How To Quit Your Day Job As A Copywriter And Go Freelance

Ah, the life of a freelancing copywriter. Sitting in your pajamas on the couch. Working in bed. Having lunch with friends whenever you want. Traveling without worrying about PTO requests. Online shopping between projects (because you’ve paid off your credit cards, of course).

Best of all, working with clients who allow you to use your creativity to solve real-world problems and make money at the same time! Sounds great, right? You’d be surprised how many people dream of being copywriters without realizing just how doable it is to strike out on their own and become full-time freelancers.

I Want To Quit My Job & Become a Freelancer, But I’m Scared!

Takeaways
1. Evaluate your readiness: Assess your skills, experience, and financial stability before making the leap into freelance copywriting.
2. Plan your transition: Create a solid plan that includes building a portfolio, networking, and identifying potential clients.
3. Consider financial aspects: Understand the financial implications of freelancing, including budgeting, managing variable income, and securing health insurance.
4. Build your online presence: Establish a professional website, optimize your online profiles, and showcase your portfolio to attract clients.
5. Maintain professionalism: Communicate professionally with clients, provide excellent service, and deliver projects on time to build a strong reputation.
6. Continuously improve your skills: Invest in ongoing learning, stay updated with industry trends, and refine your copywriting abilities to stay competitive.
7. Network and collaborate: Connect with fellow copywriters, join industry groups, and collaborate on projects to expand your professional network.
8. Stay motivated and disciplined: Freelancing requires self-discipline and motivation. Set goals, establish routines, and stay focused on achieving success.
9. Adapt and evolve: Be flexible and willing to adapt to market changes, embrace new technologies, and diversify your services as needed.
10. Seek support and guidance: Join freelance communities, attend industry events, and seek mentorship to gain insights and support throughout your freelance journey.

Table of Contents

Get To Know Your Local Copywriters

Once you’ve decided to go freelance, it’s time to get to know your local copywriters.

While there are a lot of great resources online, nothing beats meeting and talking with other writers in person. In addition to getting advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about (and who can offer an unbiased look at both sides of the situation), networking with other writers can be incredibly valuable for job opportunities and referrals as well.

Before you take the leap and quit your day job, make sure you consider all the important factors. Check out our article on 13 Things to Consider Before You Quit Your Day Job to ensure a smooth transition into freelancing.

Become An Expert In A Niche Field

Knowing your niche is important because it will help you get more clients, build a reputation and get more referrals. The more experience you have with a certain type of writing or niche, the better you’ll be at it.

When I first started freelancing as a copywriter I was lucky enough to land some big jobs from well-connected friends who knew that I had been studying copywriting for years before jumping into freelancing full time. They referred me because they knew my work ethic and that I would take care of their clients like family (and hopefully earn them some money).

Be Willing To Take On Mundane Projects

When you’re just starting, you’ll likely be able to get work by taking on small projects that nobody else wants to do. You might be asked to write a press release for the company’s next product launch or edit some sales copy. When I started freelancing as a copywriter, this is how I got my foot in the door.

These types of assignments will help you build up your portfolio and experience while also teaching you valuable lessons that will serve you well later down the road (e.g., “don’t ever let anyone talk about ‘branding'”). So don’t turn away an assignment just because it seems uninteresting it may not seem like much now but could very well lead to something bigger down the line!

Credibility Is Everything

One of the most important things you can do to sell yourself as a valuable freelance writer is to get some third-party validation.

Here are a few things that will help you build your credibility:

Ask for references and testimonials from past clients, coworkers, or other experts in your field. They can be used in your marketing materials and on social media. These people should be professionals who have seen what you’re capable of doing firsthand, so they’ll be able to speak about your work with authority.

Ask for portfolio reviews from editors and other subject matter experts (SMEs). You may not know how detailed these should be or how many SMEs will want before asking them directly but it’s worth finding out!

Asking permission before sending this information is also incredibly important because it could save everyone time if they’re not comfortable having their name associated with yours online just yet.

