Starting this week I will be posting different copy blocks to this blog to showcase my ability to write persuasive copy. I will be posting new copy on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I will also be adding all new copy to my business website at catalogwriter.net
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
One Reader's Email
I received an email recently from a newbie in the catalog copywriting industry. She read one of my articles and had a few questions for me. And for your reading pleasure I am posting the email and my responses below. I changed the name to protect her identity.
Hello Mr. Washington,
My name is Karen K. and I am new to catalog copywriting. I saw your excellent article on ezinearticles.com and I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me:
1. Should I buy AWAI's catalog copywriting course, or is that mostly a scam?
2. Do cold-calling and/or cold-emailing tactics work with catalogs?
3. Is it truly possible to make a living from writing solely for catalogs, or is that just hype? Can I focus on print catalogs and still make a good living from it?
If you could please take a couple of minutes to answer these questions for me, I would be truly grateful. Thank you.
-Karen K.
Karen,
1. I have not bought the course from AWAI but I was thinking about it. It does not seem like a scam, I believe the course is everything they say it is but it is just a tool to get you started. As for you, I think you have to access how much you know about the industry and your confidence that you know enough to take action without spending the $400.
I did all my research online and by reading a few books. I put together a couple of strategies to find new clients. For instance, I ordered catalogs I was interested in writing for and rewrote some of the copy I knew could be better. Then I query the catalog and provide the copy I rewrote if they request it. Maybe AWAI’s course can show you a better way, I don’t know.
2. I have not cold called catalog companies. I do send them a cold email and I get about a 3% response. I am currently looking to improve that percentage.
3. As for making a living, I am not a full time writer which means I have a day job. But yes it is possible to support yourself writing exclusively for print catalogs. That is what I do. Also don’t be so quick to dismiss writing for online catalogs because they represent a huge market.
I hope you found the answers you were looking for.
Sincerely,
Garren
Hello Mr. Washington,
My name is Karen K. and I am new to catalog copywriting. I saw your excellent article on ezinearticles.com and I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me:
1. Should I buy AWAI's catalog copywriting course, or is that mostly a scam?
2. Do cold-calling and/or cold-emailing tactics work with catalogs?
3. Is it truly possible to make a living from writing solely for catalogs, or is that just hype? Can I focus on print catalogs and still make a good living from it?
If you could please take a couple of minutes to answer these questions for me, I would be truly grateful. Thank you.
-Karen K.
Karen,
1. I have not bought the course from AWAI but I was thinking about it. It does not seem like a scam, I believe the course is everything they say it is but it is just a tool to get you started. As for you, I think you have to access how much you know about the industry and your confidence that you know enough to take action without spending the $400.
I did all my research online and by reading a few books. I put together a couple of strategies to find new clients. For instance, I ordered catalogs I was interested in writing for and rewrote some of the copy I knew could be better. Then I query the catalog and provide the copy I rewrote if they request it. Maybe AWAI’s course can show you a better way, I don’t know.
2. I have not cold called catalog companies. I do send them a cold email and I get about a 3% response. I am currently looking to improve that percentage.
3. As for making a living, I am not a full time writer which means I have a day job. But yes it is possible to support yourself writing exclusively for print catalogs. That is what I do. Also don’t be so quick to dismiss writing for online catalogs because they represent a huge market.
I hope you found the answers you were looking for.
Sincerely,
Garren
Sunday, July 19, 2009
35 copy blocks
I ordered 7 catalogs to my house. They had to do with my top interests starting with basketball. Once they arrive I will comb through each catalog finding the blocks with the worst copy. Then I'll rewrite them and send them to the decision maker in charge of hiring new copywriters. Thats another 35 copy blocks at 5 per catalog.
Once I'm done I'll also put them on my website www.catalogwriter.net/samples. After I order more than 15-20 catalogs I might start thinking about renting a post office box. We'll see. I am also going to work on a FAQ page for my website and a list of my favorite links for catalogwriter.blogspot.com
Stay tuned for what's next.
Once I'm done I'll also put them on my website www.catalogwriter.net/samples. After I order more than 15-20 catalogs I might start thinking about renting a post office box. We'll see. I am also going to work on a FAQ page for my website and a list of my favorite links for catalogwriter.blogspot.com
Stay tuned for what's next.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Catalog writing is for me!
The final installment is here. Part three in a three part series on why Catalog writing is for me! Let's get right to it...
