Just too big to be ignored …
October 3 – 6, 2022
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The Rocket Fuel Needed
to Launch or Grow Your
Copywriting Business NOW

With new techniques, new secrets,
new insights, and new strategies

Demand for copywriters is soaring… now more than ever. 

Companies are spending record amounts of money on marketing.

Last year alone, a whopping $521 billion was poured into digital marketing. And this year, that number is expected to reach $602 billion.

Putting more money into marketing also means companies need skilled copywriters.

If you’re a copywriter… or aspire to be one, this is too big of an opportunity to ignore. 

Bootcamp is the rocket fuel needed to launch or grow your copywriting business. You’ll come inside the world of copywriting and walk away prepared to reach new levels of success.

You’ll learn:

  • NEW Techniques
  • NEW Secrets
  • NEW Insights
  • NEW Strategies

What’s actually working NOW!

And to help you meet the demand and thrive in today’s market, we’ve invited some of the biggest and most successful copywriters, marketers, and industry influencers. Bootcamp is …

A Veritable “Who’s Who” of Copywriting

Only at AWAI’s Bootcamp will you experience
FOUR ACTION-PACKED DAYS learning real-world copywriting skills and marketing techniques from today’s leading experts

This powerhouse lineup features some of the most accomplished writers and marketers in their fields…

All of whom promise to leave nothing on the table when it comes to sharing their deepest insights into what’s working (NOW) — what you need to know (NOW) — how to adapt to this economic climate (NOW) — and what you should be doing (NOW) to move the biggest chains in your business.

Things are moving fast, and we’ve got all the experts who are on top of it all.

This Year at Bootcamp You'll Meet …

A FULL Day Devoted to Getting Clients “Let’s Get You Paid”

After you’ve gotten up to speed on what’s working now on the writing side, you’ll spend Thursday, October 6, learning what’s working now on the business side…

You’ll learn EVERYTHING you need to know about landing clients and jobs NOW… from working copywriters and marketers looking to hire NOW.

This experience will be completely interactive with unlimited opportunities to connect with writers, panelists, and marketers… ask questions… and more.

Marketers will share what they are looking for in writers…

The projects they need written most… the right way to apply for jobs and assignments… how to work with clients once you’re hired… ways to conduct yourself like a pro… and more.

Most of the marketers you’ll meet have immediate needs for copywriters and will bring spec assignments you can complete in order to show you their specific process for getting hired.

You’ll participate in expert-led sessions that will help address your roadblocks and how to smash through them, and how to set up your AWAI profile so marketers can see who you are, know what you like to write about, and reach out to you directly.

We’ll help you put together a simple but effective self-marketing plan that lets you reach out like a pro to companies you want to write for — even if you’ve never written or don’t have samples.

We’ll talk about pricing — the “painless” way to ask for money and what to charge for different assignments when you’re just starting out.

At the end of this workshop, you’ll not only have met marketers and copy chiefs looking to hire writers…

But you’ll also have the tools, the knowledge, and a proven process for reaching out to clients like a professional

All this and much more!

Bootcamp’s 100% Virtual Experience!

Last year’s Virtual Bootcamp was such a HUGE success…

There were so many great speakers… so many amazing and informative breakout sessions and presentations… and so many opportunities for attendees to connect with writers and marketers…

And so much positive feedback…

The AWAI events of the last two weeks, including the presentations and roundtable [of] marketers, have really helped expand and reinforce my knowledge.

What I really want to share though is that it has increased my level of confidence in taking additional steps to further my career. I wanted to thank the AWAI team for what has been a remarkable last two weeks!

— Joseph C.

Great Bootcamp! Thank you to all the presenters and staff for making this the best one ever!

— Diane M.

Now I know — and have experienced — why my mentor highly recommended Bootcamp to me.

The energy, the learnings, the tribe, the love, the success stories... Wow... just WOW!!!

I'm so happy that I took my mentor's advice and signed up for Bootcamp!

— Lynelle S.

