One of the keys to making more money as a freelance copywriter is being able to write good copy quickly. The faster you write, the more you can write. The more you can write, the more money you can make. Here are three tips on how to write copy faster (and probably better, to):
- Work from an outline. If you're a copywriter who's earned your stripes, you already have an intuitive sense of the structure of good sales copy (different structure for different media or format, of course… But always a basic structure for each). It's a good idea to have that outline available to use as a template (in Microsoft Word, for instance). Save yourself the mental effort of having to create the structure from scratch each time; organize your notes, clippings, and bits of copy within the outline. That way, when you're ready to start writing, all your preliminary scribblings are at least in the right order.
- Speak, don't type. As long as you aren't experiencing physiological or neurological problems, you speak much faster than you type. If you're working from an outline (as suggested above) you should be able to dictate your copy at an incredibly rapid pace. You can either use software, such as DragonDictate, or you can pay to have a human being transcribe your copy. Either way, it'll be much faster and more efficient. Unless you're my friend Michel Fortin, who has supernatural typing ability.
- Build up a bank of “copy chunks”. Chances are, if you do much writing for clients, you end up writing very similar opens, guarantees, closing segments, and so forth. Why not start collecting those “chunks” of copy, so you can simply cut and paste them into your first draft? This technique alone can save you many hours of laborious and needlessly repetitive work.
Here's to speedier copy for you!
By the way, if you make your living writing copy (or you want to), you might be interested in my new project.
I’ll be launching a brand-new print newsletter very soon, and it’s just for copywriters who want more clients… juicier assignments… and bigger fees… fast. Sign up for the Early-Bird Notification List by clicking here.