Writing in Corporate America

It's Friday afternoon and everyone in my office has stopped working a few hours too early. TheBachelor has been the topic of conversation since Thursday morning - he is down to three final girls and we each have a favorite we're cheering for. Two pieces of mail mysteriously land on my desk, as I see the tall mailroom guy walking off in the opposite direction from my cube. I look at the catalog with Christmas invitations and file it to my recycling bin. The envelope featuring a fancy Mont Blanc pen and a corporate name draws my attention. Inside it, an invoice for copywriting services. One billable hour equals $85 - reasonable, my managers concur. I wish I were making that kind of money.

Why can't I be a copywriter? If I were making this hourly rate, I could put in my usual thirty-seven and a half hours per week, work ten weeks out of the year, and make the same base salary I earn now. There is an idea! And there are plenty of resources for copywriters, from how-to books to freelance employment sites. All I need to do is learn how the business works (and I can do this, I'm an intelligent human being and a writer, at that!) and be on my way out of my cubical and onto a healthy paycheck.

It really isn't this simple. While you can learn about the business from those who seem to have perfected the art of copywriting, be ware that the six-digit paycheck they promise you doesn't come easy. Keep the following things in mind as you journey into the wonderful world of freelancing in corporate America.

What's a copywriter? Make sure you understand what this profession requires of you before you start telling people that you write for a living. Mr. Webster (as in the dictionary) defines a copywriter as "a writer of advertising or publicity copy". We all seem to be in agreement that copywriting equals some sort of corporate writing - marketing materials, PR articles and website copy are just a few examples. But what it takes to be a copywriter is up for debate, it seems. Nancy Flynn, the author of "The $100,000 Writer" opens her book by stating that no talent is required for this profession - some writing skill is needed, but artistic ability is simply disposable. Her counterpart, "The Well-Fed Writer" Peter Bowerman, spends an entire first chapter of his book bragging how his no experience in copywriting was easily overcome. He even asks you to "rest assured, [lack of experience] is no hindrance to success". Now, let's be realistic. Don't for one second assume that anyone can be a copywriter - if this was in fact the case, why aren't there more people successfully pocketing over one hundred grand a year in copywriting work? Some common sense will tell you that you need to have polished professional writing skills, and understanding and flare for the advertising-oriented world of the corporate America. Be truthful with yourself about your abilities. Minus marketing or writing experiences and skills, rethink what you are getting yourself into, as you will have an incredibly tough time finding work.

It takes work to get work. If you are one of those people for whom all opportunities come knocking at the front door, stick around after reading this; we'll need to talk. Realistically, as you are first getting started, you will spend just as much time searching for work as actually working. This is why Bowerman recommends having at least six months worth of your monthly expenses covered before you quit the day job. Make sure you have business cards and query letters ready to go out to as many companies as you can think of. Consider the query letter - it is the first, and potentially the only, contact that a company will have with you. First, assure that your letter gets into the right hands. Often, marketing or public relations departments are ones recruiting copywriters. Make a few calls before you send the letter. Clearly indicate your intentions to freelance for them, then play up your strengths and steer clear of your weaknesses, suggests Flynn. Generic letters are bad - address people by their names, and specify what previous experience or interest may qualify you to write for their company. Online sources are great for finding work. Among the leaders in freelance employment databases, eLance.com and CreativeMoonlighter.com allow you post your profile and search for work. Same rules apply for email queries. Now go get some work!

It isn't about you. While you may think that your headline for the new advertising campaign is the greatest, most meaningful statement packing into six words ever written, you client may disagree. In fact, they may chose to only use 2 of the words, in conjunction with some other less powerful words. What is left of your masterpiece is only a period. Stop panicking, this happens in copywriting all the time! By the time everyone in the company who is even in the slightest affected by what you do has a say in what you write, the copy you provide may not look even close to what you submitted. Understand that this is what happens with revisions - most often, it isn't about your work, but about the change in your client's marketing objectives. Be open to changes, and do as many revisions as necessary to provide your client with the copy they can use.

Your paycheck and your experience are parallel. Let's pretend for one moment that you are just starting out, and you are quoting an assignment at $85 an hour (you figured you are at least as good as the Mont Blanc writer whose invoice comes on a designer letterhead). More then likely, your lack of experience accompanied by this hourly rate will provide some interoffice humor for the advertising group you are prospecting for. Bowerman offers some useful advice. "Start out at at least $50/hour", he suggests, which is reasonable as it falls in the middle of the range for copywriting fees (plus, it definitely beats seating in a cubical making only a fraction of that fee). As your experience increases, and you go from creating a flyer for the local hair salon to writing copy for the new Nordstrom's radio spot, give yourself a raise. Your clients won't mind, since more credibility comes with your work now. You can also consider quoting on per project basis and giving some discounts for your regular clients. But don't sell yourself cheep, even when starting out. Pro bono work should not be considered. And no charging for edits and rewrites either. Build good will with your clients. This will in turn bring you more cliental, along with more experience, and ultimately more money. Be patient, you'll get to $85/hour fee soon enough.