From The Golden Thread Mailbag …
Copy Platforms
Dear Pat,
I am taking AWAI’s 6-Figure Copywriter’s Program as we speak (just received the 4th installment), and want to take you up on your offer to ask a question.
When you are submitting work to a client, whether it’s on spec or for a paying assignment, would it be best to submit more than one piece of work (copy), each one showing a slightly different angle or perspective? Or would it be best to stick with only submitting one piece – this one piece being what you consider to be the best example of what you have at the moment?
Dean O.
Hello Dean,
Thanks for your question.
You should discuss this with the client when they hire you to write the letter. You should also discuss things like how many revisions you will do at no charge, kill fees, and how you’ll be paid.
Some clients may ask you to submit a couple of copy platforms (a copy platform is basically a headline and lead) to give them an idea of the direction you are planning on going in with your copy. Other clients will schedule a creative call to discuss various ideas before you start. Either way, you probably won’t submit more than one complete letter.
Hello Pat,
I need advice.
What are the ethical issues and the protocol involved in using elements (headlines, concepts, subheads, etc.) from letters/packages in my swipe file?
Joseph E.
Hello Joseph,
Good question!
Copywriters borrow elements and concepts from each other all the time. In fact, there are specific headline “archetypes” that get used over and over and over again because they work so well.
Obviously, copying something verbatim is off limits … not to mention, it probably wouldn’t work with or make any sense for the specific product you are writing about, leaving you with a letter that misses the mark.
But, using the idea behind an existing promo to create one that works for your product is perfectly fine. Just be sure that you put a twist on it to make it your own.
Thanks to one and all. Keep those emails coming!
Pat
How to Land Clients in 21 Days with Just Your Computer
How do I land my first client? It’s a question every aspiring freelancer asks eventually. Now, there’s a proven system for landing clients that removes the guesswork. Best of all? No cold calling. Learn More »
“I’m no longer stuck in a 8-5 job in an industry in which I have little interest, for an average salary, with very little time with my son. Copywriting’s made all the difference in the world.”
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money, writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world you choose to be.
Get Nick Usborne’s step-by-step system for creating money-making information websites.
In just 6 hours and 35 minutes, you can be in business earning $60 – $150 an hour writing simple resumes.
Learn the secrets behind succeeding in this in-demand career.
The work is plentiful … the pay scales are generous and the competition is scarce!
Get the answers to the hundreds of questions and concerns commonly asked in specific, step-by-step details.
Use this eight-step plan to make the leap from aspiring copywriter to professional copywriter this year.
Let your fellow AWAI members show you firsthand the easiest, most powerful way to land your first client … BEFORE you finish the program.
Writing for the web is a huge opportunity for copywriters. Let web expert Nick Usborne show you how to write blockbuster web copy in record time … even if you're a complete internet “rookie”!
It’s an opportunity to make $50,000, $75,000, $100,000 a year or more … working just a few hours a day.
A once complicated profession is now something you can do on a standard computer – even if you have little or no “artistic” ability.
It’s one thing to have a website. But if your website can’t be found by the search engines, it may as well not exist.
The Internet creates new income possibilities every day. The biggest among them: online video marketing.
Get the very techniques top-performing copywriters use to rattle off one groundbreaking control after another.
In his new book, Michael Masterson teaches you his very own formula for powerful persuasion and how to apply it to direct mail sales letters as well as online promotions.
Guest, Leave a Reply
Please Note: Your comments will be visible by everyone.