(From copywriter Mike Humphreys) You can pay for training by spending your time, your money, or both. More than half of the great copywriters I know developed their chops like I did: By reading the classic copywriting/direct response marketing books, studying great copy, and writing copy. I've never belonged to a paid mastermind for copywriting or marketing. I've never hired someone to privately mentor me. Or been someone's copy cub. I didn't pay for my first high-ticket copywriting training program until after I'd already produced over $10M in sales for my clients. At that point, I was charging $5K+ for a salesletter. So I was making good enough money to pay for that specialized training without going into debt. I broke into copywriting in 2006. Took me 2 months to go full-time with it. I've been full-time ever since. Money was tight then and my oldest child was in diapers. So I invested time instead of money in my copywriting career. Early on, I developed the habit of reading great copy or writing it 6 days a week. I've stuck to that routine ever since. And I'll continue to do it until they nail my coffin shut someday. Simple in theory... difficult in execution because it requires daily persistence and commitment to actually doing it. It also requires patience too because success won't arrive instantly or overnight. But it is doable, even if you're dealing with a shoe-string budget. If I can do it, then I believe anyone else can do it too. Especially with all of the amazing free resources out there. Most of which didn't exist when I was breaking into copywriting. Gary Halbert's website. Justin Goff's free email course. All of the major mailers and huge 8-9 figure companies that put out great copy every day. Not only do they send you great emails for free... those emails take you to their well-written VSLs, webinars, and salesletters too. That's off the top of my head. There are lots of other great free resources out that I'm neglecting to mention.

Time stamps: [02:52] Why reading 13 copywriting books in two months won't actually make you a better copywriter — The surprising truth about why studying theory without writing for real businesses keeps you stuck, and the one shift that builds both skill and portfolio at the same time. [05:25] The hidden cost that's more expensive than any course you'll ever buy — How treating time as a real investment (not just money) eliminates the need for motivation and shows you exactly why some copywriters accelerate while others spin their wheels for years. [14:00] Why prospects tell you to work for peanuts and how to never hear that objection again — The invisible persuasion factors destroying your perceived value before you even pitch, and what a decade of freelancing from Sri Lanka taught about whether location actually matters. [20:57] How to structure your day when you have no clients yet (hint: you're asking the wrong question) — The uncomfortable truth about why schedule optimization is irrelevant until you have real work, and what you should actually be doing for 12 hours a day instead. [24:37] The ticking clock most copywriters ignore until it's too late — Why clients no longer wait for you to figure things out, how AI compressed eight-week deadlines into three days, and what happened to the copywriter making $120K who refused to adapt. [29:45] The real reason 3,000 applicants couldn't fill one copywriting job — What separates the copywriters who get hired from the ones who just collect rejection, and the free but demanding path nobody wants to take. [33:45] Half the people in copywriting spaces will never make money — here's how to know which half you're in — The honest conversation that helped a struggling copywriter discover he hated writing and pivot to making $8K/month doing something he actually enjoyed. [36:45] Why the skill cycles are shrinking and what that means for your career in 2026 — How copywriting went from three-year skill cycles to three cycles per year, and why beginners cannot keep up alone anymore.

I sell a product called The Business of Copywriting, which is a toolbox of scripts, templates, checklists and other resources to help you run a freelance copywriting business. There are also training videos to go along with the tools. Some of those training videos are public on the Copyskills YouTube channel. There are 10 videos total. They cover topics like: - How to set your prices - Payment processing for Global South copywriters - My best client attraction strategies - Cold outreach that actually works for copywriters - Ghostwriting skills you can sell as a service (email and content marketing) - Social selling i.e. lead generation and closing in DMs - Organic LinkedIn lead generation - Affordable advertising to get clients (e.g. $2/day and $5/day) You can watch them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txshW-K_Bc8&list=PLnnL12M5FDPxduj5dF7XbtHmv967mQSEL If you find them useful, The Business of Copywriting is 100X more so. And it's “pay what you want”. https://www.getcopyskills.com/products/the-business-of-copywriting/?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=copywritinglaunchpad&utm_campaign=free_playlist_business_copywriting

Join @Matthew Volkwyn and @Nabeel Azeez for our first live stream. Ask your best copywriting and freelancing questions. Whoever asks the best question gets a prize. To qualify for the prize you must have your camera and mic on. Live stream essentials: 1. Clothes (no shirtless weirdos) 2. Wired internet (no crappy wifi) 3. Good lighting 4. Good mic Let's make this an enjoyable experience for everyone. Add it to your calendar: https://www.skool.com/copywriting-launchpad/calendar?eid=03a973e311ee46b5bd8667d2876d0266

If you’re tired of working for coaches, consultants, and course creators who think $3,000/month is fair pay for a full-time role here are… 7 Reasons Why Corporate Clients are Better Than Internet Marketers Discover the repeatable system I used to secure ultra-high-ticket contracts with companies like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s… And how you can use the EXACT SAME blueprint to make a full-time income (doing part-time work) with just 3-5 corporate clients. ✅ Work with major brands ✅ 5X to 10X more pay ✅ Consistency in your business Introducing... Corporate Prospecting Blueprint with @Lauren Hazel - 4-day workshop (live and recorded) - Monday 10th to Friday 14th November 2025 - Community Q&A - Bonus trainings - 3 optional add-ons for faster results - VIP package for additional support (1-on-1 and group coaching) Watch the video in full. Then LMK if you want the link to join.