Yesterday, reader Michael Harris wrote me to say:
I just wanted to let you know that I bought your Upwork book last week or the week before. I read it in an hour or two.
Yesterday, I got around to updating my profile and began bidding on jobs. Today, I closed my first job.
I used all of your tips and tricks (even the ‘hack’ you removed from the book) and landed a job in a day.
Full disclosure: I’m not new to copywriting, but I am new to Upwork as lead generation. The rate for this job is dog shit, but it’s the first step in getting started on Upwork.
I think the biggest takeaway I took from your book is this; don’t try to be clever. Just give them what they want, as long as it’s the truth.
My proposal was about 3 sentences long. Nothing fancy. Just what they wanted to see. 15 minutes after I sent the proposal I’d been hired. Nice.
Thanks for your help John
My point is, becoming a copywriter doesn’t have to take years. Even months.
You anoint yourself in this field. You can do it from today to tomorrow.
“Whoa there John. Can’t you read? Michael said he was already a copywriter and just using this as new source of leads.”
If that’s what you want to focus on, so be it. But let me offer another perspective:
Back in 2013, after wining his UCF debut, future two-division champion Conor McGregor gave an interview. McGregor is a master of self-promotional boasting and bluster, on a level that matches former President Donald J. Trump.
And yet, here’s what McGregor had to say about his confidence and invincibility:
“I’ve lost MMA fights. I’ve lost boxing fights. I’ve lost so many fights in the gym. I lose all the time. It is what it is. Any true martial artist will know in order to succeed at this game you must lose a fucking shitload of times.”
The good news is, you’re not aspiring to be a pro MMA fighter. You don’t need to risk getting your leg snapped in two. You don’t need to get your head kicked in. You don’t even need to expose your soft throat to strangulation until you’re an inch away from death.
The worst that can happen to you is you write something… the client comes back, tearing his hear out (not yours) and screaming, “What is this mess? Who told you you could be a copywriter?”
Tell ’em it was this guy, John Bejakovic, whose email newsletter you read.
And once your emotions subside in a few hours’ time, then start looking for your next gig. And as you do it, think how, in the future, you can avoid the big mistakes you made in that first job.
Again, that’s the worst case. And it ain’t all that bad.
The more likely case is, you deliver something… it’s okayish… particularly for the crap wage you’re getting paid. That’s a real success, and something you can build off.
But you know what?
You either get this or not. I’m just telling you this to be fair.
Because I mentioned a while ago that I will be retiring my Upwork book. Well, the time has come.
I will remove it from Amazon tomorrow night, after the final Influential Emails call, probably around 10pm CET.
I’ve promoted this book a few times before. It’s got my best advice for the early years of being a copywriter, whether you’re on Upwork or not. The how-to info inside is underpriced by a couple of factors of magnitude.
It’s going away tomorrow, for good. So in case you want to get it before it disappears, and maybe even apply some of the information it contains, here’s where to go: