Friday, April 29, 2005
Wealth and independence
That independent lifestyle part is also
important to me -- and many others.
Although I am NOT someone who says things
such as, time spent at home goofing off
is worth a reduced income.
My desire independent lifestyle will require
a larger than average income!
And copywriting does appear to be a good
opportunity for both the income and
independent lifestyle.
As a freelancer you're not tied to any
particular employer or place.
I've never been attracted to the idea of being
a corporate CEO who spends 16 hours a day
working or by making money from real estate
where I have to stay close to one physical
location.
I want to travel wherever I want to, whenever
I want to, with whomever I want to.
Most high income careers come with responsibilities
that make that difficult, although some have
travel-related perks. But they aren't under the
control of you.
I know of one copywriter/marketer who has that
traveling lifestyle -- Randy Gage, who I met in
1996 when I went to a seminar he gave on MLM.
I don't know how involved with MLM he is now. I
get his online newsletter and he talks mostly
about copywriting, online marketing and such
subjects -- as well as writing from Paris
outside cafes etc. Maybe he just does not mention
his MLM consulting in his newsletter. If he
actively works on building downlines, he must
do it internationally or just by having the
reputation he does, he gets people to sign up
under him.
As I recall, some time back he mentioned that he
had adopted an international lifestyle of
establishing 3 homes -- his base in Miami,
Costa Rica and Paris.
And I'm jealous that I can't afford this,
although I'd pick different locations, myself.
The one nit I would pick with the AWAI
copywriting course is when they say you can
do the business even without a computer. Whoever
wrote that section said they knew a professional
copywriter who wrote their letters out by hand,
then hired someone to type them up on a computer.
That may be, but I doubt if more than one or two
actually do that.
And what if you're living in a place where nobody
is familiar enough with handwritten English to
retype your scribblings? If your handwriting is as
bad as mine, even native English speakers can't
read it!
And you still have to be close enough to an Internet
cafe to transmit the file of your salesletter to
the client.
And of course banking is a problem, though
international ATM machines and Pay Pal are a
partial solution.
And if you are not close to an Internet connection,
regular mail delivery may be even worse. I know
foreign countries where mail to and from them and
the U.S. is 10 days at the major cities. In the
boonies . . . who knows? And I'd sure hate to
be waiting for a check, because it'd be very easy
for a check to be stole and fraudulently cashed.
So I do not recommend trusting the international
mail for anything important.
So if you want total independence from the modern
world, you need to carry all your assets with you.
That's not practical for most of us.
Copywriting comes close to offering the more
desireable mix of high income yet independent
lifestyle -- including traveling -- available.
Of course, even better is to have an Internet
marketing income that is virtually automatic
or needs only an Internet connection -- widely
available throughout the world except in the
very boondocks at Internet cafes or to have
enough investments generating automatic
income.
But copywriting's high fees can help you get
to the above places.
copywriting software
important to me -- and many others.
Although I am NOT someone who says things
such as, time spent at home goofing off
is worth a reduced income.
My desire independent lifestyle will require
a larger than average income!
And copywriting does appear to be a good
opportunity for both the income and
independent lifestyle.
As a freelancer you're not tied to any
particular employer or place.
I've never been attracted to the idea of being
a corporate CEO who spends 16 hours a day
working or by making money from real estate
where I have to stay close to one physical
location.
I want to travel wherever I want to, whenever
I want to, with whomever I want to.
Most high income careers come with responsibilities
that make that difficult, although some have
travel-related perks. But they aren't under the
control of you.
I know of one copywriter/marketer who has that
traveling lifestyle -- Randy Gage, who I met in
1996 when I went to a seminar he gave on MLM.
I don't know how involved with MLM he is now. I
get his online newsletter and he talks mostly
about copywriting, online marketing and such
subjects -- as well as writing from Paris
outside cafes etc. Maybe he just does not mention
his MLM consulting in his newsletter. If he
actively works on building downlines, he must
do it internationally or just by having the
reputation he does, he gets people to sign up
under him.
As I recall, some time back he mentioned that he
had adopted an international lifestyle of
establishing 3 homes -- his base in Miami,
Costa Rica and Paris.
And I'm jealous that I can't afford this,
although I'd pick different locations, myself.
The one nit I would pick with the AWAI
copywriting course is when they say you can
do the business even without a computer. Whoever
wrote that section said they knew a professional
copywriter who wrote their letters out by hand,
then hired someone to type them up on a computer.
That may be, but I doubt if more than one or two
actually do that.
And what if you're living in a place where nobody
is familiar enough with handwritten English to
retype your scribblings? If your handwriting is as
bad as mine, even native English speakers can't
read it!
