Five Things Top Writers Do
Every copywriter knows that the success of the final piece depends on whether the product or service sells or not. Here are five ways to make that happen.
1. Make sure you get a good briefing document to start with
MYL has excellent briefing templates and provides appropriate reference materials at the start of every translating, writing or editing job. MYL also keeps communication lines open at all times, so that if you find that something is lacking, incomplete or unclear, do not hesitate to go back to MYL and seek clarification. It is absolutely important that from the start of the process, it is clear to you what your translated piece should say, and who will eventually read that piece.
2. Research, research, research
With information these days being readily accessible online, there is no excuse for any writer not to know about the Client’s company, its competitors, the market it competes in, and the market segment it is targeting, at the very least. All this information is essential to writing effectively, so research should be any copywriter’s first task in any project.
3. Allow time for ideas to form
Any creative undertaking needs time to develop, and it is okay to let things simmer for a while. Do not feel frustrated if the words are not flowing when you sit at your computer. Go for a walk, read a book, or watch a movie to get your creative juices flowing. Trust that your brain is working on the new information it has obtained, and is making its way towards a creative idea.
4. Commit to writing, then leave it alone for a while
Good writers know that the best way to write is to just sit down and write. Once the ideas come, it is important to commit them to paper and go with the writing flow. Sometimes, too, especially when writing lengthy text, it helps to leave it alone for a while and come back to it later with a fresh perspective. It might surprise you, but after coming back to a piece — even one you have done much work on — you might still spot errors or even hidden gems you did not see before.
5. Edit, edit, edit
Preeminent Broadway lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim has said more than once that sometimes “you have to kill your darlings”. He was talking of being ruthless with editing: if the piece is not working, if the writing is ineffective, if any part — no matter how brilliant it seems — is not contributing to the whole, it has to be cut. The resulting text will be leaner, cleaner and more effective.
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