Post: #76

(02-28-2013 03:43 AM)pitt Wrote:  BB funny that i was going through your posts on this thread and you just posted on it.

Just wondering, are you based in the US? Why do you want to get a job? I thought you dont like the idea of having a job. Are you not making enough money to sustain your lifestyle?

I'm in the U.S. for now but as soon as my vehicle sells am heading back over to Asia, though I may stop to see relatives in the south and on the east coast on my way. I'm shit at keeping plans...

I have toyed both with the idea of getting a TEFL job or an oil job (I can actually break down why they make somewhat equal sense lol), though I'd still keep doing this if I did either. Mostly because I always get into a rut with my writing business and let work sit forever without doing it or fail to keep up with the marketing. A part-time teaching gig would be best as it would allow me to live overseas, associate with people offline, and give something back.

A lot of my writing is in insurance, which bores me to tears, so that explains part of it. I'm going on a marketing spree next week using some email methods that have landed clients in more interesting niches in the past. It's also very easy to get burnt-out in this biz, especially if you start at lower rates like I did. It gets you going with bad work and writing habits.

I have some plans for mixing up my business enough to get rid of that issue, but we'll see how it goes.

Even with part-time I make plenty to sustain myself, but I also owe about $50K in college loans, hospital bills, and IRS at the moment (from when I first fled the country years ago) and am going to try to pay it off in a year. This tempts me to get a job on top of the freelance, but then I sit down and get my monthly work off my plate at well over $100 an hour like today and it reminds me that I've got all the money I need at my fingertips if I just take it seriously and don't fuck off, which I'm known to do relentlessly...

Hope that clears it up a bit. At the end of the day, a job would most likely make me miserable and remind me of what I'd be throwing away.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #77

Has anyone had success on freelancing sites as an IT guy? I fix local computers from time to time, but it's never enough to generate real income.

Post: #78

This is a question for the guys who are working in the copywriting business now. I am interested in copywriting because of the ability to have a location independent lifestyle. I would like to know what resources to read before starting this endeavor. Is the book "The Well Fed Writer" worth purchasing and reading? Are there any other books, blogs, or websites that you would recommend? I am sick of the regular job working for the "Man", and would like to try this. I feel that I am a decent writer, organized, and could excel at this. Any information is very appreciated. Thank You.

Post: #79

(03-05-2013 12:16 AM)bigdrov1x Wrote:  This is a question for the guys who are working in the copywriting business now. I am interested in copywriting because of the ability to have a location independent lifestyle. I would like to know what resources to read before starting this endeavor. Is the book "The Well Fed Writer" worth purchasing and reading? Are there any other books, blogs, or websites that you would recommend? I am sick of the regular job working for the "Man", and would like to try this. I feel that I am a decent writer, organized, and could excel at this. Any information is very appreciated. Thank You.

I'm still a student(as in a 4 months studying and practicing copywriting) so don't take what I say as expert copywriting advice by any means, but here are some things that have been helping me.

I have the Well Fed Writer and it's a good all around resource. There are several other books specifically about marketing/copywriting that many people consider classics. Many are listed in this thread or elsewhere on the forum, but off the top of my head...The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy, and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins. The latter was written in the 1920s, but is still relevant today.

One thing I'd recommend if you are serious is to find a mentor and/or take a course. Do your research as a lot of courses aren't recommended or are considered too expensive for what you get. Check out the warrior forum in the copywriting section and look for guys who have good reputations. Some of them teach or coach for reasonable prices.

I'm spending a lot of time in building this copywriting business and whether it takes off or not, I will say this: the knowledge I've gained about marketing and psychology is invaluable. Not only do I understand advertising on a deeper level, but I have specific knowledge for when I want to market and sell my own products. Just by talking to people, it's not really common knowledge(unless I assume you have a marketing background.) Studying the subject also helped me in my personal persuasion efforts and game believe it or not. Lots of parallels between game and sales...copywriting is just salesmanship in print.

