The Golden Thread – The Week in Review
February 3–9, 2008
Welcome to The Golden Thread Online, your free e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every Saturday, you will receive this recap of all the strategies, insights and opportunities we send to you and your fellow AWAIers each week. Whether it’s a message from a fellow writer about how he landed a new client … a technique from a Master copywriter for writing a control … an insight into how to succeed in a new market … news of a brand new writing job or business opportunity for you … you’ll find it here in this easy-to-access and always available “Week in Review.”
In This Issue:
- Words of Copywriting Wisdom “Romance That Lasts a Lifetime”
Michael Masterson describes business with a client as a steadily improving romance that lasts a lifetime. - What Bob Bly Looks For in the Writers He Hires …
Bob Bly reveals the qualities he looks for in the copywriters he hires. Keep these in mind the next time you approach a prospective client. - How the Secret of the “Chinese Finger Trap” Can Transform Your Copywriting Career
AWAI staff writer Guillermo Rubio explains how he uses the “Secret of the Chinese Finger Trap” to keep his writing simple and conversational. - Where does 1 + 1 = 10?
AWAI Vice President Rebecca McEldowney explains yet another benefit of copywriting for the catalog market. - Quick Tip: 4 Simple Secrets to Energize Your Writing
Will Newman offers four simple secrets for strengthening your writing. - Industry Spotlight: Catalog
Learn about trends and statistics in the catalog market. - Three Secrets to Better Online Catalog Copy
Learn three ways to make sure your online catalog copy is successful. - Top 20 Mailers in the Catalog Market
Discover the names and websites of twenty top mailers in the catalog industry.
Words of Copywriting Wisdom “Romance That Lasts a Lifetime”
“Many marketing experts like to compare business to war.
“I don’t like the martial metaphor, because it views the customer as the enemy – as someone to be tricked or bullied into submission. As a short-term strategy, this can sometimes seem to make sense. And the direct-response universe abounds in promotional copy that badgers, beats, or bullshits the customer into making a purchase. Smart marketers and copywriters avoid this sort of approach, because they know that, in the long run, it is destructive and self-defeating.
“Business should not be like war. It should be like love. And not a steamy, one-night-stand kind of love, but a mutually beneficial, steadily improving romance that lasts a lifetime.”
What Bob Bly Looks For in the Writers He Hires …
Bob Bly told me last week that he hired 10 AWAI-trained writers from an ad he ran right here in The Golden Thread. And, that’s not all. He said the quality of the work he saw was far superior to what he got from Elance.com or even when he advertised for copywriters in the Sunday NY Times.
I’m not surprised.
When I shared this bit of news with Guillermo Rubio, our new staff copywriter, he immediately wanted to know: “What do you think Bob was looking for? What made him choose one submission over another?”
We asked the man himself, and here’s Bob’s response:
Not in any particular order:
- Writing talent – clear, concise writing exhibited in samples and cover emails
- Intelligence
- Enthusiasm
- Easy to deal with, rational; not quirky, odd, difficult, or demanding
- Experience or knowledge of specific topic on which I think I could create and sell an info product
- A more junior person willing to work for my modest rates in exchange for the experience
So there you have it. Next time Bob runs an ad, you’ll have an inside track. In the meantime, keep his words in mind when approaching any potential client.
How the Secret of the “Chinese Finger Trap” Can Transform Your Copywriting Career
Michael Masterson put my copy down, looked up at me through his reading glasses, and said … ”Guillermo, you’re a damn good writer!”
I was in total shock. In high school and college, English was my worst subject. In fact, I scored a 2 out of 6 on Florida’s fifth grade writing test, and came close to failing 10th grade English.
As far as writing was concerned, I was convinced I was a total benchwarmer.
So I was blown away when Michael said he liked my writing. He said, “You write your thoughts down simply. Not one in a hundred new writers knows how to do that.”
He said he wanted me to write an essay for TGT, explaining how I do it. “Tell them your secret,” he said.
“Great,” I thought. “Just great!” I had no idea what I was doing!
But once I got to thinking about it, I realized my childhood traumas in English class actually paved the way. And I even figured out my “secret.”
As I said earlier, English was my worse subject in school. I dreaded writing personal letters. And forget about formal essays. I’d rather fish chicken bones out of the garbage disposal.
