Ok, so I've been told several times that my writing skills are very good, and I love sitting down and churning out stuff (that makes sense and even better if it helps others). I would be interested in becoming a copywriter and would like to know the best courses (provider, how long they last, investment required, etc). Also, how is the field of technology (electronics, telecommunications, software, etc) copywriting in terms of competition and earnings. Cheers
An internship would probably be your best bet,but if you want to learn online then I'd suggest "Winghill Writing School". I've heard about them and do believe that they offer the type of online courses you'd be looking for. Good luck to you with that.
Try Google for a number of school names. You can then Google each school's name with the word "complaints" or "reviews" behind it. It will give you a good idea of what schools are good and which ones to avoid.
Hey Andrew, Depends on what type of copyrighting, are you referring to sales copy etc. or more of a magazine/broshure type of advertizing writing. Dan
Andrew, The best place to start would be with Jason Fladlien in regards to copywriting courses. Not only is his course fairly priced but the value you would receive is bar none. Nevertheless you could always go with either Gary Halbert, Gary Bencievenga, John Carlton, Clayton Makepeace, or Dan Kennedy but the amount of $ you would have to invest to get started in this direction could possibly put a dent in your pocket. Unlike Jason Fladlien. Start with his 3 hour Copy course. If your satisfied continue with similar products of his. With that said, Andrew keep in mind this is just my take on this topic. By all means please due you own research. However when you do, you will come to realize that I am not far off. But again don't take my word for it.
I like the site http://www.copyblogger.com/copywriting-101/. He gives away a lot of free info and has paid courses. You should also consider Joseph Sugarman's book on Ad Copy. AppSumo also sells a course on copywriting, which is based on interviews with some of the best copywriters. You should also consider doing work for non-profits to build a portfolio. And of course joining LinkedIn and MeetUp will help generate a client base for you.
If you could afford it, AWAI might be up your alley. It is a true course in that you have assignments and reviewers. However, it IS $500.
Is there such a thing as a "copyrighter"? I mean someone who goes about getting a copyright isn't called a copyrighter.
My brother shared a couple of good books with me the other day. I'd give them a read if you want to improve your copywriting skills. The names are "Ca$hvertising" and "Adweek Copywriting Handbook - The Ultimate Guide to Writing." Both of them break down the fundamentals of writing solid copy and do a good job illustrating what you need to be studying to truly improve your writing abilities. It isn't just about spelling correctly with good grammar, there's a lot more that goes into a good sales pitch.
I don't know about courses, I don't do sales copy, but do read the excellent "Influence: Science and practice" by Robert Cialdini to help you with various marketing tricks. And yes, there's plenty of money in the tech field, especially if you have formal education or work experience (engineering, IT, software development). Do you want to write for websites, or what?
Copyblogger and Problogger are really great sites to get a feel as to what to write. What's best about them is that they're free. If you study them intently, you can become a nice poor-man's copywriter. It was suggested to me that anyone interested in copywriting should read Gary Halbert's letter on copywriting and follow the directions and learn to become a better copywriter. Google it... It's the "million-dollar skill" that gets products bought, memberships sold and webinars filled. I've heard some great things about AWAI, but I didn't look into it much. HTH, Vince aka makingiants
Copyright refers to those things related to Article I, Section 8, Clause 8. The word copyrighter is just plain silly. A copywriter writes ad copy, press releases, and so forth. A writer is a writer. We write things like production manuals, procedures, scripts, books, magazine articles, articles for web sites. I remember when copywriters worked for ad agencies. These days, most people mix up the terms because they do not work in the field(s). I write technical articles, articles for certain web sites, production procedures for consumer electronics product manufacturers, books and training manuals. I am not a copywriter. I I am just a writer.
Nope, no such thing. My IP Attorney could be considered a copyrighter I suppose. Naw, he is just a lawyer. I do have a book agenter, is that a word?
The best course I've seen is John Carlton's Simple Writing System. It's the only way I know of to get advice and feedback from veteran writers without hiring one as a long term coach. But then, I'm a tutor on that course, so maybe I'm biased. If you check it out right now, John's giving away a totally free express version for the next few days. Having said all that, do you have any experience writing copy, or writing anything else professionally? If you've just been laid off from a job and you're looking to start a career writing copy with no skill or experience, it's probably not going to work. No offence. It takes a lot of hard work before most people can earn money doing this. By all means start studying, but don't expect it to replace your income anytime soon. Wholesale Jewelry Sterling Silver Jewelry