We’re going back to REALITYcopywriting roots, here, John and I. Starting this week, you’ll see REAL-life day-to-day experiences of what REAL copywriters deal with…

As you see here, I’ll write about five key aspects of the copywriting life week-in, week-out. Let me know your thoughts at the end of the column in the comment box…
click here to continue »

I fashioned myself a “brain bully” in university. A good number of times, I stood out as the smartest, loudest guy in the room and I loved it. I charge forward with sheer willpower. None of this flanking or circling the wagon (and certainly not diplomacy).

Suppressing this monster side of me drains me. But I know I need to. Soon, I will start talking to prospective copywriting clients live.

What if they just rub me the wrong way and I get medieval?

What if he plays hardball and tells me I charge too much? What if he really loves his brand logo and wants it a prominent piece on the ad? What if he wants direct response copy, but it takes three times to explain it to him?

A solution exists…
click here to continue »

• Nearly 6 in 10 Americans never read another book after high school
• For college graduates, the number drops to 42%
• Average Canadian reads 1.5 books a year (blind people “read” more books!)

Now, as copywriters we can don our “worry hats” and collectively lament the death of our profession…

“Nobody’s going to read our copy! Wah wah wah.”

Or… first take a breather, and use our thinking caps instead.
click here to continue »

I’m going to make a few assumptions in this e-column…

You got into the sales copywriting game to make a lot of money because you don’t have much of it right now.

So while your brain sees six to seven figures in your copywriting future, your real world bank account contains maybe four or five digits in savings. (Maybe three?)

Herein lies this Tuesday morning’s conundrum…
click here to continue »

In school, I sat up front and answered all the questions –even when no one asked. I slept through classes and still scored A’s.

Yes, I was the Hermione Granger-type, annoyingly smart.

For the last seven years, however, I’ve been working earnestly to erase everything I learned. Here’s why…
click here to continue »

Colin here, writing from Downtown, Seattle…

This vacation marks Cedrik’s first foray into America and abroad… and he’s going nuts. I chased him through all of Nordstrom this afternoon.

I also attended my first call of Shaune Clarke’s “Copywriting Client Marketing System” the Saturday prior. Shaune’s protégé, Terri Dumont reworked the course to a whole new level. She’s the one teaching the program, actually.

We are in good hands.

(Terri Dumont, if you haven’t heard, landed an ex-Gary Halbert client after zipping through Shaune’s coaching class two and a half years ago.)
click here to continue »

“Why do you write so many darn words?”

We direct response copywriters tend to avoid small business owner who don’t “get” what we do.

It’s a lot of work explaining headlines, testimonials, USPs, AIDA, indirect-persuasion, long copy, blind bullets, guarantees…

After all, most people have only been exposed to image ads on TV and in magazines…

“Isn’t a picture worth a thousand words?” the typical business owner asks.
click here to continue »

So many sales letters tell their readers exactly what to think instead of gently suggesting and prodding. Allow me to use a geeky story to illustrate…

Five years ago, I bid $101.59 on a stack of reprinted “Uncanny X-Men” comic books. These hundred plus issues covered some of the most renowned plotlines written by the legendary comic book writer, Chris Claremont. (The same stories later rehashed and retold again and again in the cartoons, movies and videogames.)

I remember feeling slightly amused and disappointed, reading the original, source material.
click here to continue »

Over the last two days, I burned through 87 pages & 237 minutes of recording from Shaune Clarke’s Client Marketing System. (Not because of copywriting content addiction relapse, but because I need to submit the “homework” next Wednesday!)

I can’t give away too much, obviously‚ but I think Shaune won’t mind if I share one little insight‚

Positioning Strategy: Stop calling yourself a “copywriter‚” and promote yourself to “marketing consultant.”

Three reasons:
click here to continue »

Riffing off of John’s e-column last Monday, I must say I thoroughly enjoy watching DVD extra features as well. My favourites tend to be the deleted scenes with director commentary. Or extended director cuts.

The hardcore fans love them too… for example, the eleven and half hour version of the “Lord of the Rings”. Obviously, you can’t play three plus hour long movies in the theatres, but it makes you wonder about the little snippets here and there.

After watching so many bonus DVDs, you realize the same reason keeps popping up as to why directors cut…
click here to continue »