How To Become An A-List Copywriter In 3 Levels

Last week, I got a question from reader Emily that I LOVE and HATE.

She said:

“Hey Rob!
I actually have a question and would love to know what you think.
It seems to me that many exceptional copywriters, such as yourself, started out by working for someone else in the industry.
I often think that maybe I’m doing it wrong and I’m just wasting time trying to make it work without actually having someone to make me cry over harsh feedback, ha. (I remember your story with Ramit’s feedback, if I’m not mistaken)
With the knowledge you have today, would you say it’s a lot more efficient to start under someone else’s company for a few years and then go solo? And if so, how do you even get these exceptional people to hire you?”
-Emily

I both LOVE and HATE this question because what she’s really asking is for the path.

The blueprint. The cheat code.

The map for how to get from where you are today to where you want to be in 5 years.

When I was just starting out as a writer, I craved this very same thing.

That’s why I love seeing her ask it… Because it’s a good question to have!

But …

I also hate it!

Because answering this question is basically impossible. Everyone brings different life experiences, writing experiences and levels of effort to the table.

So a one-size-fits-all answer isn’t just tricky.

It’s deceptive.

That said, I didn’t want to leave Emily (or you) empty handed.

So I spent the past few days thinking about the best way to truly evolve as a copywriter — starting at level 1 and getting all the way to the top.

I considered both my own 5+ years of experience and the experience of hundreds of top copywriters I’ve met along the way.

It started as a short email and ballooned into a full post with specific books, courses and milestones for you to hit on your journey.

You can read it below.

But wait! Before you proceed, I want to be clear about something.

This post will not replace the hard work you have to do to grow as a copywriter. Not even close. You won’t be richer just by reading it. But I do think it will give you guide posts to follow on your journey to the top.

Hope you enjoy!

Level 1: The Newcomer

Experience Level: 0 – 2 years

Signature Move: Turns features into benefits

Best Quality: Highly immersive

Secret Desire: Passive income

Possible LinkedIn Bios:

“Copywriting Assassin”
“Helps businesses print money!”
“10x’s your conversions”
“Makes the cash register ring”

What they like doing…

Level 1 copywriters need lots of practice and exposure to ideas in order to properly grow. So some of their favorite activities include:

Writing short emails
Discovering new headline tricks
~~Stealing~~ Swiping copy
Signing up for guru’s lists
Finding alternative ways to get clients
Discussing new copywriting theories
The idea of making money while you sleep
Seeing copy be written live
Reading copywriting books
And writing short form copy.

What they dislike doing…

Level 1 copywriters are just beginning to understand how to structure sales arguments.

So… it takes an enormous amount of time and energy just to get a few hundreds words of copy on the page. As you can probably guess, that’s very inefficient and hard.

So Level 1 copywriters hate (and stink at) long-form copy assignments. In my view, they should actually avoid them for the most part.

They simply haven’t developed a deep understanding of Big Ideas and persuasion techniques needed to carry a sales argument for 10,000+ words yet.

Level 1 copywriters also famously have very fragile egos. This means they hide from feedback and resist listening to others. Later, they’ll learn this is a huge mistake. But as they find their voice and hone their craft, it’s normal to shun criticism and think what you’re doing needs no edits.

It’s for those reasons that some of the most HATED tasks for Level 1 copywriters are:

Getting feedback on their copy
Writing long form copy (especially VSLs)
Rewriting copy
Pitching their services
Paid advertising
Writing fast
Coming up with unique mechanisms for products
And waiting for results.

Money: Most Level 1 copywriters make between $100-$5,000 per month.

Also note: In this stage, copywriters will typically have a very unpredictable workload. They’ll sign a new client or few new clients at once.

…Which will make them very busy for a period.

But then work will dry up for weeks (or months!).

This feast and famine work cycle makes them crave stability to their very core.

The good writers will eventually get that stability through retainer work, repeat clients or accepting a full time job. Yes, I said J-O-B. If you’re working in an environment where you’re being pushed and allowed to grow as a writer, working a job can be THE BEST option for many. Working with great brands as a copywriter was an essential part of my copywriting journey.

The best types of projects for copywriters in this stage …

Level 1 copywriters do be best with short-form copy to warm lists and warm traffic. So some of the best uses of their talent are:

Writing email funnels for already established courses or ecommerce products
Short form landing pages
Blog posts
Lead magnets
Social media posts
And short ad copy

The worst types of projects for copywriters in this stage …

You wouldn’t ask a person who’s new to running to try a triathlon on their first day. They same is true for Level 1 copywriters. Don’t give them triathlon length tasks. Let them build their skills slowly, overtime until their ready to run those longer-form races.

So you typically want to avoid things like:

Long form sales pages
Scripts for videos sales letters
Copy to position the initial launch of a product
And video ads.

Fatal flaw:

What stunts Level 1 copywriters growth more than anything is their tendency to chase shiny objects.

This is especially true amongst copywriters. Because learning how powerful and essential copywriting is can be a gift and curse. It’s great to see that it’s so essential to any business. But it’s easy to get distracted by different business models like Shopify, FBA, consulting, info-products, and more.

