How on earth do you expect to
find high-paying clients anytime
in the next decade climbing the
traditional (steep) copywriting ladder?

Announcing a free group coaching teleconference with copywriting coach
Shaune Clarke... that could transform
you from just another starving writer
into a fully booked copywriting specialist...

When I first jumped into the copywriting arena three years ago, I made big promises like most online copywriters. You know... how I'd "skyrocket their income by turning their features into benefits and water into wine."

It seemed like the only way to compete.

After all, I had no track record... no testimonials... no experience. All I could boast was that I took some copywriting courses.

This is a crazy way to compete as a copywriter

You know why?

Because you are trying to climb a very tall and steep ladder.

At the top sit "million dollar" copywriters who charge $25,000 for a sales letter. These talented individuals OWN the "traditional copywriting" ladder.

You, at the bottom, new and naïve, are lucky to get a $1,000 job. I say JOB because that's how it's going to feel. In fact, it may feel worse than a job (I know, I've been there) — projects that don't pay. Or worse... the clients who are as much a joy to work for as sitting on a roaring barbeque in August.

That's the life of a newbie copywriter who follows the traditional model. A model created by your competition.

BIG HINT: Don't let your COMPETITION
tell you how to run your copywriting business

"But aren't you my competition, Mr. John C. A. Manley?"  Though my self-promo site still sits in cyber-space (healthy-conversions.com) I am currently not seeking clients. I'm busy writing copy for my own internet-based businesses in the alternative health and science fiction markets.

What I'm sharing with you today is how I moved so fast from newbie to $10,000 and more from clients. Likewise, other copywriters who studied under my mentor, Shaune Clarke, were also able to accelerate their careers.

We didn't get there
— in less than two years—
by climbing no ladders

You see, that's what many members of the copywriting industry would prefer you do: Climb THEIR ladder. In fact, in the beginning, you're just holding it steady for guys on top. In return you MIGHT get the work they don't want.

Don't worry. No one lives forever. When they pass away, someone has to take their place.

If you possess an unnatural abundance of perseverance and patience, you have a good chance of reaching the top. Yes, in twenty, maybe thirty years, of 10-12 hour days, 6-7 days a week, plus some holidays, you'll probably be one of the "gurus."

By this time, your spouse may have left you. No problem, right? You're rich! You can remarry! Unfortunately...

30 years of sitting in front of computer has made you rather fat, so attracting a new partner may be out of the question.

Also, your kids, having their own kids now, are too busy to even send you an email. And even if you did remarry... the radiation from your computer's WiFi connection has left you infertile. No chance of trying again.

But, at least you made it! You are now on the top of the traditional copywriting ladder... you are one of the few who didn't fall off from fatigue or frustration.

But let's backtrack to TODAY. I bet you...

You're tired of waiting in line
just to START climbing the ladder?

It's my belief that you need to ignore the "traditional copywriting ladder" altogether.

Don't worry, there are plenty of guys holding it up. It won't tip over. You were there just for show. The more people at the bottom, the more it makes the guys at the top look good.

Okay. Good, now come over here, and listen carefully...

"You need to erect your OWN copywriting ladder..."

Or, at the very least, go join one that's not too crowded, where there's still room at the top and they could sincerely use your help with the overflow.

What we are talking about here is your Unique Selling Point. You should know all about USPs. Copywriting courses teach you how to create them for the products you sell. They rarely encourage you to craft USPS for your own "product" — the copy you write.

Right now, your Unique Selling Point is probably "I'm a copywriter who will make you a lot of money." That's not unique. The job of any copywriter is to write copy that produces money.

Okay, so scratch that. I don't care if you spent months writing your self-promo copy. If that's your USP then chuck it.

In fact, we are talking about more than USP. We are talking about POSITIONING. We are talking about the entire concept or BIG IDEA behind you as a copywriter.

If you don't have a BIG and UNIQUE IDEA — something that makes you genuinely different than any other copywriter — then you have a hard a life ahead of you.

But don't worry... Your USP is there. You may think you don't have one, but I assure you do. Worse case scenario: You can develop one.

You need to do something, as a copywriter, that no other copywriter does: You need to produce copy that meets the needs of a SELECT few clients.

"But won't that limit who I can market to?" Yep, exactly!

"Listen, how many clients do you need?"

That was one of the things Shaune Clarke asked me when I first spoke to him nearly two and a half years ago.

"I'm not sure," I said.

"Well, how many hours do you want to work a week?" he asked.

"Forty. Max."

"Good copy isn't written overnight," said Shaune. "Top copywriters may spend up to 80 hours on a large package. You don't necessarily need to spend that long on a piece. Not all your projects are going to be that big. That said... realistically, 2-4 projects a month is going to be plenty. Especially if they are paying $5,000-$10,000."

At the time my wife and I were living off about $1,900 a month. "Sure," I said, "that'd be okay..."

"And most of your clients are going to have more than one project they need you to work on," said Shaune. "So really, if you've got four good clients, who pay well, you're going to easily make six-figures a year."

The game, you see, is finding those four perfect clients.
You can't do it by shooting blindly in the dark

What's a perfect client? In my book, they...

• pay well
• have a business with real potential for growth
• resonate with you as a person
• are pleased with the results you bring to the table

That said... what you need to do is figure out what TYPE of copy you are best suited to write and the TYPE of client you'd be best suited to work with.

Once you've done that, you can stop sending promo pieces out to every direct-response company who communicates in English. Language is hardly a qualifier! Stop shooting in the dark with a water gun blindfolded.

Once you've figured out which ladder
you're going to call your own
— what your unique selling point or POINTS are  —
then you can target clients

You can create a list of maybe 100 of your ideal prospects. Or you can select some very specific keywords with pay-per-click. Stop competing for the $3-$10 clicks.

Next step! Rewrite your self-promo piece so that it shows, why you as a copywriter, are the best person to meet their particular needs. Don't try to sell them a "copywriter." If they are qualified it should only be a matter of WHICH copywriter.

Okay? As long as you followed most of what I said, you're well ahead of the copywriting pack. Shaune will take you the rest of the way with his free group coaching teleconference (note: NOT a tele-"seminar") that we'll be holding on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 8pm EST. You can sign up below or continue reading...

Just a Glimpse of What's Coming
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

• NOT a Tele-SEMINAR: This will be a live group coaching session. If you submit an application (a short 250 word email — after signing up) you might be one of the three people selected to be coached by Shaune (before a live audience) to craft your own USP. Even if you're not selected, you'll get to watch. No 90-minute sales pitch. Instead, we'll let you experience what Shaune's coaching program has to offer...

• Plant Your Flag in a Specific Niche: Find a market where you are already a consumer or have previous experience. Enjoy a completely fair advantage, by narrowing down a broad enough niche with the USP exercise sheets we'll be emailing you...

• Which Medium Do You Excel At? You can play the copywriting-jack-of-all-trades or you can become a highly-paid expert fulfilling a need for a specific type of copywriting. Wednesday night, Shaune will help you find your expertise...

• Choose the PEOPLE You Want: Part of your USP is your personality. Discover how to attract high-paying clients who think and believe similar things as you do. But make sure you're on this call as Shaune has a few "warnings" about displaying these aspects of your USP...

• You Can Be a Copywriting Guru Too: By developing your OWN copywriting techniques — matching what you know about copywriting with what you've learned from your life experiences — you can differentiate yourself. On Wednesday, Shaune will help the three hot-seats how to do this and take you along for the ride...

Designing your own copywriting USP
isn't as easy as it may sound.

Not if you want it to be genuine.

It's easy enough to find some unmet needs in the market, and try to fill them. Much, much better, however, is to find needs that you are naturally able to fulfill.

It's that type of natural focus that makes your life easy and your accountant's harder.

For example...

Which market are you best suited to write for?

Instead of just being "a" copywriter... You can write exclusively for ONE specific market. For example, I originally wrote for naturopathic doctors. I then side-stepped to writing copy for alternative health doctors who ran their own internet-based information businesses. I was already quite knowledgeable about alternative health and was a member of the target audience.

BIG TIP: As you may have heard Shaune state before — if you choose to write for a market where you are already a consumer, your life as a copywriter becomes much, much easier. You already know the hopes, dream, desires and pet-peeves of your market. Any efforts you make at research will only bring you deeper.

So on the Craft Your Own Untouchable USP Group Coaching Teleconference Shaune will help three lucky hot-seat participants strategize which market they'd be most adept to write for. (Don't worry, even if you're not selected for the one-on-one coaching, you'll receive all the same exercises while you listen in. You can apply it to your own copywriting career after, with a few adjustments. Sign up now or keep on reading...

Do you write better long copy or short?
Blogs or advertorials?
Press releases or video scripts?

Depending on your personality, your past experience, your skill level, your childhood aspirations... you may be able to produce better copy for a particular medium. If long copy causes your heart to pound and your brow to sweat maybe you should be writing blog and email copy. If you come from a magazine background, you could excel at writing print advertorials. If you love watching documentaries, you might consider writing infomercial scripts.

Shaune's going to help the three hot-seat winners, plus everybody listening, figure out if there is one or two mediums that would work best for you.

Think about it... Why start off your career trying to do EVERYTHING for your clients? Otherwise, next thing you know you're writing Adword campaigns, long copy, email blast, JV letters... Talk about a nervous breakdown waiting to happen! You simply CANNOT be an expert in everything. Increase your value by sticking to one medium until you've mastered it. Until you OWN that ladder in your niche.

I'm not saying you can't expand, if you so choose. What I'm suggesting, though, is that you become established first. I know one top copywriter who writes nothing but direct-response radio ads. He's quite rich and happy.

If all this focusing sounds like
it's going to limit your options...
It's NOT!
You're already limiting yourself
by having no specialty

Who's paid more?
Your family doctor or a brain surgeon?
Heck, even a foot doctor makes
more than a general physician

By having no focus you're making copywriting unnecessarily difficult for yourself. If you constantly have to learn new markets and new formats, you have no time to develop real skill. It's going to take you twice as long to get projects done... at HALF the pay.

