Copywriting is quite a different type of writing than other forms. It’s essentially creating marketing or advertising content for companies. While some people think it could be a quick and easy profession to get into, it isn’t for everyone. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of being a copywriter.
Pro: Copywriting is often a freelance position, which means flexibility.
One of the great things about copywriting is that you can work for a company directly, or you can freelance. While a corporate position can offer a lot more stability in your career, freelancing provides more flexibility. You can work from home, which means your potential net of customers is much larger, because you don’t have to commit yourself to a single business. You can also adjust your hours accordingly—if you don’t want to work full time, only want to work once a month, or suddenly decide to take a year long sabbatical, you can do those things.
Con: When you work freelance, there’s no one around to make sure you get paid.
Because of the aforementioned flexibility, being a freelance copywriter can be a great position for someone with a family—as long as you have a stable source of supplemental income. The unfortunate aspect of this is that you aren’t guaranteed work. A company can lay you off if there isn’t enough work for their employees, although there are often benefits and a grace period that allows you to seek alternative employment. As a freelance copywriter, you have to be prepared to find new projects one right after the other—and that isn’t always going to happen.
Pro: You get to be creative and inquisitive.
Copywriting is a form of writing itself. You get to utilize the creativity that comes with all forms of writing, but you also have to enjoy doing research and learning new things. You aren’t writing from your own point of view, you have to be able to express what the company wants. You also have to understand your audience in a different way from someone who’s writing novels or even technical manuals.
Con: You have to keep yourself motivated and be quite disciplined.
Particularly as a freelance copywriter, you have to be able to make yourself work. This isn’t always easy, especially if you work from home. If you don’t have the dedication to keep yourself on task, (freelance) copywriting may not be a good choice for you.
Pro: It can be a lot of fun, with an array of different projects.
Copywriting provides variety. Even working for a single company, you’re often assigned to different products. Whether you’re writing jingles or designing billboards, it’s important to create new and innovative techniques. One of the great things about copywriting is that it seldom gets boring.
Con: It can be an extremely stressful job.
On the other hand, copywriting is not for people with a tendency to become stressed. You may be working with heads of departments or companies who are obnoxiously egotistical bosses. When you have a project deadline coming up, you may have to put in a lot of long hours. Not everyone is comfortable selling themselves, but if you want to find jobs, you have to. For naturally reserved individuals, this can be the hardest part. But what’s perhaps that hardest part for everyone, is that if the work just isn’t there, you’re going to have a lot of trouble making money.
