Can ANYONE become a GREAT copywriter?? Or are they actually a ELITE breed?

[MarketingMembers]

It's not for everybody. I learned that the things I'm good at I can do myself. The things that I'm not good at I now outsource. It's saved me tons of hassle and headache and has made my life much easier. I think everybody can be good at anything but how much time do you want to spend on just learning 1 thing. If your great at 99 things on your list of 100 then find someone else to do the 1 thing your not great at.

If you enjoy doing it you will always become really good at it in a short time frame

[travlinguy]

Originally Posted by MarketingMembers

It's not for everybody. I learned that the things I'm good at I can do myself. The things that I'm not good at I now outsource. It's saved me tons of hassle and headache and has made my life much easier. I think everybody can be good at anything but how much time do you want to spend on just learning 1 thing. If your great at 99 things on your list of 100 then find someone else to do the 1 thing your not great at.

If you enjoy doing it you will always become really good at it in a short time frame

There is more truth and wisdom in this post than almost ALL of the others combined. Great observation. If more marketers understood and employed this simple concept they would be clearing a path for huge success.

[donhx]

Writing is craft like making fine furniture or wine. Anyone has the potential to learn it. It is not a gift from the gods or anything like that.

Like all craft skills, writing may come easier to some. There will always be a few who excel. However, with study and diligence to the craft, anyone can become a journeyman writer over time.

[IMentreprenette]

Haven't read the rest of the forum but from your initial post. I say go for it! Your excitement and desire to learn and become a serious copywriter is seen from your post.

Copywriting isn't for everyone, but if you showed a lot of interest in it then dive in, take risk, and learn. I'm sure it'll be an exciting journey for you! ^_^ You're the only person that knows what really peaks your interest (I mean for myself, I knew from the beginning that I have little interest in copywriting so I tend to outsource that part). Other parts of marketing excites me.

Anyways, keep at it. I agree with donhx, it's a learned skill. Good luck on your future goals!

[rammonster]

Originally Posted by IMentreprenette

Haven't read the rest of the forum but from your initial post. I say go for it! I agree with Chris (post above me), you're a stylish writer.

Your excitement, passion, and your desire to learn and become a serious copywriter is seen from your post. Dive in, take risk, and learn. I'm sure it'll be an exciting journey for you! ^_^

Yep, At the moment...I am working on some mock sales letters and opt-in pages. And i have also offered to help a warrior fix his squeeze page and re-do it until he gets the desired conversions. I spent an hour just re-writing the headline. Now i understand why copywriters are so well paid and why the good ones charge the fee they do.

Following John Carlton's advice i am writing everyday and reading novels and trying to find plot points and a LOT of other fun stuff. I just subscribed to a few direct mail lists to see how their advertising is... Every time i sit down to write and brainstorm ideas, it feels like my brain is bleeding, but when i come up with that one sentence that i know is a winner...it's totally worth it and it gets easier with practice... When i started writing first, it was a nightmare...I'd be staring at that blank screen for what seemed like hours, looking at that twitching vertical line and i eventually started having second thoughts. But again i remembered John's advice and turned myself into a "Snarling Beast" i got angry, i literally got angry at EVERYTHING... and then like magic, the words started flowing. It wasn't the best but it was good enough.

I'll spend a few more months perfecting this and making myself better. I am a freelance deejay in real-life and i know the kind of rewards that come with talent and a good reputation... i work my own hours and charge what i feel like charging, its the best feeling ever and being able replicate that online with my copywriting, would just mean so much. Plus, copywriting is a fun thing to learn. For the first time i am actually enjoying writing.

Cheers,
kunal

[ewenmack]

Originally Posted by Rezbi

Not really. Good copywriting is the type that makes your cash register ring.

That is the ONLY thing that matters.

Rezbi, here's a quote from John Carlton..."If your emotions are in lock-down… from a bad childhood, or from a misguided sense of what it takes to be a man or woman (or leader or executive or parent or biz owner or anything else)… you will never be able to get into another person’s head.

And you’ll never find that sweet spot of need and connection that makes great literature great… and great sales copy a license to print money."

Full blog post here How To Be A Sap. | The Marketing Rebel RANT

Best,
Ewen

[jtunkelo]

If you don't have a knack for writing, it's going to be a hard time acquiring one.

However. If you're intelligent and learn well, you probably can arrive at the 'a-ha!' where you realize how copywriting works, how products are sold, and can emulate it somewhat.

In other words, you can hit the sweet spot and make some sales without becoming a pro copywriter.

However, it IS a different matter to become a pro copywriter for hire. Then you do need to know how to write. It's good to differentiate between the two.

[ARSuarez]

Originally Posted by rammonster

Following John Carlton's advice i am writing everyday and reading novels and trying to find plot points and a LOT of other fun stuff.

Kunal,

I would look up the author Jim Butcher's Livejournal (of The Dresden Files fame). He goes into detail about how to write novels/stories there.

Surprisingly, a lot of what he says has great relation to copywriting.

Creating an arch - the "opening" which sets the mood; the "high point" which gets the dominoes falling; the "climax" which brings it altogether - leaving the reader of fiction satisfied and breathing heavy, or the prospect, for us copywriters, with only one solution: to buy).

Among other things. Like character creation (your protagonist - who's the hero of your copy/story?), the antagonist (who opposes and makes the life of the protagonist difficult? Lately, this has been 'the gurus' for IM).

On and on.

I really wish he'd write a book on the subject. It would be phenomenal.

(By the way, he has said on his journal that he writes books to sell - the kinds of books people will devour and will fly off the shelves).

Warmly,

Angel

[MarketingMembers]

Originally Posted by travlinguy

There is more truth and wisdom in this post than almost ALL of the others combined. Great observation. If more marketers understood and employed this simple concept they would be clearing a path for huge success.

Thanks

It's taken me a lot of time to learn that lesson.

[Rezbi]

Originally Posted by ewenmack

Rezbi, here's a quote from John Carlton..."If your emotions are in lock-down… from a bad childhood, or from a misguided sense of what it takes to be a man or woman (or leader or executive or parent or biz owner or anything else)… you will never be able to get into another person’s head.

And you’ll never find that sweet spot of need and connection that makes great literature great… and great sales copy a license to print money."

Full blog post here How To Be A Sap. | The Marketing Rebel RANT

Best,
Ewen

You missed my point.