Lesson #1: Don’t let distractions be your downfall.

I had a lot of personal and family stress in 2011, which ended up being a constant distraction that affected my work productivity. As a freelance writer working alone, it can be hard to detach from the day-to-day drama of life. If you’re not careful, the days can easily get filled with other people’s problems rather than your client’s projects.

Focus on one aspect of your life at a time: work or home. Freelance writing takes an enormous amount of self discipline. When your non-writing life becomes overwhelming, find a way to carve out a set number of hours each day to focus exclusively on work – and refuse to let your mind wander to non-work thoughts. When those hours are over, give yourself permission to put your work aside and focus on your home or personal life. In the long run, you’ll be a more productive freelance writer and a more attentive spouse/partner/parent/friend.

Lesson #2: Prioritize your projects and plan your day.

As your business grows, you’ll likely find that there aren’t enough hours in your day to complete everything on your to-do list, even if you limit distractions. That’s why it’s important to develop a system for prioritizing your work tasks and planning your day.

Although there aren’t any hard and fast rules for prioritizing your work tasks, you’ll generally want to focus on billable writing projects during your peak hours of productivity. For me, that’s usually 8am until noon. Using this four-hour time window as an example, I might schedule 1.5 hours for a longer project and break the remaining hours into shorter segments assigned to various writing assignments. I often use the use the early morning to answer email or finish up something quick and easy and later afternoon hours to tackle busy work, such as paying bills or invoicing clients. When possible, save personal tasks, like laundry and errands, for evenings or weekends.

In the middle of my crazy 2011 year, I bought a large white board and hung it in my office. I made a project list for every client and wrote the list on my white board, using a color-coded system to prioritize tasks and milestones by due date so I have an at-a-glance visual of my current workload. I also have a column for “Today’s To-Do” list and update it each morning. Currently, my white board has nearly 30 ongoing and one-off projects-in-progress spread across nearly a dozen clients. (In case you’re wondering, that’s a heavy work backlog, even for me!) Without my white board, I’m pretty sure that some of those projects would slip through the cracks.

Lesson #3: Pay attention to procrastination.

Procrastination was a regular visitor to my copywriting business in 2011. But the more it knocked on my door, the more I tried to hide from it. Until the threat of deadlines drove me to invite procrastination in for a heart-to-heart talk.

What I discovered is that, for every project I put off, there was an underlying reason why. To move beyond procrastination, I needed to identify why I was stuck. Some examples:

Inexperience – In 2011, I had several writing assignments that were completely new to me. Frankly, since I had never written these types of documents before, I didn’t know how or where to begin. Asking my clients for additional guidance was a tremendous help. Once I better understood their objectives, it was easier to begin these unique projects.

Repetition – When you’ve been in business for several years, it sometimes seems like you’ve written everything you can on a given topic. Trying to find a fresh way to present a repeating message isn’t always easy. To overcome this challenge, I took a step back from my client’s messaging and put myself in their prospect’s shoes. If I were looking to buy XYZ, I wouldn’t care if the message was fresh as long as it resonated with my needs.

Fatigue – Chronic stress and sleep deprivation wreck havoc on creativity. In a misguided attempt to get my work done despite feeling exhausted – emotionally and physically – I pushed myself to stay in my office even when I wasn’t getting much done. But getting up earlier and spending longer hours at my desk proved to be ineffective methods for overcoming procrastination. When I recognized this, and gave myself permission to catch up on some much-needed rest and take extra time off during the holidays, I was able to start the new year with a fresh perspective – and genuine enthusiasm for my work.

Did 2011 teach you any lessons about managing your copywriting business? If so, feel free to share them by adding your comment below.

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For a limited time (maybe a week, maybe longer), you can get 8 Internet marketing worksops for free!

Dave Navarro is closing the curtains on The Launch Coach, and for the next week or so he is offering all 8 of his bestselling workshops for no charge. Although donations are welcome, they aren’t required. And you don’t have to opt-in to a list either.

Here are just a few of the great workshops you can download:

• Creating Products that Sell
• Building a Responsive List
• Optimizing Your Blog for Sales
• Becoming Incredible Productive

Simply click here to access and download the workshop content.

Personally, I made a donation and downloaded every transcript, worksheet, video tutorial and audio file that was available because it’s really great stuff and an opportunity like this doesn’t come around very often.

Sadly, there’s a reason why Dave is shutting down his business. If you want to read the backstory, click here to read all about it at IttyBiz. The story has all the drama and intrigue of a New York Times bestseller and will leave you shaking your head in disbelief. (To be clear, I’m not affiliated with Dave Navarro, The Launch Coach or IttyBiz in any way and have nothing to gain or lose through this offer.)

But whether you read Dave’s story or not, make sure you grab his stuff before it’s gone.

Enjoy what’s left of the long weekend!Similar Posts:

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• When Disaster Strikes, Fall on Your Sword
• The Problem with Assumptions

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Note: this is a guest post by John Forde. You can read more of John’s stuff at the Copywriter’s Roundtable.

How fast do you write? And is it fast enough?

If you’re a newbie writer, it’s rare you’ll write both “fast” AND “well” at the same time. Frankly, that might be the case for your whole writing career.

Some copywriters just need more time than others.

That said, hitting deadlines and hitting a lot of them in a year can give you a big edge over the competition.

So what’s the secret to writing quality copy in record time? I should also say up front, I’m constantly working toward the answer myself.

For instance, I’m faster now but still take longer than I’d like. In the beginning, that’s because I simply had to figure out the right steps to take. I was learning on the go.

Today, I’ve got the process down pat (I’d better, after nearly 20 years on the job). But when I take long, it’s almost always because I need the time to massage the message and make sure I get it right.

And of course, some projects just take longer than others because that’s how it is. So exactly how much time, in general, should your writing take?

These days, when I’m just writing in unrefined style, for notes or drafts or only my own review, I could probably squeeze 3 to 5 pages into two hours.

But I don’t write final copy nearly fast. Those five pages might get whittled down to a half page. Or even get cut entirely.

That said…

I could probably bank out a good sidebar or one-page lift letter in about 20-30 minutes.

The same goes for a good renewal letter or highly polished reply page, both in under 30 minutes.

To write copy for an introductory web page, I might take an afternoon.

A 5 page sales letter would take me a week at most, where a 16-page or 24-page promo would take a month.

Longer promos — I’ve written up to 50+ pages — take about the same, only because it’s easier to write long.

If any of these is a launch promo for a product that’s never been sold before, it takes about 10% longer.

Unless, of course, you’re talking about a product that’s just a mess. That’s always a quagmire.

Which is yet another good reason to only say yes to products you like and respect. Because those promos can practically write themselves… right?

And what a great way to segue into a list of tips that might help you’re writing speed along, as follows…

Tip #1 – Cherry-pick Your Projects

This is important. The better you get, the more clients will want access to your time. In the beginning, take projects that challenge you.

Later, when you’re more skilled, still keep your plate a little more than full. But be careful to avoid projects that will bog you down without offering a proportionate return.

Which are these?

As an example, be wary of the poorly baked project idea with no real benefit for the audience. If the client can’t sell you on it, you can’t sell his prospects on it either.

Be wary of projects without a champion on the client side too. Or projects that don’t yet have at least 85% of the pieces in place before you get started.

Tip #2 – Know Your Load

Four solid hours of writing, day in and day out, is a pretty solid pace. One can often go longer. But writing can be physically draining, if you’re doing it right.

And four solid hours of focus on producing new copy should get most writers to that point. The rest of the day, they might spend researching, reading, or editing draft copy from the prior day.

That said, Bob Bly is one of the most prolific writers I know. He told me once that he stays fresh by working on one project for about four hours in the morning…than switches to another for four in the afternoon.

