So, you want to know how to become a copywriter from scratch?
How to become a copywriter when you have zero experience?
With nix?
With nada?
WITH...NOTHING TO YOUR NAME?
(I assure you, it is possible. And this coming from a 23-year-old freelance copywriter who quit uni twice, comes from a family of really-beautiful-people-who-loved-each-other-but-didn't-have-much-hard-cash-and-who-all-had-somewhat-of-a-drinking-problem, and who literally had to do this whole 'write for a living' thing from scratch with zero past work experience).
This is me, by the way:
(hi, hey, hello. I'm Carolyn).
Anyway, as I was saying.
There are loads of things you can do to become a copywriter from scratch; build a portfolio, network, blah, blah.
But there is one thing that will massively help especially if you know jack-shit and have no clue and need some guidance.
Hint: It's something that IF you were to take part in it, would give you access to copywriters from brands like Duolingo. And Google. And Marvel. And you'd get to ask them your questions and learn HOW to become a copywriter from them in live masterclasses and you'd get a bunch of support from 350 other young aspiring copywriters (like yourself) and a space that helps you build a portfolio from nothing.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE'LL GET TO THAT LATER.
You first need to read this blog post for the reward at the end.
So, without further ado here are A BUNCH of different things you can do to become a copywriter from scratch:
1) Use Google and search, 'how to write for a living,' and sift through 4.3 million search results from people who you can't even reach out and talk to because SLAY
2) Pay £5,000 for a TikToker’s “copywriting course” that guarantees you'll make £10k in one month (fucking OUCH, my wallet just died and went to hell).
3) Attend Straight White Man networking events that make you feel kinda weird and gross in an unidentifiable way
4) Keep believing that your trusty 'how to become a copywriter,' Google searches will get you somewhere semi-fast and then wake up 10 years later with a mediocre husband, eight kids you never bargained for, and a drawer of writing notebooks that never see the light of the day
5) Keep thinking about starting your writing career, only to get swallowed by imposter syndrome because you have no support
6) Apply to weird ghostwriting/dodgy writing jobs online that pay LIKE, £5 per 1000 words hoping you can get SOME experience because who else is going to trust a newbie? ~trust me boo, there are a million other ways to get there and THAT doesn't need to be one of them~
other
7) Spend about a quarter of your day, EACH DAY, thinking deeply about your journey to becoming a copywriter that seems so unattainable (as of now) because you don’t know the industry and don’t even know where to start. You are on the ground and are so small. You are a little ant and the copywriting world is like Jack’s beanstalk. How are you supposed to get up there?
8) Attend a live masterclass on copywriting for £600 (or the equivalent to 174 Tesco meal deals - it would have been more but cost of living crisis yo)
9) Use 'to whom it may concern,' in your cover letters and wonder why the fuck you aren't getting a gig
10) Keep applying to gigs that are 'entry-level,' yet require 9999999 years of experience, because that's normal
11) Try to build a portfolio but like, how are you supposed to build a portfolio when you have no copy experience to go off of?
12) Consider running away because you’re quickly approaching overdraft and feeling like the 2nd act of most indie movies
13) Reach out to copywriters for private tutoring sessions, but they all have proper jobs so they probably won’t have time
14) Subscribe to our (well, Word Tonic's) free copywriting newsletter and get some good guidance but then realise you really want some human connection and EVEN MORE GUIDANCE than just a few words of wisdom each week but there is ~nothing~ out there
OR. IS. THERE.
(There is).
You remember that thing I mentioned rightttttt at the start?
That thing that you could join and would give you magical access to copywriters from brands like Disney and Google and Duolingo in weekly (LIVE) masterclasses that you could learn from and network with?
~real, living, breathing human beings that AREN'T just a Google search engine and who have been there, done that and are ready to spill their beans of wisdom with you?~
(or is it beads, who the fuck knows?)
ANYWAY, THAT IS A REAL THING THAT YOU REALLY COULD JOIN.
