You Don’t Have to be a Good Creative Writer to be an Effective Copywriter

Why is it that some writers cannot do both well?

I once took a copywriting workshop where the instructor said something shocking at the start of class. “You don’t have to be a good creative writer to be a successful copywriter.”

What’s that now?

I was immediately skeptical and wondered if signing up for the workshop had been a mistake and a waste of my time. However, once I finished the worship series, I had to agree. Because I came to realize the reverse is also true. Just because you’re a good creative writer doesn’t mean you know how to be a good copywriter.

I think nearly everyone can identify a talented creative writer after reading just a small amount of their work. They draw you in, paint a picture with their words, create three-dimensional characters the reader connects with, and there is an engaging plot that hooks you, maybe even surprises you.

But not everyone can identify good copywriting, or more importantly, effective copywriting. In fact, if marketing copy does its job, you don’t realize it’s working; it just does.

Most people would say the purpose of copywriting is to sell a product or service. But that is not the objective of a copywriter. The copywriter’s job is to help a prospect, or potential customer, solve a problem or achieve a goal. Marketing copy should be persuasive and focused on driving action.

The purpose of creative writing is to give the reader pleasure or fulfil a desire, such as to learn a new skill or address an issue, problem, or crisis. The purpose of copywriting is to persuade the reader to take action, such as downloading an eBook, signing up for a newsletter, or clicking on a product page link to make a purchase.

Because copywriting is formulaic and straightforward, it makes sense that not all talented copywriters would excel at creative writing, although many do. But it might be less obvious why many solid, creative writers cannot successfully write copy.

I once worked with an exceptionally talented writer whose copy did not deliver. He was so busy being creative, using flowery language, and telling an engaging story that the call to action got lost. His copy did not immediately offer a solution and drive the reader to respond.

I didn’t fully realize how different creative writing and copywriting were until I started trying to pitch my memoir while working with other authors in a workshop. Nearly every author I know finds it difficult to sell their own work. That’s because writing marketing copy uses a completely different set of skills. You have to take off your creative writing hat before you can write effective persuasive copy and convince others to read your book.

Writing pitch letters for my memoir is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It took me a while to figure out why it was so easy for me to promote other products or services while it was so difficult to promote myself. The trick is learning to separate myself from my work. I had to stop being an author and put on my copywriter hat. I feel lucky to have training as a copywriter. Many other authors have yet to learn that skill.