Turning Misfortune Into $1,000 Per Page Profit! How AWAI Member Rich Boyd’s Writer’s Attitude Proved No Match for MS
By Guillermo Rubio

Rich Boyd’s life would never be the same.

It was March 24, 2010 and his doctor diagnosed him with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).

There is no cure, he was told. But he could learn to live with it and prevent things from getting worse.

Most folks would ask, “Why me?” and go through a grieving process.

Not Rich.

What did he do?

He used what he likes to call “The Writer’s Attitude.”

Facing a very serious disease, he asked, “How can I turn this into something positive for myself?”

His answer was to look up one of the biggest distributors of power chairs (the motorized wheelchairs that help folks with advanced MS get around).

He contacted them, and explained he was a copywriter recently diagnosed with PPMS. He also explained that he – more than any other copywriter – knew their prospects’ pain.

He could literally step into the prospect’s “shoes” because he IS a prospect.

The result? Rich landed this distributor as a long-term client.

But wait, it gets better …

Rich got this client to pay him $1,000 per page – on a 26-page sales package! And boy, was it worth it … this client is now getting a whopping 22% response rate every time they mail out Rich’s promotion.

And it’s all because Rich used his “Writer’s Attitude” in the face of very serious and very real adversity.

There’s “glicken” with this story, too. Because his relationship is so good with this client, Rich can have any model power chair they carry (when it’s time for him to need a chair) – free of charge.

Of course, there’s a marketing lesson, too …

Know who you’re writing to and what you’re writing about.

Rich put it best, “I would never write about a topic I don’t know about or for an audience I can’t get into their head space. For example, I would never write for a client that sells products to pregnant women, for example, because there’s no way on earth I could ever relate at that deep emotional level.”

And if you want to land great clients (who’d be happy to pay you $1,000 per page – just like Rich) knowing your subject inside and out is a huge selling factor.

Plus, the side benefit is that you’ll never suffer writer’s block. Any time you experience writer’s block, it’s a sign that you don’t know your subject well enough. Which is why reading and writing on a topic you’re already passionate about is one of the easiest ways to succeed quickly as a copywriter.

So how do you apply the “Writer’s Attitude” and find the silver lining?

It all starts with asking yourself the right questions …

Two questions that always seem to work – “What is the gift in this?” or “What hidden opportunity is there in this situation?”

You may not get an answer right away. In fact, it may take a few days. But ask this question often, and your mind will eventually whack you with an answer. I say “whack” because the answer will be so loud and clear, you won’t be able to ignore it.

Apply the “Writer’s Attitude” in your life often, and you just may find that some of your biggest successes come from what you once thought were serious obstacles.