GordonJ
February 19, 2020, 10:18 AM
Wow, what a fast two decades it has been. Seems like only yesterday.
But here we are. 2020. OUR twentieth year, so I thought it would be a good time to UPDATE everyone. We're holding steady at around 1500 people a day looking over our 20 years of stored wisdom. Still a steady trickle of new people, although most don't register.
Since Dien announced in the Coronavirus thread his wife was expecting, then congrats are in order for him, I think he'll take to Daddy HOOD quickly. Wish him and his wife well on that journey. I keep warning him about not sleeping, but I don't think he needs much to begin with.
He's just getting started, and in a way, so am I with one of my kids, our PILOT is done, we'll start shopping it around very soon (her agent is on maternity leave, so that may delay a little bit of what we do). I have several scripts in progress, and will start shopping those too. Hollywood has been interesting, and it is all about who knows who or getting to know someone.
My daughter having a literary agent with a respected firm helps, she worked very hard for that to happen. So, now the REAL work begins, the SELLING.
I keep telling her, "the sale begins when the customer says NO"...so the more NOs we get through the closer to the show becoming manifest will be.
Because Dien and I have been so busy in our respective journey's, we've not given SOWPUB the attention it deserves, and with fresh blood and new perspectives being added (it appears our newest folks are a generation or two younger than some of you guys who have been here from the start).
But we hope to take a more active role, do some indexing, dust off the old stuff, see if it is relevant and can be updated...all that jazz.
Also, since I have now a 50 year history of advertising writing and did pretty well when I was active in copywriting, I am thinking about coaching or taking a couple of copy WRITERS under my wing to help them reach their goals.
I don't think writing Copy as a BIZ-OP is a very good idea. So I don't want to spend time on people who want to make an extra income. I still have close ties with copy writers who earn at least 250k a year, without doing much solicitation, because they are known.
I think that is the second critical part of being a high paid copywriter. First is being able to sell stuff by remote means (talking of Direct Response Copy writing, not that many 250k creative agency types)...
So, if you can get results with your copy, then you must be given the opportunity to prove it.
And this is where the BOG DOWN happens. I still belong to all the Facebook Groups on Copy, and there are now tens of thousands hopefuls, and 98% of them won't make it. They may create a job for themselves, hope they do if that is what they want.
But even if a newer person has "the chops", they seldom get THE CHANCE. I think that is where someone likes me comes in. I can't guarantee to anyone they will get a great gig from an established marketer, but I can guarantee I'll do my part and make the introductions, and get the CHANCE. Alas, I am not selling any how to courses, or how to write copy...too many of those out there already.
And I won't be my normal cheap commodity, since I can't sell 1,000 copies for 25 bux, I have to flip those numbers around.
Well, NOT 25k, although that would be a bargain just to get your work in front of a guy with a 100 million a year marketing company who pays top commissions....a BARGAIN. But I will determine the actual cost based on what you bring to the table. Kind of a pay what you think you are worth. Do you think you can write copy that sells something? BECAUSE if you can, I've got friends in high places ready to give you a chance. Contact me for details and be prepared for sticker shock.
I don't know how much of SowPub will get updated, fixed, links removed, etc. we know we have some housekeeping to do...and Dien will be busy changing diapers and writing copy, and physics, all his stuff...
And I'll be in LA LA LAND, standing on street corners with my cardboard sign in hand...SCRIPTS FOR FOOD.
Oh, sure, I'm hoping for the FOUR SEASONS in Paris, but depending on how thin I get, maybe Scripts for a Big Mac. HA!
I have the rest of Feb. OFF (so to speak) which is why I've got some time to post and try to get all caught up.
So, what YOU got going on in 2020?
Gordon
But here we are. 2020. OUR twentieth year, so I thought it would be a good time to UPDATE everyone. We're holding steady at around 1500 people a day looking over our 20 years of stored wisdom. Still a steady trickle of new people, although most don't register.
Since Dien announced in the Coronavirus thread his wife was expecting, then congrats are in order for him, I think he'll take to Daddy HOOD quickly. Wish him and his wife well on that journey. I keep warning him about not sleeping, but I don't think he needs much to begin with.
He's just getting started, and in a way, so am I with one of my kids, our PILOT is done, we'll start shopping it around very soon (her agent is on maternity leave, so that may delay a little bit of what we do). I have several scripts in progress, and will start shopping those too. Hollywood has been interesting, and it is all about who knows who or getting to know someone.
My daughter having a literary agent with a respected firm helps, she worked very hard for that to happen. So, now the REAL work begins, the SELLING.
I keep telling her, "the sale begins when the customer says NO"...so the more NOs we get through the closer to the show becoming manifest will be.
Because Dien and I have been so busy in our respective journey's, we've not given SOWPUB the attention it deserves, and with fresh blood and new perspectives being added (it appears our newest folks are a generation or two younger than some of you guys who have been here from the start).
But we hope to take a more active role, do some indexing, dust off the old stuff, see if it is relevant and can be updated...all that jazz.
Also, since I have now a 50 year history of advertising writing and did pretty well when I was active in copywriting, I am thinking about coaching or taking a couple of copy WRITERS under my wing to help them reach their goals.
I don't think writing Copy as a BIZ-OP is a very good idea. So I don't want to spend time on people who want to make an extra income. I still have close ties with copy writers who earn at least 250k a year, without doing much solicitation, because they are known.
I think that is the second critical part of being a high paid copywriter. First is being able to sell stuff by remote means (talking of Direct Response Copy writing, not that many 250k creative agency types)...
So, if you can get results with your copy, then you must be given the opportunity to prove it.
And this is where the BOG DOWN happens. I still belong to all the Facebook Groups on Copy, and there are now tens of thousands hopefuls, and 98% of them won't make it. They may create a job for themselves, hope they do if that is what they want.
But even if a newer person has "the chops", they seldom get THE CHANCE. I think that is where someone likes me comes in. I can't guarantee to anyone they will get a great gig from an established marketer, but I can guarantee I'll do my part and make the introductions, and get the CHANCE. Alas, I am not selling any how to courses, or how to write copy...too many of those out there already.
And I won't be my normal cheap commodity, since I can't sell 1,000 copies for 25 bux, I have to flip those numbers around.
Well, NOT 25k, although that would be a bargain just to get your work in front of a guy with a 100 million a year marketing company who pays top commissions....a BARGAIN. But I will determine the actual cost based on what you bring to the table. Kind of a pay what you think you are worth. Do you think you can write copy that sells something? BECAUSE if you can, I've got friends in high places ready to give you a chance. Contact me for details and be prepared for sticker shock.
I don't know how much of SowPub will get updated, fixed, links removed, etc. we know we have some housekeeping to do...and Dien will be busy changing diapers and writing copy, and physics, all his stuff...
And I'll be in LA LA LAND, standing on street corners with my cardboard sign in hand...SCRIPTS FOR FOOD.
Oh, sure, I'm hoping for the FOUR SEASONS in Paris, but depending on how thin I get, maybe Scripts for a Big Mac. HA!
I have the rest of Feb. OFF (so to speak) which is why I've got some time to post and try to get all caught up.
So, what YOU got going on in 2020?
Gordon
