Vanessa Nix Anthony

It’s best if web copy is written at an eighth-grade level. Use tools such as Grammarly, Hemingway, or Yoast to evaluate content for simplicity and clarity. https://lnkd.in/gb7Q8GgQ

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One example of why copyediting takes time: compiling the word list on the style sheet. The word list for the fantasy novel I'm copyediting is 400 words long. Those are either real words I've looked up in Merriam-Webster to check how they're spelled and styled (capitalized or lowercased, hyphenated/left open/closed up), or invented words I've checked in the manuscript to make sure they're spelled and styled consistently throughout. This is just a fraction of what we do.

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Friday morning editing tips: To tighten your writing, trim your... Prepositions "Followed behind" —> "followed" "Stood up" —> "stood" "Knelt down" —> "knelt" Implied nouns "Nodded their head" —> "nodded" "Blinked their eyes" —> "blinked" Redundant adverbs "Scowled irritably" —> "scowled" "Grinned joyfully" —> "grinned" #Writing #Editing

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Best way to find clients? Stop looking for them. ⬇ I hate cold pitching. ⬇ SEO eludes me. ⬇ I'm too lazy to blog ⬇ "Lead Generation" sounds like a cult. ⬇ And I refuse to "niche." BUT. . . ✅ Put me on a rooftop with interesting people, ✅ riff with me in a DM about a ladybug on a ladder, ✅ smile at me on line for an espresso, ✅ share a secret with me on a bus ride, ✅ make me stop to think about your LinkedIn post, . . .and I can work with that. Many of you know that my first gig as a ghostwriter was for a high school acquaintance who FB-messaged me out of the blue. Some might call that a fluke. I call it human connection. And for me, it's been the easiest way to NOT have to look for work. **When you lead with empathy, empathy will LEAD WORK TO YOU.** Take a look at just a few other ways that work has found me. == 💙 A personal "Thank you" I spent last August in Norway. At one point, I left a heavy suitcase at an AirBnB while I traveled. When I returned, the host's father graciously brought it to my hotel. When I called to thank him, he invited me and my 3 kids to sail with him through the fjords the next day. As we sat there in the sun, eating the mackerel we just caught, Ingve told me he'd written a successful business book that he now wanted to write in English for an international audience. What were the odds that an American ghostwriter would land in his boat? 💙 Putting yourself out there for a stranger Many years ago, I did a book proposal for a guy in LA whom I met on LinkedIn. We became phone friends, and much later, when he was having surgery, I offered to stay with him for a few days while he recovered. (It was during COVID, flights were cheap, and he had no one else who was willing to help.) Since then, he's returned the favor, introducing me to lots of high-profile authors who needed a ghostwriter. 💙 Being Willing to Sacrifice Two years ago, I wrote a short memoir for a woman in Northern California who had a very small budget. I did it because I genuinely liked her and her story, and thought we could be friends. Since then, she's introduced me to a well-known fitness guru who needed a ghost, has had me as her houseguest twice, and had my son move across the country to come work for her. 💙 Staying in Touch On each high-school report card, my headmaster would handwrite a note, applauding my writing or some other talent that stood out. One day, he handed me his personal copy of The Alchemist, and it rocked my world. Years later, when I was recovering from a long illness and just out of a wheelchair, Mr. Spahn hired me as a school tutor. I've always kept in touch with him, checking in from time to time. Yesterday, Mr. Spahn called and asked me to write a book for him. We're signing a contract today. == >> How has empathy led work to you?<< == I'm the Ghostwriter's Ghostwriter. Check out my FEATURED section to see my latest book, featured in the NYT and on “The View.”

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Advanced Copywriting Tip: Focus on Flow Don't focus on grammar or punctuation in the first draft of your copy. Focus on flow. When you’re done with the copy, go back and fix any grammar issues. A typo here or a grammEr mistake there won’t break your copy. But clunky flow WILL.

