A year or so back, I got an email from an Atlanta gentleman that has to be a top contender for The Stupidest Question Ever Asked. I realize that’s not very nice, and I know “there’s no such thing as a stupid question” when starting out, but still…. In essence, here’s what he wrote:
“I noticed you’re in Atlanta – I am, too. Congrats on your freelancing success. For someone starting out in the same market as a commercial freelancer, that success is a bit intimidating. (Here it comes). Can I safely assume that you’ve pretty much sewn up the Atlanta market, copywriting-wise?”
(Beat). Rub eyes comically. Re-read. Drop jaw. Guffaw. Shake head. Okay, okay, maybe not the stupidest question ever asked, just one from someone with very little understanding of business in general and our business in particular.
My reply: “Joe, think about this logically. I couldn’t sew up the copywriting market in a city of 100K, let alone one of close to five million. Could one attorney, plumber, accountant, real estate agent, or mechanic sew up the market for their specialty? Rest assured, there’s plenty of copywriting business out there.” I’ve been working in this market for 15 years and consistently run across working, thriving copywriters I’d never heard of before.
Sure, as we all know, this business isn’t a cakewalk. 5K jobs don’t fall out of the sky with minimal effort. Lucrative freelancing requires good writing skills and a grasp of business. That said, his question is similar to those I get asking if this is still a good business to get into – given the economy. Questions like these underestimate how much potential work there is AND how many companies know the value of good copywriting (and they overestimate the number of competent, reliable copywriters out there). They fail to see the reality at work:
Fact #1: Every single business has to create written materials either for marketing, advertising, or internal needs. The bigger the business, the bigger the volume.
Fact #2: There are only two ways to create those materials: do it in-house or hire it out.
Fact #3: As long as that company’s in business, those needs won’t ever disappear (if they want to STAY in business), even in lean times, when arguably, they have to do even more.
Fact #4: While many businesses don’t understand the importance of good marketing materials, those are the ones that fail or struggle eternally. Forget ‘em.
Fact #5: Most successful businesses DO understand the importance of good writing as a key contributor to their growth and success, and many of those companies hire it out – especially smaller companies (which can mean $1-100 million+), for whom it’s not usually cost-effective to have in-house creative staff.
Obviously, our challenge is to find those companies, but know, as sure as the sun rises in the morning, that they’re out there.
Until and unless American business undergoes such a radical shift in modus operandi that all business books and schools have to retool their offerings, those five facts, are in my humble opinion, fairly immutable.
Agree? Disagree?
What would you have said to him?
Other comments?
I would have said, “Yes, sadly, you can’t get work in Atlanta.”
Kidding.
Ah, of course – I wish I’d thought of that! It’d have been worth it just to see his reaction… 😉
PB
Right you are, Rico. I should really thank him for asking it, since it gave me blog fodder! And yes, you’re right, a lot of companies don’t “get
“as I’m fond of reminding people, as a commercial freelancer, you only need an infinitesimal slice of the whole pie of possible writing work out there to make an exceptionally good living.”
Thanks for this continual reminder, Peter. It really is important for us to remember, especially for those starting out, who have the talent but lack the connections, that it is very doable.
I’m one of those just starting out. I appreciate the positive posts and enjoy reading the blog.
I would told him you had the market completely sewn and to back off!
Kidding – you showed more patience and self-restraint than I would have that’s for sure.
Enough companies, as Peter said, do get the concept of good copy, so there is enough work out there, even in small areas. Those of us who live in larger cities are slightly luckier I think. Although I am ‘bumping’ into the same handful of writers here in San Antonio all the time!
Very good post, Peter. Like Sean and the Joe who wrote to you a year ago, I am moving into the full-time freelance field after a career in newspapers and a more recent move into full-time public/media relations. I actually live in a city of about 100,000 and I know that no one writer or agency can lock up the business, but I also know how intimidating it can be to jump into this pool. (Warning: Free plug ahead): I will say that reading your book “The Well-Fed Writer” along with Bob Bly’s book have been invaluable as I set things up.
