Sloppy copy will make you look foolish, so…
Never Hit “Send” Without Self-editing
One day my mail brought a promotion for would-be copywriters. It was all about teaching you to write copy that sells, and how to run a successful copywriting business.
The whole message was “formulatic.”
- It had the scarcity – only 20 spots, so act
now. - It attempted to make you want the program by saying “this isn’t for everyone – you have to qualify.”
- It promised to turn the reader into a money-making copywriter.
There was just one problem: sloppy copy.
The letter itself was sloppy copy. In the first paragraph, the writer says she’s “rearing to go” to help her readers become successful. Um… I believe that phrase is “raring to go.”
Later on in the letter she uses bullet points, which is a good idea. But she forgot to use parallel language, so the third one doesn’t fit with the first two. The bullets are supposed to match, and when they don’t it’s jarring. (Chapter 6 in A Grammar Guide for Real Estate Agents.)
Had the writer spent a few minutes in editing her work, she probably would have corrected her sloppy copy, so she wouldn’t look so silly.
And… she’d probably have a better chance of selling her expertise in telling others how to write good copy.
Never hit “send” until you re-read what you wrote!
Graphic courtesy of Stuart Miles @ freedigitalphotos.net
