I don't have a background as such, but I did used to blog and I did start a Journalism course 10 years ago, I couldn't finish it cause it was the wrong time. I am thinking about doing a course once our house move is complete. People per hour sounds like a good idea
I do. I've been freelancing through PPH for about 10 years now, and it's taken a LONG time to build a decent profile. I would recommend it as having a few decent protections in place when you're starting out, however.
A few tips:
Look for pre-funded jobs - they're serious about awarding them
Don't just apply for copywriting jobs - it's all about building your profile at first
If you've got anything published online (even a blog), link to this in your portfolio so you can prove it's yours - I know of plenty of people who have had work stolen
Better still, send examples through to clients with proposals
Don't promise to over-deliver if it's going to dip you below minimum wage - you'll have PPH fees to pay out of the client's budget
Don't sell yourself short - the going rate for 500 words there is around £25, so you're not going to lose anything by quoting the same even if you're starting out
Put up a few 'Offers', especially if you have niche areas of interest
Short and to the point tends to work best (for me) for proposals - I always start with why the job caught my eye, and what I've written that's similar
And most of all, good luck. You'll only get 15 proposals unless you pay for more, and there's a chance you won't get anything your first month, I'm afraid. Keep going, however, and message me if I can help further.