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Reading List: May 2013 – Auster & Coetzee, Berger and Roth
We’re already into May and I’m already well into my first recommendation for this month. First though, let’s just recap on last month’s suggestions… We had What is the What by Dave Eggers and I must say it was an excellent book. If you haven’t read it yet, make time for it. I’m not sure [...]
A postcard from Miami Beach
I’m away at the moment, on holiday in Miami. Earlier in the week I had some business up the coast in Delray, where I caught up with a copywriting mentor of mine and a few new copywriters too. I’ll be back in the UK in a couple of days and my May reading list and [...]
Why good copy will always turn features into benefits
Whenever I’m looking to take on a trainee copywriter, one of the tasks I always set is the same. It’s designed to see if the writer is able to turn features into benefits. On the face of it seems a very simple exercise… And frankly, it is. But it reveals something about a writer that [...]
Video: How to improve your writing process (part one)
In the first of three videos about my writing process, I hope to share with you an idea that will make your own writing process much easier. But this isn’t something complicated or ground-breaking. Instead, I just want to highlight a mistake I’ve noticed a lot of copywriters make when it first comes to dealing [...]
Review: Writing Rituals by Nick Usborne
Nick Usborne is a successful copywriter – who originally hails from Sussex – living and writing in Canada. I’ve seen him speak a couple of times over the years and he always strikes me as a copywriter who’s very comfortable with his work. What exactly do I mean by that – he’s comfortable? Well, I [...]
Review: Your First Client in 14 Days by Ryan Healy
“Where’s my next job coming from?” That’s a question that keeps many copywriters awake at night. Indeed, if you’re a freelancer, one of the biggest challenges you’ll ever face is finding new clients. That’s why successful freelance copywriter, Ryan Healy has put this guide together that shows you how to get more clients for your [...]
Reading List: April 2013 – Eggers, Cialdini and Mayle
Following my guest post in John Forde’s excellent Copywriter’s Roundtable, I received an email from a fellow copywriter called Tony. He was interested in my idea of fuelling your brain by reading books that aren’t typically associated with copywriting. Don’t get me wrong, each month I make sure I read at least one book that [...]
A simple trick to help you write clear and concise copy
So this is a trick I teach any copywriter or editor I work with… It isn’t difficult. It isn’t time consuming. And it certainly isn’t fancy. In fact, it’s a very simple and purely technical change you make to your word processor each time you’re writing copy that will be read via email. It’s particularly [...]
An inspirational way to end a direct response sales letter
I want to talk about the end… The moment you know the inevitable is upon you. The moment you see everything flash before your eyes and wonder if you’ve done enough. The moment you quietly whisper into the vast, empty abyss and ask… Dear reader, do you actually want to buy this? Yes – I’m [...]
A seemingly minor error that can kill direct-response copywriting
I often compare writing a successful direct-response sales letter to passing your driving test… Providing you don’t make any major errors and you manage to keep the minors to a minimum – you should be OK. If figures then that when you start learning about copywriting, you generally tend to focus on avoiding the bigger [...]
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