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3 Reasons Why Copywriting Is The Perfect Red-Pill Career

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If you’re still stuck in the 9-5 Slave World that the modern corporatocracy has become for most normal men, you’ve probably dreamed of a way out of the intolerable mess that most of us are expected to stomach as a “career.”

You know what I mean. The world where merit makes no difference, where the most skilled liar and politician gets the promotion… the world where half the people you work with are only there because they fit the right “victim group” to be included in your company’s latest “Diversity And Inclusiveness Initiative.”

It’s a world where even a hint of a joke or comment that might even POTENTIALLY make someone “uncomfortable” gets you called into the office for a chat with the purple-haired HR Manager (who’s been itching to fire you since the day you were hired).

“Success” in Slave World means a complete shutdown of your own sense of humor, your own sense of truth, your mind, your soul and your spirit. You must either submit to the prevailing narratives, or be stamped with a Mindcrime and cast onto the streets without a second thought (by people who’ve never even had a first one).

It’s enough to make any man miserable, and the more “awake” he is to the truths of our culture and its intricately fabricated narrative, the more painful the experience will be for him.

In just a moment, I’m going to explain to you the three major reasons why a freelance copywriting career is the “way out“ you’ve been looking for—if you’ve got the will to strike out on your own and the will to hone your craft.

But before I do, I’d like to come clean about something…

This isn’t my first article on Return of Kings. I’ve submitted—and had published—a number of articles on this site (under various pseudonyms) tackling topics everywhere from foreign culture wars to the root of Marxist infestation right here at home.

I then went “underground” for a couple years, stopped writing anything for anyone, and focused entirely on building my own business as a copywriter and internet marketer.

Now that I’ve arrived at my destination, allow me to “send the elevator” back down and give you the three biggest reasons why I encourage you to follow in my footsteps and rediscover what it means to be happy and free in this profoundly disturbed society of ours.

1. It’s A Complete Meritocracy

It doesn’t matter what your last name is, it doesn’t matter how much money you were born into, it doesn’t matter what “certifications” you have, and it doesn’t matter where you went to college (if you went at all). My very first copywriting mentor—who spends his time traveling the world and giving workshops—never even made it past 8th grade.

It doesn’t matter what your skin color is, it doesn’t matter what gender you are, and there are no free bonus points for whining the loudest or being part of any particular demographic.

The one and only thing that matters is whether you can actually write copy that converts. That means either the ads you write turn prospects into customers, or you don’t even get the scraps that fall off the table’s edge.

You have the “skills that pay the bills” or you don’t. It’s a loser’s nightmare and a winner’s dream come true.

Even better, every company on Earth needs effective advertising. You are surrounded by the products and services of various companies right now as you read this—and without effective advertising, you wouldn’t have a single one of those things.

I’ve had clients ranging from dirt-poor (at the beginning of my career) to the multimillionaires I now prefer to work with—and they all need advertising that sells for their companies.

Good ads are the key difference between a company that fails or succeeds—so when you learn to become the provider of the one thing they need most, you become very valuable very quickly… and to a whole lot of people.

That means endless opportunities that are not limited by geography. Just in the past two weeks, I’ve gotten clients from Canada and the United Kingdom—all while networking with guys in Asia to make money as a team on various projects.

There is no limit to what you can accomplish with the will to achieve and access to the internet.

2. I Make My Own Schedule

Another of my favorite things about copywriting is that there is not one human being on this Earth who gets to dictate how I spend a single second of my day.

I used to hate waking up earlier than I wanted to, spending 20 minutes in traffic to get somewhere I didn’t want to be in the first place, and then be told by another man how much of MY time I could spend eating lunch.

I always felt like a slave. It made me depressed, hopeless, and endlessly pessimistic about my own future happiness.

I know there are people who like to have their lives measured out by someone else simply because it makes things easier for them. Most people are like that. But I’m not one of them, and I don’t think most ROK readers are either.

Most of the time, I wake up when my body feels ready to wake up. Unless I have a client call scheduled for the morning—which I usually avoid doing—I don’t use an alarm clock at all.

I then go to the gym or use my awesome bike-desk for 30-60 minutes, make a healthy smoothie, and start working precisely when I feel like it. Then I work and take breaks according to the schedule which best suits me and my own internal rhythm.