The truth is all these business models CAN work.

But the way to guarantee you get no results is to attempt all of them over very short periods.

What Level 1 copywriters need most is discipline, focus and patience.

The best resources for growth during this stage:

Read these copywriting books 3x: Great Leads: The Six Easiest Ways to Start Any Sales Message by Michael Masterson; The Architecture of Persuasion by Michael Masterson; The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly
Get good at client acquisition. Of course, I’m biased about my own process, but I’ve also heard great things about Shiv Shetti’s Flaming Camel System, too.
And Practice Writing Daily. There’s no substituting the compound results that come from just doing the hard work of writing every day.

Milestones to exit this stage:

You’ll know you’re ready for Level 2 when you have….

Written email funnels for at least 10 launches/relaunches of products.
Been a part of 3 promotions or product launches that grossed over $100,000 in sales.
Confidently charged more than $1,000 for 10 different projects.
Signed your first 4-figure retainer client.
Gotten 2 clients from referrals or word of mouth.
Created a case study for 2 clients/projects you’ve worked on that you can share with people.

Level 2: The Rising Star

Experience Level: 3 – 5 years

Signature Move: The funnel

Best Quality: Skill stacking

Secret Desire: A famous promotion

Possible LinkedIn Bios:

“Sr. Copywriter”
“Conversion Copywriter”
“Direct Response Marketer”
“Funnel Builder”

What they like doing…

Level 2 copywriters have mastered most of the basic pieces of direct response. And now they begin working on more nuanced things like increasing AOV, beating launch goals and working with top brands.

Level 2 copywriters also don’t just think about copy any more. They think about funnels, design and big ideas.

They’ve learned that modeling successful promotions and studying trends can make a massive difference in the results you get.

Also, many Level 2 copywriters don’t just help clients or their employers any more. They begin launching their own products. Even if they only generate a few sales, testing ideas and copywriting methods on their own products is a key part of their own growth. They need to see that their powers transcend client work and can sell anything.

Some of the favorite activities of Level 2 copywriters include:

Building funnels
Finding big ideas
Discussing unique mechanisms
Modeling successful promos
Studying A-list copywriters’ work
Joining masterminds
Trying to launch their own products
Listening to marketing podcasts
Dabbling in paid advertising
Signing 8-figure clients

What they dislike doing…

Where Level 1 copywriters are impressed by just making sales, Level 2 copywriters have gotten used to seeing their copy generate results. And they typically keep raising the stakes for what they consider to be a success.

It’s for that reason that Level 2 copywriters hate slow projects, products that flop or really anything that slows down sales velocity.

They’ve also learned that their services are incredibly valuable to clients.

So they have little patience for cheap clients and confidently charge larger fees.

Also, more than ever, Level 2 copywriters are much more reputation-conscious. They care deeply about how their results stack up to other writers and can become very self-conscious of being the least experienced writer in the room.

So some of their least favorite things include:

Getting banned from Facebook
Slow projects
Product flops
Deciding between big ideas
Waiting for test results
Content marketing
Cheap clients
Thinking about customer service
Product shipping delays
Clients that don’t pay
Writing to bad lists
Being the copywriter with the least amount of sales in the room.

Money: Makes between $6,000-20,000 per month.

Level 2 copywriters will either be high-ranking employees in an organization or have a handful of clients that pay them a few thousand dollars per month each. As they gain more experience, they’ll also become selective about the types of clients they work with and often start turning down deals.

The best types of projects for writers in this stage are:

Level 2 copywriters are highly skilled so they can be trusted with larger, more important tasks. Things like product launches to a house list of 10,000-1,000,000+ people and managing small budgets of paid ads (less than $30k per month) are right up the wheelhouse for these kinds of writers.

The worst types of projects for writers in this stage are:

Level 2 copywriters will almost be ready for any kind of copywriting assignment.

But the one thing they cannot always do is write copy for products whose growth will solely rely on scaling on cold traffic.

Cold traffic is a different animal. It requires a deep understanding of big ideas and a willingness to pivot and test that many Level 2 copywriters lack.

Granted, some of their copy will be able to scale on cold traffic. But it’s more luck than it is skill at this level.

Fatal flaw…

It’s common for copywriters at this level to be overwhelmed. They often have so many options and so many prospects reaching out to them that they don’t know what they should be doing to level up their skills and income.

They need constraints to grow.

The best thing for them is to develop a niche skill, such as “she’s really good at email for saas companies” or “he’s really great at landing pages for online courses.” Focusing in these niches allows them to get even better and more recognized with time.

