Before You Ask For A Critique *rant*

It's for them more than us.

You write something that takes you three hours. You say "what do you think?" and people rip it a new arsehole.

Most people don't want to admit that they spent a lot of time and invested their best effort in crap. So they minimise their work and effort, make an excuse, and run away.

It's expectations again. Everybody wants to say "what do you think of this" and be told they're fantastic wonderful copywriters who should start a business in professional copywriting immediately. The reality is that nobody gets told that.

Personally, I don't critique someone's stuff extensively unless I'm willing to write off the time. I'll give quick and easy critique, and then if they seem receptive I might delve a little deeper.

I totally agree with CDARK.

Plus, one could say it's insulting to the people that offer critiques to help out. They probably don't need someone to stand up for them.... plus if they felt the OP didn't put in their due diligence then they don't have to help/comment. Just saying...

I don't believe this to be true at all...these are just ego-savers. In reality, these posters probably DID spend a lot of time creating their pages...but when the harsh criticism comes flying in it's easy to save face by saying, "oh well, it wasn't that important anyway".

In reality, it's likely they did spend a lot of time on it and honest criticism hurts.

Kind of like when you're 5 years old and someone steals your ball at recess...."I didn't want that ball anyway you loser!"

The best critiques usually dispense with pleasantries immediately and cut right to the quick.

You've got to be able to check your ego at the door if you want to sit on the hot seat - at least if you want to get anything out of it besides a red ass.

When I ask my peers to review or critique something, I'm utterly disappointed unless they give me a pointedly made revelation or two (which they almost always do).

When Kevin Rogers nails me to the wall for burying the big promise too deep in the copy I don't break down and cry. I thank him profusely for being my eyes "that couldn't see".

When Kyle Tully pounds on me for proof, proof and more proof, I don't make excuses about it or argue with him. I figure out a way to overcome the reasons that proof was lacking in the first place.

It's like my Dad said once when I was complaining about a fight I was having with my girlfriend in high-school. She felt like I was doing something, which I was so busy denying that I couldn't see the forest for the trees. He said, "it doesn't matter whether you're actually doing it or not... if that's how she feels, it's TRUE... for HER..."

Lightbulb moment. A young Brian begins to understand that the world doesn't revolve around how HE feels, but how everyone ELSE feels.

So, I immediately begin to modify MY behavior... I make a conscious effort to avoid any possibility of whatever it was that was bugging her. And she winds up cheating on me with some douchebag hick in North Carolina that summer...

..err, what were we talking about again? Oh yeah...

A critique is by its very nature an OBJECTIVE top-down view of your sales message. It makes evident that which you are incapable of seeing for yourself. It's not meant to make you feel good or feel bad - it's meant to MAKE YOU MONEY.

It's not often that you see a really "great" in-depth critique here on the forum because rarely has the person asking demonstrated that they are either ready for or worthy of such a gift - and make no mistake about it... it is a GIFT because many of us charge a pretty penny for delivering just such a "beating".

I know that sounds pretty arrogant... maybe it is. But it's also true.

P.S. My dad was one cool dude.

One more thing...

When DOING a critique you're not sitting there ridiculing the subject thinking to yourself "what a moron...", but that's often the way you're perceived -*especially by drive-by commenters and others who ought to have no dog in the fight at all.

They attack the person giving the critique... for being CRITICAL!

Well DUH...

They barge in and say utterly stupid and counterproductive things like "Don't listen to the negative people, ____. I think it's AWESOMEE!!!!"

"Go crap in yer hat", says I.

Brian

I nominate this for a sticky.

-Dan

Critique on copy?

Sorry - it's getting bad enough that people expect you to write for 5 bucks a shot...then suddenly they decide that the research for that 5 bucks is your job...too. Now this - critique my work.

Sure I will critique your work -- It's called an "EDITOR" and they run about 10 bucks a page.

People need to get over asking others to do professional work for free. Period.

It's worth over $100 to get the real low-down from an expert - if you are serious and want to either freelance or create your own products to sell. How fantastic can it be that you can hire real expertise for so little money - let alone get a free once-over by a kindly person here! I can't believe how some will abuse this privilege and are not serious in what they want to achieve.

Because anyone can write copy, dontcha know. If the folks on here can do it so easily, anyone can. <sarcasm off>

Blimey, and I thought I was mega-talented...sigh

Oh -- and, to the topic at hand...

I think that's why I stopped giving critiques on the WF. Well, that, and it took me a little (and the forum a little) before I was ready to come back after the earthquake of August 08. Don't get me wrong -- I loved the new forum software, but the number of drive-by one-liner and, I daresay, idiotic posters was a bit more than I could stand.

I used to say that if people wanted tact with their critique, if they wanted their dear precious feelings taken into consideration, they should pay for a critique. (Widely lauded -- I'm humbled by some of the testimonials I have...).

The last critique I did, however, for a fellow copywriter (yes, for pay), I thought he wouldn't want to talk to me after I wrote it. He LOVED it.

So I'm not sure worrying about people's feelings is worth the time. They either want the feedback or they don't. Trust me, the critique of the market can be far more brutal than what I dish out.

They should be spending a lot more overall than the piddling amount I ask for a critique. And, if not, they are seriously delusional about what success requires.

I wrote an article on the old pre-earthquake (prior to 8/08) WF about people who
whine about how little money they have. I'll have to dig it up and re-post it here.

In brief -- if you are whining about my copywriting fees, you are underfunded, pure and simple.

After reading this I will never ask for a critique.