The Life of a Freelance Copywriter for 2+ Years
It all started at the end of 2019. I just graduated from the University of Wollongong (Hong Kong Branch) with a Bachelor's in Communication and Media studies. Before I embarked on my job hunting quest, I continued to work at my part-time rock climbing job for a while. I wanted to start anew when 2020 arrived.
Well, at least that was the initial plan.
In 2020, the global Covid pandemic took the world by storm — with Hong Kong being one of the first cities to have strict lockdowns. Businesses were shutting down left and right and forcing people into unemployment. There was no way in hell that employers will hire a fresh graduate with absolutely no work experience. Who would honestly?
Filled up with anxiety and uncertainty at the situation, I decided to just use the extra time I had and focus on my passion: dancing. I wrote a Medium blog a while back outlining how I elevated my dance lifestyle during quarantine. It was a time I would never forget to this day.
But it was just only the beginning of my freelance copywriter journey.
The First Copywriting Gig
I didn’t want to completely waste my time during the lockdown. So I decided to post some of my old university articles on Medium and the dance blog I mentioned earlier. I posted them religiously on social media platforms just for the heck of it.
Honestly, I genuinely enjoy writing. I love sharing my experiences and ideas through the art of words. You could say it was a little Covid passion project.
A few weeks passed by, and a friend of mine noticed my articles and messaged me asking if I ever heard of copywriting. It was weird that I’d never heard of this writing style in the past, especially since I studied two degrees in English and communication. After some research, I realized it was a form of persuasive writing — basically conducting sales through written words.
My friend was a freelance UX designer and he wanted to help me out. He gave me a copywriting opportunity with one of his clients that owned a recruitment agency in Hong Kong.
I said yes.
Everything changed from that day.
The 1st Year
Since my time as a copywriter at the Hong Kong recruitment agency, clients slowly snowballed onto my lap. I wrote social media copy for an online delivery service and created technical product descriptions for a Dutch-based wholesaler online store. I was making decent money from the comfort of my home. For a fresh graduate during the pandemic, it was a safe and somewhat lucrative option.
Did I enjoy the work? I would say 50/50. I enjoyed the benefits of working remotely and managing my own time. I was able to balance my career, social life, hobbies, and much more.
I worked 3–6hrs on the weekdays and it felt liberating. But was it fulfilling?
Now that’s another story.
In August 2021, I got fired from my main client who pretty much helped me pay the bills. But it was a blessing in disguise as I wanted to find a full-time job anyway.
Well, at least I thought I could.
The Grateful Downfall
I thought I have gained exceptional experience as a freelance copywriter in the past year, thinking it would be enough to showcase my skills to potential employers. It didn’t work out. I got no replies from job applications.
Not even one.
So I decided to contribute some volunteer work to build up my portfolio.
I was accepted to be a remote copywriter for a non-profit organization based in Ireland that aimed to promote sustainability and a circular economy. Prior to this, I had no knowledge of the environment. Yet, I was passionate enough to dig deep into this topic and also enhance my skills as a copywriter.
I haven’t regretted it since.
This volunteering experience has allowed me to experience a full-time environment remotely. I created online blogs, landing pages, and video scripts. Some of my pieces even got featured in their bi-monthly magazines. Never in my life, did I think my writing would be showcased in any sort of magazine.
I was also able to write blogs for the first-ever Breakin (breakdance) sneaker company— founded by one of my dance inspirations in the global Breakin scene. The founder recognized my talent for writing in our online sneaker group and asked me if I wanted to write blogs for his online store. It was one of my biggest accolades as a writer AND a dancer.
Being a copywriter for these two companies skyrocketed my portfolio to another level. I thought that was the end of the hype train.
Until I got a copywriting opportunity from one of the largest organizations in the world.
The 2nd Year and Beyond
I was scrolling on LinkedIn on a simple afternoon when suddenly I got a message asking for a call. The person mentioned she worked at a toy store and needed some copywriting help. To be frank, I thought it was a scam. But I just thought to myself, “Screw it, it’s not like I’m doing much anyway.”
The following day, we went on the video call and the lady mentioned the toy store she works for is Toys”R”Us.
Holy sh*t.
I did not expect that, at all.
Only an idiot would say no to this golden opportunity.
From 2022 till now, I’ve written thousands of toy product descriptions for the toy retailer giant’s online store — ranging from princess castles to racing cars. I would never think I would be writing copy for a toy store I’d admired since I was a toddler. Not to mention, the credibility it brings to me as a freelance copywriter.
The Breakin sneaker company also presented to me with a copywriting project that would change the global Breakin’ scene forever. The sneaker brand and five other Breakin brands planned to create an association to unite Breakin’ brands to strive under one roof — and they wanted me to be the copywriter for the entire project.
I was able to meet and interview world-class B-boys (breakdancers) through video calls, learned about how they built their brand, and fanboy a bit as I’ve been watching them dance since I was 13–14 years old.
It’s crazy how far I’ve come from being a fresh graduate stuck in the pandemic to being a copywriter for Toys”R”Us and other well-known clients.
But you may be thinking, was it worth it?
The Pros and Cons of a Freelance Copywriter
I’ll try to keep this short and make this into bullet points.
Pros
- Flexible Hours
- Work Remotely
- Be your own boss
- Learn how to be Independent
- Managing Your Own Business
Cons
- Financial Instability
- Loneliness
- Hard to Manage on Your Own
- Work on Boring Admin Stuff i.e. Creating Invoices
I’m sure there are much more pros and cons than the ones I’ve listed. But these are the main pros and cons for me personally. Honestly, I enjoy the freelance copywriter life. Seeing my friends stuck in the 9 to 6 lifestyle made me treasure every extra hour, minute, and second I had to spend for my other areas in my life.
But I think it’s time to turn the page.
The Takeaway
Being 24 years old without financial stability is a hard pill to swallow, especially in a city like Hong Kong. Initially, I wanted to find a full-time job but I had no experience. Now I got a tremendous amount of credible experience.
I read this quote somewhere (I believe it's Reddit) saying along the lines of,
“You can always go back to the freelance lifestyle any time. Who knows? Maybe you will get even more clients after they see you were a full-time writer somewhere too.”
And that hit me hard.
The freelance lifestyle will always be there, but time won’t. Plus, it would be nice to try something new anyway.
I hope this article helped you in some shape or form on your career journey. Next time you read from me, it might be me describing my switch from a freelance copywriter to a full-time writer (fingers crossed).
Peace!
Contact Me
- LinkedIn: Erryl Ho
- Instagram: @dirteeeee
- Website: https://www.errylclassicz.com/
- Email: sendtoerrylho@gmail.com
