Will I swim with the Sharks? Or be the next round of Chum?
I've gone through the "Top Copywriting Books" thread and have read the following:
The Ultimate Sales Letter: Dan Kennedy
The Copywriter's Handbook: Bob Bly
Scientific Advertising: Claude Hopkins
The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: Joseph Sugarman
Cashvertising: Drew Eric Whitman
How to turn Words into Money: Ted Nicholas
I've read most of the Gary Halbert letters as well, and even copied a few by hand on a yellow legal pad.
Why am I telling you this? No, I'm not looking for a pat on the back or an "attaboy" of any kind. I just want everyone to know upfront - that I have no false illusions about what this entails. And am more than willing to put in the work it takes.
Enough with the preemptive-defense - Here's my dilemma:
I have no desire to write sales letters online. Yup, that's right. I really want to work on the direct-mail side of things. Am I crazy? The Short Answer is obvious.
You see, it all started by writing sales letters to my existing customers (for a computer repair business I run). Since the very first mailing I've been hooked. There's nothing like having a really slow day at the office - dropping a few hundred (or thousand) letters in the mail--and within 2-days, have your phone ringing off the hook. Often times this has created an almost magical momentum keeping me busy for as much as 3-months per mailing.
Can anyone else relate to this?
Sure, I could launch a WSO and get a few hundred bucks per letter, but it just doesn't seem worth it. To me, to truly resonate with an audience, it takes so much time and research per niche. In the words of the great Dave Chappelle "I got kids to feed n**ga!". Sure I could write a half-ass piece in 30 minutes with next to zero research but at what cost? It's not in me to do something halfway.
Is there a huge demand for offline copywriters? I'm guessing it'll be harder to land clients initially?
Suggestions from the grizzled vets? Tips from the struggling newbies?
Do your best! Crush my spirit - Smash my dreams. =)
Seriously though, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
-Matt
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