Me, I can’t help thinking about a new project once I know the details. For that reason, I don’t like to know one iota of new info on a new project until I’ve finished or I’m close to finishing the last one.

Otherwise I’ll get distracted.

Tip #3 – Gather Your Resources, Part I

One of the best ways to accelerate the pace on any writing project is to feed yourself mind-nourishing, creativity-nurturing information.

Read up, interview, discuss. Do anything you can to get loads of information piled up on your mental workbench.

Call the most central figure for the product that the client can offer and do a phone interview. Record it and start typing as you play it back.

Added bonus: Not only will you speed up your whole creative process, you’ll find this the most perfect antidote to the so-called “writer’s block,” (an affliction most research-heavy writers will tell you doesn’t really exist).

Tip #4 – Build Your Framework

Once you’ve got a grasp on the general direction you’ll need to take in the promo, you’ll want — no, need — to make an outline.

Too many early writers skip this step.

The benefit of an outline is that you know where you need to go. But you also know, as you pile up research and ideas, where you DON’T need to go.

And that’s equally important.

Tip #5 – Gather Your Resources, Part II

Once you’ve pulled together a rough outline of where you’re headed and you’ve started pouring them into the organizing template I just mentioned, you’ll immediately realize… you need more.

So you’ll go out again and start hunting to fill the holes. Pile up more web links, magazine clippings, and notes from studying the product and the customer base.

Yes, it’s possible to overdo research. You’ll know that’s happening when you find yourself proving most things for the second or third time.

But be aware, the research part of your copywriting process should almost always take AT LEAST as much time as you’ll spend on writing. Possibly double that.

Tip #6 – Try Writing in 3D

You would think that writing the beginning first, the middle second, and the end last would be the best way to go. And for many writers, that’s precisely the path the follow.

However, I’d personally recommend creating a writing system that’s a little more non-linear. What do I mean by that?

Research, ideas, phrases… tend to arrive in a disorderly fashion, just like a conversation that leaps from one topic to another entirely.

So what I do is write in sections. I actually create separate, labeled parts of my file in Word. These sections match my outline or “mind-map” of the message I’d like to deliver.

Then, as I research and revise, I jump back and forth between sections, adding to one, tightening another, and copying and moving pieces of ideas.

Each area fleshes out at roughly the same time, then I reorganize them to fit the more logical, linear outline that will underlie the final piece.

Tip #7 – When in Doubt, Write Your Close First

Here’s an interesting idea — start at the end. And I can give you at least two solid reasons to do this.

First, because the offer you write will, word for word, have more impact on the prospect than any other section of the promo — save for the headline and lead. If the offer stinks, you haven’t got a chance no matter how brilliant your copywriting.

Second, because knowing specifically how you’ll close the sale gives you a target to shoot for. This, too, is a great defense against the tangents that can knock you off the trail of your sales message all too easily.

Tip #8 – Give Your Lead Time to Ripen

New writers kill themselves looking for the perfect words, right out of the gate. Don’t. Just get it on the page and know you’ll come back to rework it later.

Trust me, it’s easier.

If you have to, put the headline and lead copy in a separate document or on one side of split writing screen. You can go back to it over and over again as you write to make it stronger.

I always to this, changing the lead 10… 20… or even more times before I’m through. Sometimes I even open a blank document and pound out new “test” lead ideas, knowing I’ll throw most of them away.

The less time you spend polishing words the moment they come to you, the happier you’ll be. You’re more likely to end up with better quality, too.

Tip #9 – “Copyify” Your Notes

Not everybody can do this, but it’s a powerful tool if you can. All this means is simply getting used to taking your notes as “copy-speak,” the moment you write them down.

For instance, let’s say you’re writing for an investment product and you’re interviewing one of the experts.

