Swiping or too close to the original?

Keegahn · 02-13-2010, 01:11 AM

I'm a copywriting virgin so please be gentle...

Here's the challenge: I'm not too clear on the whole "swiping" concept... I mean I kind of get it. But do you simply capture the "essence" of what they're trying to say and then write your own paragraph, or straight up jack and modify what they're saying?

Here's what I concocted:

... from two different letters by Sir John Carlton (he's been knighted, right?).

I partially jacked the headline from this one:

... and this subheadline from another:

Is what I've done cool (in terms of the whole "swiping" concept) or does it need to be modified further?

Thanks in advance!

P.S. This copy isn't for my product or a client... purely created because I need to get some practice. Captain Weirdo McNoBalls is a fictitious character. I'm sure he'd be a cool dude but no, he does not have a Facebook profile.

BerryWriter · 02-13-2010, 04:20 AM

Write your own original content. Don't steal someone's hard work and "straight up jack and modify what they're saying".

travlinguy · 02-13-2010, 05:41 AM

I think you're okay but be careful with the word 'jacked' because it's going to piss a lot of people around here off. I've had more stuff jacked in the last 14 years than you can imagine and just seeing the word bugs me, especially in reference to swipe files and flat out plagiarism.

With that said your pre-header should read: Workouts will be so much fun... Then you need to hyphenate muscle-building and sweat-inducing...

And with the headline, change 'regular' to soft...

Keegahn · 02-13-2010, 06:32 AM

Sweet, thanks for the info/feedback...

After reading some books and getting a little practice, I feel like I'm finally starting to break into this secret little world...

... and I'm realizing just how much thought goes into word selection, sentence structure, flow and rhythm, your voice, hooks and stories, USPs, the market, the prospect, the product, etc... lots of stuff to consider and learn but it's ridiculously awesome.

dorothydot · 02-13-2010, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keegahn

Sweet, thanks for the info/feedback...

After reading some books and getting a little practice, I feel like I'm finally starting to break into this secret little world...

... and I'm realizing just how much thought goes into word selection, sentence structure, flow and rhythm, your voice, hooks and stories, USPs, the market, the prospect, the product, etc... lots of stuff to consider and learn but it's ridiculously awesome.

You are right. Only copywriters understand just how closely copywriting is to writing poetry. Every word must be spot-on!

That's what makes copywriting so much fun!

As for swiping... headlines and subheaders are not copy-right-able. But flat out text is. IMO the main use of swipe files is for hand-copying them to boost your own copywriting skills.

Although I did swipe (used the style, not the wordings!) a Dan Kennedy letter recently when I needed to adopt a more masculine-sounding "voice" in my own copy. Then I wound up combining the Dan Kennedy style swipe and my very own first draft all together in the final sales letter - and very effective it was, too.

Hope this helps,
Dot

Paul Hancox · 02-13-2010, 09:43 AM

When we say "swipe", we basically mean save it for reference, so you can refer to it later and understand the structure... not necessarily copy it outright.

I "swipe" short phrases, such as Joseph Sugarman's "Let me explain." - which we can use in copy to plant seeds of interest, and grease the slippery slide (to use two copywriting metaphors) - and I'll use them pretty much "as is".

But for headlines and paragraphs, to "swipe it" is really about understanding the structure, and what makes the words work... not copying it word for word...

... which doesn't make sense anyway, because the product you're writing for is not going to be the same as the product's copy from which you're swiping.

The Copy Nazi · 02-13-2010, 10:25 AM

Sex it up a bit. Use "Trainer To the Stars" for starters.

"Trainer-to-the-Stars Put Under the Blowtorch to Spill the Beans on His Fasttrack Method
That Turns Couch Potatoes into
Oh-My-God How Ripped Are You Dude! Specimens - In Just 90 Days -
Or Your Flabby Muscles Back!"

wordwizard · 02-13-2010, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorothydot

You are right. Only copywriters understand just how closely copywriting is to writing poetry. Every word must be spot-on!

