So You Want To Become A Copywriter?

So you'd like to become a copywriter, huh?

Maybe you've heard about the writer's life (www.awaionline.com) and all its perks -- a flexible schedule with YOU in charge, control over your financial future, and the freedom to work from home (or anywhere else).

Maybe you're drawn by the six-figure income possibilities -- inspired by story after story of people who've quit their jobs to become freelance copywriters and quickly started earning more than in their past careers.

Maybe you just like to write -- and are happy to have finally found a way to leverage your love of writing into a full-time income, and a good one at that.

There are tons of reasons people want to become a copywriter -- and I think they're all good, as long as it's the right decision for you.

Where can you learn how to become a copywriter?

As you decide you're going to become a copywriter, you'll quickly find that it's not something you can learn at your local college. There typically aren't courses in freelance copywriting taught at the college level, and I'm not aware of any accredited university that will give you a degree in copywriting.

Most copywriters learn through a combination of self-study and on-the-job learning.

I have a shelf full of books on copywriting, marketing, advertising, and business, though if I were to narrow down my choices to the most helpful books for a beginning copywriter, here are a few I'd recommend:

-The Copywriter's Handbook by Bob Bly
-Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
-Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
-How To Write A Good Advertisement by Victor Schwab
-Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples
-The Architecture Of Persuasion by Michael Masterson

Beyond books, there are programs on copywriting published on what seems like a daily basis. While there are many good programs out there, there are also quite a few from imposters who "talk the talk," yet who've never "walked the walk."

I like American Writers & Artists Inc. (www.awaionline.com) programs because the company has a 13-year history teaching copywriting and graphic design, and always goes to the top experts in their fields for their instructional content. Their programs include:

-The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting (the core copywriting course, and a must have!)
-The AWAI Masters Program
-B2B Copywriting Secrets
-Health Market Copywriting Secrets
-Financial Market Copywriting Secrets
-Copywriting 2.0 (Writing for the Web)

AWAI also has a special website specifically for web writers, Wealthy Web Writer, which is worth checking out if you're interested in becoming a copywriter for the fun and lucrative world of marketing on the Internet.

Finally, there are a number of free newsletters you should subscribe to if you're interested in becoming a copywriter. Start with these three newsletters on copywriting from AWAI: The Golden Thread, Wealthy Web Writer, and The Writer's Life.