The Adweek Copywriting Handbook

UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS
mind can relate this data to a problem, the better you are going to
be at coming up with that really great idea.
Running Your Own Company
Another factor that makes a great copywriter is the experience of
running your own company and being responsible for every
word you write. The really great direct marketing copywriters
often don’t work for advertising agencies, but rather run their
own companies and experience their own successes and failures.
Ben Suarez, Gary Halbert, the late Gene Schwartz and dozens of
others recognized as top copywriters have owned their own
companies and learned over years of trial and error—years of
both big mistakes and great success. You can’t beat that type of
experience.
In my case, I have been presented with thousands of products,
have written ads for hundreds of them and have had to
come up with that big idea hundreds of times a year. Even as I
look back at my advertising, I see a learning curve that would
not have been possible had it not been for that immense wealth
of broad experience. You’re going to read about many of those
experiences throughout this book. You’ll be able to avoid many
of the pitfalls and mistakes I made climbing my way up the ladder
and you’ll understand why these mistakes were indeed learning
experiences.
The preparation for becoming a great copywriter is a
lifestyle. It’s a hunger for knowledge, a curiosity and a desire to
participate in life that is broad-based and passionate. If you have
this personality, you are already well on your way. If you don’t,
simply being aware of it is often enough to start a mental process
and movement that will take you to where you would like to be.
But being a great copywriter is more than just having a lot of experience
in life. What you will learn in the next chapter is just as
important.
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