Direct Response Copywriter on What it Takes to Succeed

For whatever reason(s) lot of nascent direct response copywriters have contacted me in the last three months asking for career advice.

Here’s the problem: unrealistic expectations.

Clayton Makepeace, currently the #1 copywriter in the world, writes in the beginning of his two-volume copywriting manual, “copywriting is not a get rick quick scheme” … or words to that effect. I totally agree.

Here’s one thing people have to understand in the world of direct response copywriting … a lot of copywriters, and I won’t name names, plus a lot of companies/entities who sell products and services to aspiring copywriters, and again, I won’t name names, tell boldfaced lies about copywriting.

You have to remember this: I’ve been writing copy pretty much my entire professional life so I know the business extremely well. There’s a lot I don’t know, which is why I’m always trying to learn and discover more, but I know more than the people who call or email me asking for advice. I know a lot more than these nascent copywriters.

Writing branding copy is super-easy because it’s not accountable. But writing direct response copy is extremely difficult because it’s accountable plus you have to have a serious grasp of direct response copywriting techniques.

For every 500 people who strive to get into direct response copywriting based on the “six-figure … work on the beach” promise, 499 fail. Why? Because they think it’s a get rich quick scheme where they will be earning well over $100,000 in the next 6 months, just by showing up.

The somewhat tired cliché of the “10,000 hours” applies.

It’s not really all that complicated.

Success in this business requires experience, hard work, graft, persistence, desire, passion, thorough knowledge of the techniques, great clients, plus marketing expertise. Anyone who thinks otherwise has bought into a promise that can’t be kept.

*

I'm a direct response copywriter working for clients around the world. Enter your information to the right for my free series: Seven Steps to High Converting Copy. Or [contact me here][2] when you have a project you'd like to discuss. I'm also a Dan Kennedy certified copywriter for information products.