Revealed On April 26th: The ONLY SECRET You Must Follow to Become a Millionaire Copywriter

My name is Mike Palmer.

I launched the first in-house copy team at Stansberry Research back in June of 2002.

And today I serve as the Chief Copywriter (and Board Director) for MarketWise, the publicly traded company home to Stansberry Research and 12+ other brands. 

I obviously don’t have access to every publishing business’ numbers, but as far as I know, Stansberry remains the most successful financial research business in the world. And the Stansberry Research copywriters continue to be among the highest paid writers on the planet.

Last year alone, the team of just a dozen writers sold more than $185 million worth of financial research… and earned over $5 million in copywriting royalties!

I’ll introduce you to a few of these folks in just a minute, so you can see how they did it.

But as you’ll see, this letter is not about me or the copywriters I’ve hired and trained over the years.

It’s about you… and your future.

In short: I want something from you. And in exchange, I will give you a priceless gift… the opportunity for you to become one of the best and highest-paid copywriters in the world.

I also don’t want you to make the same big mistake I made early in my copywriting career. But there’s a great chance you’re making that costly mistake right now.

Here’s the deal…

Back in my early days in the industry, I’d left my job as the editor of International Living (the publication that launched Agora in the late 1970s) to become a freelance copywriter.

And I was doing OK.

I thought I’d “made it.” I had a steady stream of work, and I could write from wherever I pleased.

I was making nearly $100,000 a year (more than I’d ever imagined I’d be making) and I figured I’d just keep getting better each year… keep improving… and keep making more money.

But I was wrong.

After a few years of toiling away, I wasn’t increasing my rates, and more importantly, I wasn’t getting much better.

So I reluctantly took a job with Porter Stansberry at his small new firm.

Porter had been trying to recruit me for a few years, but I turned him down because we couldn’t agree on a base salary (so stupid on my part!).

Long story short… I hadn’t been working with Porter, Steve Sjuggerud, and the rest of the Stansberry team for more than a month or two before realizing what an idiot I’d been over the previous few years.

I realized very quickly that working on my own… trying to move my way up the ranks as a freelancer, was the biggest mistake of my career.

Why?

Because as I soon learned:

The only way you will ever get to the top of the copywriting world and make millions of dollars over the long run is to work closely… every single day… with a group of great copywriters, top marketers, and top editorial content producers.

You probably don’t believe me, but I know all the top copywriters in this space today… and I can’t think of a single one who hasn’t worked in-house at one of the industry’s top publishers.

I’ll explain why this is so critical in just a minute, but here’s the most important part for you right now:

Beginning April 26^th, I’m participating in a two-day event that’s only been held twice in the last 25 years:

An Official Stansberry Copywriter Bootcamp.

The purpose of this event is simple:

STANSBERRY RESEARCH IS RECRUITING ITS 2023 COPY CLASS.

And I’m helping them find and hire a small group of competitive, hard-working, and determined individuals who, over the next few years, want to put themselves among the best and highest-paid copywriters in the world.

We’re hosting this two-day Bootcamp at a boutique luxury hotel in downtown Annapolis, Maryland. And as I mentioned, it’s something we’ve only done twice before.

Joining us at this event is the only way you’ll ever get unprecedented access to me and the Stansberry Research copy, marketing, and editorial teams.  

You’ll learn our copy process. How we come up with ideas, how we tweak and assign projects… how we schedule campaigns… and why we are considered among the best in the business at what we do (for 20+ years now!).

We’ll work together on live promotions. We’ll help you with your current projects. We’ll talk about the ideas we’re most excited about right now. We’ll show you what’s working in our business. In fact: we’ll show you numbers, data, and processes we’ve never made public before.

Then, at the end of the weekend, our plan is to let several copywriters know we’re interested in offering them full-time jobs.

Now, before I go any further…

Let me make a few things clear.

This event is definitely not for everyone. It is 100% free of charge… but you must apply and be “accepted” to join us. We’ll likely take less than 20 people.

And so we don’t waste our time or yours, let me make it clear exactly whom this event is for…

This event is NOT for folks looking for part-time or freelance work.

