What is a Freelance Copywriter?

A copywriter is a special kind of writer, part salesman and part creative storyteller who makes the advertising and marketing world go round.

When people ask, “So, what do you do?” and you say, “I’m a freelance copywriter,” you are likely to be met with a confused expression. Sometimes they will ask you, “What is that?” or they’ll assume you work in a government copyright office authenticating intellectual property rights. The short answer is you’re the person who writes the text for advertisements.

In the narrowest sense of the term a copywriter writes for the express purpose of selling. The most powerful type of copywriting is direct-response sales copywriting. Copywriters also write the copy for advertisements in magazines and newspapers. They write the scripts for what you hear in ads on television and radio; now, this is expanding into promotional YouTube videos. Web copywriters are sometimes called upon to write text ads for pay-per-click campaigns, newsletters,

Since the advent of internet marketing, the definition of the term “copywriter” has expanded to include people who write SEO (search engine optimized) copy for the web. Such copy is used on web sites to inform readers and soft sell them. Or, it is sent to a number of external web sites for purposes of backlinking and leading targeted traffic back to the web site.

A freelancer is an entrepreneur. Freelance copywriters are those who are independent contractors and not employees of an advertising agency like staff copywriters.

Advertising is another kind of ghostwriting. Ghostwriting is any type of writing where the writers stays behind the scenes.

It is also a form of “work for hire,” this means that once you are paid and the project begins, the work you do doesn’t belong to you, but to your client.

How Much Money Do Freelance Copywriters Make?

The amount of money a freelance copywriter makes depends on his or her experience and skill. But, it is the easiest type of freelance writing work to jump into quickly and actually make a living because of the great demand.

Typically, freelance copywriters charge by the project, but in terms of hourly wages they probably earn between $25 and $80 or more per hour. Commonly, you’ll get paid what you ask for when you quote a project to a client.

Despite an economic downturn or maybe because of it, copywriters are in high demand to tweak copy and help companies maximize their sales.

You can find copywriting jobs on bid sites like www.elance.com, www.ifreelance.com, www.guru.com and even www.craigslist.com. Although, this is not always the best way to go about finding steady work.

You can learn more about how to get started right now as a freelance copywriter for the web, working from your home when you get the book, “Writer’s Fast Track to Freelance Copywriting for the Web.” The author shows you how to get started as a freelance writer and get your first client in a matter of a few days.

If you are a writer who needs to make serious money and you’re a quick study, this is the break freelance copywriting for the web is the break you’ve been looking for.