Freelance Copywriting Advice #1: Take the Scary Jobs

From time to time you will be faced with an opportunity that looks downright scary.

The temptation is to think, "Hey, that's way outside my level of expertise. I'm not ready for that."

My advice to you is this: Do it.

When you are faced with opportunities that are larger, more challenging and ultimately 'scary', that's when you learn fastest, stretch yourself the most and build your inner confidence as a copywriter.

Let me give you a couple of related examples.

Within my first two months as a direct marketing copywriter I was presented with the opportunity to write a mailing for Franklin Mint.

As some of you may know, Franklin Mint is a very, very sophisticated company when it comes to direct marketing. I seriously wondered whether I might end up looking like an idiot, wasting my time and theirs.

But I took on the job. Scary, yes. But it worked out fine. I learned a great deal and continued to do work for them.

Here's another, related example.

In early 1998 a friend of mine was invited to speak to a few hundred people at a conference about marketing online. He got cold feet and asked me to speak in his place. The problem was, I had only a week to prepare my talk.

I had never spoken to a crowd that large before. I had no idea what to do. I was terrified.

But I did it.

In hindsight, that first talk was not a great one. But it got me started. Since then I have spoken at dozens of conferences and given full day seminars to numerous companies.

Speaking has made me quite a bit of money, and has led to many copywriting jobs I would otherwise have never received. It has also helped establish me as an expert in my chosen field.

And I came so, so close to saying no.

How close? Probably not as close as I think. Looking back, I have always said yes to the scariest challenges.

It's how you grow. It's how you find new opportunities. It's how you make your name as a copywriter worth doing business with.

Nick Usborne is a freelance copywriter, author and speaker. For more articles and resources on making money as a freelance writer, visit his site, http://www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com. To find out more about getting started or developing your skills as a freelance copywriter, read his review of this copywriting course by Michael Masterson.