When he says he has a great track record in picking resource stocks, you don’t write down “Be sure to mention last year’s booming commodity market to support resource buying op”… but instead, you go ahead and improvise a piece of copy: e.g. “Last year’s booming commodities market is the perfect example. Had you subscribed to my ‘Dirt, Rocks, and Other Investments’ advisory service then, you’d already be up XXX% on Mud Futures alone by now.”

If you can record your ideas in a way that’s at least a little closer to the copy language you’ll use, you’ll get better and better at writing copy on the fly. This really cuts back on time when you’re actually ready to sit down and write the full draft.

Tip #10 – Use Markers and Shortcuts

This last one is a small thing.

Let’s say you’re writing and you need to cite a stat or some other number or fact in your copy, DON’T stop to look it up. Rather, just use an “XX” or something similar to mark where you’ll drop it in later.

Why?

Because as much as good copy needs a lot of rewriting, each draft benefits from momentum. Somehow, it comes across in the reading later.

It’s like smiling while you talk on the phone.

Listeners — or in this case, readers — can “hear” the excitement and speed.

Are there other ways that help you write faster? I’m sure there are. If you have your own favorite tricks, just write in to let me know!

Copywriter Confession: I’ve been a subscriber of John Forde’s newsletter for a long time – his content is fantastic. When you subscribe to John’s newsletter at the Copywriter’s Roundtable, you’ll get $78 in free gifts.Similar Posts:

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Does your copy capture the reader’s attention in the first sentence – and hold their attention until the final word? If not, it’s time to make your copy sing.

Copy that sings evokes emotion in the reader by prompting a smile, touching on pain or initiating introspection. It also provides the promise of a solution (more smiles, relief of pain, answers for introspective questions.)

Most importantly, however, writing copy that sings inspires the reader to take action, whether that’s signing up for a free newsletter, scheduling a product demo, taking advantage of a special offer or simply calling for more information. And getting the reader to take action is the purpose of a marketing copywriter.

If your copy is a bit out of tune, use the following formula to write copy that sings!

Vary Sentence Length

Varying your sentence length creates a rolling rhythm that keeps the reader engaged. Let five words follow thirteen. Then use three. Now swing the other way by using a longer sentence once again. And don’t be afraid to use single-word sentences. Really.

Use Punctuation Wisely

Punctuation also creates rhythm in your copy. But use it wisely, or you’ll end up with cluttered prose. Most writers favor certain types of punctuation – and their choices help define their writing tone and style. Here are some of my favorites (and why I like them):

• I love em dashes to highlight important points – and use them more than I should
• Parentheses are perfect for side notes (just don’t overdo it)
• Dot, dot, dot is great when you want the reader to pause . . . or draw their own conclusion
• Use italics for emphasis

Keep Paragraphs Short

In most cases, writing copy in blocks of three to five sentences will hold your reader’s attention better than longer paragraphs. This is especially true when writing copy for the Web. Long paragraphs are intimidating and are often slow to make a point. Short, snappy paragraphs get to the point and move the reader down the page.

Use Subheads to Tell a Story

In today’s world of information overload, many readers will scan the page before determining whether to read it in more detail. Using headlines to tell a story is a great way to deliver your key points to scanners and keep the detailed readers engaged. Take this article for example. Even if you don’t read the whole thing (not recommended!), you’ll leave with the keys to writing copy that sings:

• Vary sentence length
• Use punctuation wisely
• Keep paragraphs short
• Use subheads to tell a story
• End with a call to action

Which brings me to my final point . . .

End with a Call to Action

At the end of a great concert, applause erupts and the crowd often chants, “Encore! Encore! Encore!” The call to action is your copy’s encore – the final note that leaves your reader wanting more and provides an easy way to get it. Serve it up in style, but be specific: tell them what action to take (click, call, register), and what they’ll get in return (happiness, pain relief, answers to their questions).

Copywriter Confession: When writing your first draft, don’t worry about making your copy sing. Your editing phase will give you plenty of opportunity to refine your delivery to ensure you hit the high notes.Similar Posts:

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