I joined this forum some time ago on the advice of
Micahel Fortin but I was busy with my writing and
did not persue his invitation to become a copywriter.

Now I have finished my latest book and would like
to earn some money. My background is selling and
rather extensive. I have owned my own business,
written advertising copy for every company I
worked for, and seen success in the millions they
made through me.

I have also completed a journalism course and
have a BA honours degree which I could have
extended to a PhD if my subject matter was not
so controversial.

Since then I have been writing (without income)
for some years.

So you see I can write but at the moment am
struggling along because existing on a pension
does not allow too much flexibility. I want to
make it bigtime and would like some help to do
it. I cannot afford the big bucks needed to do
courses that I probably don't need to do in the
first place.

Any advice, help, crticism etc. will be welcome

norma

if you want to write for money, write for money.

I would browse eLance and join and bid on work and build up a portfolio. Start developing clients and doing copywriting and getting paid.

Sounds like you got all the skills...

Do what writers do and write -

Personally I'm getting tired of sitting on the fence and am biting at the bit to take the plunge. I've given myself till at least the 2nd week or end of August to start marketing myself (right now I have my children visiting from Alaska and it's difficult to spend time at the computer).

As Richard said - check out Elance as it looks like a good place to start. Maybe someone here has some overflow work they can send your way.

Press On To Success,

Jeff

You don't need big bucks to learn to write copy. You need some fundamentals you can obtain freely online, out of some ebooks under $47 and out of some real books available at Amazon or your local used book store.

After that, you need real world experience. You'll write a dozen sales letters before you begin to feel comfortable. This is learn by doing, not by reading.

I suggest, once you get some skills, that you approach some of the bigger copywriters about ghostwriting or apprenticing for them. Almost all of them do it whether they publicly admit it or not. You can begin to make decent money like that but it won't build a portfolio.

You either do that writing for your own products, affiliate products or dirt cheap via an offer in the Warrior Forum or similar place.

Your background in sales and business should give you an excellent grounding for writing effective sales copy.

If you drop me an email and you have some good writing samples I may even have an ongoing project that would interest you.

I suggest you read these free posts if you're getting started making money as a copywriter...
Making money as a new copywriter
Getting started making money as a copywriter
The biggest reason most copywriters will never make money

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh