The Author Within

Just about every marketer on the Internet claims to be the best around and will lead you to believe that no one else knows as much or can teach you as quickly and thoroughly as they can. It would seem that they erroneously assume that by admiring someone else’s teachings they will lessen their marketability as the “great persuader” in salesmanship.

In truth, while they may not admit it publicly, every marketer studies the technique or style of others on a continuing basis. I’ll be the first to admit that I seek out, read and revise my methods of copywriting thanks to the best of the best. And I have discovered that even perfection is often flawed.

We are in an age where videos, movies, television, radio and computer games scream for our attention. They produce more information than anybody can possibly retain. Therefore, if I want to hold someone’s attention, make a written offer that compels them to read to the last line and reach for their wallet --- then I must learn to outshine my competition and dazzle my readers.

If you think back, I’m sure you remember times when you were reading something so mesmerizing that you never heard the phone ring, or if you did you didn’t answer it. So absorbed were you that you didn’t realize where an hour had gone… or, held up a halting hand when someone attempted to interrupt you with a question. Yeah, I’ve been there too. And that’s exactly the kind of writing that I’m talking about.

Irresistible writing rivets your eyes to the page. Words are so clear, so concise that the effect is hypnotic… and you remember what you have read because it is unforgettable. The only place to learn this is from the “proven experts”.

Going back many years, I remember radio programs that my grandmother listened to daily. These were no more than half-hour serials like “Porsha Faces Life”, and there was always a crisis at the end of the daily broadcast that left you hanging. “Tune in tomorrow and answer the question – how will Porsha react to the news that blah, blah, blah?”

In today’s novel writings, each chapter will leave you with a similar “cliff-hanger”, something untold that will stir your curiosity. A good piece of fiction will not allow you to stop between chapters, and a top-notch one will forbid you to stop until the end.

Now then --- if you can write an advertisement, article, or eBook preview that will stir the curiosity of your reader without giving them the whole story… if the “cliff-hanger” compels them to fill out a form, send you an email, or sign up for a free trial, you have discovered the author inside you.

© 2004 Esther Smith