A ‘copywriter’ is someone who writes advertising and marketing materials for a living. The ‘copy’ that gets written ranges from headlines, slogans and jingles, to radio and TV commercials to print ads, sales letters, web site content, brochures, direct mail, emails, press releases, articles, product instructions, user manuals, magalogs, infomercials, ezines, business reports and proposals, catalogs, billboards, signs, cereal boxes, resumes – and the list goes on.

A copywriter can work for an advertising agency, a corporate marketing department or – as in my case –for oneself (AKA ‘Freelance Copywriter). While advertising copywriters use their skills to persuade people to buy a wide range of goods and services, there are copywriters who specialize in specific areas or niches.

Copywriting niches include:

Business to Business, Business to Consumer, Technical, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Health Care, Fund Raising, Direct Response, SEO, Publicity, Greeting Cards, Food, Restaurants, Banking, Investing, Sweepstakes, Education, Gaming, Real Estate, Travel, Pets, Fashion, Fitness, Sports, Outdoor Living, Multi-lingual, Cosmetics, Skin Care, Upscale/Luxury Markets, Insurance, Obituaries, etc. and so on.

That is, by no means, a complete list – just what I can think of at the moment. There are endless niches within those niches, too. So, for anyone interested in a copywriting career, there is life beyond Michael Masterson.

Now back to what copywriters do. For those in a corporate environment, the day frequently involves teaming up with partners – other copywriters, graphic artists, even attorneys. There will be research about the product or service in question and the people most likely to buy. There will be creative brainstorming, planning and discussions and, ultimately, the copywriter will face the blank page. Write copywriter write!

For a freelance writer with a home office, life can be somewhat less frenzied. Meetings are usually in somebody else’s office and often conducted by phone. For anyone who thrives on noise and constant interaction, freelancing from home can be quite the challenge.

Personally, I enjoy the solitude, but have to be careful not to get sidetracked by unrelated phone calls, emails, snail mail, household chores, family members, etc. There are days when looking at that blank page can be quite the staring match. And, yes, sometimes the blank page wins. But then there are the days, and the nights, and the weekends a copywriter faces the keyboard ... and writes an article just like this.

© 2008 Phyllis Schwartz. All rights reserved.

NOTE: There appears to be some confusion between the words “copywrite” and copyright. “Copyrighting” is a form of protection provided by the US government for something you write or create ... from books to plays to – what else – copywriting. Want to know more? Be sure to check out my article “About Copyrights” at: http://www.bettercopywriting.com/copyrights.html