But I was okay with that. I had no talent to be a writer … and that was fine with me.
But then one day I got AWAI’s famous sales letter, the one that begins, “Can You Write a Letter like This One?” Somehow that amazing little letter convinced me to give writing a try.
You heard my story two weeks ago: I bought the course, gave Katie some writing samples, and before I knew it I was writing a promo for AWAI – the very same promo that got Michael Masterson to give me that amazing compliment.
So what’s my secret?
It’s funny, but the “I’m not a writer attitude” is what helps me write the way I do. And it’s this thought process that I call the Secret of the Chinese Finger Trap.
When I was writing in high school and college, I was trying too hard. And the harder I tried, the worse I did. AWAI taught me how to relax and write like I speak. Right now – what you’re reading here – is just how I speak.
How to use this secret in your writing
The problem I was having was getting stuck in the wrong idea about writing. It’s like the Chinese finger trap.
If you’ve ever seen one, you know that it looks deceptively simple. It’s a soft hollow tube, about 5 inches long, and you stick your index fingers into both ends of the tube.
When you pull your fingers apart to try to get them out, it only tightens the tube around them. The key to freeing your fingers is to relax. Then push your fingers together. This widens the tube and makes it easy to get your fingers out.
It’s the same with writing. Many new writers make the mistake of writing to impress. They complicate the job by using big words and complex sentence structures and taking too long to get to the heart of things. Because they try so hard to “be” a writer, they end up with stilted, wordy copy.
The solution is to do what you should do when you’re caught in a Chinese finger trap.
Relax!
Instead of trying harder and harder to write “better,” ease up. Don’t about impressing anyone. Simply write like you talk. Do this and your writing will flow naturally – just like easing the finger trap’s tension allows your fingers to come free.
Think about it. During a conversation at dinner would you say, “I find that lawyers can be an idiosyncratic bunch of supercilious buffoons.”? I hope not. Instead, you’d say something like “Lawyers can be weird, stuck up fools.” (I apologize to any lawyers out there. This is just an example, not a put-down.)
So don’t change into a “writer” when you write. Just think, “I’m going to write whatever comes out. I’m not going to worry about it.”
I just let myself go. And once I’ve got everything down on paper, I go through it, taking out the big words and clumsy phrases. I look for places where I can say something in a simpler way. I shoot for making the copy as conversational as possible. Once I’ve done that, I read it back to myself out loud.
I always keep in mind that I’m no big expert. I’m just an average guy, just like the person I’m writing to.
Part of what causes bad writing, I think, is a lack of confidence. That’s why some writers feel the need to use big words. They want to impress the reader. There’s also the idea that good writing is highfalutin’ … the kind you’d find in corporate memos.
Good writing, Michael Masterson says, is putting down your best thought simply and concisely.
If you use the secret of the “Chinese Finger Trap,” you can become a good writer quickly and easily.
Here are some more practical tips to help “relax” your writing:
- Write short sentences. Usually, this means no more than 20 words per sentence. If they go longer, make sure you use your commas, ellipses, and dashes to break it up.
- Eliminate language like “hitherto,” “therefore,” and “insofar as.” Find better ways to convey the same meaning.
- Use short, simple words. Instead of saying “voluminous,” say “big.”
- Use the Barstool Test. If you were at a bar, sitting next to your pal, how would you talk to him? Always use this test to keep yourself on track.
- Score your writing using the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) scale. Shoot for a grade level of 8 or below and a reading ease of 70 or more. (You can learn more about using the Flesch-Kincaid Scale in “How to Improve the Clarity of Your Writing”.)
If you’re having trouble getting the FK score down on the copy you’re writing, record yourself speaking – as if you’re talking to your good friend at a sports bar. At first, you’ll feel awkward. That’s okay. It’ll feel more comfortable the more you do it. Just try to relax. (After all, you’re simply talking to a good friend … someone you’ve known for years.)
Play back what you recorded, and get it down on paper. Now you’ve got something to work with that’s truly in your “natural” voice … not your “writer” voice.
If someone like me who scored a 2 out of 6 on a fifth grade writing test can become a professional writer by way of the Secret of the Chinese Finger Trap, think how quickly you can do it!
Where does 1 + 1 = 10?
