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You can now order groceries, join a virtual meeting and deposit checks from your phone. What do all have in common? On-screen words guide you through how to complete those tasks. 

You might not even notice the words — good UX writing can be nearly invisible when it’s working well.

UX writing, or user experience writing, is a relatively new discipline that’s growing fast. From young tech startups hiring their first UX writer to legacy software companies expanding their teams, there’s an increasing need to hire skilled writers to craft content for software and apps.

A few years ago, I made the transition to a full-time UX content role. With a background in journalism, a few years under my belt as a copywriter for tech startups and five years running my own content strategy consultancy, I found a happy home on the user experience team for the Firefox browser. I knew from my own experience that the path to landing a UX writing job is rarely straightforward. So last year, I became a mentor for UX Coffee Hours, where I offer virtual coffee chats with anyone who’s interested in becoming a UX writer. What follows are answers to some of the most common questions I receive from mentees about breaking into this field.

What is UX writing?

A UX writer crafts the words that appear within software interfaces. The purpose of UX writing is to help people use the product in front of them, with minimal frustration. The words themselves are often referred to as microcopy because the copy is short: error messages, form fields and navigation labels. 

Anyone who works as a UX writer will tell you that the job entails so much more than writing short copy. It requires being strategic and relentlessly inquisitive. UX writers own the content strategy, development and delivery for an entire end-to-end experience. They collaborate closely with other disciplines like design, research, engineering and product management. 

To do this job well, a UX writer must be able to:

• Gather requirements from stakeholders to understand business goals
• Work collaboratively with user experience designers and researchers
• Develop a technical understanding of how a product works
• Use data and research to inform their writing (and run relevant research themselves)
• Develop documentation and rationale for decisions
• Finalize copy with partners in localization and legal
• Create and maintain content guidelines 

How long has UX writing been around?

Though someone was always writing the words on interfaces, UX writing has emerged as a dedicated role in the last five to seven years. As a young discipline, the job titles themselves are actively evolving. You’ll find postings for “UX writer,” “content designer,” “product writer” and “UX content strategist.” 

Because the role is relatively new, UX writers have different duties depending on how their company defines their responsibilities. Some UX writers may also pitch in on marketing copy, internal communications or help center content. 

What’s the difference between copywriting and UX writing?

UX writing is easily confused with digital copywriting. While both require strong communication skills and a deep passion for the craft of writing, the jobs themselves are quite different.

Copywriting serves a sales or marketing function. The goal of a copywriter is to bring people in the door. Their end game might be to entice someone to download an app, create an account or sign up for a service. A marketing copywriter may prioritize clever, punchy writing to capture someone’s attention and pique their interest.

UX writers act as guides once people start engaging with a product. This is where the “user” comes in. We start with what they are trying to do. Our role is not to convince or sell.

UX writers help people use the product in the most efficient way possible — all while providing a consistent voice and the appropriate tone for the context. Marketing and user experience writers should work together as much as possible to align their content guidelines so the end experience is as cohesive as possible.

What skills do you need to be a UX writer?

The most effective UX writers have a unique blend of hard and soft skills.

A background in communications, journalism or copywriting can be a helpful base, though not required. You’ll also find many UX writers who studied poetry, literature or theater. 

Strong writing skills

You must be a word nerd at heart who has solid writing chops. While we are sticklers for grammar and consistency, a UX writer also knows when to bend the rules in service of clarity.

Similar to technical writers, UX writers are well-versed in translating complex concepts into plain language.

Systems thinking

UX writers need to think high-level and holistically.

While you may write a specific error message or button label, similar types of copy surface in other areas of the software product. You need to think about the connections and interdependence betweens all types of interface copy.

Design thinking

To guide people through an experience, you’ll need an understanding of how visuals and copy work together.

Sometimes the best UX writing involves removing words and recommending a change to the design instead. Words don’t exist in a vacuum in UX writing. 

Proactive problem solving

UX writers operate in ambiguous environments, often with imperfect information.

Being naturally curious and proactive helps. You need to seek out answers from a wide range of other functions in the organization, including technical-minded engineers, business-oriented product managers and visual designers.

Internal communication

UX writers excel at over-communication.

Your job might not be well understood by other people at your company. Knowing that, you’ll need to champion your own work and make the unseen work you do as visible as you can. This includes everything from creating documentation that helps align your team to evangelizing your work to those outside your team. 

