Ah…Sweet Vindication!

Do you remember my rant about dealing with wannabe writers? I mentioned a client who had majored in journalism and how they have a tendency to nitpick your copy.

It seems that he wasn’t a partner in the venture as he claimed. He was an employee and didn’t have authorization to hire me.

When I sent a follow-up invoice noting that the bill was past due, I got a call from the real owner.

The former “partner” was no longer with the company, but had left some of my work in his desk when he departed. They needed more work done (including rewriting work that he’d done) and asked if I was available.

We reached an agreement on the outstanding bill and I now have a new (legitimate, this time) client.

I shouldn’t have picked on all journalism majors. I’ve worked with some who are great writers but admit that they aren’t copywriters. Others have more work than they can handle.

I guess the lesson here is to beware of someone who spends too most of his time telling you how great he is.

Warning! Warning! Danger Will Robinson!

“I Majored in Journalism,” may be the scariest words you can hear a prospective client say. They’ve just given you notice that they are going to micro-manage your copy every step of the way. Now this is not true of every client…but when they emphasize it, it means that they wanted to make a living as a writer and never had the chance. They will try to live their dream vicariously through you.

There are a lot of people out there who think that copywriting is the same as any other writing project. T’aint so…but you’ll never convince a wannabe Hemingway of that. You will spend an inordinate amount of time explaining the reasoning behind each word, sentence, and paragraph. They will give you the old camel response (nodding their head and saying, “Hmmm.”) and change the copy anyway.

That wouldn’t be a problem if they were willing to accept the blame if the piece doesn’t work. Usually though, they’ll point to the copywriter and say it was your lack of skill. This problem is most prevalent with folks who’ve never worked with a copywriter.

Then, of course, you’ve got the tire kickers. They wanted to find out what you charge and have you write a sample. Then they will use those ideas to write their own piece and not use you at all.

I enjoy working with new clients who appreciate what I bring to the table. I also enjoy the give and take of ideas as we work through a project. I’m always willing to learn something new. I spend thousands of dollars a year on continuing education, just to get better at this business. Give me an old hand company who uses copywriters, any day. The knowledge gained working for them is invaluable.

Where The Rubber Meets The Road.

As a copywriter, you don’t always get to see how well your promo or package does.
If you do get to see results, it may be in general terms.

If it beats the current control, you’ll hear about it, and…if it bombs (heaven forbid) you may hear about that too.
Then again, you may just never get any work from that client or his friends ever again.

If you want a real education about launching a promotion, start your own business and write all of the copy associated with that start-up. If you plan to sell online, you can get almost instant feedback as to how well your copy sells.

I am involved with a start-up online company. I accepted a partnership in lieu of my standard copywriting fee.
Now, that sounds like a great deal (and as we get further along, it will be) but initially all of the revenue goes to build the business.
The scary part is when you start to advertise. Will the ads draw? Will the copy sell once they get to the site? Have we priced it properly for maximum profit?
It doesn’t take long for you to find out.

When we launched, I asked for feedback from a few friends.
Most of them said my copy was too long…nobody would read it.
Others said the website was too amateurish, people wouldn’t buy from a site like that.
Well, we’ve proven them wrong.
The site and the copy sells product. Could it be better? Sure! And as we make more money, we’ll upgrade.
In the meantime, we’re looking at economical ways to get our message out and drive people to our site.
I’ll continue to “tweak” the copy as we go.

If you want to see what the site and the copy looks like, go to www.integritea.com.
Tell me what you think. I’m a big boy...I can take it.

The unkindest cut of all.

We’re planning a surprise birthday party for my mother-in-law. The whole family has gotten involved and we’ve divided the chores and expense.

My sister-in-law and her husband are very busy with one kid in college and one in high school about to graduate. To top that off they care for my brother-in-law’s invalid mother.

When we divvy’ed up the duties, it was decided that they would handle the invitations, as they would be out of town during the time leading up to the party. The invitation that he designed did not meet with his wife’s (my sister-in-law’s) approval. To be honest it was creative but more suited to a children’s party.

We were asked for our input. Since I write for a living…I put all of my skills to bear on the project with help from my wife. We incorporated the theme of the decorations…”Aged to perfection!” into the invitation. It also included the caveat that this was a “very shrewd lady” so keep it a surprise.

We were told that it sounded too formal and that Mom might not like being referred to as shrewd. (Should I have said, “She’s not too bright, but let’s keep it a secret anyway, so she doesn’t catch on?”)

The upshot is that my wife is mad at her sister and I may have started a family feud.

First lesson learned: Always write at the 7th grade level or below. A college degree does not guarantee comprehension…or understanding of nuance. (Both of my in-laws have college degrees…my wife and I do not.)

Second lesson learned: Never ask family for a critique of your work. (On second thought…if they don’t get it, neither will your customer.)

Am I worried about my sister-in-law reading this post? Nah…if she didn’t understand “shrewd”, I guarantee she won’t understand nuance, comprehension, caveat, or any other words of more than one syllable.

P.S. If your degree is from the same school she went to…write and I’ll explain it to you.