Resume writers perform a much needed service to those in the job market. They deal with those who need to present themselves in the very best light focusing on their talents and accomplishments. The work includes taking information the customer has provided, interviewing them further and combining it all into a document the customer can use as another asset in helping them get a high paying job. Resume writers can freelance or work for a resume writing service. In my opinion, the writing seems to be very monotonous.
Screenwriters write scripts for movies and TV. It is difficult to break into this industry because so much of it requires the writer to live and write in one of the major production cities like LA or New York. It is not impossible though. One in a hundred scripts are accepted for production and then even fewer actually make it to the screen. I am in the process of writing a screenplay and I hope to one day get a script produced. In conclusion, you need a lot of hard work (practice), a little bit of luck and it doesn't hurt to know someone in the business that has the pull to get your screenplay made.
Being a Songwriter usually means you are a musician too. There are a few people who write solely for artists and recording studios and they can make a living as long as they have several clients contacting them for songs. For most, though, writing songs is just a side income.
Speech writers write speeches for company leaders and politicians. They are knowledgeable about the topic at hand and the speaker's style. Many marketing bureaus and political parties keep a staff on the payroll for just this purpose. If you can prove yourself in the industry writing speeches can be very financially rewarding.
Staff writers are full time writers with job security. Sounds great but staff writers are told what to write. Deadlines are essential to keeping your job. If this doesn't bother you than go for it. It is extremely competitive but in most cases a staff job means more income than working as a freelancer. And don't forget that all your work becomes property of the company you're writing for.
If you want to get into a lucrative industry few can top that of a Technical writer. These writers are the one who write user manuals and textbooks among other items. Once hired if a good job is done they can expect more work updating old and writing new documentation for the same company. You'll need substantial knowledge about what you're writing as well as a methodical process and the ability to make the complex, simple. This is another area where you can work for a large company or freelance to smaller companies, with both making a tidy sum.
As a Catalog Writer I would fall into the group of writers called Copywriters. Copywriters write words that sell a product or service. Whether it be a television commercial, a billboard, a radio spot, a sales letter or a copy block in a catalog, copywriters make a killing once they have proven their words can move products off the shelf. Their is less competition in catalog writing (on staff or freelance) versus working at an ad agency. The assignments take days to complete instead of the weeks it could take you to write an 8 page sales letter selling anything from vitamins to newspaper subscriptions. Catalog copywriters charge on average $100 per copy block with the range going as low as $50 and as high as $250. The writing stays fresh because you spend a few days writing for one catalog and then you move on to another catalog with completely different products if that is what you want. You could also specialize by writing for a small niche. You would then become the go to writer for that industry. With the catalog industry expected to grow to over $200 billion in the next few years and with over 17,000 different catalogs (11,000 retail and 6,000 b2b) their is no shortage of work. So, to wrap it all up this is the reason why Catalog writing is for me!
Resume writers perform a much needed service to those in the job market. They deal with those who need to present themselves in the very best light focusing on their talents and accomplishments. The work includes taking information the customer has provided, interviewing them further and combining it all into a document the customer can use as another asset in helping them get a high paying job. Resume writers can freelance or work for a resume writing service. In my opinion, the writing seems to be very monotonous.
Screenwriters write scripts for movies and TV. It is difficult to break into this industry because so much of it requires the writer to live and write in one of the major production cities like LA or New York. It is not impossible though. One in a hundred scripts are accepted for production and then even fewer actually make it to the screen. I am in the process of writing a screenplay and I hope to one day get a script produced. In conclusion, you need a lot of hard work (practice), a little bit of luck and it doesn't hurt to know someone in the business that has the pull to get your screenplay made.
Being a Songwriter usually means you are a musician too. There are a few people who write solely for artists and recording studios and they can make a living as long as they have several clients contacting them for songs. For most, though, writing songs is just a side income.
Speech writers write speeches for company leaders and politicians. They are knowledgeable about the topic at hand and the speaker's style. Many marketing bureaus and political parties keep a staff on the payroll for just this purpose. If you can prove yourself in the industry writing speeches can be very financially rewarding.
Staff writers are full time writers with job security. Sounds great but staff writers are told what to write. Deadlines are essential to keeping your job. If this doesn't bother you than go for it. It is extremely competitive but in most cases a staff job means more income than working as a freelancer. And don't forget that all your work becomes property of the company you're writing for.
