The Golden Thread

The Golden Thread is our free weekly e-letter. Every Monday it contains secrets, tips, and insights from AWAI's copywriting pros to help you improve your skills and reach your goal of becoming a professional copywriter in the fastest time possible. Subscribe Today!

Issue #327
May 03, 2008

• A look behind the scenes to see how our staff copywriters here at AWAI work on improving their writing.
• Two proven systems you can use to market yourself to B2B companies…and land new paying assignments
• Three things you can get paid to photograph on your next vacation.
• And Tammy Lawman gives you eight more potential clients to choose from to get your career up and running.

Issue #326
April 25, 2008

• AWAI Success Story Ed Gandia tells you how he made the transition from over-worked salesman to six-figure copywriter ...living the writer's life ... in just over two years.
• Bob Bly gave us an inside look at writing for the B2B Market… and a few tips on how you can get started right away.
• Guillermo Rubio shares with us how one goofy idea can make you millions. (It’s not as hard as you think…)
• And if you haven’t checked it out yet, on Thursday we sent you our latest job opportunities from companies hungry to hire talented copywriters and graphic designers!

Issue #325
April 14, 2008

• Business Building Tips from a Million-Dollar Copywriter
• Carline Anglade-Cole on how to get your foot in the door with big mailers.
• Will Newman is back with a very useful resource for everyone writing about the financial markets.

Issue #324
April 7, 2008

• Michael Masterson answers the question, “How long should a sales letter be?”
• Joe Seta, president of Palm Beach Jewelry, comments on the winners their catalog contest.
• Private Conversations with Your Prospect

Issue #323
March 31, 2008

• Four easy steps for making websites visitor-friendly.
• 3 Internet Resources for Getting Inside Your Prospect’s Head … Fast
• AWAI Wall of Famer Ed Gandia: “My first PAID project was a website refresh project for a software company. I drafted new copy for most of their site …”
• ATTN: Dog Lovers! Here’s a great freelance copywriting opportunity for you

Issue #322
March 24, 2008

• Don Hauptman reminds us that a smart person who is busy may not “act smart.”
• Six AWAI Board Members … including Michael Masterson … share how they get their creative engines started. (I love Paul’s.)
• A first-time opportunity to receive Very Direct, Very Personal Guidance from six of America’s top copywriters in one of the most beautiful and serene settings I’ve ever seen.
• AWAIer Jerry Krull makes a confession…

Issue #321
March 17, 2008

• How AWAI Member Joshua Boswell Turned a $2,000 Assignment Into $60,000
• Don Mahoney on making your clients “offers they can’t refuse”
• An update on the Palm Beach Jewelry Catalog Cover Design Challenge
• An opportunity to put your knowledge of movies and TV to good use writing articles for Hulu.com

Issue #320
March 10, 2008

• Paul Hollingshead stops you from scaring away your readers.
• John Wood demonstrates how to keep them wanting more.
• Kammy Thurman shows you how to "walk" your readers directly to the sale.
• Rebecca McEldowney gives newbie Keith B. some good advice.
• An opportunity to write copy for your favorite childhood games.

Issue #319
March 03, 2008

• Note From Nick Usborne, Guest Editor …
• Why It’s Critical to Let Your Web Visitors Know They’ve Come to the Right Place
• Use the “Left-Side” Rule to Make Your Web Copy Easy to Scan
• My Technique for Expressing the Core Value of Your Product
• EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities

Issue #318
February 25, 2008

• 7 tips for writing winning Web pages by Nick Usborne
• The Zen Master of the Internet explains a BIG difference between offline and online prospects.
• A concerned AWAIer asks … “Doesn’t more copywriters mean more
  competition?!”
• AWAIer Pam Foster tells us how she regularly gets $1,800 - $4,000 writing Web copy.
• Copywriters needed in Dallas – ASAP!

Issue #317
February 18, 2008

• February’s Copywriting Genius: “I don’t think anyone (other than me!) believed this package had a prayer of winning.”
• AWAIer Cindy Cyr shares strategies for breaking six figures in your own backyard.
• The search technique that’s better than Google.
• Small Missouri agency looking for easygoing direct-response copywriter

Issue #316
February 11, 2008

• David Ogilvy on “the best ads”
• A Valentine’s Day gift for all our romance writers
• A blueprint for getting hired by one of the country’s top financial publishers
• How to easily go from “steel-belted radial tires” to “protecting your precious family”
• Joshua Boswell on how an assignment worth $8,500 (and counting!) found him

Issue #315
February 04, 2008

• Michael Masterson on a “romance that lasts a lifetime”
• And then … Michael’s comment that shocked a new copywriter
• What you need to do to get on Bob Bly’s “Hiring Radar!”
• Rebecca McEldowney on how it’s possible to turn one catalog client into five
• Joe Seta has a winner already … but is still looking for at least four more
• How to, word for word, make your writing more powerful … more credible … and more persuasive …

