How to Set up a Freelance Writing Business : An Insider Guide to Setting up and Running Your Own Copywriting Business

A guide for those who want to make money from copywriting - either as a part-time or full-time career. It enables practising copywriters, find out how to build and extend your business into related areas. AUTHOR BIOG: Jason Deign has been a successful professional copywriter for over a decade and has worked with blue-chip companies both in Britain and internationally. Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Preface......Page 14 Note from the Author......Page 16 PART 1: YOUR BUSINESS......Page 18 What is copywriting?......Page 20 The right qualities......Page 24 Running your own business......Page 28 Earnings......Page 30 The good news......Page 32 The basics......Page 33 What sort of business?......Page 36 Other considerations......Page 39 What you absolutely have to do......Page 42 What you need to get going......Page 44 Your computer......Page 45 Software......Page 48 Internet access......Page 51 Computer peripherals......Page 53 Other equipment......Page 55 Furniture......Page 57 Vehicles......Page 58 Working from home......Page 59 Working in an office......Page 63 Working from client premises......Page 66 Where do you start?......Page 70 How do accounts work?......Page 71 Receipts......Page 74 Invoices......Page 80 Managing cash flow......Page 82 Choosing an accountant......Page 84 Filing your own tax returns......Page 85 VAT......Page 86 Sources of income......Page 89 Advertising and promotion......Page 90 Finding work on the web......Page 91 Drumming up business over the phone......Page 96 Pitching, impressing, winning and pricing......Page 97 Ensuring repeat business......Page 103 Lawyers and legal matters......Page 104 Professional bodies......Page 105 Working with other freelancers......Page 107 Training......Page 108 Finding information......Page 109 PART 2: YOUR WRITING......Page 112 What makes great copy?......Page 114 Keep it short......Page 115 Keep it simple......Page 117 Keep it interesting......Page 119 Keep it relevant......Page 121 Keep it active......Page 123 Keep it honest......Page 124 Finding inspiration......Page 127 How to present copy......Page 129 Respect the language......Page 130 Abbreviations......Page 132 Apostrophes......Page 133 Capital letters in names......Page 134 Collective nouns......Page 135 Jargon......Page 136 Repetition......Page 138 Words to watch out for......Page 139 Avoid clichés......Page 141 What does advertising do?......Page 143 Using creativity to sell......Page 146 Benefits and USPs......Page 148 Maximum impact, minimum copy......Page 149 Thinking in words and pictures......Page 150 Writing for different media......Page 151 The basics......Page 157 The importance of targeting......Page 158 Being creative......Page 159 Clinching the deal......Page 161 Some golden rules for DM copywriters......Page 162 Consumer and business-to-business audiences......Page 163 Email marketing......Page 164 What is internal communications?......Page 168 Processes involved in internal communications programmes......Page 169 Striking the right tone......Page 171 Dealing with approvals......Page 172 Creating and maintaining a style guide......Page 173 Human interest and business stories......Page 175 Managing internal communications programmes......Page 177 A short history of the internet......Page 181 The basics of web copy......Page 183 The appearance of text......Page 186 Thinking in hypertext......Page 188 Words to watch out for......Page 189 Other essential information......Page 190 A major market......Page 194 The principles of journalism......Page 195 The editorial process......Page 197 Sources of information......Page 198 Writing features......Page 200 Headlines and captions......Page 202 Writing for newspapers, magazines, contract publishers and news wires......Page 204 Pitching ideas......Page 206 The difference between journalism and PR......Page 208 How PR works......Page 209 Writing a damn good press release......Page 211 Key messages......Page 215 Other types of press material......Page 216 Brochures......Page 220 Leaflets, flyers and posters......Page 221 On-pack......Page 222 White papers......Page 223 Dealing with sales people......Page 224 Working with designers......Page 225 An infinite variety......Page 226 Blurbs......Page 227 Business plans......Page 228 Manuals and technical documents......Page 230 Presentations......Page 231 Speech writing......Page 233 Video scripts......Page 235 Other types of writing......Page 237 Sticking to your guns......Page 238 Consultancy......Page 239 Brand and corporate identity......Page 240 Creative writing......Page 241 Sources and References......Page 243 C......Page 252 G......Page 253 N......Page 254 R......Page 255 Z......Page 256 A useful guide for anyone who wants to make copywriting a business - either as a part-time or full-time career. For practising copywriters, find out how to build and extend your business into related areas