Collaboration and relationship building

Even if you’re the lone UX writer at a company, you rarely work alone.

You often pair with a UX designer to develop the content and design together. Other partners in your process may include legal, localization and customer support. You should also expect to receive input from stakeholders and product owners.

You’ll need to be comfortable accepting feedback and advocating for your decisions. 

How much do UX writers make?

UX writer salaries depend largely on your level of experience, the market and the company you work for. Salaries at new tech startups are lower than large, established companies. 

Associate-level positions can begin around $60,000 and range upwards of $150,000 for senior-level roles.

UX writers working in high cost-of-living markets such as San Francisco and New York can command more, as can those who earn lucrative positions at tech giants such as Facebook and Google.

Some companies also offer stock or equity as part of their compensation package. 

How do I become a UX writer?

You’ll need to build a portfolio to apply to UX writing jobs. 

Always focus on quality over quantity — hiring managers would rather see a few in-depth case studies than several surface-level ones.

Be sure to include before and after images of your work, as well as how you arrived at your final copy decisions. Hiring managers want to understand your thought process and rationale. They especially want to know any data or research you incorporated along the way. 

That begs the question: How do I build a portfolio? You can do this in a variety of ways:

• Partner with students enrolled in UX design bootcamps to co-create your portfolio. They’ll need to design sample case studies. Usually they have to write the copy themselves. You can lead the copy development while they do the design.
  
• Pay close attention to the UX writing you see every day. You can build a case study by improving something you already use. Take screenshots of an end-to-end workflow, such as verifying your account or resetting your password. Every step of the way, identify what you would write differently to improve it and why. 
• Volunteer to write the copy for a bootstrapped startup. Many new apps begin with just one or two developers. They’re great at writing code, but not always so great at writing UX copy. Get involved in your local technology scene to see if you can find someone who could use your help. You can then use this work in your portfolio. 
• If you’re in a communications role, look for opportunities to do UX writing at your current job, even if they are minimal. If you raise your hand to write error messages, believe me, the engineering team will love you. 

Great places to start learning more about UX writing include The Writers of Silicon Valley podcast; the Working in Content resources section; the UX writers conference, Button; and the Content + UX Slack community. 

Lastly, start learning more about user experience design and research. You’ll find countless books, blog posts, meetups, book clubs and local communities.

Developing your understanding of the user experience discipline at large will make you a stronger candidate when you’re ready to apply for UX writing jobs.

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Despite some similarities, writing and editing are not the same job. 

Yet editing is often a natural progression for writers within an organization, and it’s a way for freelancers to broaden their work prospects.

In this post, I’ll share everything I know about how to become an editor, based on my experience transitioning from writer to editor, in both freelancer and staff roles.

We’ll cover what an editor does, whether you can be an editor and a writer, types of editors, how much money editors make, and where to look for editing jobs.

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How to become an editor and broaden your career horizon

Like a lot of professional writers, I’ve always had friends who reached out for editing help on projects. Working on these hobby projects (for free, because I had no actual editing skills) helped me see how much I enjoyed working with others’ writing. 

Over time, I realized my editing skills even outshine my writing skills; I’m more adept at perfecting existing content than producing something of my own from scratch. (Holy creativity, fiction writers! Kudos.)

Early on, my freelance editing work was sparse and low-paying, because, no skills. And I was thinking like a writer.

At one point, I applied for a staff editor position with a blogger I knew well. After an editing test, I didn’t get a call back, even though I thought I’d done well. In retrospect, I realize I was missing a huge skill: the ability to ask the right questions to guide a writer to improve the piece. Instead — laugh with me — I made a few copy edits and submitted the test with a note to the hiring manager that the piece was pretty much unfixable. Not a great coaching moment.

(Hint: They make the writing in editing tests really bad on purpose. They want to know how you deal with it.)

In 2015, I started as a staff writer with The Penny Hoarder. In that role, I took on additional tasks, including coordinating syndicated blog posts and working with our social media team on graphics. Work like this gave me experience working with other people’s writing, a good stepping stone to becoming an editor.

My editing career truly began when I applied for an open editing position at The Penny Hoarder and passed the editing test with a couple years’ more knowledge of the process. Once I was doing the work daily, finding freelance editing gigs was easier. I knew what kind of gigs to look for, and I had the experience to back it up. I’d learned to think like an editor.

