How This Side Hustler Makes 5500 Monthly as a Freelance Email Copywriter

Lucas: Alright, Luna, I want to talk about a side hustle that I think flies under the radar even though it's been around forever: email copywriting. Luna: Email copywriting? Like, writing the newsletters that end up in my spam folder? Lucas: Exactly that — but the good ones that don't go to spam. I've been looking into this side hustler named Jenna Park. She's a former English teacher who started freelancing two years ago and now makes about fifty-five hundred dollars a month writing email copy for ecommerce brands. Luna: Fifty-five hundred? That's more than some full-time jobs. What exactly is she writing? Lucas: So for ecommerce, it's usually a mix of welcome sequences — those first few emails when you sign up — plus promotional campaigns, abandoned cart reminders, and post-purchase follow-ups. Jenna told me she charges between five hundred and a thousand dollars per email sequence, and she does about six to eight of those a month. Luna: Wait — so one sequence could be several emails, right? How many are we talking? Lucas: Yeah, a standard welcome sequence is three to five emails. She might also bundle a monthly newsletter for the same flat fee. The key is that ecommerce brands know email has the highest return on investment of any channel: for every dollar spent, you get something like forty-two dollars back on average. So they're willing to pay for good copy that converts. Luna: That ROI stat is wild. But what makes email copywriting different from, say, blog writing or social media copy? Is it more salesy? Lucas: It's definitely more direct-response focused. You have a specific goal — open the email, click the link, buy the product. And you have to work within constraints like subject line length, preview text, and the fact that most people read on mobile. It's a craft. Jenna mentioned she spends a lot of time studying open rates and click-through rates to iterate on her copy. Luna: So she's data-driven. That makes sense. How did she get her first clients with no portfolio? Lucas: That's the best part. She started by offering to write a free welcome sequence for a small local boutique. Just reached out via email, said she admired their brand, and proposed a few email ideas. The owner said yes, she wrote it, tracked the results — they saw a twenty percent increase in click-through rate — and that became her case study. Luna: Smart. So she used that one result to land more clients. Lucas: Exactly. From there, she built a simple portfolio page with three case studies. She also started a newsletter called 'The Open Rate' where she shared tips for small businesses. That newsletter itself became a lead generator. Brands would read her advice and reach out asking to hire her. Luna: I love that — using the very thing you're selling to sell it. So what kind of brands does she work with now? Lucas: Mostly DTC brands in the health and wellness space. Think supplement companies, organic skincare lines, that kind of thing. She says the copy has to feel personal and trustworthy, not pushy. She avoids phrases like 'limited time offer' unless it's actually true. Authenticity matters a lot for repeat purchases. Luna: Right. Because if someone feels tricked, they'll unsubscribe. So what skills does a beginner need to learn to get started? Lucas: First, you need to understand basic email marketing platforms: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Klaviyo. Klaviyo is huge for ecommerce. You should know how to set up a sequence, segment an audience, and interpret open rates. Second, you need to write compelling subject lines and preview text — that's often what determines if an email gets opened at all. Luna: And third? I'm guessing copywriting fundamentals like AIDA — attention, interest, desire, action? Lucas: Exactly. But also storytelling. Jenna says her most successful campaigns tell a mini-story about the product — why it was created, who it helps, how it changed someone's life. And she always includes a clear call to action, usually just one button. Luna: I can see how that would work. So if someone listening wants to start today, what's the first step? Lucas: I'd say pick a niche. Don't try to write for every type of business. Maybe focus on ecommerce, or SaaS, or even a specific industry like pet products. Then write five sample emails for a hypothetical brand in that niche. That becomes your portfolio. Then start cold emailing small businesses offering a free or discounted pilot. Luna: How long does it usually take to land that first paid gig? Lucas: Jenna said she sent about thirty cold emails before she got her first yes. That was the free project. After that, she had a framework and could start charging. Within three months, she had three recurring clients paying five hundred each per month. Luna: So it's not instant, but it's achievable. And the earning potential scales up pretty fast. Lucas: Definitely. Some experienced email copywriters charge two thousand dollars per sequence. If you can do two of those a month, that's forty-eight thousand a year part-time. Not bad for a side hustle. Luna: Honestly, if today's episode was worth a coffee to you, you can show that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small way to keep these conversations ad-free and focused. Lucas: Yeah, and we genuinely appreciate it. Every little bit helps us keep doing deep dives like this one. So thank you. Luna: Now, back to email copywriting — one thing I'm curious about is the competition. Isn't everyone and their cousin trying to become a copywriter these days? Lucas: There's definitely more competition than a few years ago, but the demand is growing too. Email is still the most effective channel for ecommerce, and brands need writers who understand their voice and audience. Jenna says she stands out by specializing in the health and wellness niche and by offering a data-driven approach: she provides a monthly report showing open rates, click-throughs, and sales generated. Luna: So she's not just a writer, she's a mini marketer. That adds value. Lucas: Right. And that's why she can charge premium rates. She also recommends learning a bit about A/B testing and segmentation. For example, she'll write two subject lines for a campaign, test them on a small segment, and then send the winner to the rest of the list. Luna: That's what the pros do. So tools like Mailchimp have that built in, right? Lucas: Yeah, most platforms do. Klaviyo is especially powerful for ecommerce because it integrates with Shopify and can trigger emails based on behavior — like if someone viewed a product but didn't buy. Luna: Okay, so let's say I want to get started this week. What should I actually do tomorrow? Lucas: Tomorrow: pick a niche and a fake brand. Write three emails: a welcome email, a promotional email, and an abandoned cart email. Use a free trial of Mailchimp to set up a test sequence. That gives you a tangible skill to talk about in interviews or pitches. Luna: And then the next day? Lucas: Start a list of fifty small ecommerce brands that have newsletters you can subscribe to. Study their emails for a week. Note what subject lines get you to open, what calls to action feel natural, and what you'd do differently. That research is gold when you pitch them. Luna: That's concrete. I like it. So email copywriting seems like a legit side hustle for writers who want to use data and storytelling together. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's something you can do from anywhere with just a laptop and an internet connection. No special software required beyond what you already have. Luna: Great episode. I'm going to try writing a few sample emails myself. Lucas: Do it. And let us know how it goes. Maybe we'll have you back as a success story in a few months.