My first Bootcamp! It exceeded all the hype I heard about it…

The presenters engaged and gave from their heart. The stories captivated and inspired…

An amazing four days!

Thanks to the AWAI team that made it possible!

— Maxine R.

Stellar first Bootcamp! I am grateful for the opportunity [to] surround myself with so many beautiful people who love to write. I enjoyed every bit. It was packed solid with information, expertise, personality, fun, energy (wow!), excitement, detailed information, and reality of what is and what is to come. Eye-opening experience across the globe! I am so "stoked" for my future!

— Eileen S.

Such an AMAZING Bootcamp! I am so encouraged and inspired!!

— Lisa G.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone at AWAI. This was by far the best Bootcamp. So inspiring!

— Debbie F.

I feel so emotional right now! SO GRATEFUL FOR THE AWAI FAMILY! THESE 2 WEEKS OF BOOTCAMP WERE PHENOMENAL!!

— Linda M.

Wow... my first Bootcamp... it was phenomenal!  It was educational, informative and uplifting all at the same time!

— Diana A.

So this year, we’re bringing back the interactive digital platform that puts YOU in the driver’s seat…

You’ll be able to choose which sessions you attend.

You’ll be able to participate in breakout sessions with experts, ask questions, and network directly with marketers and writers.

You’ll be able to create virtual rooms where you can invite fellow writers — even our guest experts — to join you and dig more deeply into topics.

It’s easy AND entirely interactive, and all from the comfort of your home!

That’s not all…

You’ll also have the entire Bootcamp agenda online, so you can create your personal schedule…

A roster of attendees and the ability to message them privately…

A collection of speaker bios, accomplishments, websites, and contact information…

And access to AWAI’s Katie Yeakle, Rebecca Matter, and other top members of the AWAI staff anytime you need us.

If you missed a presentation because you had to step out — no worries! Everything will be recorded and available for you.

And this is huge — all Bootcamp-related workbooks, guides, templates, speaker-related notes, and resources will be waiting for you in one easy-to-access spot!

Plus, many more surprises you’ll discover when you start exploring the Bootcamp virtual platform.

When you join this year’s Bootcamp 2022 virtual experience, You’re in for an eye-opening treat!

In fact, many Bootcamp 2021 attendees who used this platform last year said it’s even better for catching what can sometimes feel like a fire hose of valuable information…

Because you control the flow!

And just think: No airports full of people… as well as huge savings on air travel, hotel stays, food, Ubers, and all the other expenses associated with cross-country travel!

Your Bootcamp Ticket Includes…

  • Full access to AWAI’s Copywriting Success & Getting Clients Bootcamp October 3–6, 2022
  • World-class speakers to learn from who will share their writing secrets and insights
  • A complete online platform, where you can connect with others, interact, ask questions, and catch the replays of any sessions you miss
  • Handouts, slides, and worksheets so you can take notes and follow along
  • Networking opportunities with speakers, industry experts, and new writer friends via the online community
  • Q&A’s with top writers, marketers, and publishers so you know what’s working now
  • Opportunities to connect directly with clients looking to hire writers NOW

Who Should Attend?

AWAI’s Bootcamp is where writers of all ages, backgrounds, experience levels, industries, and niches come to hear the latest writing secrets from top experts… learn up-to-the-minute industry trends… discover the hottest writing opportunities… and make lifelong connections with marketers and insiders who can impact their careers.

If you’re new to the industry…

… it’s your chance to connect with important players and industry influencers… learn the basics and broaden your writing skills… explore lucrative writing niches… and see, firsthand, the sheer scope and vastness of this exciting opportunity before you.

If you’re an aspiring writer…

… Bootcamp is where you’ll deepen your understanding of the writing process… learn new skills… start building your success network… make invaluable contacts… and connect with copywriters who were once in your shoes, happy to help you lay down your own path to success.

If you’re already writing…

… learn the latest in what’s working NOW in our industry… expand your professional network… get to meet and network with A-level copywriters… get a deeper understanding of the higher-paying projects… and more.

