Protect Your Copy from the Uncanny X-Men
by Colin | October 15, 2008
by Colin | October 15, 2008
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.
The characters seemed trite and the plotlines swerved off into unlikely tangents.
The forced dialogue felt like an E.S.L. textbook. Characters expressed everything on their minds in this plain, obvious manner (e.g. “You killed my friend. I am angry. I will kill you.”)
I found that when emotions are spoken aloud, it robs the reader of the silence necessary to allow the unsaid, hidden desires, frustrations and fears to sink in.
Take Jean Grey for example. You know she’s torn between Scott and Logan (a.k.a. Cyclops and Wolverine for our non-comic book fans.) But, because those early comics explicitly stated her agony in a thought bubble… you, as a reader, never had the time to think about the situation for yourself and let that emotion sink in.
You can say the same for “loud” copywriting.
The difference becomes whether the readers decided for themselves via “indirect persuasion” or were told what to think through explicit copy. And of course, implicit decisions (when the reader figures it out on their own) exponentially carry more weight when selling.
Shaune Clarke’s copywriting coaching program focuses on the art of subtlety in sales copy with techniques like “in passing,” “not statements” and “assumed credibility.” I highly recommend you check out Shaune’s “Sell More Without Hype: Indirect PersuasionTM Copywriting Secrets Revealed” to find out more…
http://www.realitycopywriting.com/no-hype-copywriting-song/
A part of the mutant menace,
Colin Y.J. Chung | REALITYcopywriting.com
P.S. If you’ve already listened to “Sell More Without Hype: Indirect PersuasionTM Copywriting Secrets” and you’re ready for the full-blown copywriting coaching program, check out…
P.P.S. Geek out with me. Share your comic book love by letting me know how it’s influenced your copywriting in the comment box below…
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October 15th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Yes, I’m a long time X-man fan too. Even though Marvel did a better job than the competition at the time, it was not great writing. Even so, the characters and plot made them classics. I learned that the story is king. Almost everything else can be overlooked.
Ed Anderson
http://www.edcanderson.com
http://www.masteringyourquest.com
October 15th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Yeah, I agree with Ed, the “story” — I think more specifically the idea-concept — is King.
My brother was really into X-Men. Especially Wolverine. I never read them.
Being a Patrick Stewart fan, I did rent the X-Men movie. Great IDEA, a minority group of people who develop these unique mutant powers. Found the first hour of the film really engrossing as it introduced the whole “x-men methology”. The last half was a disappointment — mainly do to plot.
December 20th, 2009 at 9:09 pm