Good morning everyone,

I'm brand new to all of this, just started the AWAI program and have been doing a lot of reading here, and on all the guru's websites etc.

What a great place you've created Michael! Thank you!

I see the value of a good swipe file and am trying to piece one together. I've read the articles on how to organize the files, but have a couple of, well, more "basic" questions....

1 -- just how do you know a letter is "good" enough to put into a swipe file? (I have seen examples of "which letter worked best" and have guessed wrong-- and I don't want judge something as good when in actuality it didn't perform!)
2 -- Is there anyway to tell the author of a particular letter besides knowing his style?
3 -- I've been to the Halbert Letters site, are there others?
4 -- Is there any way to determine (besides just "knowing") what part of the sales letter is so strong? headline, opening etc.... (I know, but thought I'd ask anyway)

Perhaps many of my questions will be answered in the AWAI program and I am looking forward to getting some money together to get other programs to help me understand the world of copywriting. (Though I'm not "waiting" to start until I've studied everything out there!)

There is soooo much to learn - and I am so excited to have found copywritng and this board!

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful posts and inspiration!
Marianne

Hi Marianne, welcome

Once you start reading through letters you'll start to notice the different effects the words have on you. The AWAI course has sample letters you can read through so those should help. As part of the course, you're also asked to hand write a few letters and for me personally that's been a big part of learning what works and what doesn't.

Good luck to you!

Marianne,

The challenge with "swiping" is knowing what "swipes" are effective or not.

I would consider getting books that have "swipes" in them that have been proven over time...

Denny Hatch's "Million Dollar Mailings" is a fantastic resource of proven direct marketing pieces.

Joe Sugarman's "Advertising Secrets Of The Written Word" contains many of his best advertisements.

Denny Hatch's "Method Marking" also includes some successful swipes.

Clayton Makepeace puts out a nice info product that is built around the evaluation of some of his successful magalogs.

Nice to see another person from New York State on the board...

Welcome, Marianne. I'm new around here too and just finished the AWAI course.

It won't take long for you to develop an eye for copy worthy enough for your swipe file. AWAI gives you names of mailing lists to submit your name to and soon your mailbox will be full of sales letters and catalogs. You'll be surprised by the low quality of much of it. I save some of the bad stuff with the intent of contacting their marketing department and offering my services.

Good luck.

--Anita

It's pretty pricey, but if you can get ahold of "Steal This Book" by Harlan Kilstein. The entire book is nothing but winning letters, along with general advice on how to effectively swipe.

Hi marelovinglife

Welcome marelovinglife.

Are you subscribed for free to Clayton Makepeace The
Total Package email?

In the email today, near the bottom there is a link to a
FREE swipe file. The link goes to a forum where you can
download the pdf's free swipe files.

I'm not sure if it's ok to post the link here, so PM (private message) me.

Cheers

Jim

Hi,
I am so confused - about how to reply in this board!
I created a quick reply yesterday to thank everyone and it hasn't posted....I don't know if quick reply goes to one person or the board, or if I did something wrong, so I'm trying this route. (I apologize I don't have time to reconstruct my individual thanks....)
So please accept this simple thanks for your help.
Marianne

Hi, Marianne. And welcome!

To reply on this board, I usually just click the "New Reply" button and then post regularly. I usually don't use the quick reply button, but it should have worked for you.

In any case, swipes...

You want the controls--the winners/best performing ads--for your swipe file whenever possible.

A couple ways to get them:

1) In the offline world, a good way of determining whether a particular ad is a control or not is to see if it’s repeated. For example, if you see the same ad in a magazine repeated in different issues of that magazine, you can be reasonably sure it’s a control, because magazine display ads are expensive. If it was a test ad, they usually wouldn’t run the ad again unless it became their new control.

In direct mail, if you receive a sales letter and receive the same letter at a later point in time, you can also be reasonably sure it’s a control. Plus, by subscribing to publications like DM News (DMNews.com - The News Leader in Direct, Database and Internet Marketing ) and Who’s Mailing What (WHO'S MAILING WHAT! Archive ), you can keep a pulse on what’s being mailed and shown.

2) Get classic direct response ads from places like http://www.hardtofindads.com . Get John Carlton swipes at OHP Direct - Golf Instructional - Golf School - Golf Training - Golf Teachers - Golf Tips - Lower Scores - and Products - OTS Direct - Body Building and Weight Lifting Resource for starters (click on the individual products). Get Agora swipes at AGORA in Mt. Vernon .

3) Buy swipe files. Clayotn Makepeace's Steal These Secrets (Daniel Levis - Steal These Secrets! ) is a good example and well worth it. Also the books Ken and Michael mentioned above have some. John Carlton sells 'em. So does Ted Nicholas and many others.

That should get you going.

John

There are some good tips posted for creating a healthy swipe file.

I have several of the resources listed above and just bought a year subscription to Monthly Copywriting Genius presented by AWAI - American Writers&Artists Institute a few days ago.

Denny Hatch has already created a killer swipe file - his book "Million Dollar Mailings".

The thing is loaded with DM Controls.