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      <h3>Copywriters: Born or Made?</h3>
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      <i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By: Dina Giolitto<br>
      Posted: 2007-01-16 01:39:45</i>
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      Seems like everywhere you look on the web, someone's putting out another "Become a Copywriter Overnight!" manual. But before you go shelling out your hard-earned moolah to glean the secrets that master copywriters know and won't tell you without a $749.97 Instant Credit Card Payment... I think it's smart to ask the question:Was I born with the ability to write copy?Many might argue that the art of writing powerful copy is teachable, but I beg to differ. Yes, you can REFINE your copywriting skills... but I think that the inclination and the innate talent must already be present.A lot of folks sensationalize the writer profession, and I have no idea why. People who think that a copywriting career is all glamour and prestige often forget to check their egos at the revolving door of their corporate office building.Truth is, there's nothing glamorous about being a copywriter. It takes brain muscle to write copy that packs a wallop. It takes energy to muster up the right words over and over... and on cue! (So many of these projects just "fall into your lap.") And if the words don't do the job you intended for them to do, then it's back to the (writing) board.When you write copy for a living, there are always tons of drafts and a million people adding their two cents. The tiniest mistakes sometimes slip in during the ensuing copy chaos, and make you look like less of a professional. But you are the Copywriting Sentinel, and you must guard the grammar!Writing great copy means seeing it through from start to finish. Sure, you can hand someone a single draft and walk away, but what's to become of that copy you wrote in the end? Do you care? Because you should. A good copywriter sticks with it no matter how grueling the task.Also... you have to be content with the fact that as the copywriter, you're the Behind the Scenes Magic. Very few people on this earth will view a great ad and go, "I've got to find out who wrote that copy!" (If they do, they're probably a fellow copywriter).But I digress. So: the question was, can you master the skill of copywriting?And the answer, I think, lies in how honest you are with yourself.Do action verbs excite you?Do analogies make your day?Do you thrill to the idea of having turned an original phrase?Is word repetition within a single paragraph one of your major pet peeves?Do you ever "fix" other people's copy because you just can't help yourself?Does the section above (the one about the multiple drafts and meddling hands and anonymity) get your juices flowing despite the unsavoriness of the job description?(Because I gotta tell you - despite all the toil and heartbreak, I am PASSIONATE about what I do for a living.)I think that some people who aspire to become copywriters might be a bit overly optimistic. You must have a good sense of your own talents. Take me, for instance. If I were a self-deceiving person, I might buy a few accounting manuals and start trying to balance people's books for a living. But I have no pretense about myself and what I'm good at. AND I'M NOT GOOD AT MATH!For those who need it said straight out: NO, NOT EVERYONE IS GOOD AT WRITING COPY! But some people just are. To some, writing copy is mere instinct. Like when you were a kid and you got all the answers correct on your English Multiple Choice Test but you couldn't explain why you knew them.And then there are those who possess the gift but don't know it and can't figure out what to do with it.I know some folks who tell a wicked good story on email but who wouldn't dare call themselves writers. And I say, why not go for it? Try your hand at making some extra cash doing what other people can't do but YOU CAN. If you excelled in English class or aced your essay tests, you probably have some latent copywriting talent. Just test it out, this is the internet and you can do ANYTHING!Not everyone is cut out to write copy that sells. Doing it well requires left-and-right-hemisphere synchronicity. And a little practice.Okay, a lot of practice.But I have full faith you can do it.
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