The case against “hype run amok”

The case against “hype run amok”

So your product spokesperson hasn’t made the New York Times bestselling list. They haven’t been quoted in any major media. They’re nowhere near being considered a “household name” or well-recognized expert. But guess what? It...
How to break copywriting rules like an artist…

How to break copywriting rules like an artist…

Scripts. Templates. Formulas. God help ’em, people LOVE them! They promise to make copywriting easier… faster… surer. They’re like their own “unique mechanism” that gives you some sort of edge or shortcut.  Just like many of the...
“Long or short?” Two hair-raising breakdowns…

“Long or short?” Two hair-raising breakdowns…

I’ll never forget when I was working my first job out of college and living in Washington, DC. At least half my take-home pay went towards my share of a cockroach-infested Connecticut Avenue apartment. The rest had to cover groceries (what groceries? the fridge...
Surprising secret to my copywriting success

Surprising secret to my copywriting success

Over the past few decades as a freelance copywriter, I’ve racked up a lot of big winners. I’m talking about dozens of successful controls, some of which ran for as long as 11 years (in fact, that one still’s running)… and I’ve even beaten...
The cure for client jacka*sery

The cure for client jacka*sery

I’ve been talking a lot about “mansplaining” lately, but that’s far from the worst thing that happens to both women and men when we’re dealing with clients… There’s a lengthy list of bad behavior, costly hassles, and other...
I got you

I got you

I may well be the only copywriter or marketer on the planet who hasn’t emailed their audience with some kind of reference to the slapping incident on last Sunday night’s Oscars show. And at this point, not only am I personally sick of hearing about it (as...