A lot of people are attracted to the idea of being a freelance copywriter because you get to be your own boss, work from home and you can make a good living writing copy for ad agencies, in-house agencies and other businesses.
Freelance copywriter Kimberley Freeman successfully made the transition from a copywriter at an advertising agency to a freelance copywriter on her own. Now she shares her insight in this industry profile.
How did you get your start in advertising?
Before I made the decision to go to ad school, I worked for a local marketing and design firm. It was a way of dipping my toe in to test the waters, and I offered to write copy whenever I saw an opportunity. I loved writing press releases and ad copy, and the clients liked my work. A year later, I signed up for ad school, so I could create a more interesting portfolio than I would have acquired staying on at the job and working on packaged chicken.
How did you decide to make the leap from ad agency gig to freelancer?
After two jobs at New York City ad agencies, I came to Atlanta and found a Creative Director I wanted to work with at a mid-sized agency. When he quit and the new CD came in spitting nails, I was ready to get out. This was in the mid-90s, and the CD who left was starting a virtual agency with a well-known Account Executive.
It was a great freelance gig until the partners split; my golden goose and all the eggs were gone. That's when I had to really work at building business as a freelance copywriter.
Walk us through your day as a freelancer.
Despite the image of freelancers dragging out of bed at 10:00 in their pajamas, most mornings start around 9:00 when clients start calling with urgent requests or replies to the previous day's work. Yes, you can work in your pajamas, but you hardly feel sharp sitting there talking to a client in your nightgown.
There is no typical day as a freelance copywriter, but today, I did an interview to use in a company newsletter, revised a radio script, and fielded an inquiry from a potential new client who found my website via Google. Most client phone calls come first thing in the morning or at the tail end of the day. There's an odd proportion of requests that come in around Friday at 4:30, which almost always means weekend work.
What are the advantages of being a freelancer?
I used to think being a freelancer meant working the hours you want, and taking the clients you want. More often it comes down to working on rush jobs for agencies who are in a bind, or creative directors who are at their wit's end and call me in at the last minute when they've exhausted in-house resources.
Still, the advantage of working from home (or wherever you feel like taking the laptop) is great, and not having to report into an office and deal with office politics is a huge bonus. The seven-second commute is nice, too.
The disadvantages?
Taxes. Roughly 40% of every check from a client goes to quarterly taxes, and those payments have to be made on time. Keeping a separate bank account for taxes is a good idea. The other main disadvantage is that you are somewhat isolated from the vibrant energy of a group culture found at most agencies.
What tips do you have for someone who's just starting out as a freelancer?
Get a good designer to create some sharp-looking business cards and letterhead for you. Make sure you have at least two base clients before leaving an agency and going freelance. Starting as a freelancer is tough, but if you are good at networking and doing comp ads, you have a great head start.