If you want to get into a lucrative industry few can top that of a Technical writer. These writers are the one who write user manuals and textbooks among other items. Once hired if a good job is done they can expect more work updating old and writing new documentation for the same company. You'll need substantial knowledge about what you're writing as well as a methodical process and the ability to make the complex, simple. This is another area where you can work for a large company or freelance to smaller companies, with both making a tidy sum.
As a Catalog Writer I would fall into the group of writers called Copywriters. Copywriters write words that sell a product or service. Whether it be a television commercial, a billboard, a radio spot, a sales letter or a copy block in a catalog, copywriters make a killing once they have proven their words can move products off the shelf. Their is less competition in catalog writing (on staff or freelance) versus working at an ad agency. The assignments take days to complete instead of the weeks it could take you to write an 8 page sales letter selling anything from vitamins to newspaper subscriptions. Catalog copywriters charge on average $100 per copy block with the range going as low as $50 and as high as $250. The writing stays fresh because you spend a few days writing for one catalog and then you move on to another catalog with completely different products if that is what you want. You could also specialize by writing for a small niche. You would then become the go to writer for that industry. With the catalog industry expected to grow to over $200 billion in the next few years and with over 17,000 different catalogs (11,000 retail and 6,000 b2b) their is no shortage of work. So, to wrap it all up this is the reason why Catalog writing is for me!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Catalog writing is for me!
This is the second post in a series of three. Last time I talked about Academic writers, article writers, erotica writers, video game writers, ghost writers and grant writers. Today I'm going to continue telling you why Catalog writing is for me.
Journalists are the writers who need a college degree most of the time. They also must keep strict deadlines. Even though journalists' writing is read by millions of people on both the local and national levels their work is only relevant for a short period of time. And news writing isn't really my interest.
Non-fiction writers are able to convert a large amount of knowledge into a readable format that informs the reader. They usually work hand in hand with the publisher to get the book done. They also tend to write one book at a time within a narrow field of topics. While a good living can be made from writing non-fiction full time work is difficult to come by.
The main virtue of a Novelist is the ability to plan and complete a written story usually up to 200,000 words depending on the genre you write for. It is very hard to write a full length story (that will sell) in under a year, but it can be done. The pay varies depending on the experience level and success of previous books if there are any. Typically, new novelists earn an advance of $1,000 to $5,000 against royalties which means you get that money upfront but you won't see another dime if and until the book does well enough to pay the publisher back. The ultimate goal of a novelist is to make it to the bestseller list where the royalties can actually support yourself.
Online writers are best described as those who do a major part of their writing for websites and e-zines. The pay for a published online writer is usually lower and the prestige less than those who publish on paper. One advantage to writing online is the market is huge. But try to remember that there are many unscrupulous publishers who take advantage of amateurs by publishing them without paying them. Many writers are OK with that because it gives them experience and a chance to hone their skills before moving onto being published on paper.
While writing a Play may be more glamorous than other forms of writing, the potential for a sustainable income is low. There is a limited market for new plays and playwrights to make a career out of their type of writing. To get a play made largely depends on living in the right market with the right connections. I am a writer not a politician.
Poets tend to be the lowest paid writers in the business. This is one reason I don't want to write poems as a career, maybe on the side I would write but any monetary gain would be icing on the cake and not the actual cake which is needed if I wanted eat as a result of my poetry.
Next time I will wrap up this 3 part series on why catalog writing is for me! I will be discussing resume writers, screenwriters, songwriters, speech writers, staff writers and technical writers. Thanks for reading.
Journalists are the writers who need a college degree most of the time. They also must keep strict deadlines. Even though journalists' writing is read by millions of people on both the local and national levels their work is only relevant for a short period of time. And news writing isn't really my interest.
Non-fiction writers are able to convert a large amount of knowledge into a readable format that informs the reader. They usually work hand in hand with the publisher to get the book done. They also tend to write one book at a time within a narrow field of topics. While a good living can be made from writing non-fiction full time work is difficult to come by.
The main virtue of a Novelist is the ability to plan and complete a written story usually up to 200,000 words depending on the genre you write for. It is very hard to write a full length story (that will sell) in under a year, but it can be done. The pay varies depending on the experience level and success of previous books if there are any. Typically, new novelists earn an advance of $1,000 to $5,000 against royalties which means you get that money upfront but you won't see another dime if and until the book does well enough to pay the publisher back. The ultimate goal of a novelist is to make it to the bestseller list where the royalties can actually support yourself.
