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Interview with Peter
Bowerman
How did you get your start as a commercial writer? I had put together some pro bono projects for different companies, helping some friends out in some cases and not even knowing what it was all leading to. And one day, I thought, "Hmmm…why don’t I try to get some work like this that actually pays?" How did you make the initial contacts to drum up business? I literally went through the phone book, calling up every advertising agency, graphic design firm, and marketing company I could find. Once I started landing a few clients, I’d discover more categories to pursue like PR firms, event production companies and others. And I also started getting referrals which, of course, is what it’s all about. What resources did you use to learn about this career? A good resource was Bob Bly’s "Secrets of a Freelance Writer." But there really weren’t a lot of others then, which was one reason I decided to write my book. How competitive is this field? Less than you’d think. Within any given major metropolitan area, there are going to be plenty of writers, but there’s also an enormous amount of work, and I say, more than enough for everyone. And you’d be surprised at how many mediocre writers there are out there who are doing well. I hear a pretty steady stream of "Bad Writer" horror stories from clients, so bottom line, there’s always room for good, reliable copywriters. If you’re both AND willing to get your name out there, I don’t care what the competition is, you’ll do fine. How good a writer do you have to be for commercial writing? I’m glad you asked that. You DO have to be a decent writer. I mean, no one’s going to pay you $75+ an hour if you’re lousy. Well, they may once, but you certainly won’t build much of a business! But, if you know you’re a good writer – and you’re not the only one who thinks so – you shouldn’t have much trouble making a go of this business. You advocate that writers should always make a phone call before sending their material to a potential client. Why is this necessary? I assert that, given how busy the people are who can hire you, you need to separate yourself from the pack somehow. So, it’s imperative that you establish some kind of a rapport with these folks before sending them a package. You want them to be expecting your work so they’re on the lookout for it. Otherwise, chances are excellent that it’ll end up in the trash. The exception of course, is doing, say, a catchy direct mail postcard to increase awareness of you and your services in your target community. A creative direct mailing with a follow-up phone campaign can be very effective in breaking into a new market. Is applying for a copywriting job the same as applying to freelance at a magazine? As a rule, you’re sending a query letter to a magazine editor pitching a particular story. With commercial writing, you’re approaching writer buyers who need any number of different types of projects written; marketing brochures, ad copy, newsletter, direct mail campaigns, web site content, etc. Is the money equation in commercial writing different from say, magazine writing? Very different. If you’re listening to this and you’ve done some magazine writing, you’ll relate to this. Imagine the editor of a publication you’ve been writing for saying, "Okay, for this next piece, add up all the hours you think it’ll take for research, background reading, travel, brainstorming, interviewing, writing, and editing. Then multiply it by $75." You’d think he lost his mind. But, that’s pretty much how it works in commercial writing. Project fees are calculated based on those hourly rates of $50-100+ and all time counts. Unlike magazine writing, it’s not just these flat project fees with potentially vast, open-ended commitments of time. How do you determine your rates? Often your particular market will have a lot to do with how you price your writing services, but there are a few things you can do to zero in on the right range. I actually contacted a bunch of fellow writers when I was starting out, getting their numbers through different local professional guides and by asking both writers and clients. In a good-sized city, where there’s plenty of work (like most!), you’d be surprised at how helpful your fellow writers will be. In most cities, the low end of the range will be $50-60/hour with $75-80 the average. Let's say you're writing a brochure for a company. What are the steps involved? Every project will be different, but a typical example might go like this: Once you determine the fee for the project and what exactly is included for that fee (i.e., project size, components, number of rewrites), you’ll have an initial meeting. At this meeting, you’ll discuss concepts, what the client is trying to communicate with the piece, the sales points they want to make, the audience they’re trying to reach, etc. The graphic designer will usually be present and as a rule, you’ll work fairly closely with him or her, marrying your words and their images, making suggestions back and forth on how to maximize the effectiveness of the piece. In many cases, they may already have decided on a layout and can show you exactly where you’ll be writing your copy blocks along with the word count for each. That’s very helpful. Though it can be a lot of to fun to be involved in the creation of the layout. At this initial meeting, you’ll ask a bunch of questions and listen carefully, making sure you understand exactly what they’re looking for. The more closely you pay attention now, the closer you’ll get to the mark and the happier your client will be, which is always your #1 job (making your client happy). You’ll determine your deadline on the project and then get to work. On or before the deadline, you’ll return a draft to them, wait for their feedback and revise and edit as needed. Once it’s finished, you’ll bill them and in the overwhelming number of cases, you’ll get paid in 3-45 days or less. Where do you find potential clients now? At this point, most of my clients come by referral and word-of-mouth. I really haven’t had to do a lot of cold-calling in a long time. