In an unsecure world, a copywriter’s skills are in high demand and, as a result, their roles are fairly well-paid. However, this does not mean that they are all skilled up and, in fact, it is quite the opposite.
Whether you are just breaking into the freelancing world or are already well established as a professional copywriter, it is quite possible that you are not licensed to write marketing material for businesses.
If this is the case, then it is vital that you get your copywriting skills formally acknowledged by a copyright registration.
The purpose of this blog post is to provide you with a brief guide on how to license your copywriting skills so you can take this step and become a formally acknowledged author of commercial material.
The Difference Between A Copywriter And An Author
A copywriter is someone who specializes in taking content and converting it into compelling written materials (like letters, press releases, blog posts, and so on) for businesses.
An author is simply a person who has created something novel, inspiring, or useful – anything that can be considered as a work of art. For example, if you’ve written a short story, you could consider yourself an author – even if it’s just an outline or a draft.
The main difference between the two is that while a copywriter is a skilled marketer who is able to write commercially viable material, an author is usually not tied to a specific industry or subject matter and can produce extraordinary literary pieces for businesses or other entities.
How To License Your Copywriting Skills
As a copywriter, you will probably have already considered the issue of licensing your work. After all, you are essentially taking paid work and want to ensure that you are properly acknowledged for your efforts. You might have also wondered how to go about doing this.
In the past, you would have had to look into registering your copyright and then seeking out a publisher for your work. However, with the rise of the ‘author-publisher’ model, all this has become a lot easier. An ‘author-publisher’ is an independent entity – typically a literary agency or publisher – which represents authors, negotiates contracts on their behalf, and handles all aspects of publication and marketing.
In order to work with an ‘author-publisher’, you need to partner with a literary agency that is a member of the Association of Author-Publishers (2A). Once you’ve registered your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, you can enter into an agreement with an ‘author-publisher’ that will license your work for marketing purposes.
Under the terms of this agreement, you will receive a royalty on sales of your work. So, if you sell 500 copies of a newspaper article, you will receive £50. If you sell 1 million copies, then you’ll receive £100. Every year you partner with an ‘author-publisher’, you will be able to renew your copyright. This is quite an attractive option for copywriters who want to keep their skills current and in demand.
The Importance Of Following Copyright Laws
In case you’re wondering, copyright laws are set in place to serve as a framework for creators and to provide them with some protection against plagiarism and copyright infringement. Most importantly, however, they exist to promote creativity and innovation by giving creators the necessary tools to enjoy limited exclusivity over their work.
In simple terms, copyright laws give creators the privilege to control how their work is used after its initial publication. This means that if you’re planning on publishing a book on the commercial applications of robotics or software, you need to make sure that you can legally do so. If you don’t own the copyright to the content you’ve used, then you’re essentially using other people’s intellectual property without permission, which is often considered theft.
As a copywriter, it is your responsibility to make sure that you’re not infringing on any copyright laws when you go about marketing your work. You must follow the proper procedures to legally obtain permission from the rights holders in order to use their content. If you are not sure where to start, then contact a local library or legal counsel for assistance.
Conclusion
Going back to the beginning, the purpose of this blog post was to guide you through the process of formally licensing your copywriting skills so you can take this step and become a properly acknowledged author of commercial material. In doing so, we have walked through the various steps you need to follow in order to properly license your work. If this sounds like something that might be of interest to you, then all you have to do is follow the steps outlined here and enjoy the benefits of licensed commercial material.