And you still have to be close enough to an Internet
cafe to transmit the file of your salesletter to
the client.
And of course banking is a problem, though
international ATM machines and Pay Pal are a
partial solution.
And if you are not close to an Internet connection,
regular mail delivery may be even worse. I know
foreign countries where mail to and from them and
the U.S. is 10 days at the major cities. In the
boonies . . . who knows? And I'd sure hate to
be waiting for a check, because it'd be very easy
for a check to be stole and fraudulently cashed.
So I do not recommend trusting the international
mail for anything important.
So if you want total independence from the modern
world, you need to carry all your assets with you.
That's not practical for most of us.
Copywriting comes close to offering the more
desireable mix of high income yet independent
lifestyle -- including traveling -- available.
Of course, even better is to have an Internet
marketing income that is virtually automatic
or needs only an Internet connection -- widely
available throughout the world except in the
very boondocks at Internet cafes or to have
enough investments generating automatic
income.
But copywriting's high fees can help you get
to the above places.
copywriting software
More seminar stories
In 2001 there were not so many Internet
marketing seminars as now, at least, not put
on by Internet marketing gurus -- there have
been many put on by hucksters presenting it
as a biz opp scam.
But in 2001 Mark Joyner got together with
guerilla marketer Jay Conrad Levinson to put on a
Guerilla Marketing Boot Camp.
The sales letter was written by Maria Veloso,
then working for Mark at Aesop and it was
VERY strong. That was the closest I have come
to pulling out my credit card and signing up
for an Internet Marketing seminar based on
a sales letter.
The Big Promise of the letter was that all
attendees would be taught a system for having
a 5-figure monthly income for the rest of
their life.
Did it deliver that promise?
I don't know for sure -- everyone had to sign
a non-disclosure agreement.
But nobody has ever talked about it -- to my
knowledge -- since the seminar.
That doesn't mean they didn't get their money's
worth. Many are making 5 figures a month --
I just don't hear anybody saying they owe it
all to the system Jay Conrad Levinson taught
them at the Bootcamp.
One of the attendees was Phil Wiley, a reporter
from Australia.
That is, when he went he was still working his
"real" job as a reporter.
This despite his already being a well known and
well respected affiliate marketing guru. I
remember subscribing to his ezine ALL THE
SECRETS back when I was on AOL - so that was
a LONG time ago!
He had a big site and he made money from promoting
products through his ezine, but he still couldn't quit
his day job.
But at the Guerilla Marketing Bootcamp he met
someone who was making $10K a month putting up
minisites.
Phil went home and started putting up minisites.
I can't remember how long after that it was
that he announced he'd quit his day job, but
he has been a full time Internet marketer
since then.
And he's no longer just an "affiliate marketing"
guru -- as the author of MINISITE PROFITS
he's a minisites guru. But he apparently
makes most of his money off his own minisites.
Just yesterday I got an issue of his ezine
that he sent from Washington DC.
Right now, Yanik is putting on a seminar on
"Underground Marketing" and now I wish I was
somehow there.
Phil Wiley is -- he just sent out an ezine about
how much he's learned just partying with the
other attendees before the seminar actually
starts.
One guy pays his top affiliate $250,000 per month.
Wonder what HE makes?
They're too busy making big money to promote
themselves as gurus.
But I have a feeling they could teach almost
all the gurus a thing or three about making
money online.
So it looks like Phil Wiley has already
gotten more than his money's worth from
Yanik's seminar -- even before it
started.
Now I'm wondering -- how many more Internet
marketing seminars can I afford NOT to go to?
copywriting information to make more money
marketing seminars as now, at least, not put
on by Internet marketing gurus -- there have
been many put on by hucksters presenting it
as a biz opp scam.
But in 2001 Mark Joyner got together with
guerilla marketer Jay Conrad Levinson to put on a
Guerilla Marketing Boot Camp.
The sales letter was written by Maria Veloso,
then working for Mark at Aesop and it was
VERY strong. That was the closest I have come
to pulling out my credit card and signing up
for an Internet Marketing seminar based on
a sales letter.
The Big Promise of the letter was that all
attendees would be taught a system for having
a 5-figure monthly income for the rest of
their life.
Did it deliver that promise?
I don't know for sure -- everyone had to sign
a non-disclosure agreement.
But nobody has ever talked about it -- to my
knowledge -- since the seminar.
That doesn't mean they didn't get their money's
worth. Many are making 5 figures a month --
I just don't hear anybody saying they owe it
all to the system Jay Conrad Levinson taught
them at the Bootcamp.
One of the attendees was Phil Wiley, a reporter
from Australia.
That is, when he went he was still working his
"real" job as a reporter.