This is NOT for “networking” or for folks looking to get started as a copywriter… nor is it for current MarketWise employees.

This event is also NOT for folks who aren’t willing to either work from or spend time at our headquarters in Baltimore throughout the year.

If any of those descriptions sound like you, please stop reading now. Do not waste our time or yours.

This Bootcamp is for serious and experienced folks who want to work full-time on our in-house copy team and are willing to either live in Baltimore or travel from a different state to our Baltimore offices several times a year.

This is for folks who want to go from good to great… From good pay to incredible pay… From a “no-name” in the industry to a rising, sought-after superstar.

Now maybe you’re already thinking…

“This sounds great, Mike… but it’s not for me. I don’t want to work for a corporation. I don’t want to work in an office, and I don’t want to work in Baltimore. I want my freedom, and I’m doing just fine right now, and I’m determined to prove I can do it on my own.”

That’s great — and if you believe any of those things, PLEASE DO NOT apply for this position! I sincerely wish you luck. You can still make a very nice living as a decent copywriter.

And I admit: I felt the exact same way early in my career.

But what no one tells you is that there’s so much more to becoming one of the highest-paid copywriters in the world. It’s not just about learning how to write copy.

For example, to get rich in this business and make it to the top…

You have to have access to great lists… big lists built up over a long period of time, with tons of loyal subscribers. It doesn’t matter how good your backend copy is if you’re not selling to big in-house lists built over many years.

You must have access to great marketers and production folks, who can take your copy and turn it into a compelling promotion… and in turn get lots of eyeballs on it in the form of potential new customers.

You must have access to deep pockets to be able to spend lots of money on a successful promotion. That’s the only way a hit promotion can bring in 100,000 new subscribers or more.

You must also have access to editors and analysts who are great on camera (and willing to go on camera), who also regularly come up with ideas and analysis you won’t see anywhere else.

Something few copywriters realize is that the best promotions are always born out of unique editorial ideas — not copywriters coming up with ideas on their own!

I hope you get the point. Getting to the top and making a lot of money as a copywriter is about MUCH, MUCH more than just learning how to write good promotions.

So…

If you are an experienced copywriter and simply want to get a lot better while becoming wealthy in the process… our April 26^th event in Annapolis could be right for you.

If you are an experienced copywriter who feels “stuck” in your current position because of low pay, poor support, or a business that doesn’t have the capital or know-how to take advantage of your ideas, this event is definitely for you.

If you are an experienced copywriter, but no longer have a strong list to sell to, or exciting experts to write for… this event is for you.

If you love the challenge and rewards of great marketing, but you’re tired of selling inferior products… or tired of being asked to use deceptive tactics to make a sale, then this is an event you’ll want to attend.

But I’m sure you’re wondering…

Can working at Stansberry Research really change your life and your career?

Well, for me, it was the best move I ever made. I owe nearly all the success in my career to the time spent at Stansberry Research.

And so many other former and current copywriters say the same. For example…

“I had job security with a major competitor...”

Three years into my new career, I had job security with a major Stansberry competitor, but felt like I’d made a huge mistake. Day one after I made the move to Stansberry Research, it felt like I was working in an entirely different industry. How do I feel 18 months later? Yes, this is the best job in the world. Bar none. Hands down.”

—Stansberry Copywriter for 2 years

“A team of absolute killers...”

When I joined the team a few years ago, I was instantly hit with the feeling of finally being in the “big leagues”… but I was also shocked at how helpful and collaborative the entire Stansberry team is in working to make your copy as successful as possible. It’s paid off immensely for me both in dollars and in my personal growth as a writer. If you want to become the best copywriter you can be, there’s simply no better place to be than here. 

—Stansberry Copywriter for 3 years

“Claw your way onto the team...”

What can I say about being a Senior Copywriter at Stansberry Research? Unequivocally, there is no better team in the copywriting industry with a consistent history of churning out world-class copywriters. If that’s what you want to become, claw your way onto our team no matter what it takes you to get there. It won’t be easy. But the result is that you’ll learn how to write copy in a way most people never do. And you’ll never want for work, ever again in your lifetime. The biggest problem you’ll have is trying to decide what to spend your royalties on.