Sometimes I’m still up working at 4 in the morning—so I just wake up at noon the next day to make sure I get 8 hours of sleep. It doesn’t matter.

I can’t be late for anything, because no man besides myself decides my schedule.

3. I Have As Much Time As I Want To Pursue My Hobbies

I’m not one of those people who’s going to work 16 hour days for a decade just to “get rich.”

I’m far more interested in spiritual growth and the expansion of my mind than fancy cars, and so most of my free time is spent studying theology and philosophy. Since being Saved last year from a decade of debauchery and hedonism, I’ve found no worldly task more fulfilling than contemplating (and deepening) my relationship with God.

I never had time to pursue this line of thought back when I was numbing myself with drugs and sex just to make it another day in Slave World, and it’s added irreplaceable value and comfort to my life.

I can read books, write articles for my blog, finish client projects, pray, and advance my career all in a comfortable rhythm every day. I have tasted the fruits of freedom, and I will never go back.

I gave myself three years to build this freedom lifestyle, and I did it in just over two. If I could do it, you can too. But only if you choose to join me.

Read More: 5 Reasons Not To Make Retail Your Career

100 thoughts on “3 Reasons Why Copywriting Is The Perfect Red-Pill Career”

  2. Where does one start trying to get into this as a career? I would love a change of job as the one i do sucks! Any advice or links would be great. Thanks

    1. TL;DR:
      “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. I too was waiting on the actionable steps to take.

      1. The actionable step is to click the link to the author’s blog, and then hire him as a consultant.

        1. “Learn how to be truly independent so you can pursue your hobbies, grow spiritually, and escape the debauchery and rat-race of modern civilization! All you have to do is create advertisements that perpetuate debauchery and the rat-race! Welcome to hypocrisy 101!”

        2. Get Rich Quick By Lolknee
          Step 1) Write Book on how to get rich quick
          Step 2) Sell a million copies

  3. Amen.
    Been in this business for close on 5 years now- it’s taught me a hell of a lot about self-discipline, time-management, discerning the people worth hanging with vs losers who are a waste of time/ energy and a whole raft of other things.
    It’s also taught me a lot about the art of selling, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the art of seduction. But instead of getting them to spread their legs, you want them to spread their wallets.

    1. I agree, there are a ton of similarities. Persuasion is persuasion, and human nature is what it is.

    2. Agree with you completely! My only problem as a copywriter has been maintaining focus. I just can’t help visiting websites such as this, or going on Twitter in between work.

      1. I save browsing here for the morning when I’m eating breakfast, or the evening during “wind down” time.

  4. Wall Street Playboys have info on copywriting. I remember reading a comment that they said was basically a blueprint for it but it would be hard to find it. Ole’ Liam lead you on didn’t he?
    Though, their book comes out in July and it details all that and then some so it could be a great read. Looking forward to it

  5. Bro, please don’t flood our industry with a bunch of wannabies and bring our prices down.

    1. Ha! Even the writers who can write well, are creative, and have the actual skill will still have to work despite rejection. It’s just like pulling girls.
      Average joes give in.

    2. This is why the learning never ends…always have to stay one step ahead of the algorithm and cheap labor in Poland, India and elsewhere, where increasingly talented/educated people in foreign lands will gladly make the content you do for HALF the price. I’m perpetually needing to prove to employers that I’m worth the premium.
      And now we have Narrative Sciences and other algorithm-derived “writers” to stay ahead of. I welcome these fucking hacks to make any attempt to knock me off the top rung — they’ll never catch me unless I get lazy, complacent and stop constantly updating/upgrading my skills and connex. In fact, I welcome the competition from every corner of the world, and even collaborate with them sometimes.
      I hate the phrase “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” but that’s the mantra of the modern content creation specialist; this job market is super-crowded (so many people fancy themselves as “creatives”) and at least 80% of the work doesn’t pay well. A ruthless, perfectionist work ethic and wide skill set keeps me afloat.

    3. If your fees are threatened by the presence of newbies, then you should improve your skill-set and use their relative lack of skill to raise your prices even higher.

