What I’ve Done: Advertising
To sum it up, for the past year I’ve been trying to break into advertising as a copywriter.
All you need is one thing: a portfolio.
Do I have one yet? Sort of.
Is it any good? Not really.
Why isn’t it any good after a full year? I know, I know. A year ago when I read that it can take up to 18 months to put together a good book, I though “Come on! How lazy!” So yeah, I was that guy too.
What I’m dealing with right now is the search and management of a graphics designer to make my ideas look sharp enough that you could drop them right into a magazine.
So far this has proved incredible difficult. So if you are a graphic designer or you know someone—good god help a brother out.
October 18th, 2007 at 3:48 am
Cool blog…keep up the good work.
As for getting your book together, I remember thinking the same thing that you did when I started ad school for copywriting. I just KNEW that I would be in and out in a matter of months and fighting off job offers from Mother, 180 Amsterdam, Fallon, Crispin and Wieden. Things worked out a little differently. But it all came together in the end.
Good luck and make it happen, captain!
October 18th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Thanks! And make sure you check out the dailybiz blog (in the blogroll), it’s very entertaining.
October 19th, 2007 at 9:21 am
Don’t lose hope!
It can take quite some time to build up a decent portfolio. If this isn’t forthcoming via real, live clients, then what’s stopping you rewriting ads, leaflets, etc? Just change the name of the companies mentioned, and perhaps put on a ‘draft’ or other somesuch label.
Don’t forget non-profits: Choose your favourite cause and approach them, explaining you’re a newbie, and ask whether they would have any projects that you could do – the first one as a pro bono, and then perhaps at a discounted rate for the next three or so…
Just a few ideas before the coffee kicks in!
Good luck!
October 19th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Great! Thanks again!