That said, I’d like to offer Fact # 6: The Internet has broken down the distance barriers and freelancers now are no longer restricted to their own communities — large or small. There is a world of business out there, and as you said, all we have to do is find them and make a connection.
Right you are, Joe, and thanks for the plug! And yes, Bob’s book is great as well – as you know, it’s the one that got ME going in the biz (“Secrets of a Freelance Writer”).
Just remember: much of the battle for success in this field is between our own ears. Get the mental battle won (i.e., that there really IS such a thing as companies hiring copywriters, and that we have what it takes – assuming you you do – to make it), and you’re halfway home.
And thanks Jesse and Cori for weighing in. Cori, do you know my dear friend and fellow FLCW Michelle Zavala in S.A.?
PB
You probably get asked this a lot, and do show great restraint in your response. Explaining this over and over has to get old at some point. I hope this guy at least reads some basic business books before he jumps into self-employment in any field.
Let’s think about this – If Peter were to do ALL of the freelance writing projects for a different business EVERY day that would only be 365 businesses in a year. This completely ludicrous scenario would require that he of course never takes a day off, never sleeps, never writes a blog, never works on a book, never mentors another writer, would have laptops stationed in his kitchen, living room, patio, bathroom, bedroom, and could never stop typing…. Would need staff to feed him while he types, run all errands, take all phone calls, heck he’d have to hire someone relax FOR him..
Keeping in mind the impossibility of this scenario, and the fact that he would only have wrapped up 365 businesses in a given year – I mean seriously:)
Love the books, and the blog – keep up the good work!!
Craig
Sure is plenty of work needed – no argument there. But I do run into one stumbling block when prospecting. So many of the firms I approach who:
(1) value good copy and (2) have realistic marketing budgets, already use agencies (either ad agencies or temp creative agencies,) and show no interest in working with independent freelancers. They won’t even consider it.
I’ve been shut down many times by this, even though I have years of experience in their industry and show them a long list of Fortune 500 testimonials about measurable response, sales and ROI results I’ve achieved that I could bring to their next project or initiative. Doesn’t seem to sway them in the least.
It’s not cost – as we don’t even get that far in the process: they simply state that they use an agency and “don’t work with freelancers.”
But as you said, you only need to win over a few – so I keep plugging away – and always enjoy reading about the successes and challenges of others here!
He thinks Atlanta is the only place he can find work in this Internet-connected, global world? Sheesh. You want the Atl, Pete? You can have it! I’m too busy working with clients all over the country.
Best,
James
I think you expressed it very well. I agree completely.
Again, when looking for the work that pays well, payment is one way to sort out the legit, professional companies from the fly-by-nights. You can tell in the first conversation or two what the company’s view is of their writing needs and of writing in general. Avoid the ones who don’t respect the craft; the ones who do will pay appropriately for good skills.
Hi Peter and thanks for another thought-provoking post.
I think you told the guy the right things, although in perhaps a patronizing manner. I am studying copywriting – including reading your books – and find it a bit scary to contemplate simultaneously becoming a freelancer (having worked for wages for 45 years) AND becoming skilled at a new trade.
I am not a therapist (although I have BEEN in therapy), and to me this guy was writing out of fear and seeking some reassurance from a pro – albeit in an oblique way – that there was still “room at the table” for him to also be “well-fed.”
I know it isn’t your job to soothe and caress the tender egos of others, yet there are a bezillion ways to inspire and include neophytes that don’t involve labeling their clumsy, illogical (to you, based on your experience) queries as stupid. Perhaps you were never in the psychological place he is and can’t relate, but I imagine there are a lot of people (like me) who are.
I read somewhere recently that it is a lot easier to be clever than kind, and I saw myself in there, to be sure….
Thanks to all for your brilliant additions to this thread! Craig, I was crackin’ up at your description on what my life would like just trying to service 365 Atlanta businesses. Too funny.
