Did all of you love to write before you decided to become a copywriter? Did you keep a journal, write essays, stories, poetry? I ask because I have to admit I don't love it. I don't mind it but I like speaking much more than writing. So when I write I just try to talk on "paper." Is it possible to learn copywriting if you don't love the actual writing itself?

I headed in the copywriter direction because I seemed to have an aptitude for writing, and it sounded interesting. I've never really had the urge to write poetry or fiction, and I've never been able to keep a journal going for any length of time. I'm also a musician, and I think I consider music as my avenue of creative self-expression on a personal level, while the copywriting is closer to a craft, something I enjoy and do well, but it's more of a moneymaking and business thing.

I think a lot of writers who do poetry, journals, and other personal-type writing have a problem with the idea of actually making good money by writing -- they think they're somehow prostituting themselves if they're not starving and alienated.

I think your approach of writing as if you're speaking is a good idea -- that's how many of the copywriting courses tell you to write, anyway: as if you're sitting next to your prospect on a barstool having a casual conversation.

Why are you interested in learning copywriting if you're not especially drawn to it? Why not speak if that's what you love, and hire somebody when you need writing done?

I can't speak for all hard-core writers, but I have a good friend that writes stories.

I was given his name and introduced by Bob Proctor and found out he (my new found friend) didn't even have a website or a place where to publish his stories.

That's history now... we got him a website. It's been a year now and he has around 1000 subscribers to his ezine and now people are climbing the walls to read his stuff... he's that good!

About mid way through the year he and I discussed him turning his craft into money and he was hesitant at first (he wasn't interested in making money from his stories, he just loved to write for his own personal therapy), but that's changed.

In the next couple of months my writer friend will be publishing his stories in his first book.

On another note, there are many writers who "only" write (books) thinking this will make them rich overnight. Many find out that just because you publish a book, doesn't mean you'll make a million bucks.

So does it help to have a strong desire to write?

For myself... I like to read more than write, but reading doesn't pay the bills. For me, reading is my education and investment... writing is the pay off.

Do I love to write? Absolutely. I've been writing since I was in elementary school, and it's always been my passion. I was a very shy child, and I literally found my voice through writing.

Even though I work hard at it, I don't really consider it work. It's fun. It's challenging. It's my creative outlet. In fact, I cannot imagine living a life without it. For as long as I can remember, writing always been part of me.

I teach composition and business writing (including sales letters), and most of my students admit that they don't like to write. To me, there's so much power in the pen that I cannot imagine not liking it. You can inspire people to change their lives, move them emotionally, write a killer song, and even persuade people to buy products. What's not to like?

I started with poetry and moved on to expository writing. I was on the school newspaper and the school literary publication staff. In graduate school, I was the editor of a newsletter. At one point I wrote my own newsletter and created a product about working from home. To me, it's always a thrill when something new gets published.

Now I'm a copywriter. I absolutely love it. I can always find a passion for the product I'm writing for because I have such a passion for writing. See how I just go on and on? (Most people just don't "get" my enthusiasm about it. ) My favorite personal pieces talk about that difficult time when I went to grad school; I was newly divorced and my children were very young. It was a tough time but also a time worth remembering. Because I wrote about it, those years will never be forgotten. I can pass on those memories to my children.

I wrote weekly as a young girl; I first studied copywriting over a decade ago. I've always wanted to write for a living; I just took the long and winding road to get here. For all those people who--over the years--said, "You've got to get paid for your writing." Finally, I am.

I love to write!

I've been writing since I was 12 years old...starting out with poetry.

I believe it's important that you love to write - that you're passionate about writing.

Otherwise, writing becomes just a job - a chore...and you know how most people feel about chores, right?

You gotta love to write!

Although I love to write, I can't generate false enthusiasm for a product I don't believe in.

If I genuinely don't believe in a product or can't get excited about it, I won't accept the project for any amount of money. I just won't.

