Is it possible to cement your career
for a lifetime in just three days?
I think you already know my answer.
Why not make this the year you
find out for yourself?

Dear Reader,

There are a lot of ways to measure success.

For me, it was hitting six figures, nailing some of the top clients in the industry, meeting some of the biggest names in the biz – all within just two years of becoming a freelance copywriter.

But recently I’ve had to measure success in a whole new way.

Success meant that I could work from home and keep a flexible schedule while navigating the many challenges that come with a divorce. It meant that even through some tough financial times, I never once doubted my ability to dig out.

It meant that during a 12-week recovery from major surgery, I didn’t have to work less and lose income like I might have with a regular job. Rather, I could take on more projects and earn even more money if I want … without compromising the healing process in the least.

I wouldn’t wish my recent challenges on anyone – but they happen to the best of us, sometimes much, much worse. Let me tell you, when they do, you’ll wish you had laid the groundwork to make them go as smoothly as possible.

Which is exactly what happened for me in 2002 – and every year since – when I made the annual trek to Delray Beach, Florida, to attend AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair. I didn’t know it then, but I certainly do now…

If Being a Successful Freelance Copywriter
Is the Ultimate Rainy Day Career,
Bootcamp Is the Ultimate Umbrella …

In just a minute, I’m going to give you all the bells and whistles about this year’s Bootcamp. I’ll introduce some of the exciting speakers lined up for this year, and the secrets they’ll spill about how to succeed in the industry. I’ll show you how this incredible program can quickly jumpstart your career. Not to mention the many stories of success achieved by past attendees.

But first – I just have to let you in on exactly why I’m not just suggesting you go to Bootcamp … or even challenging you to go. But rather, I’m going to all but drag you there myself with my bare hands.

Through all the adversity I’ve faced recently, it’s become just that clear to me how important it is to make personal contact with people in the industry. In a business where freedom and independence is the name of the game – you need a thread to connect you to the industry movers and shakers if you’re going to break out of the pack and get noticed. This is the real reason why people who attend Bootcamp succeed so much faster than people who don’t.

You not only learn a lot about becoming a copywriter, but you make important connections and build real relationships. In the beginning, these relationships will open doors for you. If you tend them over time, they could become the backbone of your business. And perhaps one day, like me, you will need to rely on them to get by – and you’ll be glad you built such a solid network ahead of time.

For this reason – and about a hundred more I’m about to share with you – there’s simply no better, faster or more effective way to launch or build your business than showing up in Delray Beach, Florida, November 4-7, 2009.

What Happens at AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp That Doesn’t Happen at Home

Don’t get me wrong – in terms of straight-up information, the program you’re taking contains everything you need to change your life. Well, almost everything.

But you can’t box up and send the intangibles. The handshakes and introductions. The insider information shared about getting clients. The tips passed along over cocktails. Or learning the concepts of the program from the very masters who created them:

• Michael Masterson not only brings his formidable copywriting expertise to the event… but his ability to motivate, inspire and reveal the secrets that most successful people keep to themselves is worth the ticket of admission. (In fact, I happen to know that some people recently spent a hefty $10,000 to spend a few days with Michael – and felt it was worth every penny. But you won’t fork over anything close to that amount.)
• Paul Hollingshead, co-founder of AWAI, is one of the most sought-after (and highest-paid) copywriters in the business.  It’s his hallmark conversational tone that has won his clients control after control. Not only will you find Paul readily accessible and easy to talk with but you’ll also be able to show him your copy and get feedback in the Peer Review sessions.
• Herschell Gordon Lewis, a true wordsmith, has written or co-authored more than 30 books and is arguably the best-known direct-response writer in the business. His annual insights into industry trends are invaluable.
• Jen Stevens makes the nuts and bolts of writing simple, like it never was when you were in school… she even tells you how and when to break all the rules of writing, as if your career depended on it!

AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success 2009 – affectionately known as “Bootcamp” – delivers all that and much, much more. You’ll also hear from:

• Bob Bly, an independent copywriter and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in business-to-business, high-tech, industrial, and direct marketing. And one of the most popular speakers at AWAI events.
• Chris Marlow, who is a copywriter, coach, and publishing "infopreneur" specializing in helping copywriters achieve success. She'll help you discover which copywriting niche is best for you and share her secrets for landing high-quality, high-paying clients.
• Don Hauptman, 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!” This familiar series of ads generated revenues in the tens of millions of dollars and has become an industry classic.
• Will Newman, a trainer, mentor and copy coach as well as a writer of direct-response copy. Will specializes in writing copy for the health, real estate and computing industries. He is also the Master Teacher for AWAI’s Circle of Success Targeted Learning Programs.
• Pam Foster, a senior copywriter and consultant specializing in web content for multi-page sites. She's the founder of ContentClear Marketing and author of AWAI's new program, The Web Copywriter's Clear Path to Profits. Pam's diverse 29-year marketing communications background includes work for dozens of B2C and B2B clients.
• Joshua Boswell, who's the secret weapon that technology companies like Corel, Sony, Toshiba and Microsoft turn to for their marketing success. But it's not just technology companies that rely on Joshua. In the changing economic climate, Joshua has begun working almost exclusively with smaller, online companies. Within four months of making this change, he's increased his own client base and revenues by 300% … without increasing his time commitment.

Seriously… there will be no shortage of star power on hand… and more useful information, handshakes, and high-level introductions than you can imagine as you read this letter.

In fact, one of the reasons I return to Bootcamp year after year and never get bored is because it is always improving, with new presenters, new sessions, and more insights into every facet of the industry – even the ones that are changing. Here are just a few of the sessions that will be on the program this year:

• How Knowing Your Prospect Turns Copy To A Control
• Writing for Niche Markets:  Finding the Right Opportunity
• What Copywriters Need to Know About Graphic Design
• Getting Your First Client

Plus – for those of us who are a little past the beginner stage… but not quite masters yet… there’s a more advanced track that will include:

• SEO and Web Copywriting
• Six Lead Archetypes– and Why They Work
• Using Your Copywriting Skills to Expand Your Business and Increase Your Income

But the best part might be the immediate opportunity to put everything you learn at Bootcamp to work – with a chance to earn your entire fee to come to Bootcamp back before you leave…

The Secret Ingredient of Success
That You Can ONLY Get at Bootcamp

You’ve probably already figured out what makes Bootcamp such a powerful experience by now. You won’t just sit and listen the whole time. Bootcamp is a full-contact sport …

If I had to sum up in one sentence what you’ll get from Bootcamp that you won’t get anywhere else in the world – its access to the kinds of blockbuster opportunities that can launch your career.

The first Bootcamp I attended in 2002 offered three live spec challenges … and that was triple the number offered the year before.

At the 2009 Bootcamp Job Fair, there will be dozens of opportunities to get a promotion you’ve written tested in the mail. And I’m not talking about a chance to write for the local dry cleaners, or the pet shop on the corner. These are some of the biggest-name clients in the business. If you’ve gotten through Chapter 2 of your copywriting program, you’ll know enough to be impressed by our typical Job Fair line-up:  Agora Publishing… Early To Rise… The Motley Fool… Dr. Al Sears… NewsMax Media… Transperience… and more.

It could take you years to nail these companies on your own. But AWAI flings open the door for you, prepares you to enter, and even shows you what to do when you get in the room.

Imagine this … a double ballroom hotel room lined with a large circle of tables. Behind each one, a marketing manager who’s just dying to meet the next up-and-coming copywriter who can deliver successful controls for their company.

Each one stands ready to talk openly with you about what they’re looking for in a copywriter… how you can prepare yourself to come work for them… and everything you want to know about their target prospect, products, challenges and goals.

And to make this process easier, AWAI is adding a cocktail reception at the end of the Job Fair, so you can socialize with these marketers and fellow copywriters in a more relaxed setting.

For those of you who may be nervous about speaking with marketers for the first time, there’ll be a “Preparing for Job Fair” session. Katie Yeakle will talk with you about how to make the most of this unique experience.  And help you focus on what specs you might want to tackle and how to make a good first impression.

Whether your spec assignment is mailed … or it just serves to get you noticed … I guarantee you one thing: you’ll have conversations that hold the potential to earn 10 times the cost of coming to Delray Beach. Maybe more.

It’s funny, because we all hate copy that sounds over-hyped, right? Yet, it happens every year – people come to Bootcamp and get blown away. They confess that they read a letter just like this one – and although it sounded “too good to be true,” they took a chance and came. And guess what? Almost every single past attendee claims on their evaluation at the end of three days that the experience far exceeded their expectations.

Hype? Definitely not. More like a promise.

Now, here’s the thing that keeps a lot of people from coming. They wonder …

“How Do I Know This Is My Year to Attend?”
A Better Question to Ask Might Be …
“What Makes You Think It Isn’t?”

You see, it’s a Catch-22 – and I think you know it. You tell yourself you’ll invest in your success … after you succeed! But it doesn’t work that way.

