“Who am I to write good copy?”
I asked this question many times – doubting my own ability to sell in writing.
And I could never find an answer.
No matter how often my clients would tell me that my copy is good…
… or how many times the copy did well – I would doubt myself.
I don’t think I’m the only one.
The “imposter syndrome” in copywriting is prevalent. This is because compared to other professions, we don’t “qualify” as copywriters.
A doctor, an engineer, a chemist, all get degrees that tell them they’re adequate at their chosen profession. They may suck at it, their degree may be a fluke, but they have a piece of paper confirming that they’ve passed some arbitrary standard.
You don’t get that as a copywriter.
You can write a good sales letter and say it was a fluke.
You can get praise and say “well, he’s not a copywriter, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
You can hit a home run and find any other reason why it’s not your merit.
This is true no matter if you’re a freelancer or if you write your own copy.
And I wish I could give you some advice regarding this.
Some magic pill that would eliminate all the doubt in your mind.
I don’t know of such a pill.
I’ve learned that in copywriting and in life, I should learn to trust the process.
In other words – if something is proven to work and statistically it works MOST of the time (not always), then I should trust it will work this time too.
In some regard, seeing yourself as a good copywriter is similar to seeing yourself as handsome or beautiful. It is not so much about the facts, but rather what you want to see.
I’ve seen plenty of copywriters who aren’t necessary better (or at least, I’ve seen plenty of ways to improve their copy) who thought themselves to be amazing.
And many of them were / are doing better than me because of their self-belief.
So let me tell you this:
Your ability as a copywriter is a combination of innate skill (but it accounts for very little), experience and theoretical knowledge. All are within your control. You can write more. You can read more.
But your self-image as a copywriter, your perception over how good or bad you are has very little to do with external factors. It’s a matter of what you want to see and less of results (that are usually biased) or opinion.
If you want to believe in yourself, believe in yourself.