  7. Wow, promoting a job that perpetuates materialistic culture… I’m literally stunned. Imagine if there was an apocalypse in the future. Who would rebuild society? You would need doctors, engineers, scientists, mathematicians, laborers, mid-wives, nurses, cooks, hunters, fisherman, etc. Heck you’d even need a lawyer or two to help construct laws and a stable government. What you wouldn’t need is a sales guy. Do you really want to lay there on your deathbed and know that you contributed nothing to human civilization other than advertisements? How is copywriting “neomasculine?” Sure it’s independent, but so is being a freelance “blogger” that just spouts bullshit. At least some bloggers like Quintus or Roosh are coming up with their own ideas. As a copywriter you are merely a mercenary shill. It’s not meaningful at all, unless you count a false sense of contribution to society. No wonder the Islamic world views the West as degenerate…

    1. Interesting perspective. Let’s imagine that the apocalypse hits, and you become a doctor afterward…how do you get clients?

      1. That’s the thing. People will come to you if you provide actual value. You don’t need marketing for real value, only when you’re trying to sell something. If you’re a copywriter that survives the apocalypse, you’re shit out of luck. What will you provide the hunter or farmer in exchange for food? Marketing advice? At best you’d be hard labor and you’d get out-competed by a bigger, stronger guy. If you’re a doctor, you’d get plenty of food because your inherent value is clear.
        Furthermore, a doctor has patients, not clients. The distinction may not appear to be meaningful, but it actually is.
        BTW, ideally you become a doctor before the apocalypse hits. The only way you become one after the apocalypse would be to learn from a doctor that survived the apocalypse (hopefully with a handful of key medical texts saved). How would you “pay” the doctor to learn his skill? Marketing advice? More likely with hard labor, which you will get competed out of…

        2. No I didn’t make an argument to respond to your question. You’re right; that’s because I answered the question. The question didn’t call for an argument, rather a straightforward answer. Also, the question itself contains many errors and assumes many things that aren’t necessarily sound in the scenario described.
          How many fingers are on the average human hand?
          Answer: five.
          Your response: that’s not an argument
          WTF?

        3. So you think that one should consider a post-apocalypse world when deciding on their career?

        5. It’s certainly one of many considerations. It’s a good heuristic for helping one decide whether one’s career has intrinsic value and is meaningful. Plus, what could be more “red pill” and “masculine” than being able to survive Mad Max style? Or at the very least being a valued member of a surviving tribe that no one could afford to lose? It’d have the added bonus of being “alpha” too. Much more neomasculine than being a copywriter if you ask me.

        6. yes, I am looking at lucrative careers in gas mask repair.

        7. Well that is bat shit insane. What can be more red pill and masculine than being able to survive a situation from a movie? Well, anything really…but off the top of my head succeeding in the world at hand rather than living in some fantasy dream world. It is neither red pill nor masculine nor alpha to organize ones life around a hypothetical situation which they have only seen in movies. Why not just become a plumber and go around looking for gold coins and stomping on turtles. If you want to be a masculine alpha be a success in the real world instead of living in some fantasy and in the nearly infinitesimal chance that in your life time you face a post apocalyptic world be the kind of person who can adapt and deal stoically with reality. Your advice reads to me like “i am far too weak to succeed so I am going to do all of fucking nothing and pray that the world changes to better suit me” Masculine? No bud, that is feminism.

        9. I said it was one consideration, not the pillar to revolve around. Sure, you can succeed at the world at hand, nothing inherently wrong with that. But then you can’t turn around and say that our society is degenerate if you yourself have contributed to its degeneracy.
          I don’t see how anything I said gives the connotation that only a weak person who can’t compete said it (especially if you follow the comments between me and Seth Falconer). Plus I have seen plenty of ROK articles here on how to “prepare for societal collapse, we should welcome it, fantasizing about it, etc.” so you’d have to give the memo to those authors that they aren’t masculine either (http://www.returnofkings.com/88671/4-reasons-why-collapse-will-be-the-best-thing-to-happen-for-men).
          FYI, I’d rather not have a collapse as it would be devastating for most people. But that doesn’t take away from my point. Would some masculine society like Russia tolerate someone who doesn’t contribute meaningfully? No way, and I’d like to point out that there are also articles here about how Russia is a bastion for neomasculinity (http://www.returnofkings.com/promotion/why-russia-is-becoming-a-more-attractive-place-for-neomasculine-men-to-call-home).
          I actually agree with you and see the whole apocalypse-fetishizing as lame and the sign of someone weak. However, usually that comes from people who have nothing to contribute. When used as a tool to decide whether the work you do is meaningful, it’s not at all sulking but constructive thinking. WWRD (What would Roosh do?).

