Bootcamp and Job Fair
Meet the Experts and Speakers
Dan S. Kennedy
Dan S. Kennedy has lived, worked and prospered as a copywriter for the past 30 years. With average project fees from $50,000 to $150,000 (plus royalties) and well over $1-million-per-year earned from consulting and copywriting for clients, part-time, Dan is certainly one of the highest paid copywriters in the world. For AWAI, he’ll draw on his entire career from start to present, to provide unprecedented insight into the how-to’s and, yes, some secrets to creating high demand, developing a stable of repeat and on-going clients, and commanding big income. His perspective on the business differs from many other copywriters, may shock you, may annoy you, will challenge you, and may point you to new opportunity and superior if contrarian personal strategy.
Michael Masterson
Michael is the originator of many of the secrets taught in AWAI’s copywriting programs. Throughout his 25-year career, he’s been directly involved in the generation of over ONE BILLION DOLLARS of sales through the mail and online. Join Michael and Herschell for a discussion about their latest film project: Grim Fairy Tales.
Learn about Michael Masterson …
Clayton Makepeace
Clayton Makepeace has written multi-million-dollar controls for all the direct marketing powerhouses: Boardroom, Phillips, Rodale, Weiss Research, and many more. Throughout the 33 years he’s been in this business, his marketing strategies and his sales copy have generated well over $100 million in sales for his clients – all told, well over $1 billion so far...
Learn about Clayton Makepeace …
Paul Hollingshead
Co-Founder, AWAI
Astoundingly successful, Michael Masterson trained copywriter (former grocery store clerk). Paul has written many controls, and early in his career, wrote a letter that generated over $2 million in sales.
Learn about Paul Holligshead …
John Forde
John Forde has been writing winning controls for going on two decades now. He’s made untold millions for clients in the financial, health, and travel industries. John also works as a copy coach, hosting intense seminars for two or three hundred marketers and copywriters at a time.
John Forde also writes the successful and very useful eletter, The Copywriter’s Roundtable.
Jennifer Stevens
Jennifer is a copywriter who specializes in travel and investment copy. She's also a travel writer, and author of AWAI's The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program. For many years she acted as the lead editor at International Living, where she still contributes articles.
Chris Marlow
Chris Marlow is the original copywriters coach, helping copywriters gain the high-quality, high-value clients since 2003. An expert at niche development, Chris helps copywriters find or create niches that fulfill financial goals, feed passions, and that align with personal values. Chris also helps her copywriters develop secondary income streams through information publishing and coaching. Chris’ program seeks to create copywriters who are “gurus” in their niche.
Steve Slaunwhite
Steve is the author of multiple books, a copywriter for more than 100 Fortune 500 companies, and highly valued consultant. Profiles of Steve and his success have appeared in DM News, Inside Direct Mail, The Wall Street Journal, and other prestigious publications. Steve has won multiple awards for his copywriting skills and winning direct sales letters. He is also a sought-after speaker and teacher.
Learn about Steve Slaunwhite …
Pam Foster
Pam is a senior copywriter and online content consultant who recently founded the ContentClearTM Marketing Method for Web Site Optimization. Her diverse 28-year marketing communications background includes writing and consulting for many types of industries promoting B2C and B2B products and services. Pam is co-author of 9 Easy Steps to Planning a Profitable Web Site and is an AWAI Wall-of-Fame honoree. She also offers personal coaching services to copywriters looking to elevate their Web content and client service skills and learn her 7-step Web site optimization method.
Ed Gandia
Ed has been a working freelance copywriter since March 2004. In only 27 months — and while holding a demanding full-time job — Ed took his part-time copywriting gig to a six-figure, full-time freelance business without sacrificing his paycheck or putting his family’s financial future at risk. An expert on the topic of transitioning from employee to freelancer, he is the publisher of the new audio program Before You Quit Your Day Job: Smart Financial Habits and Strategies to Boost Your Chances of Freelance Success and the editor of The Profitable Freelancer, a free e-newsletter for aspiring and working freelancers.
