Do you know how to make money as a copywriter so you can replace a 9 to 5 income or corporate salary? How to make your life could look completely different even 60 days from now… you could be working from Paris with a croissant in one hand and your laptop in another?! ‍☕️

I certainly didn’t when I started out, which is why I’m so passionate about sharing a more direct path with women now. I spent a few years building my first business without realizing that $10,000+ months were right in front of me through a much simpler, faster route: copywriting!

In this article, I hope to shed some light on how to make money copywriting by breaking it down in a few simple steps. There’s a LOT of information on the internet, so I hope these help demystify it and keep it simple for you! You can always learn more in my free 45-minute copywriter training if you’re interested in diving deeper.

P.S. Prefer to watch this short video instead? Check out the video below: How to Make Money as a Copywriter so you can replace your 9 to 5 income starting today!

3 Steps to Make Money as a Copywriter

1. Learn a Skill Like Copywriting

Copywriting is a skill that ANYONE can learn and that businesses are ALWAYS in need of.

While some people are naturally gifted writers, the truth is, copywriting is a SKILL (like cooking) that can be learned with a step-by-step process and mentor. I know from first-hand experience, having spent over a decade working with writers of all levels, helping them become stronger writers no matter what their background is. I’ve even developed marketing curriculums for public brands, taking people with no experience to proficiency in months.

A skill like copywriting will ALWAYS be in demand because brands will always need words to tell their story, sell their products, and communicate their value. (And, content is only growing, with new social media platforms coming out every year.)

Another thing I love about copywriting is that it’s a skill that you can benefit from in ALL parts of your life—to build a business, to earn a higher salary, to write a home offer or email. While some skills can only be used in a certain time (e.g. scuba diving, opera singing, etc.) 😊 writing is a skill that can improve SO MANY areas of your life!

2. Position Yourself to Earn Higher Rates

If you’re set on replacing a 9 to 5 income, then you want to start your business with the goal of earning as much as possible for your time. Charging even $50/hour on a standard 40-hour workweek is a $100,000 year, which replaces or surpasses most 9 to 5 incomes.

To justify higher rates, book clients more quickly, and help yourself stand out, I recommend:

• Creating a few writing samples
• Designing a polished portfolio (either website or PDF form)
• Learning some content marketing strategy (beyond just writing foundations)

(If you’re looking for more support, my freelance writing course teaches all of these.) 😉

3. Book Copywriting Clients

So now you’ve…

• Mastered a profitable skills like copywriting
• Built your writing samples and portfolio
• Set yourself apart by learning some additional content marketing strategy

Your next step is to book your first copywriting clients!

There are several ways to book clients, from freelance sites to networking to sending companies free samples of your work. One of the benefits of a copywriting business is that, once you get your first few clients, those clients typically naturally lead to referrals, which helps you book even more clients.

Here’s something to remember: If you can invest time in the beginning toward securing a few clients with recurring work, then you’ll be able to do much less marketing the rest of your business. Many writers make the mistake of pursuing one-off or smaller projects, instead of building long-term relationships with companies who have recurring work every single month. If you can get even four recurring clients with 10 hours/week of work, you’ve just booked yourself a 40-hour/week business that replaces your 9 to 5 job (and likely surpasses your current income, even as your own boss).

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The truth is, a copywriting business can take some work to set up in the beginning. But once you’ve built your portfolio and gotten your first few clients, you can create a fulfilling business with location and schedule freedom as your own boss, often while making more than in your previous corporate career.

For more resources to support you…

Ready for Your Biggest, Brightest Life?

Read my book: Your Bright Life: Get Clear on What You Want, Overcome Self-Doubt, and Bring Your Dreams to Life.

Learn from self-paced masterclasses: My self-paced workshops featuring videos, workbooks, journal worksheets, and practices guide you through each stage of bringing your dreams to life.

Start your own business: If your dream involves starting a business or becoming your own boss, my business course teaches you step-by-step how to start a copywriting business, based on my experience traveling the world as a writer, running a copywriting agency, and writing for HuffPost.

Coach with me 1:1: 12 weeks of private coaching to design your brightest life or business, overcome the fears holding you back, and get a step-by-step plan to bring your dreams to life—together!

Sign up for a free training: 5 steps to build a 6-figure copywriting business (even if you’ve never written professionally before)! I’ll break down what I learned in 15 years in the industry, a journalism degree, and being inside global brands mentoring writers AND on the outside as a writer getting clients and building a business… so YOU can create more freedom and fulfillment as your own boss, too!