How To Beat The Copywriter’s

“Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, ‘This is the real me’, and when you have found that attitude, follow it”
–William James, American Philosopher

In This Issue:

How To Beat The Copywriter’s Blues
by John McCrea

What’s more revolting and contemptible than a foul-mouthed four letter word?

Well, in the world of freelance copywriting that would have to be an eight letter word: downtime.

It’s been known to send a shiver down the spines of newbies and veterans alike - and for good reason…

At the very least it can have you wallowing in boredom while helplessly watching your income drop. And at its worst, it can deflate all hope of successfully establishing your own freelance copywriting business - leaving your dreams crushed and your soul broken.

Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic – but not as much as you might think.

According to CareerBuilder.com, three of the top ten reasons why small businesses fail are procrastination, lack of versatility, cash flow problems, and inadequate planning – ALL of which are related to - or a result of - downtime.

Here’s the real kicker though…

There is no reason why downtime has to be the horrid catastrophe most people make it out to be. In fact, if you use it right it can even be transformed into an outright blessing!

Think about it… Time is the ONE commodity that can’t be replaced once it’s lost. And downtime is just that – the gift of time.

Just mix a dash of pep in with your already-proven writer’s ingenuity and you can easily turn occasional spells of dreaded downtime into very precious and profitable growth spurts.

How?

Well, there are dozens of ways. Here are 5 to get you started:

  1. Reevaluate your goals: Whether you’re just starting your own copywriting business or have been at it for a while, each step along the way is driven by your goals. Things change though…

Time and circumstance can transform a worthy and desirable goal into a distraction – a false objective that no longer offers any real reward. Are your original goals out dated? Will achieving them still bring you the success and satisfaction you desire?

A lull in the action offers you a great chance to step back and review your goals to make sure they still have the power to get you where you want to go.

  1. Trim the fat: A dieter’s most beloved and despised tools are the mirror and the scale. Why? Because they tell it like it is. If you’re dropping pounds and looking good they’ll tell you so. Likewise, if you’ve been lax and the flab is back they’ll show it. Well, truth is power and downtime makes a great mirror.

Now that you’ve refreshed your goals, measure the progress you’ve made toward reaching them and flush out any tasks, chores, and habits that don’t directly AND effectively help you achieve them. In other words, stop wasting energy and trim the flab.

Does every single email you respond to really get you closer to your goals? Do they need to be responded to the moment they hit your inbox… or can they wait a couple of hours and all be addressed at once?

Is that new piece of office software really making life easier (regardless of how expensive it may have been)… or does it cause more distraction than benefit? Do you really have to take time out to run to the post office for stamps… or can you slip the neighbor’s kid $5 to do it for you?

Get the idea?

  1. ‘Twist’ your marketing: If your dance card has openings it likely means one of two things – your marketing efforts aren’t reaching the right people… or, your reaching the right people but you aren’t winning them over.

Common sense, right? And I’ll bet the first thought to strike your mind when you’re hit with a slow spell is “Nuts, I guess I need to do some more marketing.” The big question is, to whom?

Direct marketers will continue to mail to the same lead-generation list over and over again for a reason – it can take up to 3 ‘exposures’ before a prospect feels familiar and comfortable enough with you to respond to your offer.

So, instead of reflexively digging up new prospects and using the same old material or methods to make first contact with them, why not put a new twist on your marketing method…

‘Reapproach’ the same prospects you have before with some fresh, polished material. If you sent a post card last time, send a letter this time. If you sent a letter last time send a post card this time – or a fresh, new, stronger letter. Or throw them a double jab followed by a right hook – a post card, followed by a letter, followed by a phone call.

Remember, you don’t have to hit them with a knock-out each time, just something slightly better and fresher than the time before.

Which leads us to the next tip…

  1. “Practice makes perfect!”: For a writer there is never an excuse to be ‘bored’ because there is ALWAYS a reason to write. In this case that reason is practice.

How many times have you heard one of the masters suggest whipping out a classic control and writing or typing it out? And how many times have you actually done it…?

