Its Time To Start That Swipe File

Just as great fiction is an art, so is great copywriting. Beneath the art, however, there's a foundation of basic knowledge and skills. The craft that goes into your writing.

Craft comes first. Art follows.

You learn the craft of writing by educating yourself, by the actual process of writing (the doing), and by reading incessantly. Every successful writer will tell you that reading has been and still is the cornerstone of developing his craft.

Reading presents you with a written illustration of what works and what doesn't, of what you like as a writer and what you don't. It helps you understand the possibilities, and offers practical instruction of how the rules of your craft are used.

Most writers, when they start out, mimic their favorite authors. I have a friend who became incredibly adept at writing like Stephen King. For several years, everything I wrote had a Ray Bradbury flavor.

Eventually, we developed our own styles, which were richer for having first gone through this mimic stage.

The point is this: part of any effective learning process is to mimic what has been successful before you.

This is true of copywriting, too. And it's the reason you need to start a "swipe" file if you want to become a successful copywriter.

What is a "swipe" file? It's exactly what it sounds like ... a file of great copywriting examples that you've collected, studied, and can access whenever you're in need of a little inspiration. These are not examples meant to be plagiarized. You aren't copying work here; you're adapting it to your own copywriting needs.

For example ... suppose you're writing a sales letter for an Internet site that sells an expensive men's wristwatch and you're in need of a great headline. You search through your "swipe" file and find a sales letter for The Oxford Club (actually taken from my own "swipe" file) with the headline: A Man's Right To Wealth. How To Master Every Situation And Prosper On A Grand Scale.

You toy around with it and come up with this: A Man's Right To Elegance. How To Impress In Every Situation With A Watch That Does Far More Than Keep Accurate Time.

See how a good "swipe" file can help?

You can use it to adapt opening sentences. Or the layout of a sales letter. Or the guarantee you or your client offers. Even the pace or the emotional "tug" of a piece.

By using your "swipe" file, your creative juices are instantly flowing. There's no blank page. You already have something to work with. And as any good writer will tell you, it's easier to edit than it is to write.

So where do you get the material for your "swipe" file?

The quickest and easiest source is the Internet. Start checking out website sales letters. Print them out. Good or bad (even the bad ones can inspire your work). Study them. And keep them close by in a handy file.

The other great source is from mailing lists. If you're already on a few lists, then start filing those pitches away when they arrive instead of tossing them out. If you're not on a list, try purchasing a product or asking for a catalog. It won't be long before you're on a number of lists and your "swipe" file is growing exponentially.

Two good places to get started are: Publisher's Clearing House, 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050; and Nightingale-Conant, 7300 N. Leigh Avenue, Chicago, IL 60648.

Try them both. Try any others that come to mind, as well. Just start building your "swipe" today!

About The Author

Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. David B. Silva is a professional writer, editor and publisher. For a FREE mini-course on the best way to make writing that novel faster and easier, Click Here ==> mailto:easyway@thesuccessfulwriter.com?subject=TRAArticle

dbsilva@thesuccessfulwriter.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Copywriting Information:

Related Articles

How to Write a Sizzling Sales Letter, Part 1
When you sit down to write a sales letter to your prospects, it can be difficult to know just where to start. Regardless of the purpose of your letter, it has to accomplish several things:capture the attention of the readerspeak to the reader's individual needsgive good reasons why your prospect can trust youcommunicate your offer succinctly and clearlyencourage your prospect to act nowAnd furthermore, it has to have sizzle.
10 Tips for Writing Effective Web Copy
On the Internet programmers and designers rule, not the writer. Yet words drive targeted traffic to your site, carry content, make the sale, convey marketing messages, persuade people to buy and make the difference between your site's success or failure.
The Truth About Negative Commands (Dont Read This!)
Everyday when I read promotional emails and advertisements, or listen to television commercials and dialogue in shows and movies, or hear people around me in everyday life use commands such as the following examples, I feel dismayed for them.This is because I understand something that many others do NOT!And, since learning what I now understand, while I am BOMBARDED every day from all directions with commands like those listed below, in all their variations, I feel worse and worse for not speaking up!I feel especially badly for all those advertisers out there who are ignorant about this, because I also realize they are often sincerely excited about what they are sharing and are working very hard to attract the attention of others.
10 Eye Popping, Jaw Dropping Ad Copy Secrets
1. Use a hand written letter on your ad copy instead of text.
No-Holds-Barred Conversation with Dan Lok - Part 1
Question: If you were starting out and had no references or a substantial resume, how would you go about finding paying customers for your services?To answer your question, I'll assume you're a junior copywriter or marketing consultant.When I first started out and didn't know a soul, I'd open the yellow pages and cold-call the business owners.
How To Find Editing Services Online
Quality is what you need. What you don't have is time.
How You Can Become A Freelance Business Plan Writer
As with any business, becoming a freelance business plan writer can be a challenge. The first challenges involve factors such as cash flow, getting clients, and maintaining some sort of order.
10 Tips for Aspiring Freelance Copywriters
Every week I receive a couple of emails from people seeking advice on how to get into freelance copywriting. While there's no simple answer, and no answer which applies to everyone, there are a few tips which I believe will help most people make the move into freelance copywriting, and survive the first few months at least.
How To Test The Body Of Your Sales Copy For Weaknesses
Your sales copy is the life source of your business. If your sales copy isn't pulling in a decent conservation rate, then your business is suffering.
Does Your Copy Look Fake To the Search Engines?
From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and content have always been vital to achieving your goals. Starting back in the days when we used to shove every slightly relevant keyword into our Meta tags, it has been obvious that search engines love text.
10 Keys to Copy That Sells!
Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips below are your keys to writing great copy that communicates and persuades ..
How To Really Connect With Your Customer In Your Copywriting
One of the least talked-about areas in copywriting education isvoice. This is probably because it's tough to set general rulesfor something that's so personal to each of us.
7 Big Ticket Copywriting Secrets I Learned from Ted Nicholas
I recently sponsored and attended Joel Christopher and Ted Nicholas's Double Birthday Bash and Interactive Marketing Summit in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. There was a fantastic lineup of speakers including John Assaraf, Joe Vitale, Brad Fallon, George McKenzie, Shawn Casey, Alan Bechtold, Tom "Big Al" Schreiter, Brian Keith Voiles, Rosalind Gardner, and Sydney Johnson.
Getting Over Copy Shock
A few weeks ago I wrote some copy for a business owner "Marvin." My copy was hard-hitting but honest and down-to-earth.
Five Sections of Your Copy Guaranteed To Get Read
Only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned.
Finding Your Clients Business Problem Leads to Better Copy
WHAT'S THEIR PROBLEM?How do you begin a dialogue with a prospect, be it in person, on your website or in print?You talk about your client's business problem.What IS your client's business problem?Answering this question is the hardest part of marketing.
13 Steps to a Slippery Slope Online Sales Letter
Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people who offer services. They're coaches, consultants, creatives.
Copywriting: Drafting Rules for Professionals
As a professional contractor who wears many hats, you owe it to yourself and your clients to be as organized as possible. In a previous article, I discussed the importance of delivering an organized draft that your co-creators can easily work from.
Copywriting Goldmine: One of 20 Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting
Each weekday during my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or recruits) get a daily drill designed to reinforce the training I give on weekly phone calls. The drills are illuminating and fun.
How You Can Find Freelance Children's Writing Positions That Will Last
Freelance children's writing positions are always advertised. Rather, the schooling to learn how to write for these jobs is advertised.