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March 2002
Issue # 04

 

In this issue:

>> Intro: The Winning Limerick
>> Article: Practice By Writing About Something You Love
>> Resource/books: The Craft of Copywriting
>> Survey: Where do you LEARN online?

 

Tell a colleague about this newsletter...


OR simply forward this issue to someone now...

 

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THE WINNING LIMERICK.

 

First - thanks for all the great limericks!

 

If you're a new subscriber to this newsletter, you'll be forgiven for being puzzled by this limerick thing. Here's the story. At the end of each issue I include a brief survey. But, for a change of pace, in the last issue I invited people to write a limerick on the subject of copywriting online. The only condition was that the last word of the limerick had to be either 'excess' or 'voice'.

 

(If you're NOT a new subcriber, and found that last paragraph uninteresting, that raises a whole different question: Should newsletters be optimized for long-time subscribers, or for new subscribers?)

 

Anyway, the winner of the limerick contest is Caroline Milyard. She won for two reasons. First, she understands the simple power of flattering the judge.

 

Second, her limerick is so darned simple and easy to read.

 

Here is what she wrote:

 

I once met a woman named Bess,
Whose prose was simply a mess
She got a new bible
Net Words was the title
And now she has skills in excess!

 

If you would like to see a dozen or so submissions that didn't win, but were all a pleasure to receive and read, you will find them here:

http://www.nickusborne.com/limericks

 

For this issue, we're back to the regular survey format. The mission is to find out how and where online copywriters learn and grow their skills.

 

Until next time,

Nick

 

>> Feedback: nick@nickusborne.com


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ARTICLE: PRACTICE BY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU LOVE.

 

Being professional about our craft as copywriters probably keeps us at about 80% of our potential. We want to write well, because writing is what we do.

 

And we need to write well to serve our clients.

 

We also do our best in order to nurture ourselves. Copywriting day after day would become a pretty soul-destroying occupation if we found ourselves constantly underachieving.

 

So here's an exercise for any copywriter who finds that his or her writing is lacking life, flair and spirit.

 

Write about something you love. As an exercise. For the pleasure of it.

 

Maybe you could write about a hobby or some other passion you have.

 

Imagine that you are in the fortunate position of receiving a brief to promote this area of interest online.

 

Write yourself a brief. Think about your audience. And start writing. Write a homepage, some emails and a newsletter or two.

 

What's the point? The point is that the act of writing about something you love actually has a physiological impact on your brain chemistry. It makes you feel good. It makes you smile. It lifts your spirits.

 

And I'll bet a few bucks that feeling good about what you write will improve your writing. It will make your copy more engaging, more personal and more genuine. Loving your subject matter transmits itself to the reader in many subtle ways.

 

Then the next time you sit down to work on a paying job, even if you don't find the subject particularly enthralling, you'll at least remember and recognize how it feels to write with enthusiasm.

 

You'll feel motivated to put a little more passion into your writing.

 

The purpose of going through this exercise from time to time is to remind yourself of the benefits and pleasures of writing from your heart.

 

When you feel good about what you're writing, your readers will feel good too. And then everyone wins.


>> Feedback: nick@nickusborne.com


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RESOURCES/BOOKS: THE CRAFT OF COPYWRITING, BY ALASTAIR CROMPTON

 

The bad news is that this book is out of print. This is the first book I ever purchased on the subject of copywriting. As I recall, I found it at a book store on the Tottenham Court Road in London - back in the eighties. This review on Amazon.com by James Bryce Smith says it all...

 

"While I was wondering how best to describe this book, Alastair Crompton's book is a well of sound advice. It fizzes along, every line a gem. From his long agency experience Crompton distils 200 pages of the most rounded, sensible and considered advice I have read. With Crompton by your side you can't go wrong. He has all the answers for every situation. And, amazingly, it all rings true. If you can't buy it, borrow it (as I did)."

 

Good luck in finding a copy! (And if you know where used copies can be found, let me know and I'll let everyone know in the next issue.)


ALSO...

 

If you are a member of the I-Copywriting discussion list, which I moderate, I need two or three more posts for Monday's issue. If you're not a member, but would like to be, go here:

 

http://www.adventive.com/cgi-bin/a.pl?adventiv&1122

 

Either way - let's get some interesting new threads started. I'll need your post by Thursday AM. Thanks!


>> Do you have or know of some useful online resources for copywriters? Let me know at nick@nickusborne.com

 

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SURVEY: WHERE DO YOU LEARN ONLINE?

 

It's time for a real survey again.

 

When it comes to learning more about the craft of online copywriting, where do you turn?

 

Articles on the Web [ ]
Web sites that focus on copy [ ]
Books [ ]
Online seminars/elearning [ ]
'Real world' seminars, workshops, classes [ ]
Other..................

Just cut and paste the survey questions into an email to me at nick@nickusborne.com - and indicate your answer.

 

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