh…)
  • I spent HOURS on the phone consulting on internet marketing.

My fee?

A whopping $3,200.

Payable in INSTALLMENTS :)
Why was the fee so low? Why were the payment terms so terrible (for me)?

Because I didn’t have the balls to ask for anything more than that.

Instead of asking for a fee that was in line with the VALUE I was delivering, my fragile self-esteem asked for a fee I thought would be accepted.

My goal was to avoid conflict, not make money. Big mistake.

Listen up…

This is business. You don’t become a millionaire overnight. You don’t develop a network of connections overnight. You don’t become a master of your craft overnight.

It takes time.

But the good news is, you can start NOW. You can start from WHEREVER you are… at this very moment.

All you need is DESIRE and a little GUTS.

I didn’t have much more than that at the beginning. Heck, I didn’t even have guts.

But I figured it out… and you can too.

You just have to take one step at a time.


Posted by Jason | Filed Under Blog 

Comments

3 Responses to “My First Copywriting Client”

  1. Ben Settle on April 11th, 2008 12:00 am

    “It was the best CONNECTED player that got the job.”

    It’s the same shameless crony-ism that infests all businesses and industries.

    I’m actually amazed most businesses today last as long as they do because of this.

    Ben

  2. Anne Moss on April 15th, 2008 4:21 pm

    It makes me cry you couldn’t make the dough with your music. Right brain artistic talent is simply not lucrative unless you are lucky.

    Good points, Jason. Too many expect big cash out of the gate.

  3. Al Henderson on May 22nd, 2008 9:15 pm

    So … who was on “cough”?

    Seriously, Jason … I LIKE this. You and your wife are obviously quite talented and, as Anne said, it’s a shame the music didn’t pay for you.

    Of course … it’s nice to have you in the copy field, too, or we’d all miss out on some terrific insights.

    Nice strings here, too!

    Cheers -
    Al

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