Starr Daubenmire
AWAI Member Since: 2006
Age: 58
What's your current occupation?
Copywriter
What's your former occupation?
Quality Control Coordinator
What was the first project you landed?
My first project was writing health e-letters for Don Mahoney. I hadn't done this before, so I studied his archives for examples to learn from.
What are your current projects?
I still write regular health e-letters for Don. I am also a contributing editor and copywriter for Total Health Breakthroughs, a branch of Early To Rise under Michael Masterson. (This came about as a result of the Job Fair at the AWAI Bootcamp 2009.)
In addition, I have a couple other clients for web work and health promos. Again, these came out of references from my initial clients.
What has been your proudest copywriting moment?
That very proud moment – when you close your eyes, suck in your breath and say a silent "yes!" – happened just recently when I got a royalty check for a direct mail promotion in the mail. That one project has turned out to be quite profitable. Talk about possibilities!
What's your favorite niche to write for?
Health
What's your income goal for this year?
$60,000
What's your writing routine?
I generally do research and prep work in the mornings on my home office computer. I organize what I need to accomplish for the day and print out research and other reference materials. Then I switch gears. I'll have brunch or lunch or go to the rec center for a swim.
After that, when I sit down to write, I work from my favorite chair in the den in cold weather, or out on the front porch in warm weather. I review my research, make notes and begin writing articles in long hand on a yellow legal pad. I enjoy the act of actually writing with a mechanical pencil. Maybe because I'm also an artist – I just love the contact with pencil and paper. It flows for me.
Once I have thoughts down on paper, I return to the office to type it up. I like to get this done by the end of the day because I need to let it sit overnight before reviewing it. When I look at it again the next morning, things that bother me just jump off the page. I find it easier to edit with a fresh eye.
Please give us an example of how your life has changed since becoming a copywriter.
My life has changed in two very important ways: accountability and flexibility. In the corporate world you are a worker bee tied to someone else's schedule. Now, as Clayton Makepeace says, I answer to my favorite boss – me! Yes, I have clients and deadlines and work to do, but I have a measure of freedom I never had before. I can take a two hour lunch and go for a swim. I can run to the school and pick up a sick grandchild. And I can work from anywhere I like – home, the bookstore, while traveling. Absolutely nothing beats being your own boss!
What success tip would you like to share with your fellow writers?
Don't wait to get started. There's always more you can do to "be ready" – get the website going, have more experience, and on and on. I almost didn't answer the ad that got me my first job because I thought I wasn't "ready." And truthfully, maybe I wasn't! But I took a chance – and got a chance. I worked hard to learn what I needed to do to get and keep that job. It wasn't perfect right off the bat but because I dove in, I had to swim. And things grew from there. So swallow your doubt and get going – there's no perfect time … there's only now!
When did you realize you were living the copywriter's life?
I realized I was living the copywriter's life when I became glad I had lost my corporate job. Believe me, I was terribly insulted when it happened and it was a huge blow to my confidence. But now I know I have the skill and determination to depend on myself – not someone else – and especially not a corporation that viewed me as a statistic rather than a real person. Now I don't worry about the company's bottom line – I take care of my own. And the entire thing has been made possible by the tools and references provided by AWAI. Thank you, AWAI, not only for providing world class information, but for helping me to believe in myself.
And on a side note – my neighbor came home one day while I was writing out on the porch and asked if I was "surviving" ok. He felt very bad for me for losing my previous job. My reply: I'm enjoying the heck out of this … I'm a dadgum copywriter!!
