“What have you found to be the best meeting rhythm for a copywriting team? Regular meetings to brainstorm on copy and ads? Meetings only when necessary to collaborate on new copy? As few meetings as possible and let the copywriters slave away in dark rooms? I appreciate your insights. (And great to see you still writing regularly. I read everything you put out.)” – CB

My Response: I haven’t formally thought about a “meeting rhythm” for copywriters. Or written about it. But what I’ve done, when working with teams, is have lead-storming meetings once a quarter or twice a year or annually, depending on scheduling needs.

Here’s how they work…

The meetings are tape-recorded.

Within 24 hours of a decision to go with a particular lead, the copywriter must produce a 500+ word first draft. I don’t like waiting more than a day for the first draft, because I’ve found that it’s easy to forget the cleverness of the core idea behind the lead. The core idea is more than just an idea. It’s the emotion behind it. It’s the wording. If you wait too long – say, a couple of weeks – the core idea will be gone. Even if everyone thinks they remember it. (Thus, the tape-recording.)

If the first draft is approved by the team, the next step is a second draft. Longer and more detailed. Usually about 1,000 to 1,500 words. Again, the copywriter must produce it within 24 hours.

Once that is approved, the team agrees to a deadline for the first draft of the full promo, sometimes including intermediate deadlines.

I think four weeks is the right amount of time for completing the first draft of a full promo, from idea generation to completion. I would not allow any more than that.

And then the rewrite begins. Depending on the suggestions given to the copywriter, the final draft should take no more than two weeks.

As far as working in solitude vs. in physical proximity with other copywriters is concerned, there is an obvious advantage to being surrounded with other writers. At the same time, many creative people find that working with others around is distracting. Considering the way so many people are working remotely today, I’d leave the writing itself decision up to the copywriters individually. But I would mandate that all the brainstorming and the team reviews be done in person.