I bet you're known for making friends fast and always being tactful, right?

My title is whatever I choose to put on my business card. I don't ask or need permission. I think tomorrow I'll order some that say I'm a "Creative Content Specialist" LOL!

Nebulousx,


Loved your reply...ROFLMAO

But seriously folks, what do the rest of you think about the AWAI scam allegations that have surfaced?

I took the program...learned some basic copywriting skills and moved on from there. I looked at the letters they sent me promoting their program as good examples of copy.

Scam or not AWAI introduced me to the world of copywriting. I do believe that you can make six figures from this profession....but it takes a heck of a lot of work and the know how to market yourself effectively. (which I am still learning)

Tim,

People are unique individuals. Some are better working for a boss in a team environment and some are more productive working for themselves.

Just because you are happy working for a company.... don't diss the freelancers who are very successful working for themselves.

It takes a lot of different people to make the world go 'round!

Lucinda

I don't think AIWA's course is any more of a "scam" than any of the other high priced copywriting courses out there. Could the folks behind AIWA have more issues than some of the other folks that don't have as much past baggage? Sure. But the fact is almost all of the folks that are offering copywriting courses also have up-sells, so I don't condemn AIWA for that.

Personally I wouldn't even consider investing in an expensive course until I had purchased many of the low-cost but incredible powerful copywriting resources on the market today, like:

"Tested Advertising Methods" by John Caples
"Advertising Secrets of The Written Word" by Joe Sugarman
"Cash Copy" by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
"Words That Sell" by Bayan
"Phrases That Sell" by Werz & Germain
"The Robert Collier Letter Book"
"Ultimate Sales Letter" by Dan Kennedy

All together you would have about $150 invested and I doubt the content of any expensive copywriting course could top the combined content of these books.

If I had a few more dollars to spend I consider adding:
"Advertising Magic" by Brian Keith Voiles
"Double Your Business" by Clayton Makepeace
"Steal This Book" by Dr. Harlan Kilstein
"Breakthrough Advertising" by Eugene Swartz
"Million Dollar Mailings" by Denny Hatch

My total investment? About $600 between the two shopping lists. And the content? Amazing in its vastness and completeness.

Hey, my comment about "wasting" the day was aimed at me.

I freelanced for years.

Oh look, the pool needs to be cleaned, the kids need a ride to the mall, is that a weed I see in the lawn? You know, that kind of stuff. Not to mention the thousand and one personal interests that distract.

That being said, you freelancers aren't being honest if you claim you don't go throught the same thing.

Besides, working as a corporate, salary copywriter, with endless projects under my belt, I am better suited than ever to go back to freelancing should I ever decide to do so. Talk about a diverse portfolio!

Tim,

I was just teasing you, though your reply did come off as a bit condescending. I work at night and love it. I have my days free to clean the pool if I want to, or work on my house or woodworking projects. My normal "work day" starts about 7pm and ends around 2am. That's exactly the way I like it. Show me a corporation that will let me work THAT flextime.

hello
There isn't anything wrong with having a job you enjoy . It's sticking with jobs that suck because you need the money. The fact you have a job you really enjoy. Put you in with about 20 percent of employees.

As for Awai. I lost interest in them a few years ago .When they took two months to send me a product i ordered. The board was also a war zone. I remember many argument between Dr Kilstien and a board member umm i think her name was Kat.

Then again every forum I was on back then . Even the ones for Rpg's i played where War zones .

Back to the difference between corporate and freelance. Team players are fine . It only works though if everyone on the team does their jobs. I work in a labor job right now . The shift i am on is a great team . Though I work hourly. I have seen my pay increase 44 percent in a year.

I have worked in other places where the definition of team work. Sort of went "we know this guy can't handle the work . But he's a warm body. Just have everyone else pick up the slack. "

The second kind of team is more common. So please don't compare yourself to freelances . Compare yourself to other employees .

Ken

I can second that learning copywriting isn't easy. So many different schools of thought and so much conflicting info. I have been dealing with warm leads via telesales for 6 years and I'm getting pretty good at it but will take me another 6 years before I say the same about copywriting.

This is a nice list.

If you really searched around (even a basic search for second hand books on Amazon and ebay I'm sure you could get the majority of these books much cheaper.

An in reality you'd probably do even better by picking just one of the best books in this list like Breakthrough Advertising or Advertising Secrets Of the Written Word or The Ultimate Sales Letter, reading that book at least 6 times and each time you learn something new STOP THEN AND THERE AND APPLY IT.

Beyond that you can learn by simply copying most of the great ads in history, many of which you'll find at hardtofindads.com and infomarketingblog.com


Quite frankly writing copy for clients in the direct mail industry is vastly overrated.

You usually end up dealing with employees and the really good money can be annoyingly difficult to capture.

If you have an entrepreneurial drop of blood in your veins (and you'll find it very difficult to become an A list copywriter if you don't) then you'll quickly realize you should:

1. Write copy for yourself or

2. Partner with businesses who are rising fast and write copy for them or

3. Tap into the biggest market in the world small businesses and help them with their marketing (as a marketing consultant who also writes copy).

Numbers 2 and especially 3 are likely to make you a good full time income almost immediately if you have any copywriting/marketing skill at all.

All 3 should make you a six figure income if you persist and a large seven figure income is also a definite possibility.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

Andrew

You've made some interesting commments there.

There was a UK marketing guy (not paul gorman), whose site was on Adwords, where he said 3 companies had paid him a million each because of the extra revenue he'd created for them. I can't remember his name.

Basically his deal was;

"For every £1 EXTRA he generated for his clients they'd pay him 25 pence"

If you can find the right ambitious small/medium sized business owner this should be a great way to go.

Right now I'm writing a report to make available to business owners. With the usual direct response stuff in it. Obviously these DR techniques are old hat to us but to business owners...a copywriter who knows his stuff could come across as a marketing God...

cheers mark

I know this thread is old, but....
Thank you, Michael for taking the time to make such a detailed recommendation. It is very helpful.