What is Copywriting? Should Authors Care

If writing is telling a story with words -> Copywriting is making a sale with words

Copywriting = Selling with Words

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is the art and science of using words to market and advertise and sell products

The written text that copy writers write, called the ‘copy’, covers one or more of the following three areas

1. Create awareness of a product
2. Advertise and Market the product i.e. make the value of the product apparent and link it to a customer need
   1. In some case it can even be – create a need in the customer, and then show how the product can fulfill that need
3. Sell the product

Wherever you see Written Text in marketing and advertising, it is Copy, a product of copywriting, and written by a copywriter

Quick Note: In some ways, we are all Marketers and are all selling something. All communication is influence. Everywhere that you see written text that has the aim/intention of creating an action, you are seeing copywriting in action

This can be resumes. This can be a classifieds ad. This can be an email trying to convince your family to go on a vacation. We are all marketers and copy writers

Similarities between Copywriting and Writing Books

An author in a book

1. Tells a Story
2. Makes the reader feel something
3. Gets the reader attached to the story and characters
4. Makes the reader have an enjoyable experience
5. Makes the reader feel emotions and feelings and have a positive experience towards the product (the book)

A copywriter in ‘copy’ (the written text which is the product created by copy writers)

1. Creates Awareness of the Product that is being sold/advertised
2. Shows what the value of the product is
3. Shows what customer need the product can satisfy
4. Makes a Call to Action to find out more or to buy the product
5. Strengthens the Brand
6. Encourages the target customer to feel good about the product
7. Encourages the target customer to purchase the product

It’s a sales and marketing war fought with words. A lot of the above things are done implicitly

However, if you observe carefully, you will see everything that is involved

Should Authors Care about Copywriting?

Do you want to sell books?

If you want to sell books, you have to care a heck of a lot about copywriting

Every word you use outside of your book can either

1. Bring the reader closer to buying your book
2. OR
3. Take the reader further away from buying your book

This includes – the book title, the author name, the sub title, the advertising text you use, the words on your website, the words on your book page, the book description, the author profile

Copywriting Continues INSIDE Your Book

Every word you use inside your book, can either

1.  Increase the immersion and pleasure and satisfaction of the reader
2. OR
3. Reduce the joy and reading satisfaction of the reader

Furthermore, how you structure your story and words, can either

1. Get your reader more involved with your story and characters, thereby making them far more likely to buy your other books
2. OR
3. Get your reader less involved with your story and characters

As you can see, Copywriting is woven into every facet of your book and it is woven into every part of your book’s marketing and sales