I recently resigned from an editing job that I found mind-numbing and completely dull. It never offered me the opportunity to showcase my creative skills or to grow as a writer. Instead, it was simply about distributing press coverage to angry clients using a complicated database, plagued by computer problems. I am glad that I have left, although I now face the uncertain situation of returning to freelancing. I am relatively new to the world of copywriting. However, I have had extensive experience in content writing, particularly SEO content. I am on this forum to search for valuable advice that I hope will facilitate me to achieve my goals in the future. It's virtually impossible to find a full-time job with a copywriting agency because they demand previous agency experience. Everyone wants a portfolio but I have to find clients in order to do this. I've tried the whole website thing but that never worked since I had to use samples of 'un-published' work.
The easiest way around the portfolio issue is to develop at least 2 websites or blogs - one should be for selling your writing services. The other site(s) can be about anything. The idea is to showcase your writing and SEO skills. The easiest way to prove to a potential customer that you know SEO is to show them a site that ranks well in the SERPs.
Hi, I just want to say something..I can't offer you a job or something. I was like you years before..hatted my job, then decided to start online. here I'm supporting my family..working..doing what I LOVE to do... I really wish you the best of luck..hang in there.. T
Hi James, this was the case for me too. I initially liked my script writing job , then they changed my nature of job saying it was temporary, then i had just to send mails talking to clients and market the products and finally i was held responsible for not brining in projects etc.....I was never for this job. eventually i resigned and started to work as a freelance writer. I worked for very less price and slowly I started getting good work....it is tough actually but i am very much satisfied. I found legit sites for academic writings. so u also search extensively for work in your expertise. I do not know whether u r a tech or a normal writer. either one you can excel in this field....all the best.
As far as the portfolio is concerned, like YMC suggested, it would be better if you make some website on your own and work upon them. Write some quality content and then you would be able to show them to potential clients as your sample work.
Considering the way the market is, I would say that it was a bad idea to have left your job in the first place, you can always look for your dream job as a part time one.
Yes resigning without a bonus/settlement or whatever was a big mistake. Let's hope you won't have to eat your own junk as a result. On the other hand, most of employed people are slaves.
You did the right thing following your mind rather than your head. There is always a demand for excellent writers who can impress readers with their style and substance. If you can send me samples of previous work, rates and turnaround time I can send some works on your way to start with. Good Luck
My heartiest congrats to you. I've always had a liking for people with an entrepreneurial bent of mind. Great job buddy You could go through the following thread. It's gonna help you get some gigs I guess. Best of luck. http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=2258045
One thing that you could do is piggyback off others let them find the job and you help them do the work. Go to sites like odesk or elance and look for web designers that are looking for work. Contact them and let them know that you do copywriting and handle on the writing of the website content and they can focus on what they are good at, the design part of building websites. You could also Google "web designers" and contact them and work up a joint partnership like you did at the freelance sites above. It may take you a bit of emailing but I am sure you can build up quite a substantial business of repeat work in no time. You can start off really cheap and as you get more web design partners start raising your rates.
Sometimes it takes bold moves to be happy. If you truthfully hated every second you were there you made the right choice. Heck I bet your not bored now! You have one hell of an adventure digging up new work. I wish you the best man.
Hi, James. You should offer your invite posts for free. You won't get ny profit but rhis sort of articles will make you a good portfolio
Build a portfolio. You'll have a hard time landing well-paying jobs if you have nothing to show for it. Get your own blog going if you can't do anything else. At least it will showcase your writing.
I agree. I tied to offer my posts on different websites and they won't answer my letters until I started to add a link to my website.
Just write your own portfolio - write a few articles about random topics and make sure to put a lot of effort into polishing the articles. If the samples are good people will want to hire you immediately.
You should first get your own blogs. It is better to have an expertise one( about SEO for example) and one about private stuff, fiction, etc. This way you can get a portfolio. In the meantime, you can try some freelancing sites. there are a lot like that which have copy writing in their options. Some, are only for copywriters.
You can showcase your skills. You don't need clients to do that. just create a few sample pieces of original writing to showcase your talents and creativity. If it's really good stuff, you should have no problems getting clients.