Before you delve into editing, think about what it takes to be a good editor. Who are your favorite editors? Observe how they work with you: What kinds of conversations do you have? What kinds of comments do they make on your work? What tactics do you like and dislike?

What does an editor do?

Contrary to what your non-writer friends who constantly ask you to look over their writing believe, an editor is far more than a typo catcher. (Oh. My. Goodness. Stop with this myth.)

Editors are advocates — for good writing, for an audience, for the goal of a piece and for the author. Our job is to ensure a piece of writing shines, that the audience will understand it, that it achieves its purpose and that the author always comes out on top.

A tiny piece of that is catching typos.

Your more writerly friends probably understand that editing also means helping a writer mold content into its best form, including its organization, formatting, word choice, sentence structure, fact-checking, and our beloved grammar, punctuation and style.

We’re also often coaches or managers. An editor job description could easily include helping writers brainstorm ideas and reshape pitches, guiding them through common mistakes and helping them lean into their creative strengths, assigning and managing content, supervising staffers or freelancers and contributing to business goals.

How much any of these tasks are included in a job depends on the organization, client or project’s needs. Discuss these with your client or boss upfront to understand what’s expected of your role.

Is editing right for you?

You are a writer now, and most editors begin with an interest in writing — few people at a young age fall in love with the written word and believe their destiny is to polish someone else’s.

Some people are great writers because they’re great storytellers or they have a compelling message to share. These people probably aren’t great editors.

Some people are great writers because they know how to manipulate words so any story sounds great and any message is compelling. If you’re that kind of writer, you might consider becoming an editor; you can transfer that strength to others’ work.

If you’re not sure whether editing is the right move for you, ask these questions:

• Do you enjoy developing and shaping content?
• Can you work with multiple voices?
• Are you a natural problem solver?
• Are you comfortable delivering constructive feedback?

Do you have to give up writing to become an editor?

I still both write and edit. Plenty of writers transition to editing and realize the latter is a better fit, so eventually stop writing. And some editing jobs don’t include any writing. But you don’t have to be one or the other. 

With newsroom budgets tightening and online businesses running lean, a lot of editor job descriptions include as much writing as editing. And as a freelancer, you can take on any kind of work you want! My full-time editor job doesn’t involve writing, but most of my freelance work does.

However, editing is not writing. When you edit someone else’s work, don your editor cap, and set aside the writer cap. An editor’s job is to make the writing the best — that includes keeping a writer’s voice intact and fulfilling a publication’s purpose.

If you can’t resist the urge to make your mark on a piece, consider that you are not an editor, and work to grow in your writing career without moving into editing.

Or consider ghostwriting. Ghostwriting — composing work that will be published under someone else’s name — isn’t editing, but the services could go hand in hand. Determine what kind of work you’re willing to take on, and set clear boundaries with clients before accepting jobs.

Types of editors

Because “editing” encompasses so many different types of work, editing jobs vary a ton, too. You could work at all levels of an organization, on any medium or at any point in a project, depending on your skill and experience level, and what kind of work you prefer.

Everyone defines and labels the levels of editing differently, but they generally mean the same thing: levels of editing denote the point at which the editor enters the production process. 

I use Stacy Ennis’s definitions from “The Editor’s Eye” to delineate types of editors:

Developmental editor

This editor helps a writer plan and shape a piece of writing, usually a book or long-form content. You might get involved before they’ve done any writing, or you might look at a rough draft to make recommendations about overarching elements, like storyline and characters.

Substantive editor

This work is focused on macro edits, or suggestions for the organization of a piece. You’ll help the writer cut or add information and reorder content to best convey a story or message to the audience.

Line editor

Here you’ll move into micro edits, or corrections to grammar and suggestions to strengthen and tighten copy. (This role is often called “copy editor” across industries, but I’ll go with “line editor” for this piece to distinguish from the specific newsroom title of copy editor, defined below.)

Proofreader

This is the last line of defense between reader and error. You’ll catch errors in grammar and punctuation, as well as inconsistencies: incorrect page numbers, mismatched table of contents, font styles, character names or use of terms. Learn more about how to become a proofreader here.

Common areas of editing

You can provide these levels of editing on pretty much anything written. A lot of editors focus on particular media to more easily find clients and stick with work they enjoy. 