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Running a 7-figure+ Business and Having a Team of Copywriters? Then, I'd like to pay YOU to chief all your copy. Yep, you read that right. I will pay you to chief all the copy your team of copywriters crafts daily. "Have you gone mad, Svet?" Not at all. I know finding the RIGHT Copy Chief for your company is neither cheap nor easy. So, to make things simple for you... I'll take ALL the risk from your plate and put it on mine. Here's the deal: I'll pay you $500 to chief all the copy you can send me in 3 days. After the 3 days are over, we'll chat about how you liked my service. If you're not happy, I'll pay you another $500 for wasting your time. But if you are, we'll talk about how to hire me to become your next Copy Chief. Now, I'm not a rookie or a stupid freelancer. So, as you can imagine, there are a few simple yet important requirements: 1. You're making at least 7 figures per year. 2. You have a team of copywriters who craft copy every day. 3. Your products/services are legitimate. I don't work with shady stuff. 4. You're in the health, ecomm, fitness, survival, supplements, or travel niches. That's it. Now, the way I see it, you have two options: 1. Get $500 and a new Copy Chief if you like my services. 2. Get $1,000 if you don't like my services. I believe both of these are no-brainers. If you also think so, leave a comment below or DM me. -- Svet P.S. If you know somebody who'll be interested in this deal, tag them below or just share the post with your network.

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People say less is more. But when it comes to email marketing... The volume of emails sent matters. Lot of writers have this huge misconception that sending more than one email per week is "spammy" to subscribers. And that people will unsubscribe. The reality? Plenty of writers send emails: - 3x per week - 5x per week - 7x per week And guess what? Their lists are thriving. Of course, some subscribers won't like being emailed all the time. But like anything else, you can't please everyone. It's a fact of life. So, if you're afraid to increase the number of emails you're sending to your list... - Chill out - Take a breather - Set your intentions And move with confidence. If you want to actually achieve the results you want from email marketing, then be a bit adventurous. Try new things. Be uncomfortable. What's stopping you? . . . PS. How many times do you email per week?

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If you're a content/SEO writer, you've probably been wondering what the Google SEO leak means to you. Will our business dry up? Will clients realize the importance of content for reasons beside SEO? (Fingers crossed.) Can we ignore the SEO "experts" when they insist we insert grammatically impossible keyword phrases into blog posts? This commentary from charles B. doesn't outright answer those questions, but it does clarify the situation in layperson's terms And it makes me glad that I always insisted on writing for people first, search engines second.

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The #1 mistake most email marketers make is also the #1 rule of copywriting. Never assume your audience read the previous email. You don't want your reader to disengage because they're not sure what you're talking about. 😬 If you're referencing a past email, be sure to summarize and/or link it. it's a simple way to stand out. P.S. Monthly digests are also fantastic to recap your content for the month. ____________________________________________________ I'm Kelsey, a Wildlife Conservation Copywriter and Full Service Email Marketer🫎🌲 I write for businesses and organizations who support the outdoors, conservation, and sustainability, in any way.

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Imagine if you could make a living right from your laptop screen? What would it be like to churn out thousands of dollars from a few writing projects each month? For many, this seems like an unattainable dream. But it doesn't need to be. There are actually several sites that compensate freelance writers extremely well for their services, and offer a generously competitive project rate that goes beyond the low pay-per-word structures you might have observed when looking for freelance work. Read more in my Forbes article. https://lnkd.in/ecsefthK

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Imagine if you could make a living right from your laptop screen? What would it be like to churn out thousands of dollars from a few writing projects each month? For many, this seems like an unattainable dream. But it doesn't need to be. There are actually several sites that compensate freelance writers extremely well for their services, and offer a generously competitive project rate that goes beyond the low pay-per-word structures you might have observed when looking for freelance work. Read more in my Forbes article. https://lnkd.in/ecsefthK

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Imagine if you could make a living right from your laptop screen? What would it be like to churn out thousands of dollars from a few writing projects each month? For many, this seems like an unattainable dream. But it doesn't need to be. There are actually several sites that compensate freelance writers extremely well for their services, and offer a generously competitive project rate that goes beyond the low pay-per-word structures you might have observed when looking for freelance work. Read more in my Forbes article. https://lnkd.in/ecsefthK

