Letter to a Young Copywriter

Here's what I know for sure when it comes to having a successful freelance copywriting career:

1. Always be grateful. It's not easy getting clients. Always be thankful for every job and act like it. Send thank you notes. Say thank you at the end of all communications. Say little silent thank yous all day for being able to do what you love and have someone pay you for it.
2. Respect the deadline. Your deadline is just one of many for your client. Concept and copywriting are at the beginning of the project and a missed deadline could start a tumble effect on every other deadline. Don't do this to your client. You will never work for them again. See number 1.
3. The ego has left the building. Remember, like my dear old sainted mother used to ask me, "Why do you write stuff people are only going to throw away?" We're writing advertising here, not the Bible. Be flexible to all copy changes. You may be the expert writer here, but they are the ones with the check book. Write your best the first time, be flexible, and don't worry about it. It all ends up in the trash.
4. Bill the relationship. If you want to have steady work the way to do it is to establish a relationship with each and every client. When it comes to estimating the cost of the job, steer clear of the the one big payday mentality. Study each project carefully. How long will this reasonably take you? How much per hour do you have to make to keep from resenting the job? Make it clear what will cost extra (additions or excessive copy changes, extra non-writing services, extra meetings, etc.) Itemize everything on the quote. Bill to keep the client.
5. Don't sell yourself short. Having said what I said in number 4, never underestimate what you do. Everyone may think they or their sister can write the web site or ad, but concept, headlines, and body copy that get results are harder to write than they appear. This is not journalism. This is not literature. This is persuasive writing in its purest form. You are not just a writer; you are a salesperson. You have to know your customer (a hint: it's not you and it's not your client), you have to know where they dine, where they shop, what they read, where they go and hang out, how they speak to one another. You have to know what you are selling them and the best way for them to receive the information. Never underestimate how valuable you, the copywriter, are.
6. Go back to number 1.