How to Avoid Copywriting Rewrites

Alex Writes:

Thank you for your wealth of information on writing. I’m an aspiring copywriter, and on top of my day job, dabble in freelance writing for brochures and corporate websites. The thing is, I occasionally encounter clients who change my copy so much (admittedly, for the better) that it makes me doubt my writing talent and potential. My numerous job applications have also been rejected by ad agencies – both big and small.

How do I know if I have what it takes to be a good copywriter? I know I have the passion for advertising copy, but when do I draw the line between passion and reality – that I should just stick to my 9-6 job and leave the writing to the pros?

Appreciate your time and advice, John.

First off, lets dispose of this, “do I have what it takes?” question. If you’re still in there trying, you have what it takes. Once you decide that it isn’t worth your time, then you don’t. I’m sure there are many better copywriters than you, and I’ll also assure you that there are worse ones than you who are making a great living. Don’t let the rejections get you down. The market is flooded with writers but it is also flooded with opportunities.

Your main concern seems to be that people are rewriting your copy. You need to understand that rewriting is part of the process. Your clients, because they are usually much closer to their product than you, will often have input into whether your copy will work for them. Often, their decisions will be best, but sometimes they don’t know what they’re talking about. Either way, they are the clients and your first job is to make them happy.

Here are a few ways to improve your chances of getting through the editing process unscathed:

Make sure you are clear on what the client wants

Don’t be afraid to ask questions as part of the process. Get the job requirements down in writing and if you are unsure of something, check. The more work you do at the front end of the process, the less work you’ll have to do at the back end.

Write carefully and edit carefully

I could recommend a dozen books to you, especially those by Robert W. Bly, but I don’t want to overload you so start with Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing. This is a great resource for learning to fix your errors, and I don’t just mean bad grammar or spelling. This book covers the whole process of getting your documents right.

Test

Take the time to have others, not just your client, review what you have written. You can use other writers, or just friends who have any perspective on the product. Have them look over what you’ve written and ask them questions. Test to see if you have gotten the response you are looking for. Is the document persuasive? Does the document leave them with unanticipated questions? Are any instructions easy to follow? Do they understand what the desired result is? Your questions may vary depending on the document. The most important requirement is to listen to what your testers have to say.

Study and Practice

If you want to be a better copywriter, then dedicate yourself to improving. Study other advertising copy. Create a library of quality copywriting, both to study and to give you ideas when you set out to create a new document. Rewrite other copywriter’s materials in your own style. Study books on copywriting AND visual design. Take classes. In other words, make an effort to get better.

Copywriting is a learnable skill. Some people have more to learn than others, but if you are already getting clients, then I think your chances are pretty good. The question is whether you feel the career is worth the work.

Here are some sites about copywriting and web writing that are must-reads.

• Copyblogger: You could spend a year reading all of their articles about copywriting.
• Men With Pens: Great articles on copywriting and the writing business.
• Copywriting Maven: Good information about the business of copywriting.
• Remarkable Communication: A great site for marketers.
• Writing White Papers: Michael Stelzner specializes in white papers, one of the highest paying specialties in copywriting.

Good luck.

Copywriting: Writing to Sell

A copywriter writes documents (copy) intended to sell, entice, influence, persuade, or educate consumers about a product or service. This writing can take many forms. These include, but are not limited to, advertisements, brochures, product announcements, press releases, speeches, data sheets, product packaging, sales letters, scripts, presentations, mailings, web sites, flyers, and even menus.

Copywriters often work for advertising agencies, marketing firms, and public relations firms. Many copywriters work directly for the company that sells the product they write for, especially in the case of catalog companies and other companies involved in direct consumer sales. There are also many copywriters who freelance, offering their service to various firms on a short-term basis.

Copywriting should not be confused with business writing, though on some projects they may overlap. The rules of copywriting often fly in the face of the rules for standard business writing. Perfect grammar does not always make for good copy, but word usage is critically important. Word choices such as when to use “but” instead of “and”, can mean the difference between inviting copy and forbidding copy. This does not mean, however, that a writer must have a giant vocabulary. In fact, unless the particular audience requires it, most ads are written to be understood by anyone with at least fifth-grade reading skills. A writer should have a firm understanding of the rules that govern advertising writing, and the differences between words that in other cases might be interchangeable. Consider the difference between these two sentences.

The new Tivoli Storage Manager provides the system-wide backup your corporation needs, but it won’t break your IT budget.

The new Tivoli Storage Manager provides the system-wide backup your corporation needs, and it fits your IT budget.

The first sentence conveys two positive aspects of the product, separated by a word with negative connotations, while the second used a more positive link. That sort of detail may not ruin an advertising campaign. It may only be the difference between a hundred sales and a hundred and one sales. Given the option, however, any company would want that extra sale. By the way, you get extra credit if you noted that the word break might not be the best word to use in a product description.

Because of their ability to get the details right, the best copywriters are highly valued. Writers who know all of the tiny differences between one word and another, and can use them to sell a product, are worth the high prices they charge. Those prices can lead to jobs that pay in the six figures, especially for freelancers. Established freelancers currently charge as much as $150 an hour.

Copywriters must have several goals in mind. They must first get the customer’s attention. If the copy never reaches the intended audience, and if it can’t stop them long enough to get them to pay attention, then anything else that follows is useless. There are many ways of getting a customer’s attention, but the general rules are to keep it short, be as specific as possible, use language that attracts interest and most importantly, keep the advertising focused on the benefits to the customer.

Copywriters should also be able to make a product distinguishable from the competition. Whether there are three or thirty other similar products or services on the market, a copywriter should be able to identify what makes this product special: craftsmanship, cost, reliability, customer satisfaction and support, speed, style, or anything else that makes the product or service distinct.

These are just some of the things a copywriter must consider. Another major issue is credibility. You must be able to back up any claims made in your advertising, and any direct comparisons with other product must be based on proven facts. False advertising is illegal.

To be a successful copywriter, you should be both a good writer and a good salesperson. If the idea of sales and marketing appeal to you and you consider writing one of your talents, then this can be an excellent and lucrative career choice. To get started in a copywriting career, you should first develop and test your skills. You should begin by reading more on the subject. There are several guidebooks listed at the end of this article. You should also pay attention to the advertising around you. Look through a magazine and critique the advertisements. A good way to develop your early skills, and to create a portfolio to show prospective employers and clients, is to take existing advertisements and improve on them. Don’t limit yourself to magazine ads, however. Look at all of the different types of copy listed in the first paragraph of this article. You may want to practice all of the different styles, or you can focus on the types of copy that are most interesting to you. Copywriters often have specialties.

After you are more familiar with copywriting, you should look for your first employment opportunity. This might be a junior position at an advertising or marketing firm, or it might be small jobs for the people you know. You can offer to produce free or inexpensive brochures/fliers/ads for your dentist, doctor, and hairstylist or for any friends with advertising needs. Little jobs like these will give you experience working with new copy, and they will also get you used to working with clients, even if the first clients don’t pay. The key is to improve your skills, and to build a portfolio of your work. From there you can branch out to bigger clients and better paying jobs.