Most copywriters overstuff their promotions. They pile in features, benefits, angles, and arguments like they’re packing for a month-long trip. The result? Diluted impact, confused readers, and mediocre results.
Michael Masterson discovered something different after twenty years in the trenches. When he analyzed which essays resonated most with readers, the pattern was unmistakable: the highest-rated pieces tackled one subject, one idea, presented with depth and clarity.
This insight became the “Rule of One,” and it applies to everything from email promotions to multi-page sales letters.
What the Rule Actually Means
The Rule of One isn’t about writing less. It’s about focus. A fully engaging piece of copy built on this principle contains five necessary elements:
- One good idea the reader can grasp immediately
- One core emotion that drives the sale
- One captivating story that validates the promise
- One single, desirable benefit that makes the offer irresistible
- One inevitable response the reader must take
Bob Bly demonstrated this perfectly in a short advertorial. His lead asked a simple question: “Would you be interested in investing $175 to make $20,727?” Then he delivered: “That’s exactly what Bob Bly just accomplished!” Sixteen words. One story. Complete validation.
The body copy followed with a single statement: e-books are the easiest product to sell online. Every bullet point supported that claim. Every sentence reinforced it. The reader heard it, got it, believed it.
The Tossed Salad Problem
Too many copywriters take what Masterson calls the “tossed salad” approach. They don’t know which benefit will resonate, so they throw everything in and hope something sticks. This is standard practice for B-level writers, but it’s not how blockbuster promotions get made.
Porter Stansberry’s Railway package pulled in millions within days of posting. The secret? One compelling idea: we’re living through a transformation as significant as the Industrial Revolution, and readers have a chance to profit like the great barons of that era. One idea. One emotion. Everything else was eliminated.
The Practical Application
Victor Schwab’s classic list of the “Top 100 Headlines” from 1941 proves this isn’t new wisdom. Ninety percent of those headlines were driven by single ideas: “The Secret of Making People Like You.” “How I Improved My Memory in One Evening.” “Discover the Fortune That Lies Hidden In Your Salary.”
Modern advertising follows the same pattern. Coca-Cola runs “The pause that refreshes” or “Always Cool,” never both at once. McDonald’s chooses “You deserve a break today” or “I’m lovin’ it,” not a mashup of competing messages.
Starting with one simple idea in the headline delivers two major benefits: it makes the copy stronger, and it makes writing the rest of the sales letter easier.
The challenge is finding that one good idea the reader can grasp immediately. And then sticking to it, even when the temptation to add more feels overwhelming.
Freelance Copywriting: Getting Clients When You’re Just Starting Out
Breaking into freelance copywriting feels like a catch-22. Clients want samples, but you need clients to get samples. Prospects ask about experience, but experience comes from landing prospects first.
Bob Bly, who’s built a career earning well over $100,000 annually as a freelance copywriter, offers a direct solution: feel the fear and do it anyway.
“Results are generated by activity, not emotions,” Bly writes. Call ten prospects a day or send ten sales letters a day, and work will come. Period. Motivation, confidence, and enthusiasm are optional. Action is not.
Building a Portfolio From Nothing
The sample problem has several workarounds. Rewrite existing ads to make them better and use those as samples. Do pro bono work for nonprofits. Offer to create a mailer for a friend’s business free in exchange for printed samples and a testimonial. Target small ad agencies. Approach local businesses with direct mail offers and work on spec if necessary.
Another approach: tell prospects you’ll critique their current piece for free. If they like it, they can hire you to write something new. If the new piece doesn’t beat their control, they don’t pay. That’s minimal risk for them and portfolio material for you.
The Three Types of Clients
Bly breaks down the market into thirds. One third will only hire copywriters with exact experience in their niche. One third wants something in the ballpark. And one third doesn’t care about specific experience as long as you can write.
New copywriters concentrate on that last group. Once you have samples from those clients, you can approach the others with proof you know their industry.
The Economics of Self-Promotion
Marketing yourself costs money, but not much. “If you set your first-year income goal at just $50,000, figure you have to spend 5% on marketing, which would come to $2,500,” Bly notes. A 100-piece mailing costs less than $100. If one person hires you for a $1,000 project, your return on investment is 10:1.
When Bly started, he sent 500 letters to creative directors at ad agencies, offering to write whatever they needed. He got 35 replies and was in business.
The math works. The only question is whether you’ll do the work.
Pricing Your Copywriting Services: A Practical Framework
What should a freelance copywriter charge? The answer depends on your clients, your experience, and what type of work you’re doing. But there are guidelines that hold across the industry.
Bob Bly breaks it down simply: 50 cents to $1 per word, $50 to $200 per hour. Copywriters serving small local clients charge near the low end. Those working with major national accounts charge at the high end.
Most freelance direct-response copywriters charge by the project. Here’s what Bly’s fee schedule looks like:
| Project Type | Fee Range |
|---|---|
| Print ad | $750–$3,500 |
| Sales letter | $2,000–$5,000+ |
| Direct-mail package (lead gen) | $3,000–$5,500 |
| Direct-mail package (mail order) | $3,000–$15,000 |
| E-mail promo | $2,000–$2,500 |
| Website home page | $1,500 |
| Website additional pages | $750/page |
| White paper | $1.50/word |
Raising Rates Without Losing Clients
If you agreed to a low price on a first job, make clear it was a one-time “try me out” offer. Tell the client upfront that subsequent work will be at your regular rate.
For existing clients where you didn’t set that expectation, Bly suggests a phased approach. “Let’s say you once did a job for $500 for this client and you now charge other clients $1,000 for the same thing. Next time the client calls, say, ‘I have raised my rates. You paid $500. A letter is now $1,000. But for you, I will offer a discounted rate for the rest of this year of $750. Starting January 1 of next year, it will become the full $1,000.'”
Clients understand prices go up. Softening the increase to halfway makes the transition easier for everyone.
The Royalty Question
Major direct marketers sometimes pay royalties on top of flat fees. The typical structure is a “mailing fee” of 1 to 4 cents for every package mailed after the initial test. A rollout of 1 million pieces at 2 cents per piece means $20,000 in royalty payments.
Some clients pay a flat bonus if your letter becomes the control, often double the original fee. Very few pay royalties based on sales or profits, and tracking those requires systems many clients don’t have in place.
The copywriter who consistently makes money for clients can write their own ticket. That’s the real leverage in pricing conversations.
If You Need Help to Market and Grow Your Business Call Paul (602) 849-0662