Here are some common examples of areas of editing:

Book editor 

Edit book-length manuscripts. Editors usually specialize in either fiction or nonfiction. You’ll need to understand how to organize information and ensure continuity across several chapters over something like 80,000 words.

Blog or web editor

Edit blog posts and copy for website pages, newsletters, social media and other online content. You’ll need to know web-specific skills, such as search engine optimization (SEO), catchy headline writing and blog post formatting.

News editor

Edit for newspapers, websites, broadcast media or magazines. You’ll need to be familiar with the style of news writing and the nuances of journalism, such as working with sources, ethical standards and the pace of the news cycle.

Academic editor

Edit essays, research papers, theses and dissertations. You’ll need to be familiar with academic stylebooks per field, and scholars often prefer an editor with a relevant degree, especially an advanced degree.

Multimedia editor

This isn’t a field but a set of skills you could apply anywhere. The ability to edit and proofread copy off the page — in graphics, video or other visuals — could increase your value as an editor. Even better if you can make visual recommendations or work with visual editing software yourself.

Known by many names — other editor titles you might encounter

People with the “editor” title also often take on duties beyond working with copy, such as staff, project and content management.

This is common in newsrooms and companies that have adopted the newsroom structure, such as content marketing agencies or blogs. Some editor titles you might encounter:

Copy editor

This role is focused on copy. They’re usually the last to look at content before it’s published, performing line edits, fact-checking and proofreading, as well as writing headlines and meta data. Supervisory roles, such as slot or copy chief (both almost exclusively in traditional newsrooms) perform copy editing duties and manage other copy editors.

Assignment editor

In a newsroom, this editor is responsible for a specific section of the paper. In a less traditional environment, they might simply oversee an editorial team. Writers might report directly to an assignment editor, and the editor assigns pieces and works with writers on developmental and substantive editing before sending content to the copy desk.

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Managing editor

This editor oversees newsroom operation and is usually not directly involved in content production. They manage people, ensure content quality and are involved in content strategy. 

Editor in chief or executive editor

This is a business role, even though it has “editor” in the name. They manage an organization’s operations, including budgets and staffing, as well as guiding content strategy and setting the standard for content quality.

Are you a staff editor or freelance editor?

These job titles are based on traditional newsrooms. You’ll encounter these duties or combinations of them under various titles, depending on industry.

Regardless of any of these job titles, however, one of the most impactful distinctions on your work is whether you are a staffer a freelancer. This is the difference between working for someone else and working for yourself, but it can also affect the type of work. 

Staff editor

Within a company, you’re more likely to have the opportunity (or expectation) to become a manager, and help shape writers’ skills and careers. Staying focused on actual editing could mean hitting a ceiling, because the assumed career progression generally leads to management.

Freelance editor

Freelance work is more likely focused on content. With a long-term client, you might work on content strategy, and handle communication and administrative duties with contributors, but you’re not as likely as on a staff to become deeply involved with employee or organizational development.

How much do editors make?

Defining a typical editor salary is tough. How much an editor makes depends on the above job duties, the industry, the location and — often, especially in freelancing — how much you ask for and how much someone is willing to pay.

To set your salary or rates, research typical pay for the work. Here are some useful resources:

Editorial Freelancers Association: This organization’s rate table is a go-to for freelance editors, probably because it’s so comprehensive. It’s a good start for understanding how to charge for your work, but I caution sticking to it strictly — not least of all because it doesn’t site any source for what it calls “common editorial rates,” and too many variables exist to call any rate “common.”

Salary-comparison sites, including Glassdoor, LinkedIn and Payscale, plus job-search sites including Indeed and ZipRecruiter, let you search by job title and location to learn a pay range based on crowd-sourced salaries.

What clients expect to pay: Look at the other side of the equation. When a writer hires an editor, for example, how much are they expecting to pay?

Other editors: Research your competition. What rates do similar editors list on their websites? You might even reach out to friendly colleagues and ask directly, but with caution, considering any differences between your situations.

Friends and family rates

Freelancers often set discounted rates for friends and family. Mine is about 40%, but that’s arbitrary, so decide what works for you. 

The F&F rate can be a way to remain professional while softening the awkwardness of telling those expectant acquaintances they cannot use your services for free. Setting it along with your other rates makes the negotiation easy — either they’ll pay the rate or not.

