BIG NEWS + The hourglass approach for making money

Excited for today… [The Writer’ s Life]( November 3, 2023 "Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow." – Anonymous Hi {NAME}! This is going to be an awesome day … And I want you to join us — LIVE. A few years ago, we doubled down on our efforts to turn out more success stories than ever … and I'm happy to report it was a BIG success (as you've likely seen in every issue of The Writer's Life!). But we've figured out how we can do even MORE … 🤩 And at 12:00 p.m. ET today, we'll spill the beans, including what it means for YOUR future career as a writer. [>> Make sure you register here to attend LIVE.]( It's the only way you'll get the full story (and you're going to want to hear it first!). Helping writers succeed has been our mission for over 26 years now … and to see it play out as their stories unfold fills us up like nothing else can. I first met AWAI Success Rebekah Mays at an impromptu Happy Hour in 2017, and I've been thrilled to watch her writing career unfold since then … When we connected, she had no idea if the copywriting opportunity was real … or for her. But she was intrigued, and from there, she kept leveling up her career, coming to Bootcamp and other live events with AWAI, ultimately winning our $10K Challenge last year. She started with nothing and now she's sharing updates like these … [AWAI Success Rebekah Mays quote] Way to go, Rebekah! Today she's here with a three-phase structure she's developed for building a high-paying writing career. She calls it the "hourglass approach" and hopes it will help give you some clarity on what to do next, so you achieve success like she has. You can make a very nice living doing the kind of writing Rebekah does every day. And it begins [by joining an extraordinary group of people]( that have quit the corporate world and now make great money working part or full time, from anywhere they want, writing about anything they want. There's no limit on how much you can earn — you can make an extra $10,000 or $20,000 on the side or aim for a six-figure income. [Click here to learn more.]( See you at Noon ET — you won't want to miss this! And I hope you have a great weekend, Rebecca Matter President AWAI CLOSING: Only Accepting New Writers Until Midnight Tonight! Get accepted into the Barefoot Writer Club by MIDNIGHT tonight to claim your "Getting Started" writing gifts, worth $363 – FREE! You're a good fit for the Barefoot Writer Club if … - You enjoy writing. - You want to make great money doing it. - You want control over what you write about and who you write for. But hurry … You only have until midnight tonight! [Get Accepted Here]( Your ALL-ACCESS Key — Just $1! Get instant access to this exclusive B2B writing community and ALL their private resources, including … All the success roadmaps … All the writing templates … All the articles … All the how-to videos … All 150+ training webinars … The Forum, the Job Board, the tutorials, the tools … And much more! [Go Here for More Details]( The "Hourglass Approach" to Building a High-Paid Copywriting Specialty By Rebekah Mays [Laptop and hourglass on desk] How many times have you heard that a copywriting specialty will help you earn more money? It's logical, right? The more you master a skill … the higher fees you can charge … and the more money you can make. I agree that a copywriting specialization is the way to go … but for new copywriters, it's tough to know what to specialize in! Should you just study a copywriting skill you're excited about and declare you're open for business? In my view, there's a much better way! I call it the "hourglass approach," and it has three distinct phases. But before we get into the details, let me share how it's helped me. From Spaghetti to Success When I first started out in copywriting, I didn't have a niche or a specialty. And I sure didn't have a master plan. I was throwing things around and seeing what would stick. It was a bit of a "spaghetti on the wall" approach. And guess what? It worked. I was getting paid to write. And because I had a few of AWAI's programs in my back pocket, I felt safe experimenting with different types of writing. Fast-forward seven years, and I'm a specialist in content strategy and SEO copywriting. One client this year paid me $11,000 for a few SEO projects. Not bad! Now, I'm looking past content strategy and SEO to see what other skills can boost my income further. In other words, I started wide, narrowed my focus, and am broadening that focus again — like the shape of an hourglass. If you're just starting out, I think this approach will work for you, too. So how do you do it? Let's take a look at the three phases. Phase 1: Lay a Foundation When you're just getting started as a copywriter, you need a broad foundation, like the base of the hourglass. This phase is all about absorbing information and applying it in the real world. In this phase, I recommend focusing on: - Understanding the foundations of copy from programs like [The AWAI Method™]( - Getting your