Literary Insights

BOOK LINK:

Here is a summary of the key points about the book “Write to Sell” by Andy Maslen:

The book aims to help readers write better sales copy faster by sharing professional copywriting secrets and practical tips/techniques.
Maslen wants to inspire and entertain while teaching, showing that good copywriting doesn’t need to be difficult.
Copywriting is primarily about selling, not just writing. Understanding human psychology helps influence readers.
Effective copy focuses on the reader, not the writer/company. It aims to meet readers’ needs and motivate them to action.
Short, simple language works best even for complex topics. Readers engage more with “down to earth” words.
Most people lack the relevant selling experience and writing skills for good copywriting.
The book provides insights into gaining a reader’s attention, respect and trust.
Readers can learn confidence in a new approach and the link between selling and writing skills.
Tips and techniques can help save time, effort and mistakes when writing sales copy.

In summary, the book presents copywriting as a sales process focused on the reader, and shares Maslen’s experience to help others write effective sales materials through a practical, engaging approach.

The most important thing in writing sales copy is understanding your reader, not just your product or company. You need to speak directly to the reader’s wants, needs and motivations.
Readers are more likely to engage with content that focuses on themselves rather than on the writer or company. They will tune out copy that isn’t immediately relevant or beneficial to them.
Good copywriters study human psychology and build a profile of the typical reader to understand what really grabs their attention and interests them. Factors like age, gender, values and priorities should inform the messaging.
Instead of focusing on features, the copy should highlight concrete benefits for the reader - how will the product or service make their life easier, better or more rewarding? Talking up benefits is key to capturing interest.
Drawing on ideas from theology, one approach is to leverage certain “sins” or human tendencies like pride, envy or greed to make the reader feel positively about the offering. Play to their vanity, sense of missing out, or desire for riches.

The overall message is that truly effective sales copy puts the reader’s needs and perspective front and center, rather than focusing on the product or company. Understanding human psychology is important for crafting persuasive messaging.

The passage encourages marketers to understand readers on an emotional level rather than just viewing them as data points. It says people buy based on emotions first, so marketers should aim to appeal to common human emotional drivers like those associated with the seven deadly sins - gluttony, lust, anger, greed, sloth.

It recommends getting to know readers by going to interact with them directly at shops, call centers, conferences rather than relying solely on second-hand reports. Talking to customers and salespeople can provide insights into what really motivates readers and keeps them up at night. The passage advocates using imagination to put oneself in the reader’s shoes if direct interaction is not possible. An example of developing a mental picture of a magazine’s reader through conversations is provided.

When writing copy, it is important to understand your readers on a psychological level rather than just their purchasing history.
Readers can be understood by identifying personal attributes that reflect what they are running towards (motivations) and running away from (fears/dislikes).
Common attributes include busy (running towards more time, away from to do list), tired (running towards sleep, away from stress), ambitious (running towards money/power, away from low status).
To get inside a reader’s head, the author recommends using imagination to envision talking to an imaginary friend version of the reader and asking them questions.
Key emotions that motivate readers are fear and greed, so focusing on what they are afraid of and greedy for provides insight.
When writing for multiple readers, identify a “typical reader” that represents common traits rather than trying to write for all readers at once.
The chapter then discusses writing business-to-business copy, emphasizing that business decisions are still made by individuals who have personal motivations and emotions beyond just business rationale.
When writing B2B copy, the recommendation is to focus on benefits to the business rather than just features, and to address the needs of all relevant decision makers within an organization.
You must be very clear about what your main message or goal is before starting to write any sales or marketing copy. Without a clear goal or message, the copy will likely be boring and unclear.
It’s important to understand your target reader - their needs, motivations, problems, desires that your product or service can fulfill. Write for them, not for yourself or your company.
Plan first before writing. Take time to think through answers to questions like what you want to achieve, who you’re writing for, what your main message is, how much space you have, how you want to come across, and deadlines.
Do the initial planning on paper rather than on a computer screen. This allows for a freer flow of ideas without focus on formatting or syntax. Use mind maps, bullet points, Post-its to capture ideas.
Organize your plan into logical themes or sections that tell a story or move the reader toward your desired goal.
The end result of planning should be a one-page written plan that outlines your goal, the sections/paragraphs, and ideas for presenting your main points. Having a clear plan makes the actual writing process easier.
Commercial goals for the copy could include making a sale, encouraging trials, getting email opt-ins, meetings/visits, renewals, etc. The goal should drive the writing.