What’ll Happen During Your
Bootcamp Experience

You'll Learn…

The direct marketing industry changes FAST… especially as companies are facing new economic challenges. What marketers need from copywriters changes FAST too. But, we know… the demand for trained writers has never been so great. That’s why Bootcamp is the place to brush up on core writing skills every year — it’s the best way to know what’s working NOW, in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing direct marketing environment.

You'll Meet…

After 25 years, Bootcamp has become the place for A-list writers, industry influencers, copy chiefs, and marketers to gather and grow together. Whether virtually or in person, this is where friendships and important professional contacts are made and blossom over time: “copy buddies” you can bounce ideas off of… working writers you can turn to for advice and direction.

You'll Be Inspired…

Until you’ve experienced the energy of a Bootcamp, there’s no way to know just how massive… fun… lucrative… and in demand copywriting really is.

Bootcamp opens your eyes to all of it: the dozens of niches you can write for… the massive demand for new writers… the money you can make as a writer… and all the people and resources available to you when you’re ready to be successful. It’s like having your very own 400-person support team — and you can’t help but leave excited, confident, and inspired!  

Where Writing Careers Flourish!

“I landed a couple of gigs out of my first Bootcamp — advertisements and blogs for a health company.”
Janet Grosshandler
“When I went to Bootcamp, it was like a rocket. I took off in this business and I have not slowed down at all.”
Steve Coombes
“Bootcamp helped me realize how big this opportunity is and that’s when my business really took off!”
Christina Gillick
“Without AWAI at Bootcamp, I couldn’t have gotten in front of contacts as easily. Those clients paved the way for thousands of dollars of work.”
Sean McCool
“Bootcamp has given me the tools and connections I needed to launch my career from ground zero to well beyond the goals I set for myself.”
Julie Hasset
”I landed my first paid copywriting assignment two months after I attended AWAI’s Bootcamp. Six months later, I had all the work I could handle.”
Krista Jones
“I seem to have gotten my clients either through specs or going to events and getting to know the person leading the event — and going out on a limb and actually submitting spec copy.”
Chris Allsop
“Bootcamp was a single investment that has paid me back more than 33 times what I spent on it! I went from a laid-off corporate worker bee to a freelancer with a set-my-own-hours income of $60,000… in one year!”
Starr Daubenmire
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Scott Stratten

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Scott Stratten

 … the ultimate sales-and- marketing truth slayer — helps organizations see their business through a new lens with his unconventional “unmarketing” views and vanguard approach to building and maintaining real customer relationships.

As the president of Un-Marketing, he has transformed how corporations like PepsiCo, Century 21, Fidelity and Microsoft do business with radical insights on how to engage better with customers through social and viral marketing. Named a top 5 social media power influencer by Forbes.com, Scott elevates the conversation by putting the focus back on what matters most to current and potential buyers.
In 2018, Scott was inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame.

Drawing from his experience as a marketing industry innovator and the author of four best-selling business books, he convinces audiences to look at the big picture, which is about creating loyal, repeat customers who become brand evangelists because they genuinely love the goods or services you provide. With humor, passion and candor, Scott blends real world strategies with memorable stories that will completely change the way you market and sell, for the better.

Terri Trespicio

Terri is an award-winning writer, speaker, and brand advisor, and works with individuals and organizations to help nail their messaging and engage clients, customers, and fans. Her “Stop Searching for Your Passion” TEDx talk has more than 5-million views to date. She was recently named by HubSpot as one of the “Top 15 female speakers who are killing it” and has been cited as one of the world’s leading creatives by Creative Boom magazine. Her work has been featured Oprah magazine, Marie Claire, Prevention, Business Insider, Forbes.com, and Inc.com. A writer and facilitator certified in the Gateless method for capturing creative genius, she leads workshops to help professionals take their stories and ideas from page to stage and beyond.