That's what makes copywriting so much fun!
Dot

I agree on all counts! In fact, I had been writing poetry for years (got a bunch of it published too, including a book), before I got into copywriting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metronicity

Sex it up a bit. Use "Trainer To the Stars" for starters.

"Trainer-to-the-Stars Put Under the Blowtorch to Spill the Beans on His Fasttrack Method
That Turns Couch Potatoes into
Oh-My-God How Ripped Are You Dude! Specimens - In Just 90 Days -
Or Your Flabby Muscles Back!"

ROFLMAO! (especially about the guarantee!)

Keegahn · 02-13-2010, 05:59 PM

Hah, thanks for the info!

I found a sample of the good Dr. Harlan Kilstein's "Steal This Book!" and seeing some swiped letters gives me a good feel of how it's done... like page 47 is swiped from one of Carlton's golf letters:

Steal This Book!: Million Dollar ... - Google Books

Hopefully Amazon has this book in stock!

Mr. Enthusiastic · 02-15-2010, 04:49 PM

Keegahn, this classic Gary Halbert letter explains the thought process involved when you use a swipe file.

The Gary Halbert Letter

Hmn? Hmn?

MillionDollarCopy · 06-24-2010, 11:00 AM

Keegahn,

swiping is one of the best tools you can have at your disposal once you get it down. It's not about stealing material, it's about taking something that has been proven to work and referencing it for voice and tone.

Think of it as a giant mad-lib. Don't over-complicate it, and don't add things that don't need to be there. Doing so is only going to break the flow and then you might as well be writing from scratch (not that that's a bad thing

)

Get yourself a good thesaurus, and match the tone exactly, don't fluff it up, and don't tone it down. Match it exactly.

Your swipe file should be something that you're building as fast as, if not faster than your own portfolio. Scratch that. It should be huge. Buy Harlan Kilstein's book "Steal This Book". He's got the ones you'll need in there. Kick down and make the investment, it's worth it.

Good Luck!

Remember- mad libs

Snlde · 06-24-2010, 11:33 AM

Hmm, interesting.

I've heard of the concept of swiping but I didn't know there was an official "label" to this process. Learning tons from this forum.

02-13-2010, 01:11 AM	#1
Keegahn Active Warrior Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 78 Thanks: 1 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts	Swiping or too close to the original? I'm a copywriting virgin so please be gentle... Here's the challenge: I'm not too clear on the whole "swiping" concept... I mean I kind of get it. But do you simply capture the "essence" of what they're trying to say and then write your own paragraph, or straight up jack and modify what they're saying? Here's what I concocted: ... from two different letters by Sir John Carlton (he's been knighted, right?). I partially jacked the headline from this one: ... and this subheadline from another: Is what I've done cool (in terms of the whole "swiping" concept) or does it need to be modified further? Thanks in advance! P.S. This copy isn't for my product or a client... purely created because I need to get some practice. Captain Weirdo McNoBalls is a fictitious character. I'm sure he'd be a cool dude but no, he does not have a Facebook profile.

02-13-2010, 04:20 AM	#2
BerryWriter Warrior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? Write your own original content. Don't steal someone's hard work and "straight up jack and modify what they're saying".

02-13-2010, 05:41 AM	#3
travlinguy Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Northern Hemisphere, for now. Posts: 2,937 Thanks: 1,315 Thanked 1,634 Times in 955 Posts Contact Info	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? I think you're okay but be careful with the word 'jacked' because it's going to piss a lot of people around here off. I've had more stuff jacked in the last 14 years than you can imagine and just seeing the word bugs me, especially in reference to swipe files and flat out plagiarism. With that said your pre-header should read: Workouts will be so much fun... Then you need to hyphenate muscle-building and sweat-inducing... And with the headline, change 'regular' to soft...
	How To Launch A Successful WSO \| WSO Of The Day \| 2941 Power Swipes To Improve Your Writing!