Specialization pays more

If you have specialized knowledge that qualifies you in a particular field, such as academia, science or law, you’ll command a higher rate. It’s harder to find editors who are both well-versed in grammar and style, and knowledgeable enough about, say, corporate law or environmental science to catch mistakes and shape copy for a relevant audience.

How to get editing jobs

Searching for editing jobs, whether as a contractor or employee, looks similar to searching for writing jobs (minus the pitches). 

Try these resources to find freelance editing jobs and staff editor jobs:

Freelance brokers: Gig sites such as Upwork, Toptal and Freelancer help you connect with people who need freelance services. These can help you dip your toe into the business or fill in gaps during slow months. I don’t recommend them to sustain your business, because clients are often choosing services based on the lowest price, not the best quality.

Job-search sites: You can find both freelance and full-time editing jobs through sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter and LinkedIn.

Journalism and media sites: Search for news editing jobs through Media Bistro, JournalismJobs.com or Mediagazer.

Publishing firms: Contracting with a company that helps authors publish books (or other content) can help you get a steady stream and variety of freelance editing work without chasing clients yourself. Check out Elite Editing and Scribe Media.

ACES: The Society for Editing: A $75 annual membership to this organization for editors across industries comes with a number of perks, including access to a job bank of high-quality jobs and projects as well as a listing in the ACES Editors for Hire directory.

Your website: Don’t forget to hang out your shingle yourself! Add editing services to your freelance writer website to attract queries. Optimize your site by creating content that will attract the kinds of clients you want: tips on how to write a book, how to grow a blog or how to write an academic essay, for example.

What do clients look for in freelance editors?

Many writers and business owners don’t know what editors do, so your first hurdle as a freelancer is often explaining the types of editing you offer and helping potential clients understand what they need. It’s usually more than the proofreading they think they’re hiring you for.

In my experience, clients don’t often dig deeply into your experience for one-off projects. Whether fiction authors or PR pros, they’re often bound by a budget and want to find affordable editing. That works in your favor; just don’t sell yourself short out of desperation for work.

For an ongoing gig, clients might want you to take an editing test or at least check out your resume and talk through your editing experience. Familiarize yourself with their industry, audience and the appropriate style guide for their work (e.g. AP, MLA or Chicago).

What do employers look for when hiring editors?

Like any job, the process to get hired as a staff editor with a company is more extensive than that to get a freelance gig. Here are some things employers look for in editors:

You’re familiar with their industry. Some companies, especially those in highly technical industries like health care or technology, prefer specialized editors. More often, though, companies want to know you can work in their type of environment — a fast-paced newsroom, a government agency or corporate communications, for example. Experience as a writer in these environments might be sufficient.

You can work with freelancers. A lot of companies work with freelance writers for at least some of their content, and many editor job listings look for experience working with freelancers, which requires an organization and finesse in communication that differs from working with staff writers.

You have hard skills beyond editing. Different from freelance projects, most staff editors do more than edit copy. Employers want to know you understand SEO, headline writing (including for the web), content management systems such as WordPress; and working with multimedia, including editing graphics, selecting photos and inserting meta data in media and web pages. Doing any of these for your own blog might be enough to showcase your know-how.

You can edit for an online audience. Everyone wants digital experience, and surprisingly few experienced editors have it to the degree they need. Show that you can write a headline that’ll catch attention on Facebook and choose strong anchor text, in addition to cutting an extraneous em dash, and you’re in.

Do you want to be an editor?

Each spring, hundreds of editors gather somewhere in the U.S. for the annual ACES conference, three full days of talking about words and how we use them. It’s my favorite thing all year, way above Christmas or even the Feb. 15 candy sales.

I love being surrounded by people who care that the “Associated Press Style Guide” decided in a 2019 update that the percent symbol is OK and we don’t need hyphens in every compound modifier. I love having discussions about the history of words and the way we write, because the way we write shapes who we are as a society.

If that doesn’t fire you up, editing probably isn’t for you.

If it does, consider adding editing to your repertoire to add a layer to your relationship with writing and expand your career opportunities.

Exploring other writing careers? Check out this article, where you’ll find more options to get paid as a writer.

Perhaps this quiz can help you decide.

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This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

Many writers dream of publishing a book or having bylines in top publications, but there’s another viable path for a career in writing: copywriting.

A common conversation in writer’s circles is how we’re woefully underpaid for our craft. However, copywriters are an exception — this kind of writer is both paid well and in high demand.