Terri presents at conferences across the country, she was rated the #1 speaker at Barron’s Top Independent Women Advisors Summit and How Design Live. Terri is also a stand-up comic and has performed at famous Manhattan venues including Caroline’s, Dangerfield’s, Gotham, and New York Comedy Club. She lives in Manhattan. Visit her at territrespicio.com.

Jason Fladlien

Jason Fladlien is known as the $100-million-dollar webinar man. His pitch webinars have set records in the information, coaching, affiliate, and software space. Not only do many claim him the best webinar presenter out there, he is also considered the best teacher of webinars. He draws upon his eclectic background for inspiration, from being a Hare Krishna monk and a rapper born in raised in the small town of Muscatine, Iowa.

People like Joe Polish describe him as “one of the top 5 living marketers on the planet.” Jason enjoys his role as Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder of Rapid Crush, Inc., a company who has pioneered many different digital-marketing methods that are considered standard today.

Due to his unrelenting passion for achievement, Jason has risen to the top of several industries including selling physical products on Amazon, as well as digital products, software, and coaching. By having so much success in many different areas of business, Jason is often called in by 7, 8 and even 9-figure companies to help them with their marketing.

When he’s not working, he’s enjoying life with his beautiful wife and three children in Southern California. His hobbies include chess, music composition, listening to epic fantasy novels, and hiking with Bryce, his German Shepherd.

Brian Clark

Brian is a writer, traveler, and entrepreneur. He’s the founder of the pioneering content marketing website Copyblogger, the personal growth newsletter Further, and Unemployable — a resource that provides smart strategies for freelancers and entrepreneurs.

In January 2006 when Brian started a one-man website called Copyblogger, it which quickly evolved into an influential digital trade magazine for the content marketing industry. It never took venture capital and made it to eight figures in annual revenue and high profit margins without advertising. The company created software-as-a-service, web hosting, WordPress themes and plugins, courses, and conferences. The Guardian and Advertising Age have recognized Copyblogger as one of the most powerful and influential blogs in the world.

This level of success, plus Brian’s early adoption of online content to fuel startup companies, makes him a recognized pioneer of the now $44 billion content marketing industry.

Steve Slaunwhite

Steve is an award-winning copywriter who loves to teach as much as he loves to write. He is passionate about sharing his secrets to building a thriving copywriting business with anyone who will listen!

He specializes in working with marketing teams — and, recently, sales teams — of B2B companies, helping them write ads, landing pages, emails, ads, blog posts, and more that get spectacular results. Steve is the Simon & Schuster author of The Everything Guide to Writing Copy and the proud recipient of AWAI’s 2016 Copywriter of The Year.

He’s been helping companies write marketing copy that sells for more than 20 years and has won multiple awards for his copywriting and marketing work, including the prestigious ACE Award for Direct Mail Copywriting. 

Ilise Benun

Ilise is the founder of Marketing-Mentor.com, the go-to online resource for copywriters and other creative professionals who want better projects with bigger budgets. She is a national speaker and author of 7 books, including “The Creative Professional’s Guide to Money,” and many online courses via AWAI, CreativeLive and Domestika.org, as well as The Simplest Marketing Plan – all tailored to the needs of the self-employed. 

She offers 1:1 business coaching and, since 2008, she has hosted the Marketing Mentor Podcast. Connect with her on LinkedIn and get her Quick Tips at www.marketing-mentortips.com

Russ Henneberry

Russ Henneberry is the founder of theCLIKK.com, a free daily email newsletter about digital business.

He has executed digital marketing projects for brands like Salesforce.com, Crazy Egg, and Digital Marketer. Russ has trained and certified thousands of professionals in SEO, social media marketing and content marketing through his coaching, courses, stage presentations and his book, Digital Marketing for Dummies. He recently authored the American Writers & Artists course SEO Copywriting Mastery and Certification.

Russ lives in St. Louis, Missouri with this wonderful wife Sarah, his two amazing children, Thomas and Mary Grace, and an extremely enthusiastic dog name Buck.

