Freelance writers have so many opportunities available to them. One such opportunity is writing catalog entries. This is a specialized field in commercial copywriting. It isn’t easy to break into, but once the freelancer has “arrived,” they usually have a lucrative career writing catalog entries. Follow these steps and you will be on your way to making money writing catalog entries.
Instructions
Make Money Writing Catalog Entries
1. Research the markets. Chances are you won’t be hired for Sears or J.C. Penny’s off the bat, so look in your local area. Contact the local Chamber of Commerce and ask about the businesses in the area that use catalogs. They may need entries for the catalog of local businesses they have. Check your junk mail. You may have received a local catalog you could potentially write for. Don’t forget catalogs written specifically for the internet.
2. Read many catalogs. This can not be stressed enough. Read every catalog you can get your hands on. Know how the entries are written. Look for similarities in the entries. Take notes. Write down what you like and don’t like about the entries, as well as what you remember about the entries. Pay attention to the concise, yet descriptive language used. Be prepared to write in the same way.
3. Create a portfolio. Select your best work and compile it in a portfolio. It isn’t necessary for your work to be published or even purchased. “Fake it ‘til you make.” As long as it is your work, your words, it doesn’t matter to potential clients if you have or haven’t sold it. All they care about is if you can write the copy they expect and need.
4. Market yourself. Contact those companies with catalogs. Knock on doors. Mail, fax and email your resume and writing samples to those companies. Leave your business cards wherever you think they might be found by someone needing catalog entries written for them.
5. Set your price. This is not easy. Catalog entries can earn anywhere from $50 to $150 per entry or $200 to $650 per catalog page. Of course, this depends on your area and the size of business your are pitching your services to. Research the prices in your area and set your prices accordingly. Expect to be paid less if the business is small or if you have little experience writing catalog entries.
6. Write the catalog entries. Give the client what they want. Clear, concise, and descriptive copy is what they are looking for. It must be crisp and fresh, without empty adjectives and adverbs. It should appeal to as many of the five senses as possible. Short, to the point, memorable, original and engaging are the best ways to describe the best catalog entries.
