SHAZAM!

And just like that, you’ve been transported to the West End. You’re sitting in the audience at the Royal Albert Hall. Plush red velvet curtains frame the stage, and I casually stroll out to the centre. 

The atmosphere’s buzzin’. The crowd erupts with cheers and shouts of ‘Oi, watch it, Luv!’

‘Oh shit, sorry,’ I say and scurry away . . .

Okay, you got me.

We’re in the pub, and I’m wending my way back from the bar to find you tucked away in a cosy yet somehow conspiratorial corner.   

‘Right, welcome to Copywriting for authors 101.’ I slide our drinks on the table and slide in next to you. I’m a people watcher, so whenever I go anywhere, I have to see what’s going on.

Anyway, I digress. 

Let’s start by talking about what copywriting isn’t . . . 

It isn’t about manipulating people.

It isn’t about trying to be too clever with words.

It isn’t about trying to sell stuff to people who don’t need whatever it is you’re trying to flog ’em.

I hate the hard-selling, overhyped, sleazy stuff like

SHRED FAT INSTANTLY WITH THIS BULLSHIT AND MAKE £10K A MINUTE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

It’s just hyped up marketing nonsense. 

Blurgh.

It’s stinky.

It’s stale. 

It’s old. 

You won’t get that from me. 

And besides, folks are much more savvy than they used to be—is it any wonder when we’re bombarded with thousands of ads on a daily basis? 

Copywriting evolved as a method of selling more stuff to more people, but to me. . .

The essence of copywriting is about connecting with people on a deeper level. 

More than ever before, people are seeking connection and experiences.

You only have to look at the rise in social media usage for evidence of that. 

To me, copywriting is like giving advice to a friend.

And just like you can’t give advice to someone who doesn’t want to hear it, you can’t sell to someone who doesn’t want to be sold to.

It’s about finding their truths and their pain and showing them the way to a better place, a better way of life. Sometimes that’s by showing them a product or a service. 

Sure, I’ve used persuasive techniques to encourage you here, but you came willingly, didn’t you?

And that’s the thing—all anyone ever really wants is to feel understood, to feel heard, and seen, and connected. 

So Copywriting 101 is about learning how to connect with your audience.

And to do that, you have to give them something to connect with. Think of it like an electrical circuit—a light won’t come on if the circuit’s not complete. 

It’s your secret weapon that helps you stand out from all the other authors. 

Something no one else has . . .  

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

You have YOU. 

Your personality. 

Your take on life’s challenges. 

Your unique story.

It’s headslappingly obvious, I know, but if you don’t use it to your advantage, then you’re not giving your audience anything to connect with. 

I believe that just as we create experiences in our books, so too should we be creating experiences outside of those books. 

Be a character for them. Just as your readers like to get to know the characters in your books through the things they say and do and how they react, that’s how they’ll connect with you too. 

You don’t have to go deep or too personal. You can give as much or as little as you want.

Take this page or any page on my website, and you get a sense of me, of who I am, and what I value. (If you don’t, then we’re in trouble, and I need to find another job). 

I’ve shared a few little details about me to help anchor me in your mind. This is exactly what you would do for a character in your book. 

Little things over time are what form relationships. 

Not big info dumps. 

Not swiping email templates. 

Not sending the same generic emails that everyone else is sending. 

So as we get to know each other, I’m gonna share my knowledge, be it in a book or a course or my time. I’ll only ever offer you that option with the belief it’ll be helpful to you. 

Like a good friend offering advice and steering you in the right direction.

Ooh look, we’re out of beer. 

And it’s your round. 

While you’re at the bar, sign up for my emails to snag your copy of the Author Amplifier – 7 set-and-forget email automations to amplify your book sales while you sleep.