Brian Kurtz

Brian has been a serial direct marketer for almost 40 years and never met a medium he didn’t like. He worked for Boardroom for 34 years. Under his marketing leadership, Boardroom’s revenues went from approximately $5 million (1981) to a high of over $150 million (2006).

Brian’s mission for the next 40 years as the Founder of “Titans Marketing” is to be the bridge between the truths of direct-response marketing and all that is considered state-of-the-art direct response marketing today. He has authored two books to date: The Advertising Solution, released in October of 2017, and Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing, released in 2019.

Brian writes and speaks regularly (recent content at www.briankurtz.me and www.briankurtz.me/blog). But truth be told, Brian is really just a Little League baseball umpire and does this direct marketing stuff on the side. His ultimate goal is to umpire in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.

Ann Handley

Ann Handley is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author who speaks worldwide about how businesses can escape marketing mediocrity to ignite tangible results. IBM named her one of the 7 people shaping modern marketing. She is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs; a LinkedIn Influencer; a keynote speaker, mom, dog person, and writer.

Mari Smith

Often referred to as “the Queen of Facebook,” Mari Smith is widely known as the Premier Facebook Marketing Expert and a top Social Media Thought Leader. Her client list includes AT&T, Adobe, HubSpot, PNC Bank, and Verizon. She is author of The New Relationship Marketing.

Ryan Deiss

Ryan is the Founder and CEO of The Scalable Company (Scalable.co), DigitalMarketer.com and a Founding Partner at Scalable Equity, LLC, a venture equity accelerator that builds and acquires B2B media and software brands.

Mark Ford

Mark Ford began his professional writing career at 11 with Excuses for the Amateur, a self-help guide for delinquent grammar school students. It presaged his career, becoming an instant best seller and getting Ford reprimanded by the less than gentle sisters that ran the school.

After getting his MA at University of Michigan, he spent two years in Africa, teaching and writing and returned to Washington DC., where he worked as a writer and eventually publisher for a boutique publishing house.

Four years later he moved to Florida to take a job as editorial director of a business newsletter publishing company. Seven years later he retired. A year later he joined Agora. Since then his life has been blissful.

Although many dispute it, Ford claims credit for every publishing and marketing success anyone associated with him has experience. The failures he does not shy from. He puts the blame for them squarely on the shoulders of his proteges.

Jon Morrow

Jon Morrow is considered the Master of Blogging.  He created Smart Blogger, which is the next step in the evolution of Boost Blog Traffic (BBT), created by Jon in 2012.  Jon also served as the Associate Editor of the famous Copyblogger.com for more than four years. During that time, he helped grow Copyblogger to over 3-million page-views per month, all while managing dozens of writers and contributing some of the most popular articles on the site.

In December 2011, Jon decided to branch off from Copyblogger and launch his own online brand —teaching smart, hard-working writers how to get the attention they deserve by starting a blog. That site went on to become a $100,000+ (per month) business with more than 100,000 email subscribers.

Jon has a fatal, neuromuscular disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. He says, “Here I am speaking into a microphone and essentially getting paid to change the world. If my fingers worked, I’d pinch myself.”

Carline Anglade-Cole

Carline is an international direct-response copywriter who specializes in the alternative health field. With over 30 years of experience in the direct-response industry, she has written successful sales copy for numerous clients including Oprah, Peak Pure & Natural, Healthy Directions, Health Resources, Boardroom, AWAI, Sun Chlorella USA, Biocentric Health, Weiss Research and many more.

She’s the Two-Time Award-Winning Author of “My Life as a 50+ Year-Old White Male: How a Mixed-Race Woman Stumbled Into Direct-Response Copywriting and Succeeded!” – an Amazon #1 Bestseller available at www.carlinecole.com and Amazon.com.  She is also the recipient of the Nonfiction Authors Association Awards, the Independent Publishers Book Awards and the prestigious AWAI Copywriter of the Year Award.  

Sandy Franks

Sandy Franks brings over two decades of publishing, marketing, and copywriting experience to the table. She’s hired countless copywriters, including some of the best in the business (Mike Palmer, Chip Biggs, Arthur Johnson) and overseen numerous multimillion-dollar successful campaigns.

Sandy now serves as Senior Copy Chief for AWAI and is also the founder of the Women’s Financial Alliance, a small publishing company she started with her husband and daughter.

Nick Usborne

Nick is a master online copywriter and site-optimization expert with 40 years of experience in the marketing industry.

The first 20 years were devoted to writing for print and direct mail, and the second 20 years have been focused on writing for the web. As a copywriter, consultant, and trainer, Nick has worked with hundreds of companies, including Disney, AOL, The New York Times, Yahoo!, MSN, The Getty Trust, and Intuit. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed book on writing for the web, Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy.

Nick has authored five very popular AWAI programs: Web Copywriting 2.0: Your Complete Guide to Writing Web Copy that Converts, Profitable Freelancing, Marketing Confidence: Learn to Love Marketing Your Business, and How to Make Money as a Social Media Marketing Expert AND How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites.

At home, he is a partner, father, grandfather, kayaker, skier, and voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction.

Jen Stevens

Jennifer Stevens is a copywriter, editor, and author with a reputation for writing winning promos that mail for years–even decades–bringing in millions of dollars. She’s the chief copywriter for International Living and that publication’s Executive Editor as well as the author of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program.

Jen specializes in writing copy about travel, retirement, and investment. She truly embraces the flexibility built into “the writer’s life,” having gallivanted over the years through 27 countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia with a laptop in tow. In past incarnations, she lived in Paris and wrote market research reports for the US Foreign Commercial Service. And she spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English on a spit of sand between Madagascar and Mozambique.

Today, she’s based in Colorado with her husband and three teenage boys and spends altogether too much time on deck at swim meets and courtside at tennis matches.

Ted Capshaw

Ted is a student ‒ a student of life, people, and business. Prior to becoming an executive/life coach, Ted served as a Chief Learning Officer at several companies. He also was the Chief Operating Officer of a well-known non-profit organization in Baltimore.

Today, and for the last ten years, Ted spends the majority of his time coaching individuals and teams in such areas as communication, personal development, building trust, operating more effectively and efficiently while daring people to live a more balanced and meaningful life. Ted is known for his very real and hard-hitting insights that he delivers with an unwavering intent to assist and promote change. You can find some of his insights in his blog on life and leadership at www.tedstruth.com.

Ted lives in Westminster, MD with his wife Angel and two sons. He studied sociology in undergraduate school at the University of Minnesota and Human Development in Graduate School at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Guillermo Rubio

For the past 14 years, Guillermo Rubio has written winning copy for some of the top direct-response companies around, including Money Map Press, Weiss Research, International Living, and AWAI. His email copywriting skills have brought his clients great results: such as one email campaign helping to bring in $1.2 million in just 35 days and generating up to $173,709 in a single day – thanks to a single email.

Rebecca Matter

Rebecca is the President of American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI), the world’s leading trainer of direct-response copywriters.

A marketer with two decades of experience in publishing and direct-marketing, Rebecca has spearheaded successful million-dollar campaigns for countless products, both online and off, and has spoken and written on topics ranging from getting and working with clients to successful web marketing strategies.

Rebecca recognizes the tremendous opportunities available to people who know how to write persuasively. She’s dedicated herself to keeping AWAI members ahead of the curve … and in demand … by creating cutting-edge programs on the most marketable writing skills today.

Katie Yeakle

Katie has spent over 30 years in the world of direct marketing and publishing in the roles of copy editor, editorial coordinator, product manager, fulfillment supervisor, marketing manager and publisher. Recognizing the industry-wide need for talented copywriters who can deliver copy that sells, she helped establish American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI) with co-founders Paul Hollingshead and Don Mahoney in 1997. Today, as Executive Director, Katie oversees AWAI’s 70+ programs designed to help people turn their passions into careers.