If you don't believe in a product and you accept the project anyway, you're doing your client a disservice, because there's no possible way, he or she is going to get your best effort - NO WAY!!!

Dale King

I was serious about writing from the age of 7 and knew when I grew up I'd be a professional writer.

I had my first article published in a national magazine at the age of 15.

Also wrote my first sales letter at 15 years old.

Do you need to love to write to be a good copywriter?

Do you need exceptional writing skill?

You don't but you are at a serious disadvantage to someone who loves to write and can write well.

The 3 major skills of great copywriting are...

1. Writing skill...

2. Selling skill and...

3. Marketing skill.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

FREE Online Copywriting Course

I agree with Andrew. Not sure if Andrew had it in a specific order, but I would turn it around to...

1. Marketing skill...
2. Selling skill and...
3. Writing skill.

If you're good at marketing, you can be a crappy writer and still get hired.

Selling is next. I never learned how to write copy before I entered copywriting. In fact, I was in sales. English was my second language (and very poor, at that).

But I did read every darn book on selling, listened to every tape or CD, went to many, many, many seminars. My car (since I was a door-to-door salesman) was a virtual university on wheels.

Brian Tracy, Tom Hopkins, Zig Ziglar, Roger Dawson, Dan Kennedy, Stephen Schiffman, etc, etc. You name it, I studied it.

Translating selling into words/paper was easy. Once you learned the concepts of how to sell and how to sell well.

Then, mastering your writing skill came next. Because selling in copy versus selling in person are different. You need to know how to write and how to write well.

My 3 cents.

Shawn and I are the yin and yang of this.

Shawn loves to write. Been doing it since she discovered the difference between nouns and verbs. She's a natural storyteller and is currently ghostwriting a book that's being pitched as a movie... right up her alley.

Not me. I love doing the research and digging into the buyer's psychology. I like figuring out the best approach for a particular product. I get a charge out of generating slam dunk headlines. I like the mental challenge of coming up with the concept, but the writing is always a huge labor for me.

But I get a huge amount of satisfaction when the thing's done and I know it's gonna work well.

I guess I'm one of those people who likes having written as opposed to loving to write.

I remember Michael Crichton saying writing is the price he paid for the privilege of learning a lot of cool things.

Also think what Michel says above, about the difference between selling in person and writing is key.

Which is why I think you can be a good copywriter even if you weren't the best salesperson in your company. If you're a decent writer, and you have the desire to learn about selling, you can write copy.

I got lucky because awhile back, I took a sales job, even though I'd never thought of myself as a sales guy. That experience was key in my success as a copywriter, and it also let me know that you don't have to be a "natural sales" person to be a good copywriter, but if you hold the written word as sacred and think of selling as grubby, you've probably got a pretty steep learning curve to climb.


A.

Ken (and all),
The short answer is I’m in it for the money. I think I am more interested in the marketing end than the writing end but I’m broke. I want to write copy for my own marketing vehicles at least at first.
I find when I write I tend to severely edit myself. I can generally get straight to the point and then have little else to say. At this point there’s no give and take when I write as opposed to a conversation, or even postulation.
I am starting to enjoy writing more than before but still tend to run out of things to say. I started keeping a writing blog because I need the practice. I used to be a martial arts bum (not a terribly lucrative pastime) and learned early that skill comes only through long practice. To that end I’m probably going to just type out other folks sales letters just to get in the habit of continuing typing. Not original, I know, but I’m determined.
Buddy
BTW like Stephen I love to read. Although I mostly read about marketing of recent late.

Nothing wrong with typing sales letters.

I find that when I'm experiencing the problem of running out of stuff to say, it's because I didn't do my research.

Think about something you're passionate about... college football or stamp collecting or 19th century french poetry... you don't run out of things to say, because your radar is constantly searching the information overload that comes your way every day and picking out new tidbits.

If I spend a ton of time upfront digging, I'm a lot more successful at writing and spend less time editing myself.

A.