As a copywriter, it’s tempting to just write what you think the client wants or needs, read it over and send it off. After all, a fast turnaround lets you take on more billable work and should satisfy the client, too, right?
Some copywriters can write fast. And maybe their stuff turns out fine on just one draft. But I’ve got a process that has never let me down when it comes to satisfying a copywriting client with a high-quality end result.
It’s simple. I write and write, working off an outline or description of what’s needed. Then I set it aside, preferably overnight. Then I edit and edit, cutting and slashing, or elaborating where needed. Then I give it a little more distance so I can look at it with fresh eyes again. Then I make final edits, print it, and proof it, correcting anything that I didn’t catch on the screen. Then I send it to the client, along with notes on why I did certain things in the copy. I usually include layout notes, too.
By giving the project distance at certain points in the writing process, I can always see ways to make the copy stronger. Most times, the copy I send to the client looks nothing like what I started with.
The magic happens in the editing. That’s how I do it, at least. What about you?
I am that kind of copywriter who comes up with a copy and look at it in a reader’s perspective to see if it’s catchy or interesting and up to the standards. If it’s not, I go back to edit till I find what my client needs.
Lisa,
You’re right on the money with your process. As every writer knows, writing is rewriting. Rewriting over and over until you reach perfection. The process reminds me of a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry when he said “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add but when there is nothing more to take away”.
Hi James, so true! Thanks for the inspiring quote!