Online writers are best described as those who do a major part of their writing for websites and e-zines. The pay for a published online writer is usually lower and the prestige less than those who publish on paper. One advantage to writing online is the market is huge. But try to remember that there are many unscrupulous publishers who take advantage of amateurs by publishing them without paying them. Many writers are OK with that because it gives them experience and a chance to hone their skills before moving onto being published on paper.
While writing a Play may be more glamorous than other forms of writing, the potential for a sustainable income is low. There is a limited market for new plays and playwrights to make a career out of their type of writing. To get a play made largely depends on living in the right market with the right connections. I am a writer not a politician.
Poets tend to be the lowest paid writers in the business. This is one reason I don't want to write poems as a career, maybe on the side I would write but any monetary gain would be icing on the cake and not the actual cake which is needed if I wanted eat as a result of my poetry.
Next time I will wrap up this 3 part series on why catalog writing is for me! I will be discussing resume writers, screenwriters, songwriters, speech writers, staff writers and technical writers. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Catalog writing is for me!
This is a three part post discussing the many opportunities for writers.
Before I made the decision to write for catalogs, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I just didn't know what kind of writer - so I did some research. Here is what I found...
Academic writers write for little to no pay. They are scholars, teachers and scientists and competition to be published in academic magazines is fierce. If they don't get paid to write articles and/or books - what's the reason so many people want to be published by these no pay jobs? Simple, it can further their career because being published in this way is a great honor. While I would enjoy the prestige of this type of career I still need to support myself.
There is a huge market for writing Articles. Whether it be a travel writer, food writer or medical writer, I would need specialized knowledge in a particular field to carve out a niche for myself. As well as a steady stream of ideas for non-fiction articles I also would need many magazines to write for in order to succeed. At the end of the day it isn't my cup of tea.
Erotica writers are paid well (up to $1 per word for short stories), but writing erotic stories day in and day out is bound to drive me too boredom very fast. I want variety in the topics I write - not to repeat a handful of standard plots and coarse language. Even though some writers start out in this way and prefer to remain anonymous, this type of writing doesn't do it for me.
Writing for Video games involves creating the plots, characters, surroundings and dialogue of a video game. Typically, these writers write with a group of people from the start including programmers and artists to determine if the game is feasible to create. Some writers are on a staff and some freelance. The latter is what I would have chosen but I read that they write for their share of the royalties the game generates. So if the game is a complete failure I won't get paid. Since I have no say in anything other than the writing there are too many variables involved that could eat away at my royalties. I wasn't willing to take that risk.
Ghost writers are writers who write for other people, like celebrities. The work is challenging because there is a lot of research that goes into it like planning the book with the customer, interviews (sometime several), rewrites as well as being able to capture some of the customer's writing style. Depending on the customer's media profile the pay can be from ok to fantastic. If I wrote a book, under my name or for someone else I would want the credit. That's why this industry isn't for me.
Grant writers write applications for grants from governmental and private institutions. Substantial knowledge of law and business language is a requirement to be successful in this industry. I have the business knowledge since I worked as a business broker (a broker who sells businesses like laundromats, restaurants, franchises and check cashing stores) but lack in the law department. It seems like there would be a tremendous learning curve and I knew there were other markets without such a high price to break into. So I ruled grant writers out.
This concludes part 1 of 3. Next time I will cover journalists, non fiction book writers, novelists, online writers, play writers and poetry writers. Thanks for reading... see you next time.
Before I made the decision to write for catalogs, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I just didn't know what kind of writer - so I did some research. Here is what I found...
Academic writers write for little to no pay. They are scholars, teachers and scientists and competition to be published in academic magazines is fierce. If they don't get paid to write articles and/or books - what's the reason so many people want to be published by these no pay jobs? Simple, it can further their career because being published in this way is a great honor. While I would enjoy the prestige of this type of career I still need to support myself.
There is a huge market for writing Articles. Whether it be a travel writer, food writer or medical writer, I would need specialized knowledge in a particular field to carve out a niche for myself. As well as a steady stream of ideas for non-fiction articles I also would need many magazines to write for in order to succeed. At the end of the day it isn't my cup of tea.