Industry veteran Nicki Krawczyk still remembers how painful it was to figure everything out when she was getting into copywriting. She created Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, part of her brand Filthy Rich Writer, to take the guesswork out of breaking into the business. For more than 15 years, Nicki has been writing copy and working with top-tier clients including Hasbro, TripAdvisor, T.J.Maxx and Keurig. Impressive, right?

If you have the drive and desire to make a living from your writing, and you want to be a copywriter and are ready to do the work, then Comprehensive Copywriting Academy will be your guiding light.

What is copywriting?

In a nutshell, copywriting persuades or convinces people to take some sort of action. This could be making a purchase, signing up for a service or clicking on a link.

This writing is called “copy,” and it includes everything from emails, sales pages and banner ads to direct mail, advertisements, brochures and more. Copywriting is a careful combination of art and science — with some specific rules to write by.

This course covers two types of copywriting: direct response copywriting and branding copywriting.

1. Direct response copywriting is the “hard sell” and seeks an immediate action from the audience.
2. Branding copywriting is a “soft sell,” with the goal of affecting the way people think about a product or company and provoking an emotion.

In Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, Nicki teaches strategies that work for either copywriting style, explaining they have the same principles with different results.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy course details

In this online self-paced course, Nicki teaches students how to turn writing talent into recurring income. 

By following the step-by-step plans over six modules, you’ll learn how to write effective copy and how to build a successful copywriting career. 

There are several options for finding work as a copywriter. Whether you’re looking for a full-time staff job, a part-time side hustle or a freelance position, the training you’ll receive in Comprehensive Copywriting Academy offers the foundation you need.

The lessons build on each other, starting with learning “the success mindset” in the first module and ending with discovering different ways to structure your career in the final module. 

You’ll learn how to lead with the benefits to the consumer, work within specific parameters, and build your business.

The course also includes action sheets, in-depth bonus content and a Facebook Group filled with other students who you can turn to for support.

Video-based lessons on how to become a copywriter

While the course includes a few written slides, most of the lessons are video presentations with audio instructions. 

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn in the 20+ hours of foundational training:

• Get started: This module teaches three states of mind that are important for copywriters to embrace, how to plan for success, tactics for mastery and ways to fight internal resistance — and win.
• Copywriting fundamentals: Well-written copy is essential to selling, but it also needs to resonate with people. This module teaches the essential rules when crafting effective copy.
• Copywriting tactics: You’ll learn common terms, shady techniques to avoid, what makes copy work, how to be a strong self-editor and how to create drafts and copy docs.
• The project lifecycle: When you’re just getting started, running projects can seem overwhelming. This module reviews everything from the project kick-off to working with a designer to the creative review and more.
• Interactive/digital copywriting: This module is a practical look at copywriting for various digital media such as websites, emails and mobile. It also covers content writing and how to work content into a copywriting strategy.
• Print copywriting: While the fundamentals between digital and print copywriting are the same, the tactics are different. In this module, you’ll learn how to write newspaper and magazine ads, direct mail, sales letters and corporate pieces.
• Building your business: Once you learn how to be a top copywriter and have experience under your belt, it’s time to build your business. This module focuses on important basics like creating your portfolio, setting your prices and administration.

These modules are packed with valuable teaching and contain action sheets and examples for deeper self-study. To get the most out of this course, you’ll need to set aside time both for the videos and to complete the assignments.

Bonus material in this copywriting course

For those who want additional help or support, Nicki offers live, monthly coaching calls. Students can ask questions about copywriting, building a career and portfolio, finding clients and more. For those who can’t attend live, a recording is posted in the student portal along with years of archived calls.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy also includes bonuses for no additional cost:

• Access to the student-only Facebook group
• Several surprise bonus courses

You’ll need internet access to watch the videos, but you can download the action sheets to print out and complete offline.

What does it take to be successful as a copywriter?

While having a natural ability for writing is an asset, launching a copywriting career still takes training and a plan.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy provides a roadmap outlining the skills and experience you’ll need to build your portfolio and find clients.

Traits you’ll develop:

• How to work within limitations and constraints
• Humility (you’re writing for your client or boss, not for yourself)
• How to work on a team
• The ability to “kill your darlings”
• Conciseness
• The ability not to take things personally

Skills you’ll learn:

• The rules and tactics for creating on-brand and effective copy
• How to navigate the project process with clients, managers and designers
• How to write copy for interactive and print media
• Finding work and negotiating rates
• How to build your experience and portfolio

A chance to learn from industry veteran Nicki Krawczyk

In addition to writing copy for clients such as Marshalls, Harlequin, adidas and Reebok over the past 15 years, Nicki is also a copy coach. She believes there is plenty of work to go around and teaches people who love to write how to launch their own copywriting careers. 