And Sheri, yes you’re right – you only have to win over a few. As for those who just won’t work with freelancers, forget ’em. Remember, 4 of 5 – a full 80% won’t be interested for whatever reason, and that could be one of the reasons. Have you asked some of these folks – just out of curiosity – what specifically it is about freelancers they don’t like? Or what an agency gives them that they feel a freelancer (especially a plugged-in FL’er with design/photography/web design contacts) couldn’t? They may have very good reasons and there’s no question that many agencies CAN bring more to the table than a FL’er. But it might be interesting to see how many honestly have needs beyond the scope of a FL’er and how many just have an irrational hard-on against FL’s.
Great point, Devon. You CAN tell a lot by how a company views their writing tasks. If they talk about how they realized they needed to bring in a pro, that they need to stay focused on THEIR jobs, etc., those are good signs. If they act like, heck, we’d do it ourselves if we had the time, or they minimize the importance of it (two points Devon makes in a piece in the upcoming June ezine), be careful.
And Tom, thanks for the thoughts. I actually felt like I was quite diplomatic. Don’t confuse what I said to YOU guys about his note and what I said to him (sure he could be reading it, but even here, I concede that he might just have been uninformed). I wasn’t rude or dismissive; just tried to point out something which seemed (thought perhaps wasn’t) obvious to me. And as I recall, he was not offended by my reply, and thanked me in fact. But as you remind, it’s always wise to remember where someone’s coming from, and it IS easier to be clever than kind. But geez, it was such a sitting duck… 😉
PB
I want to thank all of you contributing to this blog. As a corporate technical writer for the past 15 years, I am finally working up my courage to go out on my own. Reading your posts gives me hope that there is a market for good writers. I’ve been working too long in an area that does not appreciate the value of good writing and is now “reallocating resources” elsewhere. I can understand where the question that started this blog came from – it sometimes seems that the market has gone underground in the mid-size city I live in. However, reading this blog keeps my spirits up and even though I talk myself out of this move daily and I think I should just find another job, I also believe if I don’t try, I won’t be able to live with myself. Thanks to all of you who are already “out in the wild” who are willing to share your experiences with those of us still in the “cage”.
Glad you found a bit of inspiration here, Tammy. A lot of technical writers have moved over to the commercial writing end of things over the years, because for many of them, they were writers at heart, and they were finding that success in TW was becoming more and more a matter of technical expertise with a variety of programs, not real writing, and they wanted to get back to that. Not sure if that’s your path, but if so, you have plenty of company. And you should have an edge over someone who hasn’t marinated in some aspect of business for as long as you have.
As many have pointed out, it’s not always easy, but it’s doable. Many clients don’t see the value of good writing, many that do use big agencies or do it themselves (with varying degrees of success), but there will always be a healthy chunk of prospects who do “get” the importance of good writing and for whom the freelancer model will be just the ticket because of budgetary constraints. And even those clients WITH big budgets can absolutely be won over by a good freelance creative team (i.e., writer/designer) through the sheer value of excellent work.
But those prospects aren’t always looking for us – we have to go find them. Speaking from experience, and I know most of the folks who’ve weighed in here and my fellow commercial writers could likely back me up on this: While I’ve landed plenty of work over the years from prospects who were perfect candidates for a good freelancer team (i.e., writer/designer) and were aware that people like us were out, out there, I’ve gotten just as much work from the same type client who DIDN’T know that freelancers existed (certainly not writers) who could help them.
So, part of our job is general educating of companies that resources like us exist in the first place.
Active marketing’s what it’s all about – making ourselves memorable to prospects or clients in some way that has value to them.
Understand that clients simply want their problems solved (as opposed to wanting “Writing Services” or any other kind of creative service), and if what you can offer solves their problem, and doe it for the price they can pay, and by making their lives easier, you’ll get their attention. And by continuing to deliver the goods and continuing to bring value to them, you’ll KEEP their attention.
Yes, things always change, and no client is forever, but the good marketing habits and ongoing value that landed and secured those clients in the first place will serve you well in landing others.