        11. “But then you can’t turn around and say that our society is degenerate if you yourself have contributed to its degeneracy.”
          I suppose this is fair enough but I have to think of it. I don’t think society is degenerate so I guess I am ok.
          “Plus I have seen plenty of ROK articles here on how to “prepare for societal collapse, we should welcome it, fantasizing about it, etc.”
          Yeah, but to be fair I think each and every one of those articles is terrible at best and idiotic at worst.
          “Would some masculine society like Russia tolerate someone who doesn’t contribute meaningfully?”
          Well, the people who are the absolute most successful in Russia, the oligarchs, are essentially gangsters or bankers who had enough money and were cruel enough to totally take advantage of the collapse at the cost of their own nation and become billionaires. So yes, I think they would tolerate it. Meanwhile, living in Russia seems more like horrible punishment than anything else for anyone who isn’t ultra wealthy. Most of the people who “contribute meaningfully” in a way that would be helpful in an agrarian society are so poor they share their root vegetables when it comes time to making dinner. Meanwhile, people who trade on speculative markets, hoard oil or run blood thirsty gangs are profiting in a big way. Further further, what actually constitutes a meaningful contribution depends time to time, situation to situation and state to state. Being a very good banker may not construe a meaningful contribution in the end of days, but if you, right now, wanted to invest your money in a way that should the status quo remain, which is kind of likely, you will one day retire the contributions of that banker would be huge to you. I would bet you dollars to doughnuts that there are many people who are enjoying their retirement without stress about work and bills in large part due to savvy investment bankers and in zero part due to potato farmers.
          As for WWRD thinking….I will preface this by saying that I actually really respect what I know about Roosh even where I at times disagree with him……I would, however, not ask WWRD because he has decided to expatriate. Not saying that this is bad…he seems happy with it, but it is not a decision I see for myself. For my part I look at things like this: no matter what happens, where you are, how the world is…..there are winners and losers and the losers will always lose and the winners will always win. Be a winner and don’t worry about external details.

        12. Fair enough. You make good points about Russia. I was trying to play a little devil’s advocate and assumed that you were, like many authors on this site, dick-riding Russia for its apparent masculinity. Like you I also don’t think our society is degenerate, but again it’s a common theme I see here on this site so I assumed you were one of those degeneracy talking heads.
          I still stand by my point on having principles in deciding the work you do. I just want consistency and honesty from people. At least you’re honest in saying that you would be in it to look out for number 1 and not be hypocritical about it by claiming that you’re a moral/ethical compass.
          As for Roosh, I don’t agree with all of his ideas either, but it’s undeniable that he has made contributions that have helped many men using his own ideas and not merely shilling for some corporate interest like a copywriter would.

        13. Principles in deciding your work makes sense for sure…..but if those principles are geared towards a world that doesn’t exist that is a problem. We have a real world at hand that needs to be dealt with ya know? I do try to minimize my hypocrisy as much as possible….lol…my moral/ethical compass is absolute, but self determined. Roosh has absolutely made huge contributions to the world and deserves the respect of millions….but that doesn’t extend itself to living his life…the decisions he makes may be right for him and I hope they are, but they won’t be right for everyone and certainly aren’t right for me. As for using ones ideas rather than shilling for cooperate interest I agree with who whole heartedly with the caveat that the median salary of a copywriter is about 50k/year. Now if the median salary for a copywriter was 250k a year I might revisit that idea. If you are good at something you sell it to the highest bidder

        14. I advocate playing both ends here. Obtain skills which will fill your wallet now and in the future, as tech continues to advance, and have a hobby which could pay the bills if the SHTF. Considering for all we know, the S won’t HTF in our lifetime, it’s smarter to focus more on what brings in resources now.

      2. Furthermore, a doctor has patients, not clients. The distinction may not appear to be meaningful, but it actually is.
        BTW, ideally you become a doctor before the apocalypse hits. The only way you become one after the apocalypse would be to learn from a doctor that survived the apocalypse (hopefully with a handful of key medical texts saved).