Erotica writers are paid well (up to $1 per word for short stories), but writing erotic stories day in and day out is bound to drive me too boredom very fast. I want variety in the topics I write - not to repeat a handful of standard plots and coarse language. Even though some writers start out in this way and prefer to remain anonymous, this type of writing doesn't do it for me.
Writing for Video games involves creating the plots, characters, surroundings and dialogue of a video game. Typically, these writers write with a group of people from the start including programmers and artists to determine if the game is feasible to create. Some writers are on a staff and some freelance. The latter is what I would have chosen but I read that they write for their share of the royalties the game generates. So if the game is a complete failure I won't get paid. Since I have no say in anything other than the writing there are too many variables involved that could eat away at my royalties. I wasn't willing to take that risk.
Ghost writers are writers who write for other people, like celebrities. The work is challenging because there is a lot of research that goes into it like planning the book with the customer, interviews (sometime several), rewrites as well as being able to capture some of the customer's writing style. Depending on the customer's media profile the pay can be from ok to fantastic. If I wrote a book, under my name or for someone else I would want the credit. That's why this industry isn't for me.
Grant writers write applications for grants from governmental and private institutions. Substantial knowledge of law and business language is a requirement to be successful in this industry. I have the business knowledge since I worked as a business broker (a broker who sells businesses like laundromats, restaurants, franchises and check cashing stores) but lack in the law department. It seems like there would be a tremendous learning curve and I knew there were other markets without such a high price to break into. So I ruled grant writers out.
This concludes part 1 of 3. Next time I will cover journalists, non fiction book writers, novelists, online writers, play writers and poetry writers. Thanks for reading... see you next time.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Catalog writer's 1st steps
One of the first things I did once I decided I wanted to write copy for catalogs is I determined what my interests are so I can write with more knowledge and passion in that particular industry. I came up with 19 different industries. Here they are (with the most knowledge and interest I have in them first)...
Top Interests
1. basketball
2. computers
3. martial arts
4. electronics/gadgets
5. cars
6. movies
7. tennis
8. cigars
9. sports & recreation
10. clothes
11. music
12. sneakers
13. food
14. pets (dogs and cats)
15. telecommunications
16. real estate
17. video games
18. hardware/tools
19. home improvement
When I contact catalogs for business I start with the industries I have the most passion for, i.e. basketball is my number one industry and I know there are quite a few catalogs circulating that center around basketball related products. By the time I get to number 18 and 19 I'm hoping I've contacted a few hundred catalogs. That should be enough to keep me busy for now.
The second thing I did was wrote out some samples for potential clients to put my writing on display. You can view my first 5 copy blocks on my website.
Also with the help of a few sites on the internet I created a query letter to send out to catalog owners and directors. That query letter is below...
Name
Title
Business Name
Address
Address
Date,
Dear Name,
My name is Garren Washington and I am a copywriter specializing in catalogs. I am seeking the opportunity to write copy blocks for this catalog. I have enclosed a few writing samples as well as all my contact information.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Garren Washington
My address
Raleigh, NC
718-213-XXXX
catalogwriter.blogspot.com
catalogwriter.net
catalogwriter@gmail.com
Top Interests
1. basketball
2. computers
3. martial arts
4. electronics/gadgets
5. cars
6. movies
7. tennis
8. cigars
9. sports & recreation
10. clothes
11. music
12. sneakers
13. food
14. pets (dogs and cats)
15. telecommunications
16. real estate
17. video games
18. hardware/tools
19. home improvement
When I contact catalogs for business I start with the industries I have the most passion for, i.e. basketball is my number one industry and I know there are quite a few catalogs circulating that center around basketball related products. By the time I get to number 18 and 19 I'm hoping I've contacted a few hundred catalogs. That should be enough to keep me busy for now.
The second thing I did was wrote out some samples for potential clients to put my writing on display. You can view my first 5 copy blocks on my website.
Also with the help of a few sites on the internet I created a query letter to send out to catalog owners and directors. That query letter is below...
Name
Title
Business Name
Address
Address
Date,
Dear Name,
My name is Garren Washington and I am a copywriter specializing in catalogs. I am seeking the opportunity to write copy blocks for this catalog. I have enclosed a few writing samples as well as all my contact information.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Garren Washington
My address
Raleigh, NC
718-213-XXXX
catalogwriter.blogspot.com
catalogwriter.net
catalogwriter@gmail.com
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