FOR REAL.
It's actually what we do (well, Word Tonic does).
Because we're not just a cute newsletter or an Instagram page with an obnoxious tone of voice, spilling the tea on copywriting tips.
We are also an online learning platform + community that can help teach you how to become a copywriter from scratch.
There is a catch, though.
We don't open our gates to anyone unless they are GEN-Z.
Because remember moi (Carolyn?) I'm 23 and started copywriting at 17. I was so tired of being the youngest person in the industry. So I teamed up with five other GEN-Z copywriters - Leon, Izi, Ella, and Rochella - to create Word Tonic:
Point is, if you're not GEN-Z - you can't join, but we will still love you from afar (and you can get dibs on the newsletter).
NOW IF YOU ARE GEN-Z, KEEP READING BOO.
Now, of course you can do all the bullet points above but they are kinda depressing and soul sucking and time wasting (I mean, who wants to trawl through 4.3 million search results?)
Or buy a £10k course from Kevin?
ICK!
But joining Word Tonic?
It's like a rainbow of advice, of tips, of guidance, of everything you could ever need to go from 'wtf is copywriting,' to, 'I know how to become a copywriter,' with an added side of, 'I HAVE 300 other people I can talk to about my career - that are my own age. FINALLY.'
JUST TO REALLY BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU, IF YOU JOIN US YOU GET:
🧠 Weekly masterclasses with writers from brands like Duolingo, Tiktok, and National Geographic (just check out this video with some of our guest speakers:)
💬 A private discord filled with tips where you can ask for advice and mingle with 300 other young copywriters (and yes, you can join if you have no experience - you're not alone as the community's a nice mix of young aspiring copywriters and young established copywriters)
🤖 Monthly ai calls so you can learn the ins and outs of chatgpt and how to use it creatively in your writing and stay ahead of the curve
😘 A 25% discount on an accredited copywriting course from a London marketing agency with clients like TikTok & Adidas (but you don't NEED to take it - it's only there if ya want it)
🤯 Monthly creativity calls to boost your out the box thinking so you can be as creative as possible in your writing
Anyway I could blab on about our side of the universe for around a million years.
But you'd be bored then.
And I'd be dead.
So here's a little video from a few Word Tonic members on why they love being part of our community + online learning platform (because, social proof):
Now there is another catch.
Word Tonic isn't free (I mean, our newsletter is free and we dish out tonnes of free tips on Instagram) but bringing together hot-shot shit-hot copywriters to deliver masterclasses isn't always CHEAPITY CHEAP and like, moderation is a thing MY GUYS.
Plus, what we're doing is valuable and we are FUCKING proud of it.
So there is a cost.
But unlike Kevin's course, it isn't £10k.
And it won't cost you your arm and leg and your eyeball.
It actually won't even cost you more than a large cheese pizza from Domino's (and that's more than you spent on your degree/fancy schmany cocktail/top from ASOS).
It costs...
£12 a month.
And no, that's not £120.
Or £1200.
That's £12.
£12 once every 30 days.
No typo there - that's what it is.
£12, once a month for literal masterclasses that ARE WEEKLY with BIG ASS brands and a support network of 350+ other young writers you can turn to and ask for advice and networking opportunities that can sometimes lead to members getting jobs.
A bit like Alexia did (check it out here).
Wanna join? Click here (or keep reading if you need more convincing you shmuck).
My brain is dead, there is a hornet stuck between my kitchen door and it's FREAKING ME out, and I need to eat my pot-noodle dinner.
Just to help tip you over the edge, the first month is discounted and only...
£7.99.
Not £799.
Literally £7.99.
WOW.
You'd be a douzy not to take that.
Byeeeeee xoxo
PS. Yes. We are legit. We wouldn't have gotten into AdAge or LBB Online or Sonder & Tell or Creative Lives or D&AD if we weren't.
PPS. Scammers also can't be arsed to write fun blog posts that are rife with sarcasm.