The Pros and Cons of Becoming a Full-Time Copywriter

You like to write.

You enjoy marketing.

You “get” human psychology.

Three desirable traits for anyone thinking about becoming a copywriter.

But before you make the decision to dive head first into a career change, here are the pros and cons of working as a full-time copywriter to consider.

For reference, I’ve been working as a fully remote freelance copywriter for 6 years mainly with tech, e-learning and e-commerce clients.

Of course, some of these observations will differ based on where you work and who your clients are, but on the whole this should provide a realistic idea of the parts of copywriting you’ll love, and the ones you might find challenging.

The Pros of Copywriting Full Time

Potential to earn a great income

It took me 4 years to start making decent money as a copywriter.

I worked for free for the first few months gaining experience so I could have something to put on my resume. Then, my first paying job earned me $20 per hour.

Over time, I started getting referred to other clients and getting higher-paying assignments. Now I make six figures. Some copywriters make way more than that.

Either way, it won’t happen overnight and you have to be willing to work your way up. When you do, you can make great money doing something you enjoy.

You own your schedule

When I worked for a tech startup as a product marketer, I was in meetings for up to 6 hours a day. It felt like my entire schedule was decided by someone else.

For me, this was the enemy of creativity.

Now I communicate with clients through Slack and I have 2 hours of meetings a week.

I love being able to plan my own day and decide when I’m going to get my work done. If I want to go to the gym at 11:00 AM and work at 8:00 PM it’s up to me.

Flexibility and ownership over my time are one of the top reasons I love working as a copywriter.

All you need is a laptop

I’ve written copy sitting on a moving train, in my grandmother’s living room in California, and at my in-law’s apartment in a remote town in Spain.

Whether you work for a company full-time or as a freelancer, a huge perk of copywriting is that you can do it from anywhere — as long as you have your laptop and a strong internet connection to deliver your work.

Having the flexibility to work from anywhere is truly life-changing.

Everything is copy

For me, collecting stories, ideas, and anecdotes, then finding ways to use them in my work is one of the most enjoyable parts of copywriting.

It changes how you look at the world. Everything becomes more interesting. Inspiration is literally all around you.

What I’m trying to say, is that copywriting is a lot of fun — especially if you have an interest in psychology and marketing.

So if that sounds like your cup of tea (or coffee) then you might love it too.

You never stop learning

If you’re the kind of person who likes to keep learning and growing, then copywriting is a great career because you can keep honing your craft your entire life.

It’s hard to get bored when there’s always a new technique to try, a different approach to test, or a new product to write about.

Six years in, and I feel like I’m just getting started.

The Cons of Copywriting Full Time

Okay, let’s get down to the not-so-fun stuff.

You’re a team of one

My day-to-day work is nothing like Mad Men.

I don’t have liquor-fueled pow-wows with colleagues or brainstorm sessions over lunch.

Instead, I spend hours working alone in my office at home. That can be really depressing for some people, especially extroverts.

Occasionally I collaborate on projects with clients, and that’s fun too.

But unless you work in a company within a team, copywriting is not a collaborative process — most communication happens over Slack, Zoom or email.

In general, if you want remote-friendly work, flexibility and freedom you have to sacrifice workplace camaraderie.

It takes years to hone your skills

As I mentioned before, it took years for me to land clients and earn a good salary. That’s because copywriting is a skill that takes time to develop.

Yes, some people are naturally gifted copywriters — they just “get” sales psychology and persuasive writing.

But as a whole, very few people can show up and write great copy on the first try. Looking at my earlier work makes me simultaneously laugh and cringe.

So don’t be discouraged if it takes you a few years to earn your chops as a copywriter and land the clients you want.

You have to build your own client base

If you want to work as a full-time freelancer, then finding clients is up to you.

I found my first client through a Facebook group. After a few years, she recommended me to someone else. That’s how I got the ball rolling.

I’ve been lucky to have a handful of clients who send me consistent work so I don’t have to search for new work every month. But if you’re thinking about a career as a copywriter, consider the possibility that you’ll have to hustle to find clients.

Many other copywriters I know find clients who hire them on a regular basis so they have stability, but that takes time.

Expect to spend the first year or two working odd jobs, building connections and creating your portfolio.

You won’t always like what you sell

I’m not talking about going against your values. No one is suggesting you write copy for the NRA.

But it’s very likely that at some point you’ll end up writing about products you don’t believe in, or find interesting.

One of my jobs involved copywriting for data collection software. It was a snooze fest. I’ve also worked with companies that sell hypnosis courses, bikinis, lingerie, and sales technology.

Some projects you’ll find fascinating, others you’ll struggle to get excited about.

Copywriting is not the same as writing

Being a copywriter is not the same as being a writer.

While it combines many similar skills, the main difference is that as a copywriter you have to write in someone else’s voice. It’s a lot like acting in that way — you have to be able to take on different personas if you want to write effective copy.

This can be a lot of fun — but if you’re thinking of going into copywriting because you want to eventually write short stories, novels or articles, then this is not going to get you there because you won’t be honing your own voice or practicing that form of writing.

Sure — it can help you create a writing habit, master persuasive writing, and become a better marketer — but copywriting won’t turn you into an author.

Final thoughts

Any career has its pros and cons. The key isn’t to find a job with zero downsides. The key is to find a job where you can make peace with the negative parts of it because you love the rest of it.

So here’s a quick recap of the pros and cons of copywriting full-time to think about if you’re considering a career change:

Pros

You’ll never stop learning
You own your time and control your schedule
You have the potential to earn a six-figure income (or more)
You can work from anywhere — as long as you have a laptop and a strong internet connection
Copywriting is fun and creative work. It’s an excellent way to combine an interest in writing, psychology and marketing.

Cons

You work alone most of the time
Copywriting isn’t a skill you can pick up overnight — it takes years of dedicated learning and practice to write great copy
Expect to spend the first year working odd jobs, building connections and creating your portfolio
A copywriter is not an author. As a copywriter, you don’t hone your own writing voice — you master the art of persuasive writing in any voice
You might have to write copy for companies or products you don’t believe in, or find interesting

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