Advice for Beginning Copywriters

The Case *for* Content Mills

How beginning copywriters can earn money and get their foot in the door

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

New writers are often warned to avoid content mills like the plague. It’s true that the pay is low, and burnout is a real challenge. However, for someone absolutely new to writing, they can be a good place to start. If any of these things are true, you may benefit from starting at a content mill.

You need money now

Even though the pay with content mills is low, it is consistent. Many mills pay weekly or even daily. There is no need to chase down clients with invoices. Depending what the cost of living is in your area and how quickly you can churn out work, it is certainly possible to earn a living wage just from content mill work. I would recommend branching out for greater things as soon as possible, but if you do not have the time to wait and build your freelance copywriting business, content mills can be a good source of immediate money.

You’ve never written for a living

Dealing with clients is its own special skill, and it requires confidence and a thick skin. Ditto for dealing with editors. Content mills offer a good way to get your feet wet with following a client’s guidelines and requests, as well as learning to accept editors’ feedback and requests for rewrites without getting your feelings hurt.

More importantly, it teaches you the basics of creating content.

As a copywriter, you cannot always write things however you think they sound best. Ultimately, it needs to be the client’s voice, not yours. For those who have no background in professional writing, it can be hard to get used to this. Learning to work within provided guidelines help you develop this ability.

You have no idea how to pitch to clients or negotiate a deal

Problem solved. The content mill has done it for you. It will also have narrowed down exactly what type of copy the client wants, how it should sound, and other precise details you might not even have thought to sort out prior to taking a deal.

Quick Takeaway

Don’t be too quick to write off this area as a place to start. Remember, you have to do what works for you, and that may be different from what worked for others.

I’m a content creator who procrastinates way too much. You can find more of my writing here.