With experience working for agencies, as an in-house copywriter and as a freelancer, Nicki has the real-life skills and know-how to guide writers in the ways of copywriting. 

She founded Filthy Rich Writer and created Comprehensive Copywriting Academy because she believes it doesn’t need to be hard to break into copywriting, it just takes training, practice and some guidance.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy review

For more than a decade, I worked at a nonprofit as an in-house writer. Although my title was never “copywriter,” many of my tasks and responsibilities fit this category. While I knew I needed specialized skills and training to improve my copywriting, I hadn’t found a dedicated course until Comprehensive Copywriting Academy.

When I first logged into my account, I was amazed to see an entire section on print copywriting. While I have worked with print for a long time, I have never found training on it. Most courses focus on digital media, treating print as passe. Seeing this module gave me a lot of confidence in both the course and in Nicki as the instructor.

After taking a look around the site and making mental notes to come back to certain bonus courses that caught my interest, I began in Module 0, mindset. After a few videos, I became overwhelmed with how much there was to go through.

There’s a lesson counter on the right-hand sidebar of the site that said I had watched 0 of 125 lessons and I thought, I will never get through all of this material! There is so much to unpack and process, the “comprehensive” in Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is definitely the right word choice.

I realized I needed a plan to consume the training, so I created a schedule and set aside dedicated time to review the material. Once I was organized, I was able to continue with the course, taking slow, methodical steps forward.

The most comprehensive copywriting course I’ve ever seen

Each video has a goal and premise, outlines the outcomes and offers insight and action steps. The teaching is clear and gives a reasonable and realistic look at what launching a copywriting career will take.

What I love about the course as a whole is how all-encompassing it is. It covers every aspect of what a copywriter will experience in their career and gives you skills for anticipating and navigating challenges and opportunities.

For example, there’s an entire video on learning how to work with a designer. Understanding how important the partnership between copywriters and designers is to bring a project to life is key to having a successful project. If I had this training before I started collaborating with designers, I think it would have gone a lot smoother in the beginning! 

This course is aimed at people who already know how to write, but may not have the skills required to earn a living as a copywriter. Although it teaches some basic business skills, the training is intended to help students launch copywriting careers rather than strictly businesses. 

Nicki also encourages students to try all types of copywriting gigs, in-house agency work, part-time contracts and freelancing. Not only will it give you experience and insight, but you’ll become a more versatile writer.

There’s a lot of information to get through in this course, and the price point might deter those who are not serious about becoming copywriters. And the truth is, if you’re looking for a quick win or a business in a box, this is not the course for you. 

But if you’re looking for a road map to help you build a sustainable career, Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is a solid resource to invest in.

How much does Comprehensive Copywriting Academy cost?

There are a few different price points and payment options, but you can get access for under $700, which is incredibly well-priced for the amount of content and attention you get. (Which also makes a great gift for writers you might know.)

We should add that there’s a free training, “How to Land Freelance Copywriting Work without Wasting Time on Frustrating Job Bidding Sites or Cold-Calling Strangers”, which is a worthwhile one-hour video that offers great training as well as a thorough overview of what’s inside Comprehensive Copywriting Academy from Nicki herself.  

Here’s what’s included in the course:

• The Foundations Course — the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy Core Training
• 30+ video tutorials with companion action sheets
• Live monthly coaching calls
• Access to the student-only Facebook group
• Bonus courses, client calls bonus and surprise bonuses

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is available on demand and is self-paced, so you can enroll and take the course whenever it works best for you. 

Once you enroll, you’ll have access to the entire Comprehensive Copywriting Academy training library including deep dives into topics like how to create spec ads, how to write for solopreneurs and landing agency work.

The foundation coursework itself will take you about 20 hours to watch from beginning to end. 

Copywriting takes skills, knowledge and practice, but with the right guidance, it’s absolutely possible to carve out a career in copywriting. If this course helps you do that, we’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Looking for other classes? Check out our guide to the best online writing courses.

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Photo by Anthony Shkraba from Pexels