Writing For Profit

One thing you may have difficulty with, especially if you take your creative writing seriously, is adapting your literary writing style to the commercial world.

It's difficult enough trying to write a successful novel, but at least bestselling novels and short stories can be literary and successful - even if not that often. When a 'serious' writer looks at the work of successful copywriters, they can often do little but wince or weep.

Frankly, most copywriters who've made it big will tell you straight: the 'rules' of English grammar you were made to learn at school and college mean little in their 'real' world. What works in copywriting is what works - in other words what works is what sells, and it's rarely pretty.

Now, if you're really good, you can combine good grammar, correct punctuation and a compelling message that persuades people to buy - but if you're really, really good you will realise that as far as copywriting goes it's only the last of those three elements that counts.

'Real' writers might decry the declining standards that exposure to advertising copy, sloppy speech on television and radio, 'textspeak', etc seem to encourage, but a copywriter will remind them that language has only one purpose - communication. If I want you to buy something from me, I'd better explain as clearly as I can just why you should do so, or I simply won't have communicated properly.

So if you really want to write for profit - and copywriting is the most profitable writing there is, you'll be doing yourself a big favour if you look at all the direct advertising you can find, and imitate what works as closely as you possibly can.

There's no point being 'precious' - your writer's skills are far too valuable!


On the subject of writing for profit, I've just had advanced notice of a great new ebook on the subject (not by me). It hasn't been released yet, but if you want to be among the first to get your hands on it, drop me an email or visit me at my Well Versed Ltd website and I'll tell you the moment it's available and how to get your copy.

It's written by a successful professional copywriter and ghostwriter; published author of many articles, editorials etc. She knows the business of writing and the writing business and she's cramming far more information and advice into this ebook than most people would bother with - hence the slight delay - so I can promise it will be well worth waiting for.

As I say, contact me and I'll let you know.