Dont Be Satisfied With Your First Draft -

Home
>
Copywriting
>
Dont Be Satisfied With Your First Draft

Dont Be Satisfied With Your First Draft

Sometimes it's a struggle to figure out what's the best thing to say.

You're writing a heading, the first sentence of an email, the introduction to a newsletter, a short description on a homepage.

But what should you say? When you have just a few words, what's the best message?

One of the ways I employ to help me with this task is to first weed out what I DON'T want to say.

I'll write a number of different opening sentences for an email, for instance. Then I'll start hacking away at the ones that don't carry the right message, or that carry the right message badly.

Knowing you're going to cut away the bad versions, it's easy to start a flow of different lines. You're not under pressure to make every line brilliant, because you know that most will be discarded.

This process also applies a very useful discipline; it makes you write down a large number of different lines, different options.

This, in itself, is a good thing.

Far too often, particularly when under the pressure of deadlines, we make do with the first opening that jumps to mind. Unless you are a full-time genius, that first thought is unlikely to be the best one.

Listing, and then eliminating copy lines makes you think. It makes you stop and really consider what it is you really should be saying.

Better still, it makes you self-critical and more determined to deliver the best line possible.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.

In The News:

Best Syndication
Search Engine Optimization and Copywriting Will Help Your Business ...
Best Syndication, CA - Jul 1, 2008
This is where Professional Copywriting and SEO comes in. Working hand in hand these 2 industries will now produce amazing results for your website. ...
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves: Ethical SEOs and Search Engineers ... Inside CRM
Guaranteed Search Engine Optimization - Is it a scam? Promotion World (press release)
all 3 news articles

Web copywriting: setting the record straight
Bizcommunity.com, South Africa - Jun 30, 2008
As it turns out, web copywriting is a contentious issue - peppered with strongly differing views and hotly defended opinions. At this kitchen of contention, ...

ABC Copywriting Unveils New Website
PR-USA.net (press release), Bulgaria - Jun 28, 2008
(PRWEB) June 27, 2008 -- ABC Copywriting, the independent copywriting agency based in Norwich, UK, has created a new site providing full details of its ...

Web copywriting a different beast to copywriting
Bizcommunity.com, South Africa - Jun 12, 2008
And just because web copywriting and copywriting have one word in common, doesn't make them the same animal. In truth, they're two different beasts ...

NewsReleaseWire.com (press release)
So Cal spurs volunteerism through comic copywriting-Such as 'Will ...
NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) - Jun 14, 2008
So Cal spurs volunteerism through comic copywriting-Such as 'Will work for Korean BBQ' bylines. With floods in the Midwest and the loss of a favorite ...

Copywriting: Words To Make Your Visitor Buy Your Product
Gather.com, MA - Jun 12, 2008
However, most copywriting ads lack the call to action statement. Missing this vital part of your copywriting can mean a significant loss in your potential ...

Marketing Expert Reveals the 19 New Rules of Social Media ...
PR-USA.net (press release), Bulgaria - Jun 6, 2008
Entitled The 19 NEW Rules of Social Media Copywriting, this Special Report provides marketers 19 powerful copywriting tips to turbo charge their social ...

B2b Direct Mail Copywriting
MarketingProfs.com (subscription), CA - Jun 16, 2008
Ok, so here is the situation. I am pulling to get some copy for a series of three over-sized postcards that we are going to be sending out to financial ...

Copywriting and translation services now available in 11 official ...
Bizcommunity.com, South Africa - Jun 9, 2008
Recently relaunched Copywriters.co.za - the freelance copywriters collective - now introduces a translation, proofreading and editing service in over 140 ...

"I received calls from people interested in my new business within ...
MediaSyndicate (press release) - Jul 1, 2008
"The Writing Workshop copywriting course consists of copywriting lessons backed up by lesson tasks, workbooks and assignments to ensure you get the results ...

copywriting - Google News