Carline Anglade-Cole

3X Award-Winning Direct-Response Copywriter, Author & Consultant

Ideas are like my 4 pregnancies…

by | Nov 22, 2019

How to get organized – even if you’re an UNorganized writer like me!

Hiya CopyStar!

My husband and I just got back from a month-long, WHIRLWIND trip to Southeast Asia! We visited South Korea and traveled throughout Thailand — getting on planes, boats, trains and buses… staying in numerous hotels — including a jungle chalet… wandering in bat caves…bathing in spectacular waterfalls… crossing over several time zones… and experiencing my first Thai Massage!

Let me tell you — the 13 hour jet lag was a KILLER! I was wide awake when I should’ve been asleep and tired as heck when I should’ve been raring to go! But I wasn’t going to let jet lag stop me from enjoying the AMAZING sights… scrumptious foods…remarkable natural and man-made monuments. And so MUCH more!

Me – at the Gyeonbokgung Palace in Korea wearing a hanbok – a traditional Korean dress

Now that I’m back in my office — I think fondly about the trip and the cool people we met. And I realize that this phenomenal experience would never have happened if it wasn’t organized so well by my fantastic Italian travel agent Luisa Argnani!

Luisa is a personal travel shopper and the epitome of excellent planning and organization!

There wasn’t any chaos or confusion during the entire month of travel. Luisa thought out the entire trip — and planned accordingly. Her hard work paid off in spades for me and my family! Then I started thinking…

…that same attention to detail and organization is critical for copywriting!

If you’re not organized in your thoughts — you’re creating chaos and confusion for your reader. If you think through your sales copy — and plan accordingly — it’s going to pay off for you with a SALE!

Now — I almost feel like a hypocrite talking about organization. Why? Because I’m probably the most UNorganized writer you’ll ever meet. I don’t do outlines. I don’t think linear. I just DO copy! But I’ve come to realize that I’ve become “unconsciously” organized! In other words…

… while I don’t write in a methodical way — I do intuitively make sure the elements I need to write killer copy appear in my promos! So…

…I guess I AM an organized copywriter after all!

Now — over the years I’ve learned the key tools needed for writing a successful promo. And I’ve got lots of kick-butt ideas to help you get organized in your copywriting and take it to the next level. You can find this goldmine of actionable info in my ebook “The Do-it-Yourself Guide to Writing Kick-Butt Sales Copy”. But for now — let me share with you 3 copywriting tips that will help you get organized… reduce chaos… and write kick-butt copy!

Tip #1: Set limits! Know what you can handle!

When Luisa and I were planning my family trip to Southeast Asia — she gave me LOTS of options! But I knew we couldn’t do it all. So I had to choose:

  • What my family liked most
  • What worked best with our schedule
  • What would give us the biggest BANG for our buck!

The same goes with your projects CopyStar. Know what you can handle. Give yourself enough time to finish a project. If you think it will take you 2 weeks to write the sales copy — ask for 3 weeks!

Remember: It’s better to underpromise and overdeliver! Your client won’t get mad if you turn in copy earlier than your deadline! But he can get really ticked off if you blow your deadline!

Tip #2: Keep a notepad handy! Ideas are like my 4 pregnancies — they show up unexpectedly!

Ever had a great idea in the middle of the night — and then you wake up and can’t remember a thing? I hate when that happens! That’s why I keep notepads all around my house — and especially on my nightstand! When I get an idea — I write it down!

That idea may soon become part of a new lead… sidebar… or even a headline for ANOTHER project! So don’t lose it — write it down!

Tip #3: Plan your copywriting schedule for the year! Spread out similar themed projects so you don’t get burned out. Know where the holes are in your schedule so you can fill them!

Every day of my trip — I knew what we were doing. That way we wore the right clothes… showed up on time for excursions… and looked forward to the day’s adventures. Having an itinerary kept us on track!

Having a copywriting schedule can be equally thrilling!

Every fall, I plan out my ENTIRE schedule for the New Year. I spread out my clients so I have a variety of folks to work with throughout the year. If possible, I try to find out what projects they want me to write well in advance. That way, I can prevent writing for similar projects back-to-back. And MOST importantly…

…I can decide when I want to take off for vacations!

Now — if you’re just starting off — you’ll probably have more empty slots in your schedule than filled ones — but that’s OK. Get into the habit NOW of creating your copywriting schedule. Here’s what I do:

Call up prospective clients and tell them, “I’m putting together my creative schedule for next year and want to make sure we’ll be able to work together. Let me help you get a new killer control for your products. I’ve got an available slot in [name of month]!”

I keep my schedule on a simple dry erase board in my office. I can easily make changes/updates — and I know what’s ahead for the upcoming months!

Like I said earlier, CopyStar — I’m happy to share with you MORE ways to get organized… kick your copywriting into high gear — AND fatten your bottom line! So grab a copy of my ebook “The Do-it-Yourself Guide to Writing Kick-Butt Sales Copy”.

Yours for stellar results,

Million-Dollar Copywriter & Consultant