Tag Archives: Sales Letter

Get your copy reviewed for free

An exciting bit of news here. You see, I can finally invite you to become a part of the secret project I’ve been working on with my good friend and copywriting expert, Nick O’Connor. Like me, Nick is a former Agora man. He’s written direct response copy that has made millions over the years. Despite […]

Why ‘just write’ is dumb advice

There’s a piece of copywriting advice that gets thrown around a lot. I think it’s about as helpful as being represented in court by a hysterical, drunken crab in a case where you’ve been accused of employing crustaceans in inappropriate positions and intoxicating said crustaceans, particularly decapods, against their will. To be clear: it is […]

Rarely slim, always shady

Hello you. It’s been a while. I hope you’re doing good, and things are going well? I know what you’re thinking… It’s either: A) What are you doing contacting me like this? You said we’d meet at the back of the warehouse. B) Do you remember Harold Bishop from Neighbours? Or… C) Glenn, where have you been, you crazy, […]

Why you should spend more time in bed with your reader

Writing copy to grab your reader’s attention is hard. You might spend weeks testing different ideas for nothing. Even if the product or service you’re selling is great, it doesn’t necessarily make writing captivating copy any easier. But there is an exercise you can do to write copy with a much greater chance of success. […]

Don’t hide your best stuff: the importance of top-loading copy

A long copy sales letter can run to around 10,000 words… Writing so much copy takes a while. So, it figures you’re going to have moments deep into the writing process when fresh inspiration comes. I had this recently with a letter I’ve been working on for a financial newsletter in the US. The idea […]

How to manage all the different ideas in your head

Do you ever think you might be going mad? Maybe it’s just me. My fiancée would certainly attest to that. It’s usually a relief for her to leave the house in the morning after suffering a breakfast spent listening to my rambling nonsense. But I don’t think I’m the only one, right? We copywriters are all a […]

Putting the proof in your persuasive pudding

A quick reminder before I get into this piece… My fiancée Ruth and I…otherwise known as ‘Gluth’…are running the Great Grimsby 10k this year and raising money for the British Heart Foundation. For the many readers outside the UK who are wondering what on earth ‘Great Grimsby’ is…it’s where I’m from. Grimsby is a small fishing port on […]

Why it’s important to cultivate your own copy peers

Do you have a couple of copywriting friends in your contacts you can ask to review your writing? In fact, they don’t even have to by copywriters… Your partner…your friend from school…your Dad or Grandma? The key is you have a couple of people who you trust to be open with criticism and won’t be […]

Good collaboration makes for good copy

Copywriting can sometimes be like a lonely game… There you are, hidden away in your office, staring out over the rooftops, to the pavilion across the way… You see a man walking his dog and consider the fact that a few hours ago it would have been you walking your dog on that same pavilion. You wonder […]

A critical copywriting tool: the swipe file and how to build one

Do you have a swipe file? You hopefully do. And if that is the case, rather than read this email, go read this interesting interview with post-punk legend Ian MacKaye instead. But if you don’t already have a swipe file, or you do have one and you’d like to discover some of my own swipe file secrets… Well, I guess you should keep […]