What Does "Writing Copy" Mean?

If you are new to blogging, freelance writing or editing, the terminology can drive you crazy. The term “copy” reefers to just about any content written for a product or service. When you look at that piece of jewelry that you’ve been pining over for the last few months, the text written about that jewelry, the text that describes what the jewelry is: that is copy.

Say you are looking for truck driving jobs on the Internet and you end up on a professional looking website that goes into great detail on why you should come work for that company. All of the text on the website is “copy.”

Why is this important to a freelance blogger, writer or editor? Well, someone has to write all of that copy and in many cases, freelance writers are tasked with the assignment of writing short, accurate and attention grabbing blurbs about products and services offered on the internet.

Keep in mind that the Internet is not the only place where a freelance writer can obtain jobs writing copy. In fact, many print adds in newspapers and magazines require copy writers to complete tasks. Many freelance writers focus only on writing copy for companies that require such services. In many cases, writing copy is quick and offers a fast turnaround on payment.

The First Step to Being a Freelance Writer

Make a list of subjects that you both know about and feel you would enjoy writing about. It is so important that you enjoy what you write because it will show through in your articles.

Researching is okay; in fact it is a wonderful way to learn and grow but if you are very knowledgeable in the topics it will be easier to write an article on it.


Good questions to ask yourself before deciding on a topic:

• What do I know that others either don’t know or don’t understand?
• What experiences do I have?
• What would I like to learn more about?
• What do I love and want to share?

Be specific in your answers. “I like to write about animals” is a valid answer, but “I like to write about natural remedies for dogs” is a much more specific answer that could lead to articles or even books.

Really think about all of the education and job positions you have held, even if the topics seem unrelated - they may be able to be tied together easily.  Using the example previously mentioned; if you took some homeopathic classes and you worked for a veterinarian, right there is how you have experience with natural remedies for dogs.

Once you have ideas for topics, you will feel a better sense of direction and it will be easier to move forward.