      3. I’d get clients by hiring a man who can inspire confidence in my skills and services. Maybe the other doctors who survived have friends or clergy who can spread word on their behalf, but I can’t. Men in various skillsets may even think self-advocating is bad buisness, reflects inferior service records, or demands skills in communicating they simply do not possess. As a (((hypothetical))) doctor I’m grateful somone who knows how to see the benefits in something and communicate that value survived the SJWaclypse!

        1. You’re right that word would need to be spread out, but it will be necessary only because quacks who think they can administer medicine and conduct procedures will hire the sales guy to “promote” for them. The real professional won’t get noticed. In that scenario I understand the need for getting the word out, but it highlights the deeper problem of people using salesguys to promote questionable things, like the guys who hire copywriters today. The copywriter doesn’t care as long as he gets paid, e.g. let me make a disgustingly unhealthy cheeseburger seem appealing so my client can sell more of them.

        2. Look. I hate quoting people, but your argument’s logic seems to indicate advertising something makes it less effective. I don’t have a dog in the fight, really, besides liking writing. Example: If you said:
          “I literally mirrored your exact sentiment in the article just posted on ROK about how copywriting is ‘red pill.’ Good to see someone else has thought similar things. Cheers man.”
          …it would be a self promotionary claim, right? By your reasoning indicated above, if I wrote: “Open Minded Skeptic can troll, site an unliked article’s location with ease, stir up unrest, dispute authors, and argue which trades did and didn’t predate the internet, while virtue-signaling his and your own hate for materialism! Use him today!” …because I’m a third-party promoting your trolling, my claim on your behalf indicates you’re either an ineffecive troll, or that an other real professional troll won’t get noticed. I think you’re a stand-up troll whether anyone says, but nothing anyone says means you’re unprofessional.

        3. I’ve never insinuated that advertising makes something less effective. Rather I’m saying that things with true/real value don’t need marketing (except in the defensive case to make yourself known in the midst of quacks). So your claim that you’re “promoting” my “trolling” and thus proving that I’m an ineffective troll (using what you thought was my line of reasoning) is not correct.
          To your deeper point, I also stated that bloggers like Roosh and Quintus, albeit bloggers, come up with their own ideas, not unlike philosophers. They aren’t shilling for anything but their own ideas; and they are not promoting shilling for others. My post in the other article was merely an expression of mutual interest for a perceived kindred spirit. Kind of like someone saying “I like vanilla ice cream” and responding with “so do I, I had it the other day at XYZ place, check it out if you can.” So not a self-promotion, just a friendly acknowledgement of what I perceive as words of wisdom followed by an invitation to come check it out.

        4. Way to be chill. Well said. I think you’re right about good services surviving on utility and word of mouth and not advertising. My grandfather refused to patronize any company that advertised. Made sense. Makes sense. I think you’re saying that advertising for the wrong clients is making a deal with the devil. If so, I agree.
          Hey, Michael Witcoff, if you’re reading this, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
          I mean, you’d probably get opportunities to sell out and help a bad cause if you were good or needed to make a name for yourself way fast, right?
          On second thought, choice of clientele is probably a good #4 reason to be a freelance copywriter.

        5. No problem man. I actually appreciate someone like you challenging my claims in a legitimate and constructive way. It helps clarify things for both me and readers of this chain of comments. That’s why I appreciate the comment sections in sites like ROK. Apart from the newbies that seem to be just be angry at the world and want to complain, for the most part the seasoned guys here respond with logic and experience while acknowledging nuance. (Insert obligatory no homo here).
          Your appraisal of my main point is correct. Advertising for wrong clients is like making a deal with the devil. I’d go further and say that most, if not all, advertising in this day and age is akin to that. So I find it odd that escaping the rat race because you hate corporate culture and hedonism only to support yourself by working, if only indirectly, for those same corporate interests can truly be a form of liberation. Sure, you might get more free time to go windsurfing, bang cute foreign chicks, and become more spiritual, but you’re paying for it by causing others in the land you left to become ever more entrenched in the very hedonism you wanted to escape from. As for spirituality and philosophy, could you really examine your own life and not see what you’re doing? A deal with the devil indeed…