—Stansberry copywriter for 10 years

“Anyone would be lucky for the chance to work here...”

I’ve been with Stansberry for almost 8 years now, and there’s a reason people come here from other affiliates/companies and not the other way around… We’re the biggest, most respected financial publishing company in the world. I work with incredibly smart, talented, and motivating colleagues. Diverse and contrarian ideas are encouraged; curiosity and a never-stop-learning mentality are cultivated. The copy team is truly the best of the best, yet everyone is accessible and happy to help train and teach. Anyone would be lucky for the chance to work here.

—Stansberry copywriter for 1 year (internal transfer)

“I make 10x my old salary...”

It’s almost a cliché in our business: Joining the Stansberry copy team is like getting invited to Spring Training for the New York Yankees. If Stansberry disappeared tomorrow, every one of our writers would have a lucrative job at a top copy shop the next day. No question. How’s that for job security? The day I was fired – without cause – from my last job in journalism, a friend told me I would look back on it as one of the best days of my life. She was right. I got hired at Stansberry a month later. And I’ve been here for 10 years.

I never held a job for even half that long before – and never imagined I would. But why would I go anywhere else when I’m already playing for the Yankees? I make 10 times the highest salary I ever made in journalism. On north of $100 million in cumulative sales. I bought a vacation house on Lake Michigan. And I just got back from taking my entire family to Europe, first class.

I don’t want to tell you this job is easy… or you won’t work hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it – and it wouldn’t pay. But I’ve built the life that I want while enjoying incredible freedom and flexibility. I’m never looking back.

—Stansberry copywriter for 10 years

“Now I get to dream of all the things I get to do...”

I started as a junior copywriter at Stansberry Research in 2017, one week after I graduated college. I didn’t know a thing about finance, the stock market, or direct response marketing. And I won’t surgarcoat it: Those first two years, the learning curve was steep, the hours were long, and I shoved more new knowledge into my brain than I did across four years of undergrad.

But since then, I’ve known financial success I believed was only reserved for neurosurgeons. I “had” to hire an accountant at 24. Just one promotion paid for the six-figure down payment on the house I bought when I was 25. Last year, I was able to afford my dream wedding – all while my backend promotions brought in over $26 million.

Being a Stansberry copywriter isn’t easy. But it IS incredibly simple – when you work hard and think even harder, extraordinary opportunity and reward follow. It’s not enough to say that this job has changed my life. It has shaped, opened, and expanded it. I used to look at the future with apprehension. Now I dream of all the things I’ll get to do, all the places I’ll get to visit, all of the wonders I’ll get to see. That’s what being a Stansberry copywriter gives you: Unlimited potential.

—Stansberry copywriter for 5 years

“I learned more in 6 months than I did in 10 years...”

I came to Stansberry as a seasoned copywriter. Or so I thought. I learned and picked up more in the first six months of working here than I did in the first ten years of my career. Working amongst the incredibly talented writers and marketers, you get exposed to effective copy and marketing THAT WORKS. Within my first six months, I wrote a promo that did $750k in sales - more than anything I’d ever brought in on a project by a landslide. The biggest commissions I ever saw followed. And they just kept growing from there. A year later I had a $5M package under my belt.

With so many pubs and editors, I’m never bored and always learning. The breadth of what you can write about is refreshing. You will never be pigeon-holed into one corner of the business. Learning and growing is encouraged. And the progress you can make here is astounding. Senior team members and editors will work with anyone hungry to learn because they love this stuff, too. The quality, one-on-one feedback you get from the best writers in the industry every single week… it’s just unparalleled. My only regret is not finding this team sooner.

—Stansberry copywriter for 4 years

“I was close to giving up on copywriting...”

Everybody makes big promises when you become a copywriter, but nobody warns you how many companies don’t know how to run a business. Then there’s the bad actors who abuse their writers, which is bizarre given how many companies claim to desperately need us. I was getting ignored and underpaid so much at one job that I went into credit card debt just to pay bills.