Best Resources For Growth:

Writing Every Day. Like working out, there’s no substituting this. Just make a habit of writing every day, even if you’re just writing to yourself and nobody will ever see it.
Becoming Highly Skilled at Managing ESPs. Email will play a huge role in your growth as a copywriter. So doing things like Klaviyo’s Partner Training Program can be great for leveling up. Also consider taking my Become Ridiculously Good with Klaviyo in 5 Days training for rapid skill acquisition.
Get good at ads. And honestly, Facebook’s Free Training Resources are good initial training tools to get familiar with.
Improve your understanding of long-form sales pages and VSLs with Stefan Georgi’s RMBC Course. He’s one of the top copywriters in the world with close to $1 billion sales so there’s not much more to say than that. But I also own the course and think it’s a great place to learn some of the fundamentals of long-form copy.
Getting A Copywriting Mentor or Coach. At this level, you really need to get support and guidance from someone who’s a Level ahead of you to point out your blind spots and push you to be better. But you don’t have to hire a coach. It could be your boss or a colleague who just makes you better. That’s how I improved in the first 5 years of my copywriting career.
Rereading the book Great Leads: The Six Easiest Ways to Start Any Sales Message by Michael Masterson 2 times.

Milestones to exit this stage:

You’ll know you’re ready for Level 3 when you’ve…

Written and been a part of the creation of at least 5 webinars
Written and been a part of the creation of at least 3 VSLs
Written at least 2 different upsells
Signed a $10,000+ project
Written copy for and been apart of an advertising campaign that spends at least $10,000
Fired your 1st client
Signed a client who does over 8-figures a year in annual sales
Created and launch your own product (even if it’s just coaching)
Joined 1 mastermind or paid your own money to attend at least 1 major marketing conference
Signed 1 client outside of your core skillset. For example, if you typically work with information products, sign an ecommerce clients. It expands your mind to see business models and selling methods outside of your typical worldview.

Level 3: The Master

Experience Level: 6+ years

Signature Move: The 7-figure launch

Best Quality: Recognizing big ideas

Secret Desire: To duplicate themselves

Possible LinkedIn Bios:

“Founder”
“CEO”
“Copy Chief”
“CMO”

What they like doing:

Level 3 copywriters have the ability to generate millions of dollars at the drop of a hat. They no longer have to consciously think about creating compelling copy. Instead, they can unconsciously write 10 compelling leads back to back.

They will LOVE coming up with big ideas and writing and directing VSLs that are designed to sell.

Level 3 copywriters also have started to develop a reputation in the industry. So they’re often asked to speak at events or be on podcasts to talk about how they write copy.

Plus, they don’t just write by themselves any more. They often have a handful of writers they teach.

Some of their favorite activities include:

Creating huge promotions
Writing and directing VSLs
Creating distinct promotions
Being thought of as an A-list copywriter
Speaking at events
Being on marketing podcasts
Coaching new writers
Scaling products with paid traffic
Writing controls.

What they dislike:

Level 3 copywriters are true masters of their craft so they really hate wasting time on small projects, work that’s repetitive and restrictions being placed on their work by legal teams.

They also viciously hate when their copy is swiped or stolen. And there’s no faster way to make a Level 3 copywriter mad than to steal their work. Remember, they’ve been working at this craft for years so to see their copy imitated and stolen is very frustrating.

They also don’t have much patience for copywriters who don’t put in the same amount of effort as them. Of course, they’re willing to coach less skilled writers, but laziness is not tolerated.

So some of the least favorite things of Level 3 copywriters include:

Small projects
Being doubted or questioned
Fake gurus
Working on lots of little projects
Long-term client obligations
Legal teams feedback/restrictions
Unreliable teams
Writers that are lazy
Having their copy stolen/swiped

Money: Most Level 3 copywriters make between $20,000-50.000 per month. But there’s really no upper limit.

At this stage, copywriters are typically doing a lot more than just writing. Their ideas can directly shape products that are built and can even create entire businesses.

The best types of projects for writers in this stage are: Product launches to large lists or that will eventually be scaled on paid traffic.

The worst types of projects for writers in this stage are: Anything that newcomers would be able to do for them.

Fatal flaw:

At this level, copywriters are very confident and poised…sometimes to the point of arrogance. They need to work to stay humble and hungry or they can lose their edge.

Also at this point in their career, they’re typically only working on a couple big projects per year. They need to get good about making sure those projects will pay off. Because if it doesn’t go according to plan, their income can take a substantial hit. They’ll be fine. But it’s something to watch.

It’s also common for copywriters at this level to have lots of writers doing pieces of projects for them. And they need to get incredibly good at hiring talent and passing over their skills or they will spend more time than they should on rewriting and editing.

Best Resources For Growth:

Masterminds and networking groups for top CEOs/copywriters like Stefan Georgi’s Copy Accelerator Program and Ryan Deiss’ War Room.

Milestones to exit this stage:

Masters sometimes become legends and that’s the only time they exit this stage. This happens when working with you and studying under you creates a group of copywriters who also reach master level. Copywriters who’ve achieved this last and final leap include Eugene Schwartz, John Caples, Claude Hopkins, Joe Sugarman, David Olgivy, John Carlton, Gary Halbert, Robert Collier, and others.

No matter which level you’re at right now, remember to enjoy the journey.

Getting to Level 3 feels so much sweeter when you enjoyed the climb to the top.