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How to create a “slippery slide” so readers can’t tear their eyes away from your writing — Every once in a while, you come across a book with an opening so good you just have to keep reading. This is what’s known as the “golden rule” of copywriting. The goal of each sentence is to keep your reader moving on to the next one. It’s what copywriting…

The exact steps you can take to multiply your chances of writing copy that converts readers into customers. — Maybe you want to work as a copywriter. Or you’re interested in driving more sales to your new online course. Maybe your company just asked you to revamp the website. If your goal is to sell anything, then you have to know how to write copy that moves people to…

Use this method the next time you’re in a creative rut — What does DNA look like? I bet a mental image of the double helix just popped into your mind. Yet there was a time when scientists struggled to understand what this fundamental building block of life looked like and repeatedly ran into dead ends trying to figure it out. That…

“There is an optical illusion about every person we meet” — Ralph Waldo Emerson — Baku is a beautiful city. Walking around the center you could easily think you’re roaming the streets of Paris. That’s because in preparation for Azerbaijan hosting the 2012 Eurovision Contest the government embarked on a city-wide beautification project to give the capital’s facades a much-needed facelift. Typically, facades are meant…

1. “Dress for the novel you want to write” — Who am I to give writing advice? Nobody compared to Ernest Hemingway, Nora Ephron, or Lev Tolstoy. Yes, I might do it anyway. But in this article, I’m channeling some of the world’s most celebrated authors as a source of wisdom on how to improve your writing. So here are…

How to build an email list full of people who are engaged with your content — Emails matter. Whether you’re a writer, CEO or a marketing manager, a solid email list can make the difference between a thriving business, and one that fails to bring in sales or engage customers. As both a writer building out an email list, and as a marketer for e-commerce platforms…

Funny doesn’t happen on the first draft — I first discovered David Sedaris in college. My boyfriend at the time played “SantaLand Diaries” for me, and from then on I was hooked. Because when it comes to writing humor, no one does it better than David Sedaris. Out of all the writers I read, Sedaris is the only…

“For your own good do not publish this book.” — In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert recalls a rejection notice she received for her short story called “Elk Talk”. The editor-in-chief of the magazine told Gilbert the ending of her story fell short, so they would not publish it. Gilbert took the rejection in stride and moved on. A few years…

I’ve been guilty of using many of these for far too long — I’ll never forget this one presentation I gave at work a few years ago. The entire company was on the call, and I was talking about a recent marketing project completed by our team. The presentation went smoothly, and at the end I opened it up to questions. So far…