02-13-2010, 06:32 AM	#4
Keegahn Active Warrior Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 78 Thanks: 1 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? Sweet, thanks for the info/feedback... After reading some books and getting a little practice, I feel like I'm finally starting to break into this secret little world... ... and I'm realizing just how much thought goes into word selection, sentence structure, flow and rhythm, your voice, hooks and stories, USPs, the market, the prospect, the product, etc... lots of stuff to consider and learn but it's ridiculously awesome.

02-13-2010, 09:43 AM	#6
Paul Hancox Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 2,079 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 463 Thanked 608 Times in 254 Posts Social Networking	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? When we say "swipe", we basically mean save it for reference, so you can refer to it later and understand the structure... not necessarily copy it outright. I "swipe" short phrases, such as Joseph Sugarman's "Let me explain." - which we can use in copy to plant seeds of interest, and grease the slippery slide (to use two copywriting metaphors) - and I'll use them pretty much "as is". But for headlines and paragraphs, to "swipe it" is really about understanding the structure, and what makes the words work... not copying it word for word... ... which doesn't make sense anyway, because the product you're writing for is not going to be the same as the product's copy from which you're swiping.
	Who Wants To Be The Next AUTHORITY In Their Niche? Article Marketing as it should be – that builds your authority, pre-sells for more sales, based on YOUR product. (More...) Free Pre-Selling Tips \| Presell Mastery (The Book) \| Become A Copywriter, With Clients, In As Little As 6 Months

02-13-2010, 10:25 AM	#7
The Copy Nazi Mal Lambe War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Bunker, Paris Posts: 2,486 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 791 Thanked 1,480 Times in 701 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? Sex it up a bit. Use "Trainer To the Stars" for starters. "Trainer-to-the-Stars Put Under the Blowtorch to Spill the Beans on His Fasttrack Method That Turns Couch Potatoes into Oh-My-God How Ripped Are You Dude! Specimens - In Just 90 Days - Or Your Flabby Muscles Back!"

02-13-2010, 05:59 PM	#9
Keegahn Active Warrior Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 78 Thanks: 1 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? Hah, thanks for the info! I found a sample of the good Dr. Harlan Kilstein's "Steal This Book!" and seeing some swiped letters gives me a good feel of how it's done... like page 47 is swiped from one of Carlton's golf letters: Steal This Book!: Million Dollar ... - Google Books Hopefully Amazon has this book in stock!

02-15-2010, 04:49 PM	#10
Mr. Enthusiastic Enthusiastic Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 815 Blog Entries: 4 Thanks: 222 Thanked 224 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? Keegahn, this classic Gary Halbert letter explains the thought process involved when you use a swipe file. The Gary Halbert Letter Hmn? Hmn?

06-24-2010, 11:00 AM	#11
MillionDollarCopy Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: In the corner with the Absinthe Posts: 55 Thanks: 9 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? Keegahn, swiping is one of the best tools you can have at your disposal once you get it down. It's not about stealing material, it's about taking something that has been proven to work and referencing it for voice and tone. Think of it as a giant mad-lib. Don't over-complicate it, and don't add things that don't need to be there. Doing so is only going to break the flow and then you might as well be writing from scratch (not that that's a bad thing ) Get yourself a good thesaurus, and match the tone exactly, don't fluff it up, and don't tone it down. Match it exactly. Your swipe file should be something that you're building as fast as, if not faster than your own portfolio. Scratch that. It should be huge. Buy Harlan Kilstein's book "Steal This Book". He's got the ones you'll need in there. Kick down and make the investment, it's worth it. Good Luck! Remember- mad libs
	MillionDollarCopy.com

06-24-2010, 11:33 AM	#12
Snlde Aspiring Writer Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 45 Thanks: 20 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts Contact Info	Re: Swiping or too close to the original? Hmm, interesting. I've heard of the concept of swiping but I didn't know there was an official "label" to this process. Learning tons from this forum.