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The Copywriting Connection

In This Issue: A Message from Kelly Feature Article: Does your copy flow like a river? Copywriters Challenge Word of the Week Special Offer Tools for Your Success	December 18, 2007 - Vol. 10 Issue 3
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A Message from Kelly

Welcome to The Copywriting Connection! This week we are examining the flow of your copy. Is your copy easy to read? Does the content follow a natural progression? The best place to check for these two important must have's is at the end of the writing process. Ensuring you have systems in place to proof your copy before submitting the final draft to your client is key to eliminating errors and guaranteeing high quality work. This week's feature article provides tips for you to get started.

Are you ready for the copywriting boom in 2008? BtoB's "2008 Marketing Priorities and Plan" survey found that 60% of marketers plan to increase their marketing budgets next year – which means more opportunities for copywriting work for freelance copywriters! Is your name out there? Do your prospects know who you are when they are ready to contract out their copywriting needs? Are your marketing systems in place and set to continue while you are swamped writing all this copy? If the answer is no, we have a simple solution for you….check out our copywriter's business building course special.

Happy Copywriting!

Kelly

Does your copy flow like a river?

Don't you love it when everything in your life flows smoothly? Days when everything clicks together without effort…you arrive at your appointments on time without rushing, projects are running on schedule, you get the first parking spot in the lot, you are NOT out of milk for breakfast...days like this are what I dream of.

As entrepreneurs, we strive to create systems and routines so that we and our businesses run smoothly and we don't spend our days putting out fires. Creating systems and implementing checklists improves customer service and reduces errors, thereby giving us more time to create positive experiences and a flow to our day.

Just like your life and your business should flow, your copy should read smoothly and flow too. When you've worked on a project for several days and rewritten pages countless times, it's easy to overlook something as intangible as the smoothness of the copy. It's common for copywriters to run out of time and not give their copy a "smoothness check" when complete.

One of the ways we ensure seamlessness in our life and business is to put systems or routines in place. The repetitive nature of checklists and systems helps reduce errors and ensure consistency. Here are a few things you can do to ensure seamlessness so that your copy flows in a natural manner each and every time:

Read your copy out loud when you are done. This is the number one way I've found to check for flow. Print out your copy and read it out loud. Notice this is two steps: Print and Vocalize. Reading the content off your computer screen in your head does not have the same effect.
Have someone else read your copy out loud to you. Listen carefully to what they read. If there are areas where the reader unnaturally pauses or gets stuck and backs up to reread a section, you need to go back to work on it.
Create a post-writing checklist. I shared mine with you in Volume 8 Issue #4 of The Copywriting Connection. This ensures nothing gets missed and elevates the quality of your copy.
If there are areas that don't flow smoothly, ask yourself if you have effectively used transitions between thoughts and paragraphs throughout the piece.
Put the finished copy down for a day or two and then do one final read through before turning in the final copy. If you can get away from your work and do something restful and enjoyable before doing the final read-through, it will help you be more objective.

Your copy should flow like a river downstream...seamlessly and without any dams jamming things up. Lack of transitions, running behind and rushing to submit copy without thoroughly proofing, and not having another person read it out loud are some of the most common reasons copy doesn't flow.

It is your job to create automatic systems to ensure your copy is easy to read and understand.

Want to use this article for your e-zine or web site? No problem! Just let us know at support@thecopywritinginstitute. We'll send you a short bio to include at the end of the article.

Copywriters Challenge

I challenge you to implement a post-writing "flow system" to check the seamlessness and flow of your copy.

Word of the Week

This week's word of the week is adulate [aj-uh-leyt]. Adulate means to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely. Joey wanted to adulate his new boss in order to become his right hand man.

Special Offer

Is your copywriting business prepared for the influx of copywriting projects projected for 2008? Is your name top of mind in your target market - enough so that your prospects will think of YOU and find YOU before anyone else?

I ask you these questions because I care about your success and see some exciting things on the horizons for 2008. A recent survey by BtoB magazine found that an overwhelming 60% of marketers plan to increase their spending next year! 60% is a phenomenally high percentage - usually we see numbers this time of year about marketers decreasing their spending, not increasing it.

Are you ready??????

If your marketing is not effective right now, if you're not getting the copywriting business that's out there right now (and let me assure you, it is. I've had one of my most profitable years writing copy ever - and so have many of my best coaching clients), something is wrong and you need to fix it fast to catch the wave that is coming.

You need to act now. Is 2008 a time of change for you, or will it be the same as 2007?

The Copywriting Institute's Build Your Copywriting Business Course can help you be ready to catch the wave.

Here's a summary of what's included:

5 audio CDs orally explaining each lesson/assignment
5 sections in a workbook for each lesson/assignment
6 CDs of interviews with business building experts – from marketing directors to experienced copywriters
5 - 30 minute coaching sessions one-on-one with Kelly – one for each lesson

This course is only $750 or 3 payments of $260

Get prepared now for 2008! Be prepared to catch the wave of copywriting work coming our way in January!

FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: SAVE $50 if you register before December 31st. Use coupon code: BYCB50 when checking out to apply your discount:
www.TheCopywritingInstitute.com/buildyourbusiness.html

The time to catch the wave of copywriting projects is NOW. Don't delay or you will miss out on a great opportunity to easily make high profits and attract new copywriting clients in 2008. Register for the build your copywriting business class TODAY.

Tools for your Success

www.copywritersboard.com - This forum is a online community for copywriters to help others in the copywriting industry and get feedback from others as well. It is a fr ee place you can go for support. Check it out!