first few paid projects (or your first copywriting job) - Learning from every experience It's okay if your projects feel a bit random. What's important is that you're getting paid to write and applying what you're learning. How quickly you move through Phase 1 depends on how fast you learn — and above all, how quickly you apply what you learn. Phase 2: Develop Proficiency in 1-2 Specialty Skills Once you've developed your foundation, it's time to focus on a couple of core copywriting skills. We're now in that middle part of the hourglass, the narrowest section. Think about what you already have experience doing that is working well. For instance, do you prefer direct-response copywriting or content writing? SEO content or social media? It doesn't have to be a singular project type — it could also be a skillset, like B2B content marketing or e-commerce paid ads. Over the next few months or years of building a specialty in this skillset, you'll want to prioritize: - Doing as many of these types of projects as possible - Taking additional courses to improve your skills - Charging more for your expertise As an example, over the last year, I focused almost exclusively on SEO content projects. Because of my laser focus, I improved my skills and was able to land bigger and better-paid projects. You know you've developed a proficiency if you can keep raising your rates … you're getting great results from your work … and your clients keep coming back for more. But once you're making good money from a copywriting specialty, what's next? Phase 3: Add Skills Strategically to Serve Ideal Clients Once you've developed proficiency in a skill, it's time to think about what else you could offer your best clients. In other words, widening that hourglass once again. If your clients pay you for social media, would they also value high-performing emails? If clients love your B2B blogs and articles, would they also love white papers? By offering more value to existing clients who already appreciate you and pay you well, you can dramatically increase your income. In Phase 3, I recommend: - Adding just one or two additional skills at a time to serve your ideal clients - Continuing to offer your primary specialization - Experimenting with packages and bundles to raise your income In my case, I help my clients with organic search, but clients are asking if I can help them with paid search, too. So I started studying digital advertising a few weeks ago … and believe it or not, I've already landed a $9,700 contract that will use these new skills! Which Phase Are You In? If you've had trouble choosing a copywriting specialty, then you might still be in that first phase. Take the pressure off yourself and give yourself time to experiment. That way, you get those first couple of paying clients and a "proof of concept" before you go all-in on any sub-specialization. And if you're further along in your journey, try these tips to see if they boost your income even more. What's Hot at AWAI … 👉 LAST CHANCE: [Become a Barefoot Writer today.]( 👀 [Today at 12 p.m. ET: don't miss this historic event: "This Changes Everything!"]( 🤔 Have you missed any recent Monday Morning Jumpstarts? [Catch up here!]( 🙌 We LOVE seeing our members succeed! [Check out their success stories if you need a little inspiration to get started.]( Second client success [Social media post about getting their second client and writing five emails for them today] Congratulations, Yvonne! 🎉 You're on a roll now. Can't wait to see what's next for you! Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! ⚠️ HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY ⚠️ 26 years ago, we introduced an entire generation to copywriting … And proved to the world that anyone can make a great living as a writer. TODAY at noon ET we're holding a FREE live event that's going to reveal what we've been working on that will CHANGE EVERYTHING AGAIN. [Secure Your Spot Before Noon ET!]( Featured Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: --------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Copywriter — Red Olive, Inc. Full-time, Sandy, UT Write polished, engaging copy in line with creative briefs, project specs, and branding requirements. --------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Copywriter — 160over90 Full-time, Hybrid, Philadelphia, PA Immerse yourself in our clients' worlds, craft compelling, strategic big ideas, build worlds out of those ideas with smart, engaging writing, Write headlines, scripts, manifestos, body copy, or whatever form of writing your ideas call for. --------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Copywriter — Vanguard Full-time, Charlotte, NC Develop executive communications, communications strategies, plans, and tactics in support of key initiatives to generate awareness, increase understanding, and drive crew engagement with organization vision. --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble viewing this email? [View in your browser, here](. 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