[Writerpreneur] Mastering Copywriting for Writers
The third leg of a stable writing stool has mastering the precise art of writing copy in addition to fiction and non-fiction - improving both.
First off, thanks for your patience. I’ve probably managed to scare several people off with that flood of a course over a month. My count was over a hundred. Oops.
Sorry.
Here’s a link to simply adjust what you want to get in your inbox - log into Substack first:
UPDATE: The audio wouldn’t play right. So I’ve added the video below.
The first Writerpreneur book is in proofing now. And I’m offering pre-release editions for beta readers. About 247 pages - just respond to this if you’re getting it in email, or email me directly. I’ll probably set up a download link via Gumroad later today, and can update this post with that link later. (See down at the very bottom for it…)
Now we begin a new adventure - it’s a book on copywriting. Because my studies show that authors who are effectively marketing will use this skillset in everything they post, everywhere.
And there are two types of successful authors out there - writers who learned how to market, and marketers who learned how to write.
In all my non-fiction books, the preliminary work is in assembling the existing work that exists and then compiling these into shape. And we are starting this book in earnest now.
The scope of the book is to take up the books that keep showing up on copywriter’s recommendation lists. And then take these classics in order and pull the core, evergreen principles from them. Then come forward to the next one. Now, if a book is just a rehash of what’s been said before, it’s not included.
Right now, I’m working with Albert Lasker, who was first involved in advertising in about 1905 and ran the biggest advertising firm of his day for several decades. That lecture leads to John E. Kennedy (“Reason Why Advertising”)and Claude C. Hopkins (“Scientific Advertising”)
While I’m extracting these and researching them, I’ll send you the work I’ve already done on Eugene Schwartz (“Breakthrough Advertising”). There are six lessons, and the preface - but wind up in 10 videos (which will be included as a simple audio link.)
And while these are only coming out weekly, I should have the basics of this book ready much sooner than these. However, the value in Schwartz’ book is worth reposting this material on it’s own. And in later posts, I’ll include links for those of you who simply want my book this is excerpted from - impatient to get on with the learning - and access the extra research material that expand on what he discovered.
For now, here’s the preface:
Preface
A public meeting about Disasters brought this book to life.
This meeting was simply to help people get organized so they could help each other when the worst happened. Saving lives, property, everything of real value. So human life could get going again after Nature got through with its extreme weather.
What the person was talking about had solutions to anyone who was caught in a real emergency situation could use – with only your neighbors and your own two hands to do something about anything.
It's the first 60 minutes where you can save lives around you – your own, your family, any neighbors you can reach.
What makes a “disaster” is any time the local and higher levels of government get too busy to answer everyone's personal emergencies. People need to personally act at those times, and they need to know what to do – before that next disaster happens.
And the worst part of any disaster happens when people don't know what to do. That's when most deaths can be prevented.
The biggest problem at that meeting was their paltry turnout. Something like only around a dozen people attending for a small city of over 11,000 and a surrounding county containing at least as many more. Rural. But rural areas get hit more often than large cities – even though they are seldom covered in the press other than maybe a picture or a few lines of text.
It doesn't mean that the lives saved or lost are any less valuable.
In a disaster, you need at least one person well-trained in emergency procedures to save lives on every city block. That was the core message. One that only the dozen people attending actually heard.
The poor turnout was because this meeting wasn't effectively marketed – the needs and wants, the emotional connection – all missing. Even though this city sat near the U. S. “Tornado Alley” and had weathered two traffic-stopping blizzards and multiple ice-storms in the last 5 years, as well as a couple of bad droughts in summer that strained their water and electricity supplies..
The cheerful-but-boring presentation also tended to keep people from acting rather than inspire them. A Power-point with no emotional heart-tugging. Video's that didn't work – well, not on a screen you could see.
Vital information which actually saved lives had been communicated in such a fashion that only a few were interested in finding out about it or doing anything with it.
And those few were lulled into complacency.
The moral:
Marketing (and copywriting) is a form of communication.
It sits at the point where emotion and logic meet to cause action.
Poor or missing marketing results in inaction.
Marketing and copywriting isn't just another mind-control game to make money for shysters and scammers.
It's your way to help people find services and products which can improve or even save lives. The more profit you make, the more people you can help. Sales income is a measurement of value you've delivered.
- - - -
It was finding of an old column by a veteran copywriter, which led me to unearth this book and bring it to you.
That copywriter pointed out that humankind hasn't noticeably changed as to their reactions and motivations – it was the old classics, tested over years and modernly, which still give the core data you need to study.
You have to study successful advertising and marketing to get your own marketing and advertising success. You don't need to invest a lifetime in discovering them for yourself, when other successful marketers have already done that discovery and written them up.
“Breakthrough Advertising” was listed right up there with “Tested Advertising Methods” by John Caples, “How to Write a Good Advertisement” by Victor Schwab, and “Scientific Advertising” by Claude Hopkins. It was a very short list.
Because you only need the basics. You can work everything else from that.
In my other studies of current “legendary” copywriters (and self-proclaimed experts) I've found that they are all standing on the shoulders of these giants – and every thing they say has already been said before. The newer books just have modern words, in the way we talk now. Marketing on the Internet still utilize the same precise principles as printed magazines and road-side billboards have since they were the latest craze.
(The worst among those modern “guru's” don't even credit those who've gone before – or put some other special “spin” on rules, laws, and principles these earlier authors found by intensive and lengthy testing. Then marketing becomes even harder to learn...)
But even worse for Schwartz' masterwork, it's only available as an expensive hardback.
This is the reason I brought this guide to you in this form. His breakthroughs need to be available to copywriters everywhere.
This short review is simply an assist to your study of his original work. And for that, you'll need to get your own copy from a library, or buying used, It's now available on Amazon as well. And the publisher has finally started selling it online and with his own course: breakthroughadvertisingbook.com.
- - - -
This revised edition is to streamline the original research and organize it for improved flow after seven years of regular sales and use.
The other books Schwartz and others recommended are also being dusted off and updated as part of a complete series of study guides – even self-paced courses as well as both hardcopy and ebook versions of each.
The point is to help others as I've been helped – and continue to pay it all forward.
Good luck to all of us.
Dr. Robert C. Worstell
Dec 14, 2013 / Jan 4, 2020
Full Video Course Available
The full video course is available here: https://livingsensical.gumroad.com/l/BreakthoughCopyCourse
It contains the full Breakthrough Copywriter 2.0 ebook.
The paperback and ebook are available from your favorite distributor: https://books2read.com/u/47r7OR