Copywriting is a business writing: writing to promote and persuade. It's been called salesmanship in print, and that's precisely what it is. I'm often asked by people considering copywriting whether they have the talent for it.

Do you have the talent to become a copywriter? Talent isn't as important as application. If you enjoy writing, and you're prepared to practice your skills you can become a copywriter. I should warn you however, that when you start writing copy you'll never look at advertising in the same way again. You'll develop a critical eye for what makes good copy and what doesn't.

Let's look at the two requirements for copywriting first, and then we'll discuss how you can get started.

* You enjoy writing

It's important that you enjoy writing. In your copywriting career you'll do a lot of it, and if you enjoy it, you'll be more creative. You'll also enjoy practicing your skills.

* You're prepared to practice your skills

Copywriting is fascinating because you get feedback for your writing. That feedback is almost instant in Web copywriting.

As a new copywriter, you'll get lots of practice when you write copy to promote your own business. If you can sell yourself, you'll know how to sell others' goods and services too.

Please notice that I said "practice YOUR skills." Especially online, there's a huge tendency to turn out cookie-cutter copy. While modeling your copy on what's worked in the past will show you structure, it's fatal to use this as a blueprint for writing copy.

The best copywriters past and present are aware of famous pieces of copy, but they don't follow them slavishly. Your aim is to lead the read (or listener or viewer) to take action; use your own instincts based on research of your audience and product.

How to Advertise Yourself As a New Copywriter

When you're just starting out, you have an advantage over an established copywriter. Many clients prefer to work with someone new for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, as a new copywriter, you don't have a big stable of clients to keep happy, so you can focus on those clients you do have - you'll get the copy written quickly. This is appealing to clients who've worked with copywriters before and are told that their favorite copywriter won't be able to tackle the job for three months because he's too busy.

Secondly, new copywriters are less expensive than established pros. While it's true that you get what you pay for, many people are happy to work with someone new and save money.

As a new copywriter, you'll charge less than someone who's been writing for years. You can use these initial jobs for your a portfolio, to help you to get highly paid copywriting gigs as your experience develops.

Therefore, don't be shy about admitting that you're new - people will be glad to hire you, for precisely that reason. Go ahead and advertise yourself as a new copywriter.

Here's a fast way to get started. Write some sample copy: just write some copy either for existing products, or for fictitious products. Then get in touch with a graphics' design company. They're always looking for copywriters, and will be glad to give you a try.