The key idea is that copywriters should focus on benefits rather than features when writing sales copy. While it may seem like you are selling a specific product or service, what you are really selling are the benefits and value it provides to the customer.

Some important points:

Customers don’t care about the product itself, they care about what it does for them - things like saving time, money, improving appearance or status, etc.
You need to “dramatize” the facts about your product in terms of these benefits to make the sale. Sell the benefits, not just describe the product.
Think about what your product or service really competes with from the customer’s perspective, not just other similar products. For example, a fountain pen competes with status symbols more than basic pens.
Use techniques like “painting a picture” to show customers benefits through descriptive writing, rather than just telling them facts. Compare “life with your product” to “life without it.”
Ask questions to help identify the key messages and benefits that will appeal most to your target audience when writing the sales copy.

The overall message is to focus on benefits and value rather than just describing features, in order to better persuade customers and achieve the desired results from the sales copy.

Here is a summary of the key points from Chapter 10:

The AIDCA model is a classic framework for writing copy that gets Attention, creates Interest, inspires Desire, builds Conviction and prompts Action.
The headline is crucial for getting Attention. headlines that promise benefits tend to outperform curious/puzzling headlines. Having news, benefits and curiosity is most powerful.
Writing the headline is very challenging but important - 4x as many people read the headline vs the body copy.
Approaches to writing the headline include doing it first or last. Always use a placeholder if writing it last.
Headlines should generally be 10-14 words or no longer than one line. Avoid ending with a full stop.
Images can help grab attention for dry/unsexy products if used properly rather than stereotypical stock photos.
The body copy should build Interest by tying the product to the reader’s problems/needs and showing understanding of how they feel before promising the benefits.
The AIDCA model provides a proven framework for crafting copy that engages the reader and motivates action.

Here are some key points on how to create desire for a product or service in sales copy:

Focus on the benefits and improvements the product will bring to the reader’s life. Explain how it will make them feel (happy, confident, relaxed, etc.) rather than just listing features.
Be specific about the benefits. Don’t just say “save time”- say exactly how much time it will save, or what they will have time to do instead.
Paint a vivid picture of what owning/using the product will be like for the reader. Bring it to life so they can visual see and feel the experience.
Focus on making the product fill a want, not just a need. Highlight how it will improve their life beyond basic functionality.
Create a sense of scarcity or urgency by limiting the availability either through time (a deadline) or quantity (only a few left). Tap into people’s fear of missing out.
Emphasize the product as a way for the reader to achieve their goals, dreams or ideals. Connect it to their core motivations and vision of personal success.

The key is to get the reader truly desiring and wanting the product, not just thinking they need it. Paint a picture that brings the experience to life for them emotionally and personally.

Testimonials are a powerful way to convince readers and overcome reluctance to buy by showing that others respectfully bought the product. However, they must be properly attributed to an actual person in order to be believable.
A process is outlined for collecting and using testimonials in a ethical way by getting approval from customers, keeping the language natural, and making the most of testimonials in marketing materials.
Other elements that can help convince readers include offering a free sample, providing statistics, a free trial period, positive press or endorsements, and money-back guarantees.
The call to action is important to include in marketing materials to push readers towards making a purchase. It should be short, simple, direct, and clear about the action desired like “Order now.” Ambiguous, wordy, or vague calls to action are less effective.
When planning copy, starting with the call to action first can help get over writer’s block by focusing on the goal from the beginning. The overall emphasis is on developing a strategic plan before writing to ensure a persuasive message.

Here is a 471 word summary in my own words:

Ender desires to end the Bugger threat once and for all to prevent future wars. He convinces his fellow commanders that a preemptive attack is necessary by demonstrating on Machines how defeating the Buggers at their home planet is the only way to truly annihilate the threat. His desire for a final victory and conviction in his strategic abilities calls the other commanders to action.

Ender organizes a plan for a full scale invasion of the Bugger home world. By showing his skills and knowledge of strategy through simulations, he earns the trust and respect of the other commanders. They believe in his vision of a decisive strike that will end the conflict for good. While risky, Ender argues an offensive operation is justified for the long term security and peace of humanity.