Will Newman
Will is a successful copywriting coach and mentor who has been associated with AWAI since 1999. He is a professional copywriter who apprenticed with Lee Troxler, one of the top copywriters in the world.
Lori Haller
Lori has been designing winning direct-mail packages for an array of clients that include industry leaders such as Boardroom, MCI, Kay Jewelers, The Motley Fool, and National Geographic for more than 20 years. A member of AWAI’s graphics program advisory board, Lori is also the author of The Ultimate Guide to Building a Highly Profitable Graphic Design Business.
Herschell Gordon Lewis
Herschell is one of the highest-paid, most respected, best-known direct response copywriters in the world and the author of over 20 books on how to write copy that sells more product. His articles appear regularly in Direct Selling and Catalog Age.
Learn about Herschell Gordon Lewis …
Don Hauptman
Don is an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant, who specializes in the marketing of information. Don may be best-known for his headline "Speak Spanish [French, German, etc.] Like a Diplomat!", a series of ads that generated revenues in the tens of millions of dollars.
Don Mahoney,
Co-Founder, AWAI
Through the help of his boyhood friend, Michael Masterson, Don was able to successfully change careers from running a woodworking shop in upstate New York to living “the writers life” on Miami Beach and earning $300,000+ a year.
Rebecca Matter
Rebecca Matter is a Co-Managing Partner and Director of Online Marketing for American Writers & Artists Inc (AWAI), the world’s leading trainer of direct-response copywriters and graphic designers. A marketer with over a decade of experience in publishing and direct-marketing, Rebecca has spearheaded successful million-dollar campaigns for countless products, both online and off, and has spoken and written on topics ranging from getting and working with clients to successful web marketing strategies.
Gary Hennerberg
Gary is an in-demand analytic consultant and creative director/copywriter with a record of beating controls by more than 60%. Gary’s copy reaches over 50 million people every year, and is the author of the recently released book Direct Marketing Quantified: The Knowledge is in the Numbers.
Mike Palmer
Mike heads up a group of 10 copywriters at one of the largest and most profitable financial newsletter businesses in the world. Mike has been in the direct-response business for a decade, has sold tens of millions of dollars worth of product, and most recently used his copywriting skills to write and sell a book about a month-long golf trip in Ireland.
Joshua Boswell
Joshua has been the secret weapon behind the marketing efforts of technology companies like Corel, Sony, Toshiba, Microsoft. These companies have drawn on Joshua's writing expertise to break into new markets and orchestrate the simultaneous worldwide launch of product upgrades new product launches. In addition Joshua has direct mail controls in the non-profit world with clients like St. Jude Children's Hospital and Christian Children's Fund. Joshua loves copywriting because says it gives him the freedom and flexibility to do what he really loves... family time.
Monica Day
Monica discovered the direct response industry when she received a letter in the mail from AWAI saying she could earn six figures and work from home. When she opened the mail that day, she was completely broke and holding a 2-month-old baby in her arms. Her long-discarded dream of being a writer came flooding back to her, and she answered a resounding “Yes!” to that letter– and hasn’t looked back since. She began her freelance copywriting practice just a few months later, and within two years hit that coveted six-figure mark writing for some of the biggest mailers in the business, including Nightingale-Conant, Agora Publishing, and AWAI.
Krista Jones
Krista is a direct response freelance copywriter and Internet publisher with more than seven years of experience. Krista specializes in creating email and direct mail promotions, and has written copy for everything from self-development and health products to environmental and business and opportunity programs. Her client list includes Nightingale-Conant Corporation, American Writers & Artists Inc., Early to Rise, and Y2 Marketing, among others. In 2003, she won American Writers & Artists’ $10,000 Challenge for a direct mail campaign she wrote.
Pete Savage
Pete is an award-winning copywriter, marketing consultant, author, speaker and coach. Pete is co-founder of TheWealthyFreelancer.com, where he provides guidance, strategy and motivation to help freelance professionals achieve their potential. His new book, The Wealthy Freelancer, is published by Penguin and available in early 2010. Pete is also the founder and host of UltimateSupperClub.com, an audio interview series focussed on success and human potential.