Excellent read. Maybe the most insight per word of any article I’ve read on substack. Actual thinking in a sea of slop.
Did you learn anything from the copywriting book? I’ve done copywriting gigs on and off for a few years and I think the idea that it’s a skill that can be learned (or taught by reading certain books or subscribing to certain newsletters) is cope from people who aren’t natural* writers.
*natural meaning people who read & wrote obsessively as children and consequently developed the ability to use language at a high level as adults. Or at least that’s how I think about it.
🙏 Thank you. Meaningful praise. Yeahhhh I hate to admit, it's useful. I'll make a video and my next few newsletters about it. You have to learn it these days bc...everything is copy.
looking forward to that piece. have followed you on insta for a long while so good to see you posting here too. what was the copy book?
random thought about your copy idea because it's something I think about a lot: when it comes to producing/consuming content in a world of endless copy, curation (and taste) becomes more & more important. for my newsletter I could hypothetically just use AI to come up with ideas and write it for me because it's a fairly straightforward and reproducible format. and maybe some people wouldn't notice the difference. but for long-term readers (or folks who look back through the many newsletters I've written over the past 2 years) I think the consistently high quality of topics and the (hopefully) the insight from my voice shines through and separates it from comparable newsletters, which are very generic and mid IMO. so my long-term strategy is sort of relying on that aspect shining through and separating it from the competition.
How to Write Clearly by Tom Albrighton. I ordered two more. Will report back.
I think if you consider yourself a writer, relying on your voice is the only way to do it. Plus, what fun is it to have it written for you. Also AI does a terrible job imho. I can always tell.
Excellent read. Maybe the most insight per word of any article I’ve read on substack. Actual thinking in a sea of slop.
Did you learn anything from the copywriting book? I’ve done copywriting gigs on and off for a few years and I think the idea that it’s a skill that can be learned (or taught by reading certain books or subscribing to certain newsletters) is cope from people who aren’t natural* writers.
*natural meaning people who read & wrote obsessively as children and consequently developed the ability to use language at a high level as adults. Or at least that’s how I think about it.
🙏 Thank you. Meaningful praise. Yeahhhh I hate to admit, it's useful. I'll make a video and my next few newsletters about it. You have to learn it these days bc...everything is copy.
looking forward to that piece. have followed you on insta for a long while so good to see you posting here too. what was the copy book?
random thought about your copy idea because it's something I think about a lot: when it comes to producing/consuming content in a world of endless copy, curation (and taste) becomes more & more important. for my newsletter I could hypothetically just use AI to come up with ideas and write it for me because it's a fairly straightforward and reproducible format. and maybe some people wouldn't notice the difference. but for long-term readers (or folks who look back through the many newsletters I've written over the past 2 years) I think the consistently high quality of topics and the (hopefully) the insight from my voice shines through and separates it from comparable newsletters, which are very generic and mid IMO. so my long-term strategy is sort of relying on that aspect shining through and separating it from the competition.
How to Write Clearly by Tom Albrighton. I ordered two more. Will report back.
I think if you consider yourself a writer, relying on your voice is the only way to do it. Plus, what fun is it to have it written for you. Also AI does a terrible job imho. I can always tell.