        6. I get a ton of those opportunities and I turn them down, which has become easier the more I’ve done it.
          It was very tempting at first to take the easy money but I draw a moral line at selling crappy products and/or blatantly deceiving prospects in the way some vendors have asked me to do.
          To me, it’s the exact situation warned about in Matthew 4:9, when the Devil takes Jesus to the top of a mountain, shows Him everything He could have, and says…
          ““All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.””
          Jesus tells Satan off, of course, and another line that I’ve gone to in times of temptation is in Mark 8:36, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
          I did write a few pieces for the PUA niche a couple years ago before I was saved, and promoted some esoteric offers I wouldn’t write for again as well.
          Defining and sharpening my moral boundaries has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of what I do, and I lead the Christian Marketing Coalition on Facebook for other people who are trying to balance their faith with the often-less-than-virtuous world of internet marketing.

        7. If that’s what you truly do nowadays, namely only marketing for products/causes that are of benefit to society, then I can’t knock you for that.
          However, I think my point still stands regarding marketeers in a post-apocalyptic world. You need the luxury of a functioning economy to even be able to survive doing marketing (for good or bad products), to say nothing of its utility in general. I also worry that people today will use the digital nomad marketing shtick to enrich themselves while creating an ethical net deficit in our society, especially when allured by the promises of “freedom from the 9-5, time for hobbies, spirituality, etc.”

        8. The Christian Marketing Coalition?
          I just tried finding the group on Fb but with no luck…

        9. It’s an invite-only group, predicated on a profession of faith in Christ and active work in the internet marketing industry. Feel free to send me a PM on Facebook if you’re curious about it.

        10. You have no idea. There are so many people in this country. The good and the bad products both benefit from marketing and sales. That’s why basically all big companies and many if not most medium sized companies have marketing and sales people.
          Even small companies perform marketing and sales. It’s just usually performed by the owner or employees whom wear several hats. You come off, in my opinion like someone who has a personal issue with sales people. Did you get ripped off by a salesman on a bad product?

        11. Anyone worth their salt wouldn’t hold a few discrepancies (or old articles) against you. If they did, they’re either a hypocrite or a woman. I’m glad to hear someone taking scripture to heart. Best of luck on the road forward.

      4. That’s why in view of the impending apocalypse, I’m pursing becoming a free-lance Warlord. I should write an article…

        1. I’m going to gather up surplus women and use them to pull my wagon train. Their TPS form skills won’t be much use so I’ll have a use for them.

        3. If an apocalypse happens I doubt most of these guys would even survive. Even if they did it would be a huge struggle to live Day by day. Hunter gatherer society is not as glamorous as people make it out to be.

      5. You would find a sick person and tend to them. The person gets better? The person tells the others of their tribe, and you have allies. The person dies? The others of their tribe kill you.
        That’s post-apocalyptic advertising.

    2. I don’t care about my contribution to the society, I just want to earn an honest living, provide for my family, be financially independent, pay my taxes and follow the law of the land. If everybody just does that, the world would be a much better place.

      1. Fair enough, but what constitutes an “honest living?” Shilling for companies that do more harm than good? What if everybody did just that? What you do matters; these things are all connected, unless of course you’re living in a monastery somewhere…

        1. No Man Is an Island. Written by a guy in a monastery. Changed lives everywhere. He was also Expat geographically and religiously. He wasn’t shilling for Carl’s J, of course.

        2. Touche, good example. That he wasn’t shilling is a crucial distinction.

      2. Its admirable you want to earn an honest living and provide for your family. Paying taxes however? Its taking the sweat off your back and giving it to the state. My business I pay some taxes but try my best to pay as little as possible. Cash is always King. That is why the governments of the world want an end to it. They want us all to be wage slaves…… always always keep something extra for yourself……

        1. Hey, I make money from third-party freelance marketplaces – all of my transactions are online, no cash involved anywhere. While I agree with you about cash being king, you have to understand that most of my clients are based in the US, Europe and Australia, so obviously I cannot ask them for a cash payment. Everything I earn goes into the government records, and there is no way to escape taxes, even if I wanted to. I can avoid paying some of the taxes by investing in stocks and mutual funds and some tax saving instruments as much as possible – which I do. I don’t like paying taxes. But I don’t take chances with the officialdom here.

