How I became a copywriter
Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2025 8:20 am
How I became a copywriter
How to become a copywriter?
I get asked this quite often. So here's an honest story of how I became a copywriter. Even the more experienced might learn something from this story.
I've been supporting myself by writing sales letters, advertisements, and who knows what marketing material, along with other spiritual products, since I was 24 years old.
The first book on advertising I read was David Ogilvy’s classic Ogilvy on Advertising . My father gave it to me. That impressive opus inspired me to pursue the field. (It later inspired my own book The Power of Words , but that’s another story.) I didn’t know what I would actually do at first—I just knew I wanted to be involved in advertising. I also admired Ogilvy’s style. Who wouldn’t want to live in a fancy castle in France and be a world-famous genius?
Despite my enthusiasm, no advertising agency would even hire me to make coffee. I had learned from Ogilvy's book that an advertiser must, above all, know how to sell. So I applied and got a sales job. I sold all kinds of mobile phone subscriptions to household appliances.
I even did a day of door-to-door croatia phone number data sales when I saw the news that only a few Finnish homes have fire blankets. I bought a couple of them cheaply at Bauhaus. I thought I could easily sell them at a nice profit to anyone who doesn't have one.
But after a painful hatching, I only sold one all day!
I think my cover was about ten euros.
I said that selling – especially door-to-door – might not be as easy as I thought.
Read also: 13 common mistakes in sales pitches and how to avoid them
I did all sorts of odd jobs, from a mover to a salesman, tried university in Tallinn (until the money ran out after one sweet year), quickly founded a couple of startups (which came to nothing). Until I finally got the courage to apply for a job at an advertising agency again. The year was 2009, after the financial crisis, and advertising agencies were mostly laying people off at the time. I sent applications abroad without success.
However, I did something right, because this time I at least got to meet the heads of a few big agencies. Eventually, one of them tipped me off to an open position at a small advertising agency in Tampere.
How to become a copywriter?
I get asked this quite often. So here's an honest story of how I became a copywriter. Even the more experienced might learn something from this story.
I've been supporting myself by writing sales letters, advertisements, and who knows what marketing material, along with other spiritual products, since I was 24 years old.
The first book on advertising I read was David Ogilvy’s classic Ogilvy on Advertising . My father gave it to me. That impressive opus inspired me to pursue the field. (It later inspired my own book The Power of Words , but that’s another story.) I didn’t know what I would actually do at first—I just knew I wanted to be involved in advertising. I also admired Ogilvy’s style. Who wouldn’t want to live in a fancy castle in France and be a world-famous genius?
Despite my enthusiasm, no advertising agency would even hire me to make coffee. I had learned from Ogilvy's book that an advertiser must, above all, know how to sell. So I applied and got a sales job. I sold all kinds of mobile phone subscriptions to household appliances.
I even did a day of door-to-door croatia phone number data sales when I saw the news that only a few Finnish homes have fire blankets. I bought a couple of them cheaply at Bauhaus. I thought I could easily sell them at a nice profit to anyone who doesn't have one.
But after a painful hatching, I only sold one all day!
I think my cover was about ten euros.
I said that selling – especially door-to-door – might not be as easy as I thought.
Read also: 13 common mistakes in sales pitches and how to avoid them
I did all sorts of odd jobs, from a mover to a salesman, tried university in Tallinn (until the money ran out after one sweet year), quickly founded a couple of startups (which came to nothing). Until I finally got the courage to apply for a job at an advertising agency again. The year was 2009, after the financial crisis, and advertising agencies were mostly laying people off at the time. I sent applications abroad without success.
However, I did something right, because this time I at least got to meet the heads of a few big agencies. Eventually, one of them tipped me off to an open position at a small advertising agency in Tampere.