“Order is never observed; it is disorder that attracts attention because it is awkward and intrusive.” – Eliphas Levi, Born Feb. 8, 1810. Imagine a turd in a hotdog bun. The easiest way to get attention is to defy expectation, and break the prevailing pattern. Why? The brain exists to keep us alive. To accomplish […]
Pattern Breaker: the One True Way to Steal Attention in a Saturated World Read More »
“At my lemonade stand I used to give the first glass away free and charge five dollars for the second glass. The refill contained the antidote.” – Emo Philips, Born Feb. 7, 1956. Selling is a two stage process, generally speaking. First you sell the customer on your interpretation of their problem. Like so, elaborating
Fatal Copy Flaw: Too Much Lemonade. Not Enough Poison. Read More »
“We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings.” – Louis Nizer, Born Feb. 6, 1902. We don’t realize how much of what we do and say and think is a result of our brain acting on its own to protect our sensitive emotions. We are quick to reject anything that
Telling People Lies for Money (When They Won’t Listen to the Truth) Read More »
“The darkest hour in any man’s life is when he sits down to plan how to get money without earning it.” – Horace Greeley, Born Feb. 3, 1811. Darkest hour, Horace? Money is an unnatural man-made invention. What about it should make one need to EARN it? As though it must be deserved before being
You Don’t Need to “Earn” Money. It’s Just Paper and Imagination. Read More »
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” – Anton Chekhov, Born Jan. 29, 1860. Show, don’t tell. It’s an old adage among screenwriters, who incidentally love Chekhov. So, it behooves us to remember that demonstration is the highest possible form of proving the effectiveness of a
Make Metaphors That Cut Like a Razor to the Throat Read More »
“Don’t forget that the only two things people read in a story are the first and last sentences. Give them blood in the eye on the first one.” – Herbert Bayard Swope, Born Jan. 5, 1882. That’s why your opener should fuck the reader in the brain, right through their eye socket, planting the seed
Bloody Eyeballs Are Happy Eyeballs Read More »
“Propaganda requires a permanent network of communication so that it can systematically stifle reflection with emotive or utopian slogans. Its pace is usually fast.” – John Berger, Born Nov. 5, 1936. To me, this speaks to the necessity of frequent messages to to one’s audience. And also to the fact that a moment of quiet
Propaganda Works Because It’s Consistent (Advertising, Too.) Read More »
“In the country of the blind the one eyed man is king.” – Desiderius Erasmus, Born Oct. 28, 1466. One of the eternal worries of most freelancers is what they call “impostor syndrome”. It’s the deep seated fear that you’re a phony. That you’ll get called out as a fraud. That you’re not worth what
Expertise Is Relative and You Should Aim Your Work Accordingly Read More »
“In the factory we make cosmetics; in the drugstore we sell hope.” – Charles Revson, Born Oct. 11, 1906. This is something to remember for all you would-be copywriters out there. The product is the product. It has features and aspects and components. Even a digital product has a page count or a domain name
This One Word Describes The Only Thing Worth “Selling” (No Matter What Your Product Is…) Read More »
“If you really don’t care what an audience thinks, make a home movie and show it on your wall.” – Ned Tanen, Born Sep. 20, 1931. Maybe some kind of artist types can get away with not caring what an audience thinks of their work. But most artists care. And business people definitely should care.
Caring About Customers, And Showing It In Writing, Are Two Different Things Read More »