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Imagine if you could make a living right from your laptop screen? What would it be like to churn out thousands of dollars from a few writing projects each month? For many, this seems like an unattainable dream. But it doesn't need to be. There are actually several sites that compensate freelance writers extremely well for their services, and offer a generously competitive project rate that goes beyond the low pay-per-word structures you might have observed when looking for freelance work. Read more in my Forbes article. https://lnkd.in/ecsefthK

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Imagine if you could make a living right from your laptop screen? What would it be like to churn out thousands of dollars from a few writing projects each month? For many, this seems like an unattainable dream. But it doesn't need to be. There are actually several sites that compensate freelance writers extremely well for their services, and offer a generously competitive project rate that goes beyond the low pay-per-word structures you might have observed when looking for freelance work. Read more in my Forbes article. https://lnkd.in/ecsefthK

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This is why so many copywriters give up: Copywriting has a pretty high churn rate. It’s a profession that gobbles up and spits out with relentless gusto. Many can’t hack it. Many come to hate it. Many can’t afford to do it, as they can’t get enough work. But many that do succeed get stuck on a treadmill they don’t really want to be on. They look at people earning a lot of dosh through copy and decide that’s for them. And they start to smash the hours. Up at 5am, work all day and night, four hours sleep – then back at it. I used to be a bit like that, truth be told (apart from the 5am bit). I made a lot of money. But I also neglected my family and friends and made myself sad and lonely. I got to the point where I thought about giving up copywriting, as I was not in a good place. But I came to realise that I was the problem - not copywriting. I was putting way too much into it – just to make a few more quid. So, I stopped all the hustle bullshit and started to take life a bit easier. Income fell, sure, but I got my life back. Now I’ve got loads going on – most of it nothing to do with work. I could be working - and earning money. But I could always be doing that. This applies to you and any other copywriter. You could always be at your desk writing copy for clients. Or trying to get clients. And this is why people burn out – as they feel guilty when they’re not working. But you must have some perspective on this. You need to focus on what your business and life should look like. Thing is, you have an opportunity so many lack. You’re a self-employed creative. So you can work with who you want and make as much money as you want. It may take a tonne of work to hit the heights, but you can do it. You can be a massive success. And earn a proper mint. But be careful, as it's easy to fall into the trap of chasing things you don't even want. And working all hours of the day. That can be dangerous, believe me. So, do me a favour and have a think about this question: How do you want your life to look? Give that some thought - and act on it - and it could dramatically improve your health and happiness.

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Another gem from the new AP Stylebook: This one comes from the new checklist for self-editing. When you're done writing an article: "Write a 100-word summary, focusing on the absolute need-to-know facts and angles. Then ask yourself: Are those key points clear in the story’s lead, that all-important first paragraph(s)? Are they explained further in a nut graf that summarizes the 'so what?' near the top of the piece? Does the story’s focus align with that 100-word summary?" I know most of you are content folks — not necessarily journalists. But this still applies. You may not have a technically proper lead or nut graf in your content. But you need to cover the most important stuff in the intro. And if you've missed the "so what" angle up top, that's a problem. Try this summary method out. I did it a couple of days ago and it really helped. #Editing #SelfEditing #EditingTips #Editors

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"A game-changer. Wish we'd found them years ago." 🚫 Generic praise like this is killing your agency's lead gen. Why? It's forgettable, meaningless, and a wasted opportunity. What to do instead? Use ⚡️ Pain Point Testimonials. (testimonials that speak directly to client pain points) Here's the approach: 1️⃣ Identify top 3-5 pain points your clients come to you with 2️⃣ Inventory existing testimonials by pain point 3️⃣ If key pain points are missing, get those testimonials 4️⃣ Place pain point-specific testimonials wherever you discuss solving client problems Why ⚡️ Pain Point Testimonials work: It shows you understand and solve real problems. Remember: Generic praise is forgettable. Pain point testimonials show you get your clients. --------------------------- Hi! I'm Corey Quinn 🎯 🚫 Don’t let an algorithm decide what you read! Join hundreds of readers who get my daily growth tips. ⬆️ Click "Visit my website" under my name to subscribe 

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Content Writing 101: Nobody cares about your clever headlines. They care about whether you can solve their problems. - For more writing and wellness tips, follow me Jay Sparks ✍️

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