Stansberry was different from the start. The team is collaborative and supportive, with just the right amount of healthy competition to keep things fun and interesting. Within my first 6 months, I shot past $100K – an income goal I’d had for years, but no mentor could deliver.

The company attracts top talent in every part of the business, not just its copy team. Your work will run on the best lists in the industry, run by the best marketers and operations people. You’re set up for success everywhere and it’ll show in your results. No coincidence, Stansberry's the only place that's kept its promises to me, especially with regards to professional growth. If you want to level up your career, come work here.

—Stansberry copywriter for 2 years

“The choice was simple...”

I came to Stansberry from one of its biggest competitors. I had been writing copy for several years, and had written a couple industry controls. And I was living what most people consider “the copywriter's dream”: I made my own hours, reported to nobody, wrote about whatever I wanted to, and wrote as many (or as few) new promotions as I wanted every year. It sounds great, on the surface. And for many copywriters, that’s probably as far as they’ll ever get.

But I always knew I wanted more. I wanted to be considered one of the best copywriters in the industry. I wanted a chance to make more in royalties than most folks make in a year. And I knew that I’d never achieve any of those goals until I left my comfy gig, and worked alongside the smartest copywriters in the world.

When it came time to make that move, the choice was simple. No other financial publisher has built a copy team that boasts as strong a track record of mailing promotions that are honest, compelling, and wildly successful—without any of the cheesy, hype-y, inauthentic “tricks” that new copywriters are taught to use.

—Stansberry copywriter for 8 years

Hearing these stories reminds me how a spot on the Stansberry Copy team is NOT right for most people.

Most copywriters don’t want to be among the best and highest paid writers in the industry. And that’s OK. Most folks want to be good enough to make a decent living, but that’s it.

Again, that’s fine — you can still make a good living as a mediocre copywriter, working on your own or for a mediocre firm.

That’s why I say Stansberry Research and this meeting are best suited for people who want to be among the best and highest paid in the industry. Full stop.

The thing is, there are still incredible opportunities in our business, even after 20 years.

We’re looking for continued growth in the years to come, and we would love to find a half-dozen or so experienced and already-successful copywriters to help take us there.

If you want to ultimately become a Copy Chief, there’s no one better to learn from than Kelly Brown, who runs Stansberry Research’s copy team today.

If you want to run your own business one day, Stansberry Research gives you access to some of the world’s most-successful publishers.

If you want to ultimately be a freelancer after learning from us over the next five years… great… you’ll make all the connections you need for the rest of your career.

And of course, if you want to get rich as a copywriter, there’s simply no better place to do it than Stansberry Research.

Case in point: one of the writers we hired from our last bootcamp in 2017 generated close to $30 million in sales last year. She joined Stansberry one week after she graduated Johns Hopkins and I’ll bet she’s making more money than most of her surgeon classmates!

Remember: we haven’t brought on a class of writers like this in years…

And if you miss out on this chance to join us, you’ll likely have to wait at least another five years for the opportunity to come around again.

So if you want to become a part of our team, if you want to get rich as a copywriter, if you want to get much better at your craft, here’s what you do:

#1. First, convince us to invite you to our Bootcamp in Annapolis.

I recommend you send a resume, samples of your copy or other writing, and a two to four page letter explaining why we should consider you. Send this information to: [email protected].

The deadline for applying to attend our Copy Bootcamp is Midnight, Wednesday, April 12th.

Please keep in mind, space is extremely limited. We expect to invite no more than 20 potential copywriters to Annapolis.

#2. Next, we’ll let you know by Friday, April 14th if you made the cut and whether or not you are invited to attend our April Bootcamp.

#3. Finally, if you’re selected, you’ll be responsible for paying for your own transportation to Annapolis, but we will cover your lodging and most meals.

We’ll be staying at a luxury boutique hotel right in downtown Annapolis within walking distance of many shops and restaurants.

And here’s what you can expect:

If you’re from out of town and want to come in the night before, we’d be happy to accommodate that.

We’ll serve breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and kick off the event right at 9 a.m. sharp.

We’ll work together on copy all day, share ideas, and you’ll hear from Kelly and every senior copywriter on the team.