Post: #80

Good suggestions Neo. I've also been trying to learn copywriting. I read the Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy and yes it's an awesome book/resource to have. I also bought a book which is considered THE book to have by the godfather of copy writing, The Robert Collier Letter Book. It's an old book but all the big guns in the industry swear by it. I've read a part of it and it has solid stuff in it.

I've also enrolled into the AWAI copy writing course and while I haven't done much with it, it has some merits. I've got to start procrastrating and stop being lazy and start doing through that course that I bought a while ago. Has anyone in here taken the AWAI course and would like to share their experiences with the rest of us here?

(03-05-2013 10:33 PM)Neo Wrote:  

(03-05-2013 12:16 AM)bigdrov1x Wrote:  This is a question for the guys who are working in the copywriting business now. I am interested in copywriting because of the ability to have a location independent lifestyle. I would like to know what resources to read before starting this endeavor. Is the book "The Well Fed Writer" worth purchasing and reading? Are there any other books, blogs, or websites that you would recommend? I am sick of the regular job working for the "Man", and would like to try this. I feel that I am a decent writer, organized, and could excel at this. Any information is very appreciated. Thank You.

I'm still a student(as in a 4 months studying and practicing copywriting) so don't take what I say as expert copywriting advice by any means, but here are some things that have been helping me.

I have the Well Fed Writer and it's a good all around resource. There are several other books specifically about marketing/copywriting that many people consider classics. Many are listed in this thread or elsewhere on the forum, but off the top of my head...The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy, and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins. The latter was written in the 1920s, but is still relevant today.

One thing I'd recommend if you are serious is to find a mentor and/or take a course. Do your research as a lot of courses aren't recommended or are considered too expensive for what you get. Check out the warrior forum in the copywriting section and look for guys who have good reputations. Some of them teach or coach for reasonable prices.

I'm spending a lot of time in building this copywriting business and whether it takes off or not, I will say this: the knowledge I've gained about marketing and psychology is invaluable. Not only do I understand advertising on a deeper level, but I have specific knowledge for when I want to market and sell my own products. Just by talking to people, it's not really common knowledge(unless I assume you have a marketing background.) Studying the subject also helped me in my personal persuasion efforts and game believe it or not. Lots of parallels between game and sales...copywriting is just salesmanship in print.

Post: #81

(03-05-2013 10:33 PM)Neo Wrote:  

(03-05-2013 12:16 AM)bigdrov1x Wrote:  This is a question for the guys who are working in the copywriting business now. I am interested in copywriting because of the ability to have a location independent lifestyle. I would like to know what resources to read before starting this endeavor. Is the book "The Well Fed Writer" worth purchasing and reading? Are there any other books, blogs, or websites that you would recommend? I am sick of the regular job working for the "Man", and would like to try this. I feel that I am a decent writer, organized, and could excel at this. Any information is very appreciated. Thank You.

I'm still a student(as in a 4 months studying and practicing copywriting) so don't take what I say as expert copywriting advice by any means, but here are some things that have been helping me.

I have the Well Fed Writer and it's a good all around resource. There are several other books specifically about marketing/copywriting that many people consider classics. Many are listed in this thread or elsewhere on the forum, but off the top of my head...The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy, and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins. The latter was written in the 1920s, but is still relevant today.

One thing I'd recommend if you are serious is to find a mentor and/or take a course. Do your research as a lot of courses aren't recommended or are considered too expensive for what you get. Check out the warrior forum in the copywriting section and look for guys who have good reputations. Some of them teach or coach for reasonable prices.

I'm spending a lot of time in building this copywriting business and whether it takes off or not, I will say this: the knowledge I've gained about marketing and psychology is invaluable. Not only do I understand advertising on a deeper level, but I have specific knowledge for when I want to market and sell my own products. Just by talking to people, it's not really common knowledge(unless I assume you have a marketing background.) Studying the subject also helped me in my personal persuasion efforts and game believe it or not. Lots of parallels between game and sales...copywriting is just salesmanship in print.

What do you charge?

Email me: thegmanifesto at yahoo dot com

Post: #82

(03-05-2013 11:21 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  What do you charge?

Email me: thegmanifesto at yahoo dot com

What're you looking for G? I could help you out.