Through demonstrating tactical brilliance in the simulations, Ender convinces the commanders he has what it takes to lead them to a complete victory. His youth works to his advantage, as the commanders see him as unrestrained by conventions of past failures. Ender wants to break the cycle of retribution that has fueled past wars. By achieving total success, he believes future relations with other alien races can be built on mutual trust and cooperation rather than fear and violence.

Ender channels his rage over the deaths of his siblings into a fiery passion for securing humanity’s future. This drives his relentless push for an invasion plan. While controversial, his ideas start to gain support as his skills are proven. Ender’s desire to avenge humanity and establish long lasting peace emboldens the commanders to back his high-risk undertaking. If successful, it could end the Bugger threat once and for all as Ender envisions.

Here are the key points about what makes good copywriting and what to avoid:

Don’t show off your writing skills. Keep the focus on the reader and what they will get from your message, not on impressing with flowery language.
Avoid jargon and technical terms when possible. Communicate clearly in plain language the reader will understand.
Don’t be long-winded. Keep the copy interesting, not boring. Get to the point in as few words as needed.
Establish rapport with the reader to build trust and an emotional connection. Find common ground and show you understand their perspective.
Ask engaging questions to pique interest and get the reader thinking about your message.
Come across as a problem solver who understands the reader’s concerns. Help them see how your product/service will benefit them.
Use a conversational, friendly tone appropriate for the brand and audience. Avoid stuffy, pretentious language.
Stimulate creative ideas by taking breaks, exploring unrelated subjects, asking outsider perspectives, and relaxing the mind.

Here are the key points:

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At this point in time, we are offering a range of copywriting packages for various marketing initiatives like web content, print ads, direct mail, email campaigns, etc.
With years of experience helping businesses in many industries improve their marketing communications, we understand what makes for effective copy. We analyze your target audience and objectives to develop the right message and tone.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help boost response and results for your next promotion through strategically written copy. We are happy to discuss your specific needs and provide a free consultation and estimate.
The passage discusses techniques copywriters can use to keep readers engaged and encourage them to continue reading. These include broken lists that continue over multiple paragraphs, teasers at the end of paragraphs prompting readers to continue, pages ending mid-sentence, promises of additional content later on, and utilizing “PTO” calls to action strategically.
It also identifies six “magic words” that can unlock success when used effectively in copywriting: easy, quick, free, now, and please. For example, promising something is easy, quick, or free taps into human laziness and impatience. Using “now” implies urgency, and “please” has persuasive power from childhood language.
Examples are given of incorporating these techniques and words into copywriting through phrasing like “five easy ways to order” or “now you can [get X].” Care is advised with some words like “free” to properly set expectations and avoid misleading claims.
The overall message is that understanding basic psychology and effectively employing simple devices can significantly enhance readers’ engagement with copywriting and motivate them to continue reading and take desired actions. Testing is still recommended to validate impact.

Here are the key points from the provided passages:

Guarantees can help alleviate customers’ fears about a product not living up to promises. A money-back guarantee signals that the product should work, but if not, the customer gets their money back.
Powerful language with emotionally evocative words can give writing “snap, crackle and pop.” Terms like “love, hate, sex, cash, care, child” are more engaging than long or vague words.
Using the personal pronoun “you” rather than technical or impersonal language helps writing sound more human and conversational. Aim for a 3:1 ratio of “you” to “I.”
Verbs are “doing” words that propel a story forward. Noun-heavy writing can suffer from “nounitis.” It’s better to use verbs to keep copy active and energetic.
Anglo-Saxon or everyday words are generally shorter and more understandable than Latin or Greek-derived terms. Longer words are not inherently smarter or more professional.
Positive language is easier for customers to understand than negative language and makes the copy sound more optimistic about the outcome.

Here are the phrases with their positive equivalents:

Negative Positive

Don’t delay Hurry

Your money back if you’re not satisfied Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back

Don’t forget Remember

There’s never been a better time to Now is the ideal time to

Here are the key points about using abstract nouns from the passage:

Writers tend to use abstract nouns like “level”, “nature”, and “basis” when more concrete nouns would be better.
Using the concrete noun makes the writing clearer, more direct and punchy.
The examples show rewriting sentences with abstract nouns to use concrete nouns instead:
- “The website has undergone a significant level of updating” becomes “The website has undergone significant updating.”
- “The information was of a confidential nature” becomes “The information was confidential.”
- “We update the report on a quarterly basis” becomes “We update the report quarterly.”
Avoiding abstract nouns makes the meaning and action more direct and clear for the reader. The concrete language is preferable to the vague language of abstract nouns.

Here is a summary of the key points about using tone of voice and punctuation in copywriting:

The tone of your copy should sound natural and conversational, as if you’re talking to someone in a pub. Avoid overly formal language.
Read your copy out loud to check the tone - would you be comfortable saying it to a customer? If not, you may need to adjust the tone.
You can vary the tone using different “moods” like indicative, interrogative, conditional, imperative and subjunctive. Choosing the right mood is important for the purpose and desired response.
Use contractions to help achieve a conversational tone, instead of overly formal language like “you will” or “I have”.
Punctuation helps clarify meaning so readers understand your message. This increases the chances they will take the desired action.
Common punctuation like commas, semicolons and colons can be used strategically to separate ideas, list items and reduce ambiguity in long sentences.
Overall, aiming for a natural, easy-to-understand tone through word choice, readability and punctuation can help boost how well readers engage with your copy.

Here is a summary of the key points about punctuation from the passage:

Semicolons can be ambiguous and should be avoided when simpler punctuation like commas or periods would suffice.
Colons can introduce lists, clause, or emphasize a point. They should not follow the word “including”.
Periods end sentences and improve readability by limiting sentence length.
Question marks go at the end of interrogative sentences.
Quotation marks enclose direct quotes but not metaphors or figures of speech.
Exclamation points shouldn’t be used to make an unexciting statement more exciting.
Apostrophes show contractions and possession. For possession, add ‘s except for plural nouns already ending in s.
Ellipsis points (…) indicate omitted words in quotes or pause in sentences.
Editing and rewriting is a crucial part of the writing process. The first draft should never be considered finished or sent to others.
When editing, the writer should evaluate if the piece achieves its intended purpose, is clear and concise, and tackles issues in the right order. Graphics/images should also be considered.
For the first draft, it’s better to overwrite rather than underwrite. This allows getting all thoughts down without worrying about tone or style. The draft can then be edited and cut down.
When cutting content, remove anything that doesn’t serve the stated purpose of the piece. For sales copy, cut anything that doesn’t motivate action. For a report, cut anything that doesn’t support the goal.
Multiple drafts are usually needed to produce high quality writing. Aim for at least 2-3 drafts to adequately refine and polish the piece through editing.

In summary, editing and rewriting through multiple drafts is a crucial part of the writing process that helps tighten, refine, and ensure the writing clearly achieves its intended goal. Overwrite on the first draft then cut unnecessary content in subsequent edits.

Here is a summary of the key points about achieving your goals through drafting and editing your writing:

You need a minimum of three drafts to edit your writing effectively, though this does not necessarily mean complete rewrites from scratch each time. Redrafting involves zeroing in on your message using progressively finer tools.
The initial three drafts involve an initial attempt, spellchecking, and printed proofreading. This ensures no mistakes but does not address structure, style, tone, unnecessary words, etc.
For higher quality writing, aim for five drafts that involve assessing structure against your plan, pruning unnecessary sections/words, reviewing tone/style, and a final printed/spellchecked proofread.
When editing, use “heavy” tools like cutting and pruning more in early drafts, and finer tools like proofreading in later drafts.
Continual drafting leads to diminishing returns, and having too many people involved can reduce quality.
Proofreading is critical, especially for emails. Print documents and check one element at a time over time. Use spellcheck but also proofread visually.
Check readability using Word’s built-in tool, which evaluates elements like sentence structure, word choice, and appropriate reading level without effort. Regularly checking readability helps ensure understandability.

The key message is that achieving high quality writing requires multiple drafts and careful, methodical editing and proofreading using progressively finer tools to continuously refine and improve the work. Readability checking also helps evaluate understandability.

