My response — April 13, 2022

By Mark Morgan Ford · April 13, 2022 · 2 min read

“Dear Mr. Ford (or Mark, if you prefer), I am a two-time author and have been a professional biographer-ghostwriter of over 30 clients’ books since 1999. I also write the occasional event speech. I’m ready to transition out of book ghostwriting ASAP. Question: Do you think I’m suited for copywriting, given my background?” – VC

My response: Copywriting is a job that requires at least four complex skills. The first is the capacity to empathize with the reader. That, you may or may not have naturally. If you don’t, you can still write good and successful ads. But you will never write great ones. The second complex skill is the craft of salesmanship. This is something that can definitely be learned. (AWAI is the place to learn it.) The third is very important, but almost never discussed by copywriting gurus. And that is the skill of good thinking. In advertising, that means thoughts that are both interesting and emotionally compelling. This, too, can be learned. And the fourth is the skill of being able to express good thoughts simply and coherently. As a seasoned ghostwriter, I suspect you already have three of these four skills. The one you may need to work on – salesmanship – is actually the easiest to learn. So, yes. You are definitely suited for a successful career as a copywriter. Go for it. And good luck to you!

My response — April 13, 2022

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