Copywriting: How to Polish Your Copy

Polish your copy to make it shine.

The Importance of a Rewrite 

Ernest Hemingway said, "All writing is rewriting", he knew exactly how hard it was to master the craft of writing, and how important the rewriting stage was.

Let's take a look as some important points that will be covered in this post:

Description - Are you serving a purpose with your descriptions? Is everything explained plainly in your copy?

Individual Words - Have you chosen the right words in your descriptions?  Are your words easy to understand, or could you have used other words?

Phrases - Could you have used single words instead of a whole phrase? Is your wording obscure?

Sentences - Have you structured your sentences in a simple way? Are you using the passive voice? 

Copywriting: Tools and Resources to Make Your Life Simpler

All writers and copywriters have their own particular box of tricks to pull from.  

I've gathered together a list that covers every aspect of copywriting, from language and grammar, research, to copywriting tone of voice.

Legal Stuff

Useful legal materials for copywriters.  The legal know-how that lets you know what's involved in the legal process of copywriting.

GDPR FAQs for sending cold emails: Everything you need to know about GDPR compliance.

ASA rulings: Learn how the CAP Code works by reading the ASA rulings.  A new batch is published every Wednesday, and straight to your inbox if you want it.  Your eyes will be opened when you see how many brands break the rules.

The CAP Code: You need to know your boundaries off by heart when you start claiming what a product can do.  The CAP Code will fill you in.

Why You Should Think About Becoming an Indie Author

What is an indie author

Indie authors are writers who publish their work without the help of an established press.  They can often be called self-publishers, they're in charge of the editing, producing, distributing and marketing of all the books they write.  

Independently published authors are not indie authors, but writers that have dealt with small or medium sized traditional publishing houses.  Not to be confused with indie authors.

Advantages and Disadvantages of being an indie author:

The Advantages of being an indie author

1. Complete artistic control

Traditionally published authors don't have the luxury of having control over content and design, instead this has been imposed on them.  Making many traditionally published authors turn to the indie route for publishing, allowing them to choose how their book looks and feels.  Indie authors can do any number of changes to their books if they so choose.  Things such as: changing a book cover, choosing a different title, both of things can be done by simply uploading a new file.

Giving the indie author the chance to grow naturally through their mistakes.

Copywriting: How to Captivate Your Reader

Engage your reader by writing about everyday life using ordinary words, or illuminating them with a story.

What is engaging copy?

Being able to hold a conversation with your reader is what engaging copy is all about.  You talk to readers one-on-one about things they might like, using their language, without talking down to them.  Appreciating they're probably really busy, bored or tired.  It's all about treating your reader the way you would like to be treated.

Communicate with your reader

Your copy will be read by thousands of people and is known in marketing as 'one to many' (a single source providing information to multiple people).  Always remember to talk to your reader as an individual, instead of a group of people, the best copy works as a conversation between writer and reader.  It can also work the opposite way, not unlike an uninterrupted correspondence, like an email from a manager to their workforce.

The way you address your reader can make or break your copy.  You need to pull your reader into your copy by involving them in the conversation, just like you would talking to someone you know.

Always address your audience as individuals, instead of a collective, because most people are likely to be reading your text alone.

Copywriting: How to Get Your Ideas Flowing Again

Copywriters are under a constant amount of pressure to deliver the most amazing, gripping, irresistibly absorbing piece of copy ever.

But what really elevates a good copywriter above the rest is being able to generate the kind of ideas that define an ad campaign.  This kind of idea making can transform a brand overnight, as well as define it, while changing the way people think about that particular product.  

So what's the secret to generating these amazing ideas?

How to See Things Differently

How do writers come up with winning ideas everyday?

Copywriting is like any other skill in life, it's a discipline that allows copywriters to enter the zone of creativity.  Whether they want to or not.

The scary truth that most writers and copywriters face regularly is that the well can run dry at the most inconvenient of times.

This usually happens at the worst moment, which could be a hanging deadline, dangling over your head like the sword of damocles.

So how do copywriters get their creative juices flowing again?