The Biography Channel

My first contact with copywriting and direct response marketing was 1986 – the year I started my own business as a carpenter.   

Bill Scott owned the Fort Erie Shopping News, and helped me by writing my first classified ad. He was a little surprised when I told him I thought I might be able to do better, but he was a good friend and suggested I give it a shot. 

Even today, I see a lot of ads just like the one Bill wrote for me more than 20 years ago. 

There’s nothing related to direct response marketing in way too many ads. No call to action, no focus on a specific market, and no way to track results. 

My first ad asked prospects to call for a free deck or porch inspection – not just a free estimate for anything. When I started doing home renos, different ads offered inspections for kitchens, bathrooms and basements. 

You can see how which inspection someone asked for indicated which ad the person was responding to. Even when someone was interested in different project, they always started by saying “your ad mentioned…” Then they’d ask about the kind of project they were interested in. 

The ads brought results – they were easily tracked, focussed on niche markets and always asked readers to take action. 

It’s easy to understand how friends – fellow business owners – started asking me to write ads and letters for them, too. They got a great deal – I did it for free because I thought it was a fun hobby! 

My first job in editorial copywriting came in 1990. A friend asked me to re-write a chemistry experiment manual for West Park Secondary School. 

It was fun, but it also showed me how much more time an editorial copy project takes compared to promotional copy. After all, the promotional copy just sells – it’s the editorial copy (the information product) that has to deliver on all the promises. 

Imagine how easy it was to decide what to do when I turned 40 and started wondering if I still wanted to be swinging a hammer at age 60. 

Since going full-time as a copywriter in October 2007, I’ve landed 

•        The Ontario General Contractors Association (Mississaga, ON) in the B2B market writing online copy.  
•        March of Dimes of Canada (Toronto, ON) in the Fundraising market consulting for offline and online copy.  
•        Al Sears, MD (Royal Palm Beach, FL) in the Health market writing filler (500 wds) and feature (1500 wds) articles.   
•        Early to Rise (Delray Beach, FL) in the Self-Improvement market writing direct response marketing copy.  
•        Accounting and Business Consultants (Brighton, AL) in the Financial market writing briefs, articles, reports and guides for offline and online direct marketing.   
•        Bob Bly (Dumont, NJ) – I write complete books for Bob. He gives me a topic, we develop an outline, and he just sets me loose.  

The first book I wrote for Bob, Writing E-Books for Fun and Profit, did more than $48,000 in sales for its first three months. The next two also sold well, and I’m working on two more for 2009. 

The international experience I’ve gained in direct response marketing, editorial copy and internet marketing – across several niche markets – is simply unmatched in today’s marketplace. 

Are you interested in using information and the internet to grow your business and create new income streams? 

Then please feel welcome to contact me. I’m always happy to discuss a new project. You can have 30 minutes free – after that, you can let me know whether you prefer an hourly consulting fee or a regular monthly retainer.