Issue #314
January 28, 2008

• Bill Bonner on writing ‘til your head hurts
• Carline Anglade Cole answers the $100,000 question
• Paul Hollingshead with a great “save” … so you don’t make the same mistake most novice and “B-level” copywriters make
• Will Newman shows you one more way to be a hero to your clients

Issue #313
January 21, 2008

• A Proven Technique for Pushing Past Your Fears, by Guillermo Rubio
• Quick Tip: Google Book Search, by Will Newman

Issue #312
January 14, 2008

• A Nifty Tool for Getting the Background Information You Need From Your Clients … Every Time, Part 2, by Don Hauptman
• The Power of a Signature, by Will Newman

Issue #311
January 07, 2008

• "The Power of One” for Crafting Compelling Headlines
• Calling All Writers, By Rebecca McEldowney

Issue #310
December 31, 2007

• Your “Super-Sized” Goal for 2008
• Get Out of the Headline Rut

Issue #309
December 24, 2007

• How to Improve the Clarity of Your Writing
• The Best Way to Use Your Spell-Checker

Issue #308
December 17, 2007

• Scoring Copy and Singing With Champs
• A Dictionary You Should Not Be Without

Issue #307
December 10, 2007

• How to Make Money on Your Writing While You Sleep
• Three Tips for Writing Better Information-Product Copy

Issue #306
December 3, 2007

• How to Prosper in the Copywriting Revolution
• Turn Your Offer on Its Head for Better Results

Issue #305
November 26, 2007

• How to Fail Forward – to Ensure Success
• Quick Tip: Peer Review

Issue #304
November 19, 2007

• “It’s All About the Sale. It’s All About Readability,”
• Bonus Lesson: Understanding the Math
• How to Be On Time … Everywhere!

Issue #303
November 12, 2007

• 2 Essential Keys to Surpassing the Best in Your Field
• Sandy Franks on How to Get Your Name in Your Best Clients’ “Golden Rolodex”

Issue #302
November 05, 2007

• 4 Tips for Mining Golden Copy Nuggets with a Good Interview, by Heather Robson
• Don’t Quit, by Clyde McDade
• Editing the Easy Way, by Will Newman

Issue #301
October 29, 2007

• How to Respond Successfully to Spec Challenges, Part 2
• Read ... for Better Writing, by Will Newman

Issue #300
October 22, 2007

• How to Respond Successfully to Spec Challenges, Part 1
• 4 "Musts" of Effective Web Catalog Copy

Issue #299
October 15, 2007

• Secrets From Bootcamp: The 21-Day Promo Package (With a Day of Golf Thrown In)
• Let a Template Speed You Through Your Copywriting

Issue #298
October 8, 2007

• On Bears, Bootcamps, and Headlines, by Will Newman
• The Comma Demystified

Issue #297
October 1, 2007

• How Graphic Design Secrets Will Boost Your Copywriting Success, Part 2
• The Secret Power of Color

Issue #296
September 24, 2007

• 3 Reasons Knowing Graphic Design Secrets Can Boost Your Copywriting Success, Part 1, by Will Newman
• Make Responding Easy

Issue #295
September 17, 2007

• Their Best Offer Yet! Only $11.72 a Minute to Swim With the Dolphins
• Handling Text Boxes So They Enhance Your Promotion

Issue #294
September 10, 2007

• Getting New Clients Is Easier Than You Think
• Living With the Quirks of "Text Formatting"

Issue #293
September 3, 2007

• What's Wrong With That? THIS Is What's Wrong With That, by Herschell Gordon Lewis
• Using Voice Mail So You Look Like a Pro, by Will Newman

Issue #292
August 27, 2007

• The Hidden Key to a Successful Direct-Marketing Package
• Two Free Online Calendars

Issue #291
August 20, 2007

• Why This Headline Works, by Michael Masterson
• How to Connect with Potential Clients through 5 Million Contacts, by Will Newman

Issue #290
August 13, 2007

• The Power of a Good Story, by Heather Robson
• How TinyURL.com Can Make Email Copy Look More Friendly

Issue #289
August 6, 2007

• The Newest Way to “Expand” Your Copywriting Business
• How to Make To-Do Lists Work for You

Issue #288
July 30, 2007

• AWAI Interviews Wall-of-Famer Vicky Heron
• Know Your Value ... and Outsource Accordingly

Issue #287
July 23, 2007

• How to Avoid "Business Opportunity" Scams
• Quick Tip: Be Persistent in Getting Clients… Not a Pest

Issue #286
July 16, 2007

• Let Subheads Lead Your Prospect to the Sale
• Consistent Formatting Makes Professional-Looking Copy

