Wall of Fame
AWAI Member Since: 2007
Age: 72
What’s your current occupation?
Copywriter
What’s your former occupation?
Author and Counselor
What was the first project you landed?
It wasn’t actually a “project” – it was a full-time position writing copy for Agora’s Healthier News division. And I would never have been able to win the job without what I had learned from AWAI’s Accelerated Program.
What are your current projects?
Writing promotional copy for Healthier News.
What has been your proudest copywriting moment?
Actually, there are two. The first was when I was offered the Healthier News position. The second was the day I received my first royalty check!
What’s your favorite niche to write for?
What’s your income goal for this year?
$50,000
What’s your writing routine?
Since I’m working full-time for a company, I write (and do research) 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. Evenings and weekends, I watch copywriting DVDs, read a variety of materials put out by other copywriters, and continue working on projects I haven’t completed yet at the office.
Please give us an example of how your life has changed since becoming a copywriter.
I went from being a “retired,” self-employed fiction/non-fiction writer, to working full-time, 5 days a week in an office. It was a huge change, but a really good one, since I’m now immersed in learning and writing every day.
The focus and discipline are great, and the people I work for and with are wonderful. I feel better about myself, and more excited about my career, than I have at any time in my life.
What success tip would you like to share with your fellow writers?
The major one (in addition to the general, “Never, never give up!”) would be “Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Never think you’re too old to make a change or to become a success.”
When did you realize you were living the copywriter’s life?
I think it was the day I finally felt settled into my job and that I was writing copy that was constantly improving.