Balancing a full-time job and freelance writing can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Discover our strategies for maintaining your sanity in our post on How I Maintain a Full-Time Job and Freelance Writing Without Losing My Mind.

Practice Makes Perfect

You can’t expect to be great at something right away, and that goes for copywriting too. It takes time and effort to hone your skills as a writer and even longer when you’re learning how to market yourself as a freelancer in an industry where there are very few people who know what they’re doing!

But if you keep practicing, it’ll pay off eventually. You need the practice not only so that your writing quality improves but also so that you can learn how marketing works and gain experience with pitching in person (or over the phone), online (via social media), and through written communication (with proposals).

Network Every Day

Networking is one of the most important things you can do in your freelance career. It’s not enough to just send a cold email or message on Facebook and hope for a response–you have to make it easy for people who might hire you down the line.

So how do you network effectively? Here are some tips:

Network with people you don’t know. You never know where your next job will come from, so it’s important to connect with as many different types of companies as possible.

The easiest way to do this is by attending industry events like conferences or webinars, but if those aren’t available in your area, there are also plenty of online networking opportunities such as Slack channels and Twitter chats.

Network with friends/family/coworkers about others’ projects that might need copywriting services (or anything else).

This is an easy thing that everyone should be doing anyway why not put some intention behind it by making sure everyone involved gets something out of it? If they’re working on something they need help with, let them know that if they ever need someone else’s perspective (like yours), then offer yours up!

This could lead directly to new clients down the road–and even more important relationships too!

Your portfolio is a crucial tool for showcasing your skills and landing freelance gigs. Learn how to create an impressive portfolio with our guide on How to Make a Portfolio That Gets You the Job.

Don’t Overvalue Your Work

Of course, this isn’t as simple as it sounds. You need to be confident in your work and your abilities and to know what you’re worth.

However, if you sell yourself short by undervaluing the value of your services, then no one will want to pay for them. If a client asks how much you’d charge for something and offers only half what you said was fair, then why would they?

A freelancer should always use his feelings about what he’s worth as a guide when opening negotiations with potential clients if he feels like he should charge more than someone else is offering, then that’s where his line in the sand should be drawn.

Build A Website

Once you have a portfolio of work, it’s time to build your website. This is one of the most important things you can do to stand out from the pack and establish yourself as a credible copywriter.

Once your site is up and running, make sure there’s no way for people who might hire you as a freelancer to find their way off of it especially if they’re looking for something specific like “copywriter” or “content creator.”

Build Your Brand With Guest Blogging And Writing Samples

To build your brand, you should create a portfolio of your best work. You can do this through guest blogging and writing samples.

Guest blogging is when you write for other blogs on topics related to your expertise in exchange for visibility and traffic back to yours. This helps you build relationships with influencers in the industry, as well as gain exposure for yourself and your writing skills.

Writing samples are simply examples or copies of pieces that have been published by others (such as articles, blog posts, and white papers). These will help prospective clients see what kind of writer you are, how fast you work, and what kind of quality they can expect from working with you.

Let Your Friends & Family Know You’re Freelancing

The most important thing you’ll need is support. You can’t do it alone, and you will need help from your friends and family.

As a freelancer, you’ll be doing all the things that used to come naturally at work: asking for help when you need it, giving help when someone else needs it, and being able to accept help when offered.

You’ll also have to develop the ability to ask people for favors without feeling guilty (or worrying about the response). And they should feel comfortable doing this with you too!

Freelancing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Discover the moment when everything falls into place in our post on The Moment When Freelancing Isn’t Hard at All.

Use The KiISS Method (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

As a copywriter, you are your boss and you get to set your hours. That being said, it’s important to remember that there is a lot of work involved with being self-employed.

There are going to be times when you just have one project on the go and it can feel like there isn’t much for you to do. In this situation, it might be tempting to try and take on another client or two just because they’re offering money or they seem interesting (or both).

But this can end up eating up all your time and ruining what was supposed to be a relaxing period where nothing was expected from you as a freelancer.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, focus on what’s in front of you right now: finishing projects for existing clients before taking on new ones. Focus on doing things well instead of doing everything poorly!

