Author: Alan Sharpebr
Source: articleage.combr
br
Aspiring copywriter, be warned.
Dont expect to retire this year and still make more
money than most doctors. Paul Hollingshead and The
American Writers Artists Institute say you can.
According to their website, all that you need to do is
take Michael Mastersons Accelerated Program for
Six-Figure Copywriting, which teaches you to
write simple letters.
Are they realistic? I say no.
I have been a copywriter for over 15 years and I
made a six-figure income last year (2005). But I did
not do it by working only a few hours a day. I did
not do it by writing one, maybe two letters a
month. If I worked that little I would starve. The
bank would foreclose on my house.
Can you really retire from the job youre in now and
earn more money than most doctors, lawyers, or
other well-schooled professionals, as The American
Writers Artists Institute claims you can?
I doubt it.
Direct mail copywriting is a skill. Its not easy. There
are no simple secrets. You cannot learn the craft in
a few months by email. I did not learn the trade by
correspondence course and I know of not a single
copywriter writing and earning at my level who did.
They learned the hard way that writing sales letters
is hard.
The best in the industry earn good money but they
also work very, very hard. Consider the
proof.
BOB BLY
Author: The Copywriters Handbook
Copywriter for 25 years.
Earns $500,000 a year.
Works 12 hours a day, five days a week.
STEVE SLAUNWHITE
Author: Start and Run a Copywriting
Business
Copywriter for 16 years.
Earns six-figure income annually.
Works 40 hours a week.
IVAN LEVISON
Copywriter for 27 years.
Earns six-figure income annually.
Works 40 hours a week.
CLAIM #1
The American Writers Artists Institute claims
that over the course of a year, you can easily earn
anywhere from $30,000 to $240,000 in writing fees
alone.
REALITY
I say earning a living as a copywriter is not easy.
Why should anyone ever think it is? In what other
career can you possibly make $240,000 a
year easily, unless you are robbing banks, dealing
cocaine or running a prostitution ring?
CLAIM #2
The American Writers Artists Institute claims that
you can be just like the people that have all the free
time in the world to travel . . . to spend with their
kids . . . to lower their golf scores . . . to really enjoy
life.
REALITY
As a full-time, professional copywriter, you will not
have all the free time you want. Your clients
deadlines will determine how much free time you
have. No one is going to pay you to play with your
kids or improve your golf score.
CLAIM #3
The American Writers Artists Institute claims You
Dont Need To Be A Writer To Be
Successful.
REALITY
The only people who make a lot of money as direct
response copywriters are the ones who are excellent
writers. You cannot reach their status just by
learning the few powerful secrets that make them
successful.
CLAIM #4
Heres the promise that Paul Hollingshead, co-founder
of The American Writers Artists Institute,
makes: Ill also show you how the very first letter
you write can earn you $10,000 in cash and
launch you on your brand-new writing career faster
than you ever thought possible!
HERES YOUR REALITY CHECK
How many people actually start out as a brand-new
direct response copywriter with no experience, no
clients, no portfolio, zero visibility in the industry and
no reputation and manage to persuade their first
ever client to pay them $10,000 for their first letter?
Not many. When you start, you are a novice. The
clients who pay that kind of money for one letter
wont even talk with a novice. And the clients who
will talk with a novice wont pay that kind of
money.
If you take Michael Mastersons Accelerated Program
for Six-Figure Copywriting course through AWAI, I
wish you every success. I am sure that the course is
excellent and that the people who run it are ethical.
But the one big check you can plan on receiving
when you graduate and start out on your own is a
reality check.
Thats because the folks who promote lucrative
business opportunities like Michael Mastersons
Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting
usually talk about gross income and never mention
net income. They show you examples of individuals
who earn $100,000 or $300,000 a year writing simple
letters. I am sure these people exist. But they are
not the norm.
Starting a business costs money. Operating a
successful business costs money. Every well-paid,
self-employed copywriter has expenses. Heres the
reality.
AVERAGE ANNUAL EXPENSES OF SHARPE COPY,
INC.
Accounting/legal fees: $2,000
Advertising: 2,912
Banking fees: 762
Membership fees: 1,000
Office supplies: 5,244
Reference materials: 500
Subcontractors: 20,000
Telephone, cell: 600
Telephone, office: 1,460
Travel: 800
Website: 4,160
TOTAL: $39,438
I earn six figures a year as a direct mail copywriter
but I spend almost $40,000 a year to generate that
kind of income. Thats my reality. Knowing this,
should you believe that you can take a
correspondence course, retire to a quaint village in
Vermont, and then earn more than a doctor makes
working only a few hours a day writing simple letters?
If you manage to pull it off, let me know.
ฉ 2006 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the About the Author message).
—-
About the author
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.
ฉ 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the About the author message).br
br
br
br
Tags: american writers, artists institute, artists institute claims, direct mail, institute claims