This despite his already being a well known and
well respected affiliate marketing guru. I
remember subscribing to his ezine ALL THE
SECRETS back when I was on AOL - so that was
a LONG time ago!
He had a big site and he made money from promoting
products through his ezine, but he still couldn't quit
his day job.
But at the Guerilla Marketing Bootcamp he met
someone who was making $10K a month putting up
minisites.
Phil went home and started putting up minisites.
I can't remember how long after that it was
that he announced he'd quit his day job, but
he has been a full time Internet marketer
since then.
And he's no longer just an "affiliate marketing"
guru -- as the author of MINISITE PROFITS
he's a minisites guru. But he apparently
makes most of his money off his own minisites.
Just yesterday I got an issue of his ezine
that he sent from Washington DC.
Right now, Yanik is putting on a seminar on
"Underground Marketing" and now I wish I was
somehow there.
Phil Wiley is -- he just sent out an ezine about
how much he's learned just partying with the
other attendees before the seminar actually
starts.
One guy pays his top affiliate $250,000 per month.
Wonder what HE makes?
They're too busy making big money to promote
themselves as gurus.
But I have a feeling they could teach almost
all the gurus a thing or three about making
money online.
So it looks like Phil Wiley has already
gotten more than his money's worth from
Yanik's seminar -- even before it
started.
Now I'm wondering -- how many more Internet
marketing seminars can I afford NOT to go to?
copywriting information to make more money
Go to marketing seminars for clients
A *Big Issue* recently on the AWAI student forum
has been attending Internet marketing seminars.
Several weeks ago, there was the Big Seminar
in Atlanta, put on by Armand Morin.
Harlan Kilstein urged everyone to go, and promised
to introduce those who did to potential clients.
At least 3 AWAI students DID go, Harlan kept
his promise and all 3 found jobs.
Now, the idea here is NOT to go to the seminar
to learn Internet marketing -- that's a side
benefit.
The idea is to go to meet people who need
copywriters because they're Internet marketers.
So it's a form of networking.
Many other students asked -- how do we learn about
these seminars. That seemed a little odd to me,
but that's because I've been around enough that
I'm on a zillion Internet marketing lists and so
hear about them all the time whether I want to
go or not.
I have never been to one because of the cost --
my immediate reaction was always: "For that kind of
money, I could buy all the Internet marketing ebooks
and software."
Second reaction was: "I've already spent a lot of
money on ebooks and software which I'm not even
using. Why pay $2K+ to learn more stuff I won't
have time to implement?"
Of course, the gurus putting on these events will
tell you it's the opportunity to network and make
joint ventures with new friends that is also
important, and I understood that -- but my site's
about computer careers, so I didn't think I had
any basis for joint ventures.
But, relevant to this blog, Harlan has highlighted
for me the value to attending these events as
a copywriting looking for work.
So, now, sure I wish I'd gone to the Big Seminar
too!
If you want to find out about upcoming seminars,
subscribe to Phil Wiley's ezine, get on
Yanik Silver list, Ken McCarthy's list,
John Reese's list, Armind Morin's list -
and you should hear about all the seminars
worth going to.
copywriting resources
has been attending Internet marketing seminars.
Several weeks ago, there was the Big Seminar
in Atlanta, put on by Armand Morin.
Harlan Kilstein urged everyone to go, and promised
to introduce those who did to potential clients.
At least 3 AWAI students DID go, Harlan kept
his promise and all 3 found jobs.
Now, the idea here is NOT to go to the seminar
to learn Internet marketing -- that's a side
benefit.
The idea is to go to meet people who need
copywriters because they're Internet marketers.
So it's a form of networking.
Many other students asked -- how do we learn about
these seminars. That seemed a little odd to me,
but that's because I've been around enough that
I'm on a zillion Internet marketing lists and so
hear about them all the time whether I want to
go or not.
I have never been to one because of the cost --
my immediate reaction was always: "For that kind of
money, I could buy all the Internet marketing ebooks
and software."
Second reaction was: "I've already spent a lot of
money on ebooks and software which I'm not even
using. Why pay $2K+ to learn more stuff I won't
have time to implement?"
Of course, the gurus putting on these events will
tell you it's the opportunity to network and make
joint ventures with new friends that is also
important, and I understood that -- but my site's
about computer careers, so I didn't think I had
any basis for joint ventures.
But, relevant to this blog, Harlan has highlighted
for me the value to attending these events as
a copywriting looking for work.
So, now, sure I wish I'd gone to the Big Seminar
too!
If you want to find out about upcoming seminars,
subscribe to Phil Wiley's ezine, get on
Yanik Silver list, Ken McCarthy's list,
John Reese's list, Armind Morin's list -
and you should hear about all the seminars
worth going to.
copywriting resources
