\nThanks to the explosion of online copywriting courses, there\u2019s a flood of inexperienced newbie copywriters flooding the market.
![\"copywriting](\"https:\/\/www.marketingforsuccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/copywriting-tips.jpg\" "\\"copywriting")
<\/a><\/p>\nNow, I was once one of those wet-behind-the-ears copywriters.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing wrong with being a newbie, as long as you understand that you need to pay your dues.\u00a0 As John Carlton likes to say, \u201cyou need to get good before you get paid\u201d.<\/p>\n
But the problem is that many of these newbie copy cubs are convinced their work is worth top dollar.\u00a0 And they\u2019ll often charge clients high fees for substandard work.<\/p>\n
Amazingly, they often get those fees.\u00a0 That\u2019s because there\u2019s an entire cottage industry devoted to showing these wet-behind-the-ears copywriters how to negotiate top dollar for their services.\u00a0 In fact, one copywriting \u201cguru\u201d actually shows new copywriters how to pressure you into paying an exorbitant fee. And then he tells his students to swipe a sales letter from another market and edit it just enough to avoid being sued.<\/p>\n
Now, there\u2019s nothing wrong with using a swipe file. I use mine every day. The problem is that a new copywriter doesn\u2019t have the experience to know how to swipe the right way.\u00a0 And that can put you in the hot seat.<\/p>\n
You see, when a copywriter uses a swipe file, it\u2019s not meant to be a \u201csteal file\u201d.\u00a0 It\u2019s an IDEA file.<\/strong><\/p>\n Swiping an entire sales letter is stealing, plain and simple. The fact is that most companies copyright their sales materials. So if your copywriter steals someone else\u2019s sales letter and doesn\u2019t change it enough \u2026and then you use that letter in your business\u2026 you can actually be sued for copyright infringement!<\/p>\n Worse, new copywriters often don\u2019t understand the techniques \u201chidden\u201d in copy.\u00a0 Those master techniques are what make John Carlton\u2019s headlines pull like crazy.\u00a0 They make Gary Bencivenga\u2019s copy hypnotic.\u00a0 And they\u2019re what make Clayton Makepeace\u2019s emotional copy so powerful.<\/p>\n But those techniques are subtle.\u00a0 You won\u2019t learn them from a basic copywriting course.\u00a0 So when a newbie copywriter swipes a letter\u2014even a letter by one of the copywriting heavyweights above\u2014they can destroy every single \u201cmaster techniques\u201d hidden in the copy.\u00a0 And that means the promotion will probably fail miserably.<\/p>\n How to Make Sure You Don\u2019t Get Ripped Off By a \u201cSwipe File Superstar\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Why would you shell out your hard-earned money in return for bad copy that loses you money?\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t. And you shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s my first tip: before you hire a copywriter, ask to see some samples of their work.<\/strong><\/p>\n Then, take the headlines from a few of those samples and type them into Google.<\/p>\n Do the same thing for the subheads.\u00a0 And do the same thing for a few short paragraphs of the body copy.<\/p>\n If a similar letter pops up in multiple search results, that\u2019s a big red flag.<\/p>\n Because when Google finds the same headline\u2026subheads…and body copy in more than 2 or 3 places, that usually means the entire piece (or most of it) was swiped from somewhere else.<\/p>\n Now call up that copywriter and ask them about what you\u2019ve discovered. If the copywriter is upfront about the fact that the sample is from a swipe, that\u2019s one thing.\u00a0 But if they try to claim the work is solely theirs\u2026and that they would never steal someone else\u2019s work\u2026walk away.\u00a0 You\u2019re dealing with someone with\u2026how should I say this\u2026um, \u201cless than ideal\u201d business ethics.<\/p>\n That one tip could save you thousands of dollars in wasted copywriting fees,\u00a0 legal hassles, and lost profits.<\/p>\n Remember, you\u2019re the client.\u00a0 You\u2019re paying good money for great copy.\u00a0 Don\u2019t settle for anything less.\u00a0 Do your research and make sure you\u2019re hiring the right person for the job.<\/p>\n – Paul<\/em><\/p>\n