Don’t Forget About The People Who Helped You Get Here!

By this point, you’re probably ready to leap into full-time freelance work. But if you’ve been a copywriter for any length of time, there’s one more piece of advice I want to give before we go: don’t forget about the people who helped you get here!

You might be thinking, “But didn’t I already thank everyone when I left my job?” Maybe so, but it never hurts to send another thank you note. It’ll put your mind at ease knowing that all your bases are covered and will also help them feel appreciated for their contributions.

If some of those people were mentors or other professionals who weren’t on your team at the agency (but were nevertheless instrumental in helping get you where you are today).

Then following up with an email or handwritten note is especially important because they may not know how much they impacted your career trajectory until then and could use some encouragement from someone like yourself who was just starting not too long ago!

You Can Get Your Freelance Career Off The Ground

The first thing you need to do is have a plan. Then, you’ll need to follow the plan and stay focused on the goal at hand. You won’t want to give up just because things are a bit slow in the beginning; rather, be patient and persistent until you see some results for all of your hard work.

Be consistent with how often you work on projects, so clients know what they can expect from working with you (which will also make it easier for them to hire you again).

It’s also good practice to be flexible when necessary maybe one project isn’t going as well as expected or maybe another client wants something done quickly while they’re waiting on their original request so having an open mind can be helpful in these situations.

Hiring a top-rated freelancer can greatly impact the success of your projects. Find out what you should know before making a decision in our article on Top Rated Freelancers: What You Should Know Before Hiring One.

Conclusion

So let’s recap. First, you need to start prepping your income by setting aside a certain amount of money each month (or better yet, each week) before you quit your day job. You can start this process right away, and pretty soon you’ll see that you could go freelance at any time it just becomes a matter of how bad you want it.

Second, try to get some freelance work done for free or for cheap before quitting your day job so that if someone else wants to hire you as a freelancer (and they will), they already know what high-quality copywriting looks like them.

Third and finally, when the day comes that everything is ready your savings are set aside, and clients are lined up who want to pay well above minimum wage don’t be afraid! You can do this!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Quit My Day Job As A Copywriter And Go Freelance?

The best way is to start by doing it! It’s not as hard as you might think, and once you get started, it’s pretty fun. Just get out there and start making things happen!

Can I Make Money Writing As A Freelancer?

You can make hundreds or even thousands of dollars per project, depending on what kind of work you’re doing. You can also make money by building up your own business, which can be even more lucrative over time because it helps build your brand and your network.

Is There A Lot Of Competition In This Field?

Yes! There are tons of copywriters out there trying to get clients or make it as freelancers, so it’s definitely competitive but if you’re willing to put in the work and learn from others who have made it before you, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t succeed too!

I’m A Copywriter Who Wants To Quit My Day Job And Go Freelance. How Do I Do That?

There are two ways you can approach this:

You can just quit your day job and hope that you can make enough money freelancing to support yourself. This is risky because freelancers often have periods where they don’t have any work, which could leave you without an income for months at a time.

You can slowly transition into freelancing over several months or years, while still keeping your day job (or another full-time job). This will allow you to get used to working as a freelancer while still having some steady income coming in each month.

It also means that if things don’t work out right away with your freelance career, you’ll still be able to pay your bills!

How Do I Get Started?

You’ll need to start by writing a lot of content. You can either do this by yourself, or you can find a partner to help you. Your partner will be another copywriter who you’ll be able to bounce ideas off and who can help you with your writing.

What Should I Write About?

You should write about whatever topic comes naturally to you. If you like cooking, then start writing about cooking! If you love animals, then write about animals! If nothing comes naturally to you, then think about something that might interest other people: maybe their pets or their hobbies?

How Much Money Will I Make?

It depends on how much time and effort you’re willing to put into freelancing as a copywriter. If all it takes is 1-2 hours per day, then it’s unlikely that you’ll make enough money from freelancing alone to quit your day job.

But if it takes 2-4 hours per day (or more), then there’s a chance that the extra income could cover your expenses and allow for some savings as well as more time away from work.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.