Sure, writing for the catalog market is ideal if long letter writing isn’t for you. And it’s perfect for people who like a lot of variety in their assignments.
But here’s another huge benefit you may not have considered:
Many of the top catalogers have multiple brands under their umbrellas … all needing copy. So getting a job with 1-800-Flowers.com could lead to jobs from Plow & Hearth, The Popcorn Factory, or one of the company’s five other catalog divisions.
Same goes for Frontgate, a catalog I get at home and always enjoy reading. Frontgate is owned by IAC/InteractiveCorp … which also owns Ballard Designs, Garnet Hill, and nine other brands.
Here’s a list of 10 top catalogers (including their multiple brands) according to Multi Channel Merchant.
- 1-800-FLOWERS.COM – Cheryl & Co., Fannie May, HearthSong, Magic Cabin, Plow & Hearth, The Popcorn Factory, Wind & Weather
- ARISTOTLE CORP. – American Educational Products, Nasco, Summit Learning, Triarco
- CABELA’S – Antique Hardware and Home, Ducks Unlimited, Van Dyke’s Restorers, Van Dyke’s Taxidermy, Wild Wings
- CHARMING SHOPPES – Bedford Fair Lifestyles, Brownstone Studio, Coward Shoes, Figi’s, Intimate Appeal, Lew Magram, Monterey Bay Clothing Co., Old Pueblo Traders, Regalia, Willow Ridge
- DIRECT MARKETING SERVICES INC. – Charles Keath, Home Visions, Montgomery Ward, Popular Club Plan, Room for Kids
- HANOVER DIRECT – Company Kids, The Company Store, Domestications, International Male, Silhouettes, Undergear
- IAC/INTERACTIVECORP. – Alsto’s, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road, Home Focus, Improvements, IOS, Isabella Bird, Smith + Noble, The Territory Ahead, TravelSmith
- INTERLINE BRANDS – Barnett, Copperfield Chimney Supply, Hardware Express, Leran, Maintenance USA, Sexauer, SunStar Lighting, U.S. Lock, Wilmar
- K+K AMERICA – Alfax, Dallas Midwest, C&H Distributors, Conney Safety Products, Hubert, National Furniture Business
- PATTERSON COS. – Masune First Aid & Safety, Medco, Sammons Preston, Webster Veterinary
If the catalog market is something you’re considering, make sure you read this week’s issue of Copywriting Insider. My editorial team and I will be exploring this super-hot niche to uncover the best strategies for breaking in and landing top paying assignments from these, and other, major catalogers.
Quick Tip: 4 Simple Secrets to Energize Your Writing
Persuasive copywriting uses active words, draws mental pictures, and gets to the point quickly. Passive writing saps your writing’s strength and makes it less convincing.
Simply put: Active writing makes sales. Passive writing loses them.
Here are 4 strategies for strengthening all your writing … not just sales copy.
Put your copy on a low “to be” diet.
We can’t get away from “to be” verbs – words like “is,” “was,” and “were.” But these verbs make it difficult for the prospect to get a mental picture. Replace them with active, visual verbs.
Compare these two sentences:
- “JointWonder is strong defense against joint pain.”
- “JointWonder builds a wall of antioxidant protection around your joints.”
Which draws a clearer, more convincing picture? The second one, of course.
Eliminate unnecessary introductory phrases (even in the middle of the sentence).
In my first draft of this article, I wrote this sentence: “The way to do this is with strong, active sentences.” A better choice: “Do this with strong, active sentences.” I finally wrote: “Active writing makes sales.”
Hack out “of” and other prepositions. While you’re at it, get rid of “that.”
I could say: “One of the ways to strengthen all of your writing is to get rid of all of the prepositions that you don’t need.”
This says it better: “One way to strengthen your copy is to eliminate unnecessary prepositions.”
Better yet: “Search for sentences with more than two prepositions. When you find one (it’ll be easy), rewrite the sentence to eliminate as many as you can.”
As for “that” … I’ll bet you can eliminate two-thirds of them in your copy. When you come to a “that” read the sentence without it. If it still makes sense, take it out.
Edit in your second and third drafts.
Don’t disrupt the flow of your thoughts by editing as you write. Do it in your second and subsequent drafts.
By following these strategies, your writing will slowly change from soggy to solid … even in your first draft.