Listen, I had less than no money when I signed up for my first Bootcamp. And since I was a new mother at the time, I had to drag my then-husband and two kids down to Florida that first year since I wasn’t willing to leave my baby behind yet. My friends and family decided I had truly lost my mind … and I’m sure they had a good time talking about me behind my back, too.

But I knew that nothing about my financial position was going to change if I didn’t do something bold. If I didn’t commit myself to making the most of the opportunity. And if I didn’t squeeze the juice out of every single session … networking dinner … elbow-rubbing at break time … cocktails late into the night (not mandatory, of course, but fun if it’s your thing).

Today, I’m so thankful I took that leap. Because I took a positive step six years ago, I weathered my recent stormy year with more grace and style than I ever could have before. My point is this …

Too many times, we second-guess ourselves. We think we’re in control. Until life’s unexpected surprises remind us that we’re not. Today’s opportunities don’t just wait around until we’re ready to grab them.

My charge to you today is to accept that there’s no better time than now to accomplish the things you’ve been dreaming about. And to simply go for it …

If you’ve been wondering how to get your new career off the ground – or worse, you’ve been feeling like an imposter when you call yourself a copywriter – this level of access can make all the difference for you. In three days, you’ll be transformed from aspiring copywriter to working copywriter to colleague and ultimately, you’ll be on your way to becoming a professional, ready to sit side-by-side with the masters.

No need to take my word for it, though. There are scores of others who have made these same leaps over the years. Here’s a small sampling of what other Bootcampers shared about their experience:

And the following note might well be my favorite. Partly, because I met Chuck and spent a fair amount of time lobbying him to do a spec assignment for one of my main clients. I’m pleased to report that he did – and it became a control for their list – nudging out the control written by a big name in the industry to boot! And I’m sure that his fee was triple what he spent to come to Bootcamp – and his royalties are going to keep coming for a while.

Here’s what Chuck had to say about his experience:

How to Leverage Your Registration Fee
Into Thousands of Dollars in Your Pocket

Let me tell you something I learned at the first Bootcamp I attended that changed the way I thought about investing in my copywriting career …

James DeGeorgia, a successful financial-newsletter publisher and one of many clients I met at my first Bootcamp, pointed at Don Mahoney and told us he’d just mailed a $25,000 check to Don. Don looked pleasantly surprised. It was a royalty check he wasn’t even expecting. You can imagine how excited that made us newbies! Then, James asked us if we knew why he was willing to pay a copywriter so much money without batting an eye …

“ROI,” he proclaimed. “Return on investment! If I’m willing to happily send Don Mahoney checks at $25,000 a pop – can you imagine how much money I make on the letters he writes for me?”

The whole room was silent for a moment. We got it! Every single one of us (and you, too, for that matter) was sitting on a goldmine skill. And the minute we put what we learned to work for us … the money we’d invested to be there was going to seem like pocket change.

Take a look at what a few of us have learned since then about the ROI of attending Bootcamp:

• I met Krista Jones at my first Bootcamp, where she was working on a promotion to enter into AWAI’s $10,000 Challenge … and at my second Bootcamp, I watched Katie Yeakle hand Krista that $10,000 check! That check easily paid for all the AWAI training Krista had done, including her Bootcamp fees … and still left her with a nice profit. Today, Krista has left her $80,000-a-year job behind … and she’s even started her own free e-letter recounting how she made it so far, so fast …
• Beth Erickson learned Bob Bly’s secrets for getting clients at the first Bootcamp she attended. When she got home, she immediately put them to use in her local area. She very quickly had more work than she could handle … and still does to this day. Now, she hires other AWAIers to help her handle her workload.
• Tom Tumbusch struck up a conversation with one of Agora’s top marketing managers during a recent Bootcamp Job Fair. Now, he has so much work coming in from three of Agora’s financial divisions, he’s turning away other clients. In less than a year Tom’s done enough successful promotions that just one quarterly royalty check could cover his Bootcamp fee … three times over!
• Susan Clark attended her first Bootcamp the same year I did. She catapulted her spec challenge into enough paying work to trade in her full-time job at a Los Angeles television station for the life of a freelance copywriter. Today, her monthly income is all the way up to $13,210 … and she’d be the first to tell you, she’s just hitting her stride.
• Mark Dresner recently completed a first assignment for Nightingale-Conant. Even better, they invited him to work on another project. This was a direct result of the Spec Assignment he submitted from the 2008 AWAI Bootcamp Job Fair.