Issue #285
July 9, 2007

• 4 Tips for Increasing Your Productivity ... and Profits
• A Simple Strategy to Keep Your Copy Lively and Interesting

Issue #284
July 2, 2007

• AWAI Success Story: Jeff McGeary Tells His Secrets
• Protecting Your Most Valuable Resource

Issue #283
June 25, 2007

• 2 Words Never to Use in a Promotion
• 3 Ways to Romance a Client

Issue #282
June 18, 2007

• 4 Magic Words -- and 5 Strategies -- That Make You a Copywriter, by Will Newman
• Is Your Swipe File Missing Something Important?, by Will Newman

Issue #281
June 11, 2007

• Leap Over Your Plateaus With 4 New Ways of Thinking, by Heather Robson
• Never Lose an Idea Again - "Jott" It Down, by Daniel P. O'Brien

Issue #280
June 4, 2007

• The 3 Most Important Parts of Any Promotion's Success
• A Critical Element of Every Fundraising Appeal

Issue #279
May 28, 2007

• 6 Surefire Ways Copywriting Can Build Your Business, by Heather Robson
• Danger Lurking in Email

Issue #278
May 21, 2007

• 8 Letter-Opening Enticements for the Back of Your Envelope
• A Fundraising Copywriter's Opportunity Goldmine

Issue #277
May 14, 2007

• A $7.5 Billion Niche That's Begging for Copywriters
• Auto Responders -- a Powerful Tool

Issue #276
May 7, 2007

• How to Become What You Want to Be
• Make Sure "Remember" Works

Issue #275
April 30, 2007

• AWAI Success Story: Art Fahy, an interview by Will Newman
• Small-Business Development Centers

Issue #274
April 23, 2007

• Zero Resistance Writing
• A FREE Online Tool for Collaborative Writing

Issue #273
April 16, 2007

• An Interview with Steve Slaunwhite
• When a Client Is Slow to Pay

Issue #272
April 9, 2007

• Meet the latest additions to AWAI’s Wall of Fame: Heather Robson, Beth Erickson and Jim Hinckley
• The Big Idea

Issue #271
April 2, 2007

• Using Testimonials for Maximum Effect, by Michael Masterson
• Eliminating One Really Annoying Type of Spam

Issue #270
March 26, 2007

• Adventures in Blogging, by Will Bonner
• Use the 3/40 Rule to Write Compelling Subject Lines

Issue #269
March 20, 2007

• The Surprising Secret to Unbeatable Success in the Health Market
• Targeted Learning Tip: The “So What?” Technique for Squeezing Core Benefits Out of Your Product’s Features

Issue #268
March 19, 2007

• Michael Masterson Answers a Member's Question About Health Promotions
• The Surprising Secret to Unbeatable Success in the Health Market

Issue #267
March 12, 2007

• Get Your House In Order
• Why Do You Procrastinate?
• How to Tell When Your Copy Is Wandering

Issue #266
March 5, 2007

• Big-Time Email Copywriting Mistakes, Part I by Matt Furey
• Headline Checklist -- a Tool to Make Your Headlines Compelling

SPECIAL UPDATE

• Big-Time Email Copywriting Mistakes, Part II By Matt Furey can be found here→

Issue #265
February 26, 2007

• Guilt Marketing - A Vintner's Secret Weapon, by John Forde
• How to Get "Seeded" to Build Your Swipe File, by Helen Buttery

Issue #264
February 19, 2007

• 10 Steps to Online Marketing Success, by Bob Bly
• How to Search for "Scholarly" Research, by Will Newman

Issue #263
February 12, 2007

• The Results Are in ... the AWAI Member Survey Results, That Is
• 4 Secrets for Writing Compelling Catalog Copy, by Will Newman

Issue #262
February 5, 2007

• Why Watching Oprah Can Be Good for Your Copywriting, by Will Newman
• How to Make It Easy for Prospects to Order, by Will Newman

Issue #261
January 29, 2007

• How to "Customize" 7 Power Writing Secrets, by Will Newman
• Ensure Consistency in Your Copy, by Will Newman

Issue #260
January 22, 2007

• 6 Success Lessons from the Winners of AWAI's Bootcamp 2006 Challenge
• 4 Easy Ways to Improve Your Self-Mailer

Issue #259
January 16, 2007

• An $11.9 Billion Niche, by Will Newman
• Avoid Confusion by Avoiding "Bi-" Words, by Will Newman

Issue #258
January 9, 2007

• Giving Your Prospect Choices May Damage Response, by Lee Marc Stein
• A Free Online Word Processor and Spreadsheet, by Will Newman

Issue #257
January 2, 2007

• What can you do each day this year?, by Michael Masterson

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