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Ep. 35: Why Some Copywriters Fail

By Nicki Krawczyk

The reason why some copywriters fail isn’t because of any inherent characteristic. Usually copywriters who “fail” fall into one of two camps: they don’t have training or a system for landing clients, or they have training, but are afraid of failure.

If you fall into the first camp, you’ll want to first get training. If you fall into the second camp, you’ll want to listen to today’s episode. Nicki and Kate walk through what you can do to move past “fear of failure” as a roadblock. First step? Knowing “failure” is a bit of a misnomer. There is quitting, but as long as you’re continuing to take action, then there’s no such thing as “failure.”

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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!


A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:05] Why do some copywriters fail? Nicki and Kate dive into this question starting out with why they don’t really believe in failure to begin with.

[1:33] If you were a copywriter in the time of cocktail parties, pre-COVID, you may have heard a mix of “ooo copywriting is so hard to get into!” or “I tried copywriting but it just didn’t work for me.” Nicki and Kate discuss how a lack of training and lack of a system lead to these conversations.

[4:15] One of the biggest factors Nicki and Kate talk about is the lack of knowledge about the differences between content writing and copywriting. Not to mention the unknown-by-many differences between any writing at all and copywriting. There is a big difference between writing and writing copy.

[6:50] Nicki talks about some of her least favorite advice (hint: if there is no net, don’t jump!) You need a plan and a system when starting a new career, especially with copywriting.

[8:48] The other type of people who “fail” at copywriting are those who are afraid to put their training and systems into action. Nicki and Kate talk about how letting the fear of failure be a roadblock results in the only real kind of failure, quitting.

[15:25] Nicki and Kate talk about what they see in the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy Facebook group often when it comes to failure. Students post all the time about being hit with resistance whether none of their pitches have responded or they can’t find a designer for their spec ads, a few days later a flood of wins are shared by that same student who kept on going and saw results.

[16:20] Nicki and Kate have talked a lot about destinations recently. There is a solid potential that your “final” destination doesn’t even exist yet. Maybe there is a new tech around the corner that nobody can predict or maybe your best future client is a business that is waiting to be started. There is so much opportunity, new ones pop up ever day!

[18:12] Building a whole new career is not easy. It requires effort and a big step outside of your comfort zone. Nick talks about how anything thats matter is worth the effort.

[21:05] One last reminder that the only way to truly “fail” is to stop taking action.


Related Links

  • Why People Tell You Copywriting is Hard to Get Into
  • Fight These 10 Fears with a Systematic Process

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About the Build Your Business Podcast

Nicki, one of the hosts of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, sits at a black table with six chairs, four white, two black, as she records a podcast episode with a microphone, laptop, and doughnut in front of her.

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.


See Previous Episode

Ep. 34: How Copywriters Can Successfully Add Content as a Service

Last Updated on September 10, 2023

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: imposter syndrome, resistance

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About Nicki Krawczyk

Nicki is a copywriter, copy coach and the founder of Filthy Rich Writer. She's been writing copy for more than 20 years.

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