Here is a summary of the key points about layout and readability:

Use signposting like lists of contents, headings, and footnotes to guide the reader through the text and explain or clarify parts of the content. Consistent formatting of headings creates a visual hierarchy.
Color-coding, arrows, graphics and other visual elements can highlight important points, but they must have a clear purpose in supporting understanding of the text. Graphics need captions and should be immediately understandable.
Choose readable text sizes (at least 10-11 pt) and serif typefaces for print as they are easier to read. Sans serifs may work better for screens.
Avoid layouts that interfere with reading like justified text ( rivers of white space), centered, or right-aligned text which disrupt the natural left-to-right reading flow.

The overall message is to use design and formatting intentionally to make the text as easy as possible for a reader to navigate and comprehend without extra effort or concentration through visual cues, organization and typography choices. clarity and usability should guide layout over purely aesthetic concerns.

The passage discusses things designers should avoid doing to copywriting text. It warns against letting designers indulge their “high-art fantasies” at the expense of usability and sales goals.

Specifically, it calls out three harmful design practices:

Hard-to-complete forms, like tiny credit card boxes or convoluted coupons. Form design should prioritize usability.
Poor typography choices, like small fonts that strain readers’ eyes or styles mandated by corporate guides that ignore readability. Typography needs to be readable by all audiences.
Meaningless stock imagery, like vague photos that don’t clearly relate to the product. Imagery should show customers what they are buying.

The key message is that designers work for copywriters and clients, not the other way around. Design should enhance readability, comprehension and response to sales materials, not indulge aesthetic preferences at the cost of usability. Copywriters should brief designers properly and reject designs that compromise the text.

The brief provides key information to an external copywriter about a marketing project, including details about the client/brand, target audience, objectives, product, benefits, strategy, timeline and enclosures.
It helps ensure the copywriter understands the buying process from product to customer.
An effective brief answers questions about the target reader, what problems or desires they have, and how the product or service will improve their life.
It outlines the overall goals of the campaign, details about the product, its unique selling points and benefits.
The brief also specifies the marketing strategy, target media, distribution channels, and project schedule or deadlines.
Providing a clear brief helps get the copywriter off to a strong start and ensures their work aligns with the client’s needs and vision for the project. It forms the basis for evaluating the copywriter’s output.

Here is a summary of the key points about writing for the web from the passage:

While there are some differences between online and offline writing, the core principles are the same - to persuade people to read, believe, and act.
Many “myths” have been propagated about online writing being completely different, but the passage debunks these.
Structure is important online to help readers find information quickly. The classic AIDCA model of attention, interest, desire, action, confirmation still applies.
Headlines are even more critical online to grab attention among all the choices and get readers to click through. Microtext headlines on search results and ads must be compelling.
Trust is still important online as elsewhere - copy needs to position the company as trustworthy among scammers.
While the web is global, local idioms and personality can still make a company more relatable if their audience is local.
Copy should provide information to help decisions, but does not need to abandon promotion altogether as some myths suggest. Scanning is important but literal reading still applies to many audiences.

So in summary, it reinforces that good copywriting principles still apply online, while emphasizing the importance of structure and compelling headlines to guide readers efficiently.

Forget about using generic headlines like “Welcome to…“. Instead give readers a concrete benefit or get them curious with intriguing news or teasers.
Subject lines in emails are especially important to get the email opened. Put keywords at the beginning and keep them short (around 40 characters). Avoid sounding like spam.
For online copy, keep sentences short (around 10 words on average) and use an informal, conversational tone.
Copy length depends on your audience and products - test different lengths. Short may work better for some, but long-form copy could also be effective if relevant.
Use hypertext/links to allow readers to navigate and drill down to get more details on topics that interest them most. This gives them control over how they consume information.
Overall, most offline copywriting principles still apply online. But emphasize readability and be brief since people have short attention spans when reading online. Tone should also be more relaxed and informal for the web.

The book has readable style according to some metrics. Only 3% of sentences are passive voice, which is low. The Flesch Reading Ease score is 66.6, above the target of 60 for plain English. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level is 7.1, meaning it can be understood by those with a 12th grade reading level.

The author acknowledges several people who provided feedback and encouragement during the writing process. This includes colleagues from his consulting business, his wife who is also in business, and the publishing team. He cites David Ogilvy and Drayton Bird as inspirations from the advertising/marketing world.

#book-summary

Write to Sell The ultimate guide to great copywriting - Maslen, Andy