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to hit the phones again if there was an arena of writing that I specifically wanted to pursue, which, incidentally, is what will probably happen after a while. You’ll zero in on a type of writing that you enjoy and are good at. Then you move closer and closer to that ultimate goal of making your work your bliss. Or at least enjoyable and challenging most of the time. What's one thing you wish you'd learned earlier about this business? You’re better than you think you are. And clients, especially ones attached to big household name companies often aren’t nearly as smart and "with it" as you give them credit for being. I don’t mean that clients are stupid (though a few are…), just that they really do need your help, and don’t put them on a pedestal while discounting your own abilities to make a big difference for them. Do you need special expertise or credentials to break in? I had no previous paid writing experience, no writing background and no industry contacts before I began, so as for needing special expertise or credentials, the answer is no. That said, the more experience you can collect in writing, say, ad copy, or video scripts, or web site copy, the easier it’ll be to land work like that. In the beginning, your enthusiasm, persistence and confidence are going to count for a lot more than your portfolio because you just won’t have much of one to show for a while. Let's say you want to write for a big company like Coca Cola. How do you find out who to contact in the company? First step in a big company is to contact the corporate communications department, which is often referred to as "MarCom" (for "marketing communications"). If there is no MarCom department, per se, just hit the marketing department or sales. Always appeal to someone’s helpful side, i.e., "I’m not really sure who to contact here; I wonder if you could help me out. I’m a freelance copywriter trying to locate the right person or people who hire folks like me to help them with the marketing materials…" etc. What can people be doing now, while working at other jobs, to lay the groundwork? Good question. People could be creating a portfolio of pieces, which I did through doing some pro bono projects. And I outline all sorts of strategies in The Well-Fed Writer for doing just that. Also, people should be tapping their network of any business contacts, getting a feel for what sort of work there might be out there. And especially in the industry you have experience in, or even with your current employer. Anything further you'd like to add? Certainly, commercial writing isn’t always the sexiest, most exciting kind of writing out there (though it often can get you into some very interesting, creative and challenging arenas). I don’t try to romanticize it. It’s "put-food-on-the-table" writing that can provide you a very handsome living while giving you the time and space to pursue those arenas of writing that really turn you on. Without worrying about where you’re going to get the money to pay your light bill. In that sense, I think it’s an arena of writing that freelancers shouldn’t overlook, unless they just get into the "starving writer" thing. And, I think my book is a fun, yet substantive step-by-step "how-to" for penetrating this lucrative arena on a part- or full-time basis (had to get a plug in!). Check out www.wellfedwriter.com for sample chapter, table of contents, reviews and more. Absolute Write subscribers can land a copy of The Well-Fed Writer for 20% off the $19.95 (+$4 S&H) cover price by purchasing directly from BookMasters, the author’s fulfillment company (800-247-6553). Just mention the "$4 Fellow Writer Discount." IMPORTANT NOTE: Author to Cover Temporary Shortage of Books! Dateline: Atlanta, GA - February 7, 2001 - Sales of The Well-Fed Writer have been going so well that the first printing is sold out! Until late February, copies will be hard to get through BookMasters and perhaps longer through Amazon.com and the bookstores. While you should definitely check there first, if there is indeed a 3-4 week delay, the author has books! If you want to purchase a signed copy of the book directly from the author during this period, please follow these simple steps: 1) E-mail your name and mailing address to bowerman@mindspring.com. 2) Send check/money order for $15.95 (reflecting the 20% discount) plus $4 shipping and handling (or $8 for international shipping) in $US made out to Peter Bowerman to: 3713 Stonewall Circle, Atlanta, GA 30339. For each additional copy, add $15.95 plus $1.50 shipping (U.S.) or $4.00 shipping (International).
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Peter Bowerman
is the author of The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a
Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less (a triple-book-club selection: Writer’s
Digest, Book-of-the-Month Club, and Quality Paperback Book). Among other
companies, Peter has written for Coca-Cola, MCI, BellSouth, IBM, UPS, Holiday
Inn, GTE, American Express, Mercedes-Benz, and The Discovery Channel.
Peter describes his new book as a detailed how-to for breaking into the
lucrative – and, according to him– surprisingly accessible field of
freelance commercial writing.
