Q. First of all, I have found the advice in your books to be valuable and informative, but the thing I’m missing is the “how”. What I mean by that is that I don’t really know how to write all of these business documents like brochures and manuals. I feel that I am a talented writer and could be successful as a copywriter, but I don’t know the first thing about writing for businesses. I was an assistant editor for a small-town weekly newspaper, and I wrote most of the articles, but that’s really the extent of my writing background. Maybe I’m just missing it in your books, and if so, feel free to bonk me on the head and call me a dunce. Also, I have been to numerous websites trying to find some concrete examples of what I’m looking for, and all I’m finding are classes taught by other copywriters for huge amounts of money. I don’t want to pay that much for something I’m not sure is going to help me.
I guess what I’m asking you is this: Is there a place where I can learn exactly how to write these types of documents, and can I succeed as a copywriter without maintaining an instructional website for other potential writers?
A. I’d reread the “What Will You Be Writing” chapter in TWFW, also visit my copywriting site (NOT like the ones you mention) at www.writeinc.biz and study the portfolio. Also, Bob Bly’s book, “The Copywriter’s Handbook” is a great how-to (write the different kinds of projects) book. And stay tuned to the ezine. I will be rolling out a teleseminar program a bit later this year – four sessions over a month where we study 12-15 samples of different kinds in depth for copy, flow, design and more. And I’ll be limiting each teleclass to no more than 15 people so there will be lots of personal attention.
But you’re right – there aren’t a lot of resources out there to help you with the how-to, and virtually all of the copywriting sites you refer to are about the long-letter direct response type of writing, which I actually do very little of. Mine’s all corporate stuff.