Make sense? Alright, make sure you fill out this form and sign up for the Craft Your Own Untouchable Copywriter's USP group coaching teleconference before you leave. After you've confirmed your email address (so we can send you the call-in information) make sure you submit an application to be one of three hot-seaters.  The call’s going to last 90 minutes — if you win a hot-seat, a good 25% of that time will be spent on you and your USP specifically. Shaune's charges $750/hour for one-on-one coaching. Do the math and see how much you'll win...

But even if you only get to watch Shaune help three other copywriting colleagues craft their USPS, you'll learn tons.

Now, another positioning issue you'll want to consider is...

What TYPE of Client PERSON
do you want to work with?

Just because your client might operate in your favorite niche doesn't mean you'll look forward to talking to them on the phone. You need to examine your own values, beliefs and priorities to determine what kind of client you'll really "hit it off" with.

"But isn't this personal stuff unimportant in business?"

Yeah right! Trust me, you want to get along with your clients. Otherwise you will not enjoy writing copy for them.

Anyways, the best type of clients you could have are the ones who partner with you long-term. You'll get to know them, their products and their customers like you know your own kids. That makes it easier for you to write copy that converts. Which means your value will increase each month (and your royalties, too.)

Plus, you eliminate the learning curve you get when you ride the client-merry-go-round, constantly having to familiarize yourself with a new set of customers and products.

But if you're not on the same wavelength as your clients, then it's unlikely you'll make it past the honeymoon stage.

So, it's crucial that you weave into your self-promo copy what Shaune calls Real-Life Tidbits  — I like to call them "secret handshakes." We're talking simply words or short phrases, strategically placed, that go under most people's radar, but will be immediately recognizable to your ideal client.

It may be something as simple as quoting your favorite author or mentioning a hobby or sharing a personal belief about life.

The tricky thing about this is that...

...you need to use a lot of DISCRIMINATION.

You want to connect with your prospective client
at a deeper level.

You DO NOT want to start sharing things that
will seem irrelevant or out of place

Not to worry... If you're one of the three who is selected to be on the hot-seat, Shaune will help save you from such blunders. He's been coaching copywriters for three years and his third-party perspective and wide-range of experience will help you determine the real life tidbits you need to start sprinkling throughout your self-promo copy.

Sign up now so you'll get one of the 100 spectator seats and a good chance at winning one of the three hot-seats...

Your voice, your writing style, developing your own original copywriting techniques (yes, you can be a "guru" too)... all these things are critical to you being the ideal copywriter for your ideal copywriting clients.

I don't have time to explain anymore, right now. You've just received a good taste of what's coming. As someone who read an email I wrote about this teleconference said, "I already feel like I'm being coached."

Are you ready to get more coaching
— valued at near $1000?

• Stop Making It So Hard to Land High-Pay Copywriting Clients: You may think specializing narrows your options. And you're right. But it will increase your conversion of leads into clients as Shaune will explain on Wednesday's teleconference....

• Complete Projects Faster (At Twice the Pay): Avoid having to relearn different markets and niches every time you land a new client. Even better...

• Get Off the Client Merry-Go-Round: Once you become a specialist, you may soon find clients offering monthly retainer cheques and royalties you can't refuse...

Consider what you've read here
as just the appetizer by the prep-cook

Shaune's already busy doing his best to ensure this will be one of the most career-changing (if not life-transforming) copywriting teleconference you've attended this year. Many people, like Suzanne Ryan (theGourmetCopywriter.com) said the last call we did in February was the best this year: "I’ve joined an endless numbers of teleseminars this year…many of them quite good. But by far, this has been the best for me. I was so revved up after the call that night, I couldn’t sleep..."

This one's going to be even better. We hope you don't sleep for two or three days, while you re-invent your copywriting USP. While you RE-POSITION yourself so that you have so little competition it doesn't even concern you.

We are NOT doing a tele-SEMINAR, here...

This will be a group coaching call. You'll be able to tune into (or, if you win a hot-seat, participate in) a sample of how a real coaching experience goes between Shaune and the members of his 12-week coaching program.

We could go on and on during a teleseminar telling you why Shaune's coaching program is so great... OR WE COULD JUST SHOW YOU. Let you judge for yourself.

We expect that after Wednesday night is through, many listeners will have already sent Shaune $100 deposits and an application to hold their place in his upcoming coaching program starting the following Tuesday.

For now, you don't need to even think of opening your wallet (unless you really want to make sure you are able to enroll). Whether you are joining Shaune's coaching program or not, you get to benefit from this full 90-minute sample of his group coaching...

P.S. So I have only ONE question for you... Why haven't you filled out this form and signed up? I hope it's because I've piled so much useful content into this promo piece that you couldn't keep your eyes off it? If so, super. That was my intention. You don't have time to waste. I wanted to make sure that I made valuable use of it. If all you do is apply the guidance you received from reading this web page, your income should increase. But, why stop here? Fill in your name and email address and you're going to get a full-length class in Crafting Your Own UNTOUCHABLE Copywriter's USP from the master cook himself, Shaune Clarke.