When you want to become a better copywriter, you look to outside sources:
* Copywriting books
* Copywriting courses
* Building your swipe file
* Handcopying successful ads to get “hands-on experience”
But, at a certain point, this limits you as a copywriter.
This is where other outside sources can help hone your style: Fiction, television shows, movies, tabloids, etc.
But still, at a certain point, this also limits you as a copywriter.
How?
Well, to give you a real-life lesson from a piece of fiction, I recently read the following line in Children of Dune:
“But one learns from books and reels only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.”
Read the second sentence again:
“Actual learning requires that you do those things.”
And herein lies the problem with copywriting trainings:
They don’t require you to actually learn them. And you won’t until, as the wise Frank Herbert once wrote, until you do those things.
More:
A bigger problem with falling in love with the learning of copy is that it’s a cheap way to get a burst of dopamine without actually doing anything.
It’s a sneakier way to procrastinate in other words.
Now, it’s not always procrastination.
But when you’re choosing to “level up your copy skills” by reading or going through a course instead of by writing actual copy, sending it out into the world, and analyzing your successes and failures, then, well, you’re hustling backwards.
And you know what?
You’re also depriving yourself of more relevant knowledge too. This comes after you’ve had your fair share of humbling failures, not before you even started.
Moral of the story?
You don’t need to ask for permission to write copy right now.
You don’t need to read your favorite guru’s “top 10 books every copywriter needs to read” to write copy right now. (They probably haven’t read whatever books they’re shilling either.)
And you certainly don’t need another copywriting course dusting up your harddrive to write copy right now.
I’m not saying these things aren’t or can’t be helpful.
Just that they pale in comparison to actually doing the work.
So, go do the work.
And if’n you need help, hit reply, and let’s book a quick discovery call.
John
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