I could go on and on … but I think you get my point. Bootcampers from previous years are now living the dream – the income, the glicken, the lifestyle – all of it.

Better yet, every dollar we’ve spent to come to Bootcamp has earned itself back 10, 20, even 50 times over … which is a pretty good ROI, don’t you think?

The full cost of Bootcamp is $1,995 – and I probably don’t need to tell you that this is a fraction of what other seminars cost for half the time, half the presenter-power, and no live earning opportunities or exposure to real clients. But if you register by June 1st, it’s an even better deal. You’ll get the $200 Early Bird discount – and will only pay $1,795.

But wait, there are a few more surprises I want to tell you about …

Bonus Heaven:
Client Leads and Control Secrets
That Will Make You Unstoppable

Here’s something new for this year: When you register for the FastTrack to Copywriting Success 2009 Bootcamp and Job Fair, AWAI will send you 2 FREE gifts. You’ll receive for instant download…

• “The Bootcamp Primer: Everything You Need to Know to Make This Experience the Highlight of 2009 – and Help You Kick Off a Great 2010”
•  “Master’s Tips for Making the Most Out of Bootcamp Job Fair”

There’s also a special website just for Bootcampers – updated regularly – with details about your spec assignments, hotel and shuttle information, and more.

Plus, anybody who has attended an AWAI Bootcamp (or anything else AWAI ever puts on) will tell you that we always load you up with valuable extras. This year will be no different.

You’ll Get Something More Valuable Than Money

Now that I’m no longer broke, I can tell you that money isn’t everything. At first, all I could see were dollar signs … and that’s all I was working for. But the long-term impact of my experience at Bootcamp has given me much more than a $100,000-a-year career.

You’ll Gain Confidence and Professionalism: You’ll leave Delray Beach feeling like you know exactly what to do to get your new career in full swing … how to get clients, how to write a package from start to finish, how to promote yourself. And that’s not to mention all those LIVE SPEC ASSIGNMENTS that you can take home, polish, and submit for consideration to be mailed!

You’ll Meet Mentors and Colleagues, Cheerleaders and Friends: You will get to know the inner circle of top direct-marketing copywriters, plus a growing network of AWAIers who are becoming successful in their own right. By the end of Bootcamp, you could easily be the next one to make it big.

You Could Even Meet Your Future (and First!) Clients: AWAI-trained copywriters are garnering such an impressive track record in the industry that top clients are regularly sending reps to meet our members at Bootcamp. At this year’s Job Fair, you’ll meet marketing managers from health, financial, self-improvement, and fundraising companies (to name a few).

You’ll Definitely Have Fun – and Get Your First Taste of the Copywriter’s Lifestyle: Finally, don’t underestimate the fun factor. After all, don’t many of your reasons for wanting to become a copywriter involve living a life with more balance, more money, and more freedom? Sure, you’ll work hard … but you’ll also be in a beachfront hotel in a hip resort town for three days. No one will be suffering … trust me!

And maybe the most important thing of all that I learned just recently …

You’ll Have an All-Weather Skill That Will Never Fail You in Times of Need: Whether you make it into the big leagues as a freelance copywriter … or you use your writing skills to market your own business … or you simply improve in your current career and earn a raise or bonus as a result … I can guarantee you this. There is no more marketable, more sought-after, more in-demand skill than writing persuasive copy that sells products and services – or even simply communicates ideas effectively. There is no technology that will ever replace good writing. And with the explosion of the internet worldwide, there isn’t going to be a shortage – or even a slow-down – of demand for copywriters for many years to come.

It’s better than “job security” – its life security. I know, because when I became a freelance copywriter, I didn’t just launch a new career. Six years later, I now realize that I began a new life. And no one can ever take the skills I’ve learned – and the power they give me in the marketplace – away from me.

If You Don’t Agree With Me, You Can Have Your Money Back …
and Hang Out on the Beach for a Few Days

If you still feel skeptical, I understand. I can be a tough sell myself. But AWAI has a money-back guarantee that should put you at ease. (It sure did for me when I felt I was taking a big financial risk to come.) Here it is:

By the end of the first day of 2009 FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair, if you’re not satisfied with what you’ve learned and decide you don’t want to stay for the rest of the workshops, you can simply ask for your money back, and AWAI will  process your refund immediately.

Remember what I told you. I was broke and desperate when I first found AWAI. I certainly couldn’t afford the financial hit if this thing was a bust. I even practiced asking for my money back during the whole plane trip down there. Though it might have been embarrassing if I had to go through with it, I was fully prepared to use my speech if I had to.

