A pulp novelist’s advice for writing more engaging & exciting sales copy
Published: Sat, 05/08/21
(About the difference between writing content & fiction)
If I was ever to do any kind of one-on-one copywriting coaching (there’s a better chance of seeing Bigfoot pinching a loaf in the woods) I would make it an absolute requirement for said student to write fiction — whether they want to get it published or not, doesn’t matter — like a novel or series of short stories.
Why?
For one, it’s fun.
Also:
Some of history's highest-earning ads were fiction. Like Charles Romans' infamous "How an insult made a man out of mac" ad. John Caples' "They laughed when I sat down at the piano" ad. And a former Wall Street Journal control ad that ran unbeaten for nearly 20 years (which was modeled after an old Bruce Barton fictional ad).
And the list goes on.
Another reason:
Several top copywriters write fiction.
Like A-list copywriters Bob Bly & Richard Armstrong, for example.
Not to mention my pals Ray Edwards & Robert Bruce.
Plus, I remember John Carlton saying how he once spent a couple years writing fiction after being burned out on advertising. The late Gene Schwartz wrote at least some fiction, too, according to a speech he once gave to a bunch of copywriters at Phillips Publishing.
Finally:
Writing fiction can strengthen your sales copy & marketing in all kinds of other ways.
Like, for example:
More dramatic storytelling.
Creating pacing & intrigue.
And even world-building - which I just taught to Brian Kurtz’s Titans Mastermind this week,.
In my experience, all of the above can make your emails, your sales copy, & your other marketing campaigns a lot more exciting & engaging. Of course, there are some functional differences between fiction & sales copy writing. So common sense & the ability to grasp context in what I am saying here are obviously required as far as that goes.
Best part:
It ain’t nearly as hard as you might think.
So far I’ve banged out 8 short & admittedly “pulp” horror novels.
And, to do it I wrote one chapter per day.
Each chapter took roughly an hour or two.
And before I knew it, they were done.
I have no idea how other people do it.
But for me, I treat the 1st draft like a comicbook penciler’s sketch.
They start with a stick figure.
No bells or whistles.
No detail or shading or anything.
Just scribbles and lines and stick figures.
Then, they go back and tighten up lines, erase stuff, add stuff, maybe put some shading in, vary the line width, add color, yada yada yada… it may end up not looking like what you originally planned to draw, or it could be exactly it.
But that first sketch?
Just lines and gestures and scribbles.
And that’s exactly how to write fiction quickly.
Just brain fart whatever comes out on the page.
Most of it might not even make sense to anyone but you which is fine, as that’s what the second draft is for. Then the third draft. And the fourth… Personally, I do 10 “passes” on my books. And each pass you fill stuff in, take stuff out, “zoom in” on other parts, get whole new ideas to add, pull out themes, tighten things up, and so on.
After that, it’s off to the editor and cover artist.
And that’s all there is to it.
If you’re interested in checking out my free Enoch Wars books mobile app for insider news & updates about my novels, upcoming comics, and other tidbits I got frying up, go here:
https://www.EmailPlayers.com/enochwars
I also have a podcast recording in there about writing fiction, too.
It is in the "Business of Enoch Wars" section.
Ben Settle