Better yet, pull out one of your old pieces – perhaps a self-marketing piece – and critique yourself on it. Read through it, mark the weak spots, highlight its strengths, note down any new inspirations you have along the way, and then rewrite it. You’ll not only be strengthening your writing skills, you’ll also be improving your self-editing skills. AND you’ll now have a fresh new piece to send to prospects…

You’ll have accomplished three worthy tasks with a single dose of effort. How sweet is that?!

And finally,

  1. Come out swinging: Any number of successful people will tell you that ‘retreat’ doesn’t mean ‘defeat’. On the contrary, it’s a chance to pull back… rest… regroup… and come back ready and rarin’ to go.

Just look at Steve Jobs – with a bit of rest and an updated strategy he ignited an Apple comeback no one saw coming… or Johnny Cash who made a big comeback in 1997 after a bleak period of downtime when he was misdiagnosed with Shy-Drager syndrome.

So once you’ve reevaluated, re-planned, reviewed, and rejuvenated, take a deep invigorating breath and come back out swinging like a champ!

So you see… the gray, gloomy cloud of downtime CAN have a bright and profitable lining.

Treasures don’t just fall into a person’s lap – they’re ‘found’ by people who hunt for them (Heck, even lottery winners have to get their bottoms up out of the La-Z-Boy to buy a ticket…). Well, the same holds true for success.

With a little persistence, and the realization that it’s the gray clouds that usually conceal the most treasure, you can reach copywriting heights you’ve only dreamed of!

John McCrea is a freelance copywriter and Makepeace protégé who specializes in financial, self-help, and small business copy. His clients have included Agora’s Taipan Group, Schaeffer’s Investment Research, Angel Publishing, and Clayton Makepeace’s The Total Package. Like Krista and me, John is all about sharing what he’s learned along the way so far. Check out his tips and insights on starting your own freelance career or small business at www.smallbusinessleap.com.

Resource Referral: CP Announces Our Own Mentoring Program!

For months now we’ve been telling you how important it is to have a mentor. Someone who can critique your copy, help you stay focused on growing your business, think through your marketing and networking efforts with you…and give you a swift kick in the pants when you need it.

Many of you have written Krista and I, asking if we would take on the task of coaching and mentoring you personally. Only to have us refer you elsewhere.

Well, today the buck stops here.

Krista and I have decided to each take on a very small, intimate group of copy protégées as part of the new Copy Protégé Mentoring Program. And you’re invited to apply today if you’re interested in working with us one-on-one.

It’s not a first come, first serve kind of thing. Rather, we want to first assess your writing and hear your goals for such a program. We want to make sure you’re serious, and that you have already gotten some of the basics under your belt. So here’s what you need to apply:

Once you drop us a line and let us know you’re interested, we’ll assess your sample and send you more particulars about the program, including the cost, timeframe and everything it includes. I think you’ll be pleased. Our hope is that, for a handful of you, this will be just what you need, at exactly the right time in your career. If that sounds like you, send you sample right away. We anticipate, from the number of requests we’ve received for this, that we’ll fill up fast.

We look forward to working with some of you!

Quick Copy Tip: Look for the Loonies

On almost any topic you can write about, there’s a “lunatic fringe” that holds extreme beliefs about it, one way or the other. I’m talking about the conspiracy theorists, paranoid bomb-shelter-building, canned food storing, ranting and raving semi-certifiable individuals who are so far out of the mainstream they can be downright frightening.

But as a copywriter, you shouldn’t be afraid of them. In fact, you should seek them out. Find their blogs and chat rooms on the web and get an idea of how they think about the topic you’re writing on. Doing a health promotion? How does this fringe group feel about vaccination? Cancer treatments? Big pharma? I guarantee, you’ll find nuggets and copy points that make your promotion stand out when you explore the edges more than the middle of any issue.

After all, if people want mainstream thinking, let them buy USA Today…copywriters should spend more time exploring the edges of society and serving it up in small doses to the middle. That’s where the biggest and best promotion points come from.