“I love deadlines. I like
the whooshing sound they
make as they fly by.”
– Douglas Adams
How fast do you write? And is it fast enough?
If you’re a newbie writer, it’s rare you’ll write both “fast” AND “well” at the same time. Frankly, that might be the case for your whole writing career.
Some copywriters just need more time than others.
That said, hitting deadlines and hitting a lot of them in a year can give you a big edge over the competition.
So what’s the secret to writing quality copy in record time? I should also say up front, I’m constantly working toward the answer myself.
For instance, I’m faster now but still take longer than I’d like. In the beginning, that’s because I simply had
to figure out the right steps to take. I was learning on the go.
Today, I’ve got the process down pat (I’d better, after nearly 20 years on the job). But when I take long, it’s almost always because I need the time to massage the message and make sure I get it right.
And of course, some projects just take longer than others because that’s how it is. So exactly how much time, in general, should your writing take?
These days, when I’m just writing in unrefined style, for notes or drafts or only my own review, I could probably squeeze 3 to 5 pages into two hours.
But I don’t write final copy nearly fast. Those five pages might get whittled down to a half page. Or even get cut entirely.
That said…
I could probably bank out a good sidebar or one-page lift letter in about 20-30 minutes.
The same goes for a good renewal letter or highly polished reply page, both in under 30 minutes.
To write copy for an introductory web page, I might take an afternoon.
A 5 page sales letter would take me a week at most, where a 16-page or 24-page promo would take a month.
Longer promos — I’ve written up to 50+ pages – take about the same, only because it’s easier to write long.
If any of these is a launch promo for a product that’s never been sold before, it takes about 10% longer.
Unless, of course, you’re talking about a product that’s just a mess. That’s always a quagmire.
Which is yet another good reason to only say yes to products you like and respect. Because those promos can practically write themselves… right?
And what a great way to segue into a list of tips that might help you’re writing speed along, as follows…
Tip #1 – Cherry-pick Your Projects
This is important. The better you get, the more clients will want access to your time. In the beginning, take projects that challenge you.
Later, when you’re more skilled, still keep your plate a little more than full. But be careful to avoid projects that will bog you down without offering a proportionate return.
Which are these?
As an example, be wary of the poorly baked project idea with no real benefit for the audience. If the client can’t sell you on it, you can’t sell his prospects on it either.
Be wary of projects without a champion on the client side too. Or projects that don’t yet have at least 85% of the pieces in place before you get started.
Tip #2 – Know Your Load
Four solid hours of writing, day in and day out, is a pretty solid pace. One can often go longer. But writing can be physically draining, if you’re doing it right.
And four solid hours of focus on producing new copy should get most writers to that point. The rest of the day, they might spend researching, reading, or editing draft copy from the prior day.
That said, Bob Bly is one of the most prolific writers I know. He told me once that he stays fresh by working on one project for about four hours in the morning… than switches to another for four in the afternoon.
Me, I can’t help thinking about a new project once I know the details. For that reason, I don’t like to know one iota of new info on a new project until I’ve finished or I’m close to finishing the last one. Otherwise I’ll get distracted.
Tip #3 – Gather Your Resources, Part I
One of the best ways to accelerate the pace on any writing project is to feed yourself mind-nourishing, creativity-nurturing information.
Read up, interview, discuss. Do anything you can to get loads of information piled up on your mental workbench.
Call the most central figure for the product that the client can offer and do a phone interview. Record it and start typing as you play it back.
Added bonus: Not only will you speed up your whole creative process, you’ll find this the most perfect antidote to the so-called “writer’s block,” (an affliction most research-heavy writers will tell you doesn’t really exist).
Tip #4 – Build Your Framework
Once you’ve got a grasp on the general direction you’ll need to take in the promo, you’ll want — no, need — to make an outline.
Too many early writers skip this step.
The benefit of an outline is that you know where you need to go. But you also know, as you pile up research and ideas, where you DON’T need to go.
