Many writers, especially ones who have interrupted their careers to build families, are uncertain how to break into copywriting. Start with what you know – always a good plan.

It is helpful to break in if you share the background you are writing for. This principle goes for both horizontal markets and vertical markets. (Horizontal market means a job type that ranges across industries, such as IT or Human Resources. Vertical market means the same industry, such as healthcare of finance.) If you have a background in healthcare then this is a natural for writing for and about healthcare, a very well paying niche. If you have a background in IT (Information Technology) then this is an excellent way to break into technology writing, another prime source of business writing dollars. The same goes for other job types and industries such as pharmaceutical, finance, or utilities. You don’t have to have a deep background either; just something you can point to so your prospective customers understand that you know their readership and concerns.

Once you are a more established writer it is easier to cross specialty boundaries. For example, if you are good at writing direct sales letters – an excellent way to command very high fees – the industry does not particularly matter. The more technical you get, such as writing an annual report for a pharmaceutical or writing white papers for a technology client, the better your background and knowledge should be in the discipline.

You can parlay even some knowledge into a good writing career. Let’s say that you were a low-level computer support person just out of college. 10 years later you are looking to make some extra money as a freelance writer. You may sell a few articles at a paltry $5 an article (or less) and despair of getting into business copywriting. Don’t! Construct a website around your IT experience and your ability to write about it. Sure it was 10 years ago but that is not your prospects’ business. You talk about your background as an IT person and how that gives you a unique perspective and skill set when writing about technology for corporate clients.

Now start blogging about technology in your area of interest and place a few well-written articles in technology magazines. These publications may not pay (many of them do not) but that’s not the point; getting your name out there is the idea. Once you are published – and a well-written article will be – then contact PR agencies with your information.

One other step you might take is to do a pro bono piece for a technology company. When you are done and they are happy, then you’ve got your start.