Get paid to write a book

The biggest stumbling block for a writer is the blank page or computer screen. Writers get performance anxiety just like actors get stage fright. Luckily, that block is easy to conquer when you’re writing copy.

Copy is conversational. If you’re used to writing novels or non-fiction, this can be hard to achieve at first. Good copy is simply communication, rather than literary elegance, and you don’t have to agonize over grammar. If you’re getting your client’s message across, you’re writing good copy.

Here’s a handy trick to get words on the page. When you start writing, imagine you’re talking to someone, telling her about the product. It helps to type something like: “Jeannie, I just found this great new thing, let me tell you about it…” Then describe the product.

Or, if you’re writing longer copy, longer than a typical page of 250 words, talk into a tape recorder, and pretend to tell someone about the product, then transcribe the tape. Either of these techniques will stop you using a stiff and formal voice. You’ll be using an informal conversational style and tone, which is appropriate for copy.

You’ll also notice you’ve conquered the blank page.

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