Copywriting is the Ultimate Way for You to Live The Writer’s Life
By Katie Yeakle

“Can someone like me really live the writer’s life?”

“I know others are doing it. But how long is it going to take me?”

“And how does AWAI help us succeed?”

Katie Yeakle here. As AWAI’s Executive Director, these are questions I’ve heard a lot over the last 30 years.

So, I thought this would be a great time to answer a question I hear often:

Why, of all the opportunities for writers to make money, should I consider copywriting?

The answer is simple: Copywriting is one of the most practical, flexible, and rewarding ways to build a life around writing.

Take a look at this list of benefits copywriters enjoy, and then tell me if you agree …

✔️ Your time is your own. No time clock, no set hours. You can build your work around your life — not the other way around. That doesn’t mean you won’t work hard. You will. But it does mean you can often build a writing career that fits your life, instead of trying to squeeze your life around someone else’s schedule.

✔️ You can work from almost anywhere. Copywriting is one of the most portable careers there is. If you have a laptop, internet access, and a place to think, you can do this work.

For people who want more location freedom … or simply more control over their environment … this matters a lot.

✔️ It can become a very well-paid skill. Businesses need writers to help them:

• Connect with customers
• Explain what they do — clearly
• Stand out in crowded markets
• Generate sales

That’s why copywriters are hired to write things like:

• Emails
• Landing pages
• Website copy
• Sales pages
• Case studies
• Video scripts
• Product descriptions
• And much more

And, because this kind of writing supports business growth, it can be very well paid. It’s one of the few writing paths where there’s a clear connection between skill development and income growth.

✔️ The work is creative, strategic, and genuinely interesting. You’ll be engaged in a fun, fascinating, creative activity all about ideas … telling interesting stories … helping businesses communicate and express their value.

✔️ You’re building a skill that businesses continue to need. One of the most valuable things you can do for your future is build a skill that stays relevant. Strong writing, marketing, and communication skills are useful in almost every industry. And, that gives you resilience. Instead of depending on any one employer, one company, or one job title, many copywriters build income through multiple clients, multiple projects, recurring assignments, or specialized niches.

✔️ You become part of a real community of working writers. One of the best surprises people discover about this world is how generous it is. Working copywriters regularly share lessons, resources, encouragement, ideas, and “what they wish they’d known sooner” insights. At AWAI, this is one of the things we deeply care about — creating a place where writers can learn from experts, connect with peers, and realize they’re not doing this alone.

✔️ You can use your writing to support work you actually care about. One of the things people love most about copywriting is that it’s not tied to one kind of business or service.

You can write for:

• Health brands
• Financial companies
• Travel businesses
• Nonprofits
• Local service providers
• Educational businesses
• Advocacy organizations
• And many more

So, if it matters to you that your work means something … or aligns with causes, industries, or values you care about … copywriting gives you options.

✔️ You don’t have to figure it all out by yourself. This is the part a lot of new writers don’t realize at first. You do not have to invent your career from scratch. There are learnable skills. Proven pathways. Repeatable frameworks. Real people who’ve already built what you’re trying to build.

And, that’s what we offer at AWAI. We provide the clarity, training, guidance, and community you need to build your version of the writer’s life.

It’s a powerful list, isn’t it?

Now, your next question may be …

Can someone like me actually do this?

That’s the question underneath almost every other question.

And the answer is: Yes — if you’re willing to learn, practice, and keep going.

Because successful AWAI members have come from every kind of starting point imaginable.

Some were:

• unemployed,
• burned out,
• underpaid,
• unexpectedly laid off,
• stuck in jobs they’d outgrown,
• or simply ready for something different.

Some were in their 20s. Some were in their 60s and 70s. Some already thought of themselves as writers. Others absolutely did not.

They’ve come from backgrounds like:

• teaching,
• healthcare,
• parenting,
• administration,
• corporate leadership,
• sales,
• IT and computer science,
• hospitality,
• service industries,
• nonprofits,
• and beyond.

That’s one of the most encouraging truths about this field:

There is no one “right” starting point.

You name a beginning — or life circumstance — and I can introduce you to an AWAI member with a similar starting place, now earning an good income, feeling secure, doing work that is interesting to them, leading a fulfilling life … and thanking copywriting for it all!

So whatever your starting point is, there’s a very good chance someone else started in a similar place — and built something meaningful from there. (And we’re here to help!)

So, what does getting started actually look like?

The good news is: you don’t have to overhaul your whole life overnight.

You can begin at the pace that makes sense for you.

Here are a few smart ways to start:

1. Keep reading The Writer’s Life

It’s one of the easiest ways to see what paid writing can actually look like in the real world.

2. Explore AWAI’s free articles and archives

There’s a huge library of free content on copywriting, freelance business-building, client work, writing improvement, and more.

Watch some of our free webinar training events on trending in-demand opportunities and how to build your writing business, plus meet real writers having real success and hear their motivational tips and proven strategies.

3. Start with AWAI’s flagship foundational training, The AWAI Method™ for Becoming a Skilled, In-Demand Copywriter.

The AWAI Method™ prepares you to write five in-demand projects — along with ANY other project a client needs.

Along with learning the fundamentals of persuasion, you’ll write an entire sales campaign from start to finish during this program and get professional feedback from working copywriters on every piece you submit.

By the time you complete the program, you’ll have a portfolio of polished samples — and we’ll give you the accumulated tips and best practices we’ve seen work again and again for three decades to go out and quickly start landing clients.

The most important thing is simply to begin.

You don’t need to have your whole future figured out before you take your first step.

You just need a starting point.

And if the writer’s life appeals to you — if you want more freedom, more possibility, and a more meaningful way to earn income with your words — copywriting may be one of the smartest places to begin.

I’d love to hear what “the writer’s life” means to you … and what questions you still have about copywriting.

Let me know in the comments.