Industry Spotlight: Catalog
There are thousands upon thousands of catalog marketers in this country. And they all need copy that brings in good results. That spells lots of opportunity for catalog copywriters. Just take a look …
- According to the Direct Marketing Association, online and print catalog sales between 2005 and 2006 grew by 8.3 percent.
- J. Crew, a popular cataloger, saw its print catalog sales fall last year, but its online catalog sales jumped 29%.
- According to a DMA survey, 33% of multi-channel marketers use print catalogs as their primary tool, while another 45% use e-catalogs.
- Market Research reports that there are 16,000 catalog marketers in the U.S. that bring in a total of $160 billion in sales each year.
- The number of Major Catalog Mailers in the Who’s Mailing What Archive: 1,284. That’s 106 more than last year … a 9% increase.
- The number of catalog mailings tracked by the Who’s Mailing What Archive: 58,874. That’s an increase of 4,043 mailings in the last year, up nearly 7.5%.
Three Secrets to Better Online Catalog Copy
Online catalogs make up a growing part of the catalog industry. Any copywriter who knows how writing online catalog copy differs form writing for print mailers is in the perfect position to make a very good living in this niche.
Focus on product descriptions: Product descriptions play an important role in online catalogs. This is the perfect place to use specific keywords that prospective customers may use when searching for a particular product. In most cases, it’s easy to work in the keywords without sounding forced. For example, a prospect searching for a six-megapixel digital camera will likely use that phrase as a search term. So including “This six-megapixel digital camera …” in your copy not only sounds natural, it will also get good search engine rankings for your client.
You have more room, but don’t overdo it: You have more flexibility with online catalog copy when it comes to how much you can write. This means more space to present benefits and really show the beauty, uniqueness, or functionality of a product. Still catalog copy should be short – a page at most. This limits the amount of scrolling a prospect will have to do, an important consideration.
The problem/solution formula: One of the quickest ways to illustrate a product’s benefits, whether you are writing for print or the Web, is to make it clear that you understand a problem the prospect has, and then show how the product solves that problem. For a vacuum food storage system, the opening line might be “Never throw away food – or money – again.” This immediately identifies the problem, promises a solution, and offers a benefit. It gets a lot done in just seven words. Every word of your catalog copy has to work hard. Finding ways to powerfully and succinctly convey a product’s benefits is crucial to successful writing in this industry.
Top 20 Mailers in the Catalog Market
- Lands’ End
Family apparel and home décor
www.landsend.com - Chadwick’s of Boston Inc.
Women’s apparel and accessories
www.chadwicks.com - L.L. Bean
Men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel
www.llbean.com - Oriental Trading Company
Novelty items, party supplies, and home décor
www.oriental.com - Paul Fredrick
Men’s apparel and accessories
www.paulfredrick.com - Lillian Vernon Corporation
Housewares, giftware, and jewelry
www.lillianvernon.com - Blair Corporation
Apparel and home products
www.blair.com - Victoria’s Secret Direct
Women’s intimate apparel and accessories
www.victoriassecret.com - Lane Bryant
Women’s plus-sized apparel
www.lanebryant.com - Coldwater Creek
Women’s apparel and accessories
www.coldwater-creek.com - Frontgate
Luxury furnishings and home accents
www.frontgate.com - Williams-Sonoma
Kitchenware, cookware, and housewares
www.williams-sonoma.com - Orvis Company
Fly-fishing equipment and supplies
www.orvis.com - CDW Corporation
Technology products and services
www.cdw.com - TravelSmith Outfitters
Travel apparel, and accessories
www.travelsmith.com - Harry & David
Gourmet foods and floral gifts
www.harryanddavid.com - Pottery Barn
Furniture and home décor
www.potterybarn.com - Eddie Bauer
Outdoor and casual apparel
www.eddiebauer.com - Ballard Designs
Furniture and home décor
www.ballarddesigns.com - J. Jill
Women’s apparel and footwear
www.jjill.com
[Ed. Note: Top mailers are determined by the number of mailing offers received by the Who’s Mailing What! Archive – the world’s largest swipe file, with access to over 10,000 controls in nearly 200 categories. To learn more about the Archive, and exclusive AWAI member access, click here: http://www.awaionline.com/whosmailing/]