PB
Peter,
I thought your answer to this guy was right on target. You laid out a very logical scenario to make him realize that, yes, Virginia, there is still writing work to be had in Atlanta – and just about everywhere else for that matter.
I agree with the post in general because, eventually, everyone needs to get writing done. But from my prospective, building a career does take a lot of patience. A lot of my business now involves writing for client’s web sites. A few years ago, many of these same clients would tell me, “We’ll just take our printed brochure and put that on the web.” As much as I would tell them that there are differences between print writing and web writing, many of them had to see the predicted lack of results before they came around. But the point is, if they’re smart and they want to stay competitive, people do come around – in Atlanta, and everywhere else.
This was something that shocked and amazed me when I first read your book, Peter–in one of them you mentioned that there are so many businesses out there that need so much writing–there’s always room for one more copywriter. And even though lots of businesses already HAVE copywriters, their needs could change or their favorite writer could suddenly drop off the face of the earth or they could just want a new perspective on a certain project. You can’t walk a block without practically tripping over potential clients.
And you don’t have to leave the house at all. As someone already mentioned, the web has really made your market of potential clients the whole world. I’ve worked on projects for people and businesses in Britain, China, South Africa, Australia, and many other countries who’ve found me online, plus clients all over the U.S. and Canada. The “world market” for copywriters is just never going to be sewn up–as long as companies are out there doing business, they’ll need marketing materials. And sometimes a bad economy is good news for us, since it means businesses will be relying more on freelancers than on in-house writers–we’re more flexible and cost-effective.
This guy has nothing to worry about. I hope he found it a relief to hear it from you.
I agree, Jennifer. Depending on how you position yourself in this business, the current economy can be good news of sorts for freelance writers.
Peter,
I reckon if you’re able to string more than a few words together and you have even a rudimentary grasp of whatever language you’re writing in, you have a job for life.
Face it: few people are able to write well. Hell, most can’t write at all in my experience. In the UK and the US the average reading age for adults it… tadaa… 10 1/2.
I wish I was making this up, but I’m not. Most adults are able to read and write barely any better than children.
I think the biggest problem copywriters face… is themselves. I remember when I was back in England, in my local area I had a dozen or so “competitors”. To a man (and woman) they complained there was “no work” or they were “unable” to get the fees they wanted.
The BIG mistake in my opinion, is freelancers go out looking for work rather than letting it come to them (no, this isn’t “woo woo” or any “The Secret” rubbish). You come up against someone who “isn’t sure” or “will let you know”, then NEXT! There are plenty of firms out there crying out for more business… and that’s what we as copywriters are selling.
Not copy, not words, not new materials… we’re selling them the promise of new business.
Remember that, and we can’t fail.
— Jon
There has always been (and will probably always be) a lot of talk about how poor writing skills are in general. But another factor in the equation of how much work is available is another truth: quite a large number of business people hate to write!
For some, they’re just not sure of the words to use. For others, they will do anything to avoid the embarrassment that can come with making writing mistakes in public, especially in marketing material that customers, colleagues, or competitors will see.
This applied mainly to the small business owners I talked to. Many seemed to have this inner conflict of not wanting to spend money on a writer, but fearing looking stupid in public if they did the writing themselves.
That’s a frustrating market to try to sell yourself to (and I eventually moved on to better prospects.) But if this is a market you’re going after, that fear is an emotional hot-button that you may want to be aware of.
(And see Jon’s #21 comment about how you should be selling yourself anyway.)
Mike,
Good points. In fact, this is very important: virtually EVERYONE seeking a consultant is in what’s often called “away from” mode.
They’re not out chasing a burning desire or a compelling goal. They want to move away from something they don’t like: low ROI, wasting money on ads, bad marketing. Most of them want more clients and customers not because they want to be successful but because they don’t want to go out of business.
This is vital for us to understand if we want to use their pain correctly. i highly recommend Shelle Rose Charvet’s book “Words that change minds” for info. on this topic. You can get it on Amazon.
— Jon