        3. I’m the first one who doesn’t want to give his money to the state. However, I’m also a realistic and pragmatic guy. The disappearance of the state is the ultimate goal of Communism and other utopias, and guess what? It has never worked. In a society without a mediator, only the most rapacious survive, while the desperate are looking for their opportunity to destroy them and rise up. Not really the kind of environment where a society can prosper. So, do I want to pay less taxes? Hell yeah, the state should be kept as small as possible. But make the state disappear? We’re not 12 years old and reading Bakunin anymore.

        4. Disappearance of the state with Communism? Communism was the ultimate in State control of the individual. It is the social welfare system and profligate government spending that leads to higher and higher taxes.
          Around 1900 government revenue to GDP in the US was 4%, it is now between 40 and 50%. It is the same in most western “democracies”. Getting close to not making it worthwhile working. You are working for the government not yourself and your family.

        5. I think the majority of the time if it’s through a freelance site you don’t have that option. They act as mediator for payment to the worker.

    3. Granted marketing is one of the worst offenders, but almost all jobs are a part of the destructive machine that is Western civilisation. We can try to pick a lesser evil I suppose. Apiarism was the only career that came to mind that I couldn’t see a destructive side to. I imagine it’s not a big earner. No surprise given that the most destructive cogs get the biggest rewards.

    4. There’s nothing wrong with materialistic culture if you’re on the selling side.

    1. “they told me to re-write it. I said fuck that I’ll make a xerox….”
      -Mitch Hedberg

  9. I’m a copywriter from India. Was hard for me to break into an industry where native English speakers are preferred, but I think I’ve done pretty well so far. This is my fourth year as a copywriter/ business writer/ content writer and I earn a decent income by Indian standards, at least. But I work 12-14 hours a day, so I don’t agree with you that you can make your own schedule or pursue your hobbies – I did all of that in the past, now just don’t have the time. That’s okay, because I love writing 🙂

    1. I worked almost non-stop for about 2 years before I even started to think about slowing down–freedom was always my goal, so a lot of my effort (when I’m not writing for clients) has been focused on setting up things that pay me even when I’m not working. Great job starting a business that you enjoy!

      1. That’s a long story, but most people I realized don’t care about nationality/ethnicity/color etc. and just want their work done. So once I got a few positive initial reviews from some clients, my business took off from that point. But I know my clients will stick with me only as long as I keep producing high quality work – there are hundreds of thousands of copywriters out there, the competition is fierce.

        2. I work at a few online freelance marketplaces like everybody else in my profession. I think most of these sites are quite well known, I don’t have to name them. [In fact, Michael Witcoff should add a part 2 to this article on how to get quality work as a copywriter, he has described the benefits, but hasn’t talked about where to find work, how to get work, etc. That could help a lot of people.] [There are some copywriters, NOT me, who make a six figure income from this. So yes, there is a lot of money to be made.]

        3. Some make even more than that, but you need to build up your rep and skills first. Are you talking about places like upwork and fiverr?

        4. I’m assuming that you mean the sites were the major freelance sites? If so, did you find it overwhelming because of how much competition there was in the beginning?
          And how did you set yourself apart from them?
          Thanks.

    3. 1970: In the future, we will work a 4 hour work week
      2017: I work 12-14 hours a day

      2. Sometimes I think we’re worse off than medieval peasants. Hated being in work at 0600 and wotking 55+ hrs over 6 days. It’s the biggest cockblocker I’ve ever experienced.

        1. Petruccio, you are right. In the Medieval era, there were numerous holy days and saint’s days and local festivals when public feasting was the norm and work was forbidden. Now we are caught in relentless increasing hours, no quiet time when everything stops, and more and more work.

        2. I could almost understand how Communism was inspired by the industrial revolution, except that Marx and his ilk were both greedy for power and not intellectually honest.

  10. Okayyyyyyy, you made a great case for wanting to become one. Now where do I sign up?

  11. Yes. Agreed with all of this. This is the path I’m currently embarking on now. You can tell this guy is real because the writing he does use is compelling.
    To the author – I hope you do another one more specifically about breaking into the field and how to A) know you’re good enough and B) start getting clients.

    1. I only take jobs that are for solid businesses, since I’m not going to risk my reputation by writing for something lame or with a high chance of failure. Great products with an already-established position in a niche is all I go for these days.

  13. Sadly, I could never become a copywriter. I’ve always hated writing essays in school. You were supposed to submit x pages on y subject and I could easily sum up the whole thing with a few phrases. I had no idea how others were able to drag on and on about the subject and still entertain the reader. It seems like copywriters have the ability to do the opposite: drag a simple idea into hundreds of bullet points, with each bullet point being dragged into an entire paragraph. The typical sales pitch always seems to have this pattern (anyone seen those videos you can’t fast-forward where the exact same thing that is being spoken is also the text that gets displayed, thanks for assuming I can’t read)
    They are able to drag it on for such a long time that you even forget the initial point. A propos, does anyone know what Vin DiCarlo’s 3 questions you can ask any girl to get her into bed are? I still don’t… (rhetorical question obviously…)

    1. From what I’m told, those 3 questions made him a multi-millionaire. And yes, all sales pitches tend to follow a similar pattern whether they’re face-to-face or in print. “Copywriting is salesmanship in print.”–John Carlton

    1. I was just on the phone last week with a company that made $16m in Kratom sales last year. You might mock the marketing, but people apparently love the product.

    1. I started by writing ads for my own products after realizing that the internet is way too crowded for you to sell anything without good ads these days. Then I realized I had a really valuable skill and started to branch out, offering my services to other entrepreneurs.

  16. Finally, a RoK article that comes closest to describing my working life. Author is spot on — there’s no hiding from the critical purity of meritocracy in this job. You will be judged harshly and, as they say — “you’re only as good as your latest piece” (even with your trusty portfolio of “greatest hits” backing your endeavors and securing new income streams).
    Writing is one key aspect of my career in addition to editing, research, analytics, information design and info-graphic design (combined). I also do web design, desktop publishing, page layout and production/coordination (“the works” from a content creation standpoint).
    I have to be a content-creation “Swiss Army knife” just to stay competitive in the global market and earn an hourly premium of about $85-$90 per hour (currently). I also have to stay up on all sorts of software, constantly. Being a professional writer has given me a decent six-figure salary, which places me somewhere in the top 5%-15% of the creative class worldwide (that’s a guesstimate, I’m not really certain but it’s in the upper tier). I work flexible hours, never start work before 11:00am, and I have about 8 weeks vacation each year.
    To make the most in this field, it’s crucial to have a limitless appetite for knowledge, and to specialize. Financial, technical or medical (biotech in particular) pay the most, and I have SME (subject matter expertise) in all three, ensuring a constant stream of work from Fortune 500 companies and small business alike. It also got me a partner slot at an Internet startup about 17 years ago. Content creation skills matter big time, and the talent at the high end is in short supply. If you write for finance, secure some credentials like Series 6,7 or CFA and your earnings will be solid. Getting credentialed in various software as an “expert user” (Adobe suite, MS Office suite, Quark Publishing System or other CMS, etc) is also a huge plus.

      1. And from what I gathered from your main post, you’re well on your way to the next level. Best of luck to you.

  17. That sounds fantastic! Any recommended resources or tips to become a successful copywriter?

    1. Yeah I was hoping for more information, too.
      It’s very inspiring and I find the subject of copywriting itself very interesting.

  18. Nice, glad you became Saved. The one true way to break out the matrix. The redpill reinforced my faith further.

    1. Great to hear that. My next article is much more focused on what life’s been like since being Born-Again…a relationship with God really is the only way to stay sane in this dark world we live in.

  19. I enjoyed the article, thanks!
    However, it would add much more value if you had perhaps a 2nd follow-up article with the following:
    – How you got started, and advice for the beginner
    – Your most helpful books and/or sources for training material
    – Advice for dealing with the (envitable?) fight to keep going when its tough
    – How you set yourself apart from your competitors and gained “real” customers
    – Typical patterns of days/weeks with and without work offers or income

      1. You’re welcome. Perhaps I should have said “additional value” as I understand this would be another article rather than to expect it all included in one.
        Those like me who’s dream it is to be their own boss and have that wonderful freedom are in incredible awe of you and we soak up all the guidance & information we can get.
        It’s very much appreciated! I really hope to see the next article here soon from you.

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