As far as I know, the Stansberry team is the only one in the industry who works in such a collaborative way on projects… and it’s often the secret to turning a $5 million campaign into a $15 million campaign.

So it’s important to us that we get to know each other before agreeing to work together. These writers will spend a tremendous amount of their time over the next few years helping you succeed.

We’ll get together in the evening for dinner, on us. Then, on Thursday morning, you’ll get the chance to sit in on one of the Stansberry Research team idea pitching sessions.

Our analysts, editors, and gurus fly in from around the world three to four times per year to meet with the team and talk ideas.

It’s in these very meetings where we map out all our ideas and promotions for the year.

Even if we choose not to hire you, you’ll likely walk away with an idea for your next project.

We’ll wrap up just before lunch.

Then… in the week that follows, we’ll work with the folks who seem like the best fit to hopefully offer them full-time jobs.

One final warning, however:

I want you to know what will be expected of you, should you be offered a copywriter position on the team.

So first, let’s talk pay…

We pay high base salaries, the highest in the industry as far as I know.

Our starting base salary for even the most inexperienced copywriter (or any other employee for that matter) is $52,000 per year. Those with several years of experience and significant copywriting success under their belt can earn $80,000 per year in base pay.

Top copywriters make significantly more in base pay alone.

Your base salary will be commensurate with your experience. Full-time employees are also entitled to our comprehensive benefits package, which includes company paid parking, company paid fitness classes, a 401K with employer match, plus a discounted employee stock purchase plan.

But please understand — you won’t get rich from your base pay. You will get rich as a copywriter by writing great promotions that earn enormous royalties — all of which you are eligible for from day one.

This can mean as little as $1,000 per year or less… or as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, depending on the quantity and quality of your work.

Today the average senior copywriter generates close to a quarter-million dollars in royalties every year on top of their base pay. And the average junior writer would have to work pretty hard NOT to make six-figures.

Now, let’s talk expectations…

This is not a “punch-the-clock,” 9-5 job. Kelly and her team will spend an extraordinary amount of time and energy over the next two years training this new copywriter class.

Really, you should be paying us to be here, not the other way around. What you’ll learn in just a few short years will be worth more than just about any college degree I know of.

So if you are not prepared to work harder and longer than you’ve ever worked before, don’t bother applying.

We’re looking for folks who want to eat, sleep, and breathe copy over next few years, to position themselves among the best and highest paid in the business.

If you aren’t willing to put forth extraordinary effort, don’t bother applying.

In short: think carefully about the commitment and whether or not this is really something you want to do for the next few years.

For the right people, of course, working as a copywriter at Stansberry Research will change your life.

I told you about some of the copywriters who have worked here over the years already…

And I can tell you that for me personally, working at Stansberry Research turned me from a copywriter no one had ever heard of (and few people wanted to hire) into one of the most successful writers in the history of the industry.

I have no doubt it’s the best job in the world. I’ve made more money than I ever could have imagined… I’ve met and worked with many fascinating people, and I still love what I do.

I love the intellectual challenge. I love the competitiveness and excitement of finding and executing a great idea. And I love that our business helps hundreds of thousands of people make better financial decisions and avoid the pitfalls of Wall Street.

Plus, I’m excited about the future.

Both at Stansberry and throughout MarketWise, there are incredible things planned for the next few years.

And what’s exciting now is that, as a publicly traded company, you can actually become a significant owner in our business too over the coming years.

What we’ve got in store is going to revolutionize not only the financial newsletter business, but perhaps the entire financial industry.

Like I said, if you miss out on this chance to work with the Stansberry team, you’ll probably have to wait at least five years for the opportunity to come around again.

So… if you want to truly change your life… and if you are truly serious about becoming a great copywriter, get your application in before Wednesday, April 12^th.

Simply send an email with the necessary attachments to: [email protected].

Mike Palmer
Chief Copywriter, MarketWise

P.S. We don’t want the wrong people showing up for our Bootcamp. Working at Stansberry is NOT right for most folks. If you’re unsure about whether or not it’s right for you, please read our document called “Why Stansberry Research is Probably Not for You,” on our website.