Lucky for me, I got what I came for … and much, much more. I think you will, too.

I could have easily skipped Bootcamp that first year. And I hate to think what would have happened if I had. The only thing that has gotten me through my recent challenges is the solid base I’d built for my business over the six years prior. Because I didn’t wait until a “better” moment to take the plunge and dedicate myself to becoming a six-figure copywriter – I’m sure I avoided being a typical statistic we hear so often.

Get this – shortly after my husband and I separated, I tried to hire a babysitter. When I told her I was a single mom, her tone changed. I thought perhaps she had moral issues with my new circumstances – but that wasn’t it …

She was afraid I wouldn’t be able to pay her going rate!

For a minute, I was offended. Then, I realized how incredibly lucky I am. The truth is millions of recently divorced, single parents are stuck with a mountain of bills they now have to pay with just one income instead of the two they were accustomed to. Most suffer a major loss of income and status. But that isn’t my reality. And once you have the skills of a copywriter, it never has to be yours, either – no matter what curve balls life throws your way.

Join the Club That Gets Less Exclusive
and More Profitable Every Year

There are quite a lot of us now. AWAI members who showed up with nothing more than a willingness to learn and a commitment to succeed… and now we pull in a healthy six-figure income. You’ll have a chance to meet many of us if you come down to Delray Beach this November 4-7, 2009.

Consider us the beacons just ahead of where you are now … shining the light so you know you’re swimming in the right direction. But it’s the really, really big fish that you’ll be most excited to meet – and learn from – when you come.

We’ve all been to those slick, super-produced conferences where the speakers disappear after their session, never to be seen again. Or perhaps they sign a few books on their way out the door.

Not here.

Instead, during a session break, you might get a chance to chat with Paul Hollingshead … share a coffee break with Herschell Gordon Lewis … swap business stories with Michael Masterson … or leave on a first-name basis with top industry marketers.

You can’t buy these opportunities – they just happen naturally at Bootcamp, and they change you. You see that these guys are not only the top in our industry – they are regular people like you and me.

Suddenly, you realize that if they can do it, so can you. You leave ready to do whatever it takes to secure your rightful place as a master among the masters.

So don’t delay. Give AWAI a call and let them know you’re ready to take your place with the masters. I’ll be there to toast you myself when you arrive … along with many of the other working AWAIers you’ve read about … and to welcome you to the club of new breakthrough copywriters.

Sincerely,

Monica Day
AWAI Member, Working Copywriter

P.S. I hope you resist any urge to procrastinate and miss out on this incredible opportunity. Each year it gets a little harder to secure a spot. Sure, you could luck out if there’s a last-minute cancellation and you’re high enough on the waiting list… but why take that kind of chance with your success? In the months after Bootcamp, I talked to many fellow members who hadn’t made the deadline – and they told me they were miserable the entire week just thinking about what they were missing. Make sure that doesn’t happen to you! Call Barb, Jackie, Debbie or Pat today at 1-866-879-2924, or click here.

“Most conferences have something in them that bores someone. Not this one. Every subject caught my interest. It was worth the money spent on the first morning. I have attended other writing conferences – this one was unusual in the warmth and openness of staff and attendees. At AWAI, everyone wants to help you succeed.”

– Lois R., New Orleans, LA

“All the speakers are extremely knowledgeable and generous. This was a truly remarkable experience. I am so impressed with everyone from AWAI. You certainly have the knowledge and experience … but more than that, you are so generous in sharing it. The ‘good vibe’ factor was so incredible.”

– Lynne S., New York, NY

“I got the most out of the sessions that at first concerned me more than any others: the Writing Workshops. I was really intimidated by having my headline and lead critiqued by the pros and fellow members. But I shouldn’t have worried. Their comments were very positive, and the suggestions they offered definitely improved the copy and style. This was the ‘Kick in the Tail’ I needed to get serious about my copywriting!”

– Bill A., Durham, NC.

“To any fence-sitters out there: If you’re debating the merits of attending AWAI’s Bootcamp, sign up right now. It was, without doubt, the turning point of my graphics/writing career and worth every penny. I met my mentor there. and I made lifetime, quality contacts with both attendees and staff.”

– Cherie R., Ft. Myers, FL

“I did get several paying jobs from Bootcamp, which led to more projects from those same companies. I’ve been to a couple of Bootcamps now, and found them very helpful, because each year I made new connections and got new writing gigs. and in my case those results paid for Bootcamp several times over.”

– Kammy T., Laurel, MT

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