And that’s equally important.
Tip #5 – Gather Your Resources, Part II
Once you’ve pulled together a rough outline of where you’re headed and you’ve started pouring them into the organizing template I just mentioned, you’ll immediately realize… you need more.
So you’ll go out again and start hunting to fill the holes. Pile up more web links, magazine clippings, and notes from studying the product and the customer base.
Yes, it’s possible to overdo research. You’ll know that’s happening when you find yourself proving most things for the second or third time.
But be aware, the research part of your copywriting process should almost always take AT LEAST as much time as you’ll spend on writing. Possibly double that.
Tip #6 – Try Writing in 3D
You would think that writing the beginning first, the middle second, and the end last would be the best way to go. And for many writers, that’s precisely the path the follow.
However, I’d personally recommend creating a writing system that’s a little more non-linear. What do I mean by that?
Research, ideas, phrases… tend to arrive in a disorderly fashion, just like a conversation that leaps from one topic to another entirely.
So what I do is write in sections. I actually create separate, labeled parts of my file in Word. These sections match my outline or “mind-map” of the message I’d like to deliver.
Then, as I research and revise, I jump back and forth between sections, adding to one, tightening another, and copying and moving pieces of ideas.
Each area fleshes out at roughly the same time, then I reorganize them to fit the more logical, linear outline that will underlie the final piece.
Tip #7 – When in Doubt, Write Your Close First
Here’s an interesting idea — start at the end. And I can give you at least two solid reasons to do this.
First, because the offer you write will, word for word, have more impact on the prospect than any other section of the promo — save for the headline and lead. If the offer stinks, you haven’t got a chance no matter how brilliant your copywriting.
Second, because knowing specifically how you’ll close the sale gives you a target to shoot for. This, too, is a great defense against the tangents that can knock you off the trail of your sales message all too easily.
Tip #8 – Give Your Lead Time to Ripen
New writers kill themselves looking for the perfect words, right out of the gate. Don’t. Just get it on the page and know you’ll come back to rework it later.
Trust me, it’s easier.
If you have to, put the headline and lead copy in a separate document or on one side of split writing screen. You can go back to it over and over again as you write to make it stronger.
I always to this, changing the lead 10… 20… or even more times before I’m through. Sometimes I even open a blank document and pound out new “test” lead ideas, knowing I’ll throw most of them away.
The less time you spend polishing words the moment they come to you, the happier you’ll be. You’re more likely to end up with better quality, too.
Tip #9 – “Copyify” Your Notes
Not everybody can do this, but it’s a powerful tool if you can. All this means is simply getting used to taking your notes as “copy-speak,” the moment you write them down.
For instance, let’s say you’re writing for an investment product and you’re interviewing one of the experts.
When he says he has a great track record in picking resource stocks, you don’t write down “Be sure to mention last year’s booming commodity market to support resource buying op”… but instead, you go ahead and improvise a piece of copy: e.g. “Last year’s booming commodities market is the perfect example. Had you subscribed to my ‘Dirt, Rocks, and Other Investments’ advisory service then, you’d already be up XXX% on Mud Futures alone by now.”
If you can record your ideas in a way that’s at least a little closer to the copy language you’ll use, you’ll get better and better at writing copy on the fly. This really cuts back on time when you’re actually ready to sit down and write the full draft.
Tip #10 – Use Markers and Shortcuts
This last one is a small thing.
Let’s say you’re writing and you need to cite a stat or some other number or fact in your copy, DON’T stop to look it up. Rather, just use an “XX” or something similar to mark where you’ll drop it in later.
Why?
Because as much as good copy needs a lot of rewriting, each draft benefits from momentum. Somehow, it comes across in the reading later.
It’s like smiling while you talk on the phone. Listeners — or in this case, readers — can “hear” the
excitement and speed.
Are there other ways that help you write faster? I’m sure there are. If you have your own favorite tricks, just write in to let me know!
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