Discover the art and psychology behind the most effective, reliable, and versatile sentences in all of copywriting:

It started with this LinkedIn post:

Since this post went live, thousands of copywriters, marketers, and entrepreneurs have taken the Master Fascinations micro-course.

“This free micro-course on Copywriting Fascinations provides more value than 99% of the paid ‘courses’ on copywriting in existence.”

- Zac Garside, copywriter

The Single-Most Important Copywriting Skill

First of all, welcome — and congrats! 

If you’re reading this, you’re only days away from exploding your copywriting skills. 

This micro-course is designed to help you master fascinations, the subject of my presentation at Drift RevGrowth. (If you haven’t heard my talk, please register and check it out. It’s only 20 minutes long and will put everything you’re about to learn into perspective.)

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“I have watched at least a dozen webinars about copywriting. Yours is by far the most useful. Thank you.”

- Jerry G., nice guy who watched the talk
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If you’ve already seen the talk, you know that “fascinations” are sentences designed to conjure intense curiosity and compel action, in that order. 

Copywriting legend, Mel Martin, invented fascinations in the 60s. Ever since, elite copywriters — from direct-mail masters like Gary Halbert and John Carlton to email genius Ben Settle — have sworn by their effectiveness, reliability, and extreme versatility. 

My talk’s title is even based on a quote by internet marketing pioneer, Ken McCarthy: “Writing fascinations is the single-most important copywriting skill,” he said. 

Now, let’s start learning it... 

The best way to learn anything is to practice… 

In copywriting, one incredibly effective form of practice is called copyworking. 

If you’re copyworking, you are transcribing proven copy by hand. It sounds painstaking — and it can be — but it’s one of the best ways to internalize the voice and tone and style of another writer. Because transcribing copy by hand slows you down, giving you time to think critically about the original author’s decision-making (e.g. word choice, punctuation, order). 

Below I’ve curated 100 “classic” fascinations written by master copywriters, the best of the best, including:

• Gary Halbert

• John Carlton 

• Mel Martin 

• Gary Bencivenga

• Joe Sugarman 

• Ben Settle

Collectively, these copywriters have sold $100s of millions worth of products using fascinations. 

Study their words, copywork their words, apply yourself — and you will master the single most important copywriting skill in days, not years.

To complete this course: 

1) You’ll need 100 3 x 5 index cards (but any paper will do)

2) You’ll need a pen or pencil

3) You’ll need to block off 1 hour a day for the next 5 days

Do this for ~30 minutes, only once:

Read every fascination below — all 100 — out loud in an even, steady voice. This will help you get comfortable with this unique writing style. 

Once you’re done, you can immediately move on to STEP 2. OR you can give yourself a break and start STEP 2 tomorrow. It’ll be here for you when you’re ready. 

(That saaaaaid, if you’re ready now, if you have some time now, why not start now, while you’re enthusiastic and interested? Because what if your enthusiasm and interest wanes by tomorrow? And you never start?)

Do this for ~60 minutes, once a day for 5 days:

Take the next 5 days to transcribe 20 fascinations (one per index card) by hand, per day. 

Each day, after you finish, go back and read each card out loud. Again, use an even, steady voice. 

I like to do this first thing in the morning. Sip coffee. Transcribe. Sip coffee. Transcribe. Sip coffee. Transcribe. If you eliminate distractions, you’ll get into a flow state. And you’ll be done before you know it.

— — —
How to eliminate distractions:

Leave your phone in another room
2. Close your others tabs
3. Play brain.fm 👌
— — —

Obviously, you can copywork anytime you like. I just recommend not skipping a day. If you stick to the schedule, you’ll create invaluable inertia.

(It’s hard to stop a train.)

Onward.

Do this every time you write copy:

Apply the lessons you learn from these fascinations to the copy you write moving forward: 

• bullet points... 

• headlines and subheads... 

• email subject lines, leads, and P.S. lines

Lessons

Accessibility: Make the value accessible with just a single action (e.g., a click; a like; opening an envelope).

Curiosity: Make the copy conjure curiosity by teasing the value and embellishing the benefit. 

Imagery: Make all of it put an image in the reader’s mind.

If you don’t see a lift in your open rates, click-through rates, and overall campaign response, I’ll eat my hat. 

Onward.

The bad news: the “classic” print-era of direct-response was a boy’s club. 

The good news: this is rapidly changing. 👏

Individually, these copywriters have decades of experience writing direct-response promotions (i.e., ads designed to drive immediate action). 

Collectively, they’ve used fascinations to sell everything from physical products to information products to consulting services and more. You may not be selling their products, but you can use their style (e.g., tease the value + embellish the benefit) to garner attention and compel action!

So don’t get hung up on the industry behind each fascination. Instead, focus your attention on:

• The Value — how is it being teased?

• The Benefit — how is it being embellished?

• The Imagery — do the words put a picture in your mind’s eye?

• The Word Choice — is it severe, striking, intense?

(Again, I cover all of this in my Drift talk. If you haven’t seen it, register and check it out to get more context.)

The Masters’ fascinations are below, in no particular order. Some I found in a curated list by Gary Halbert. Some I got directly from individual promotions. All have been proven to compel a specific audience to read, click, and buy. 

Now they’re yours for the taking…

The 58 most important questions you need to ask yourself before you can really start to pile up the profits in your business!

The 7-step formula that even an illiterate drop-out can use to write advertising copy 100 times more potent than the best Madison Avenue ad agency!

How the 3 Basic Elements found in every single successful (multi-million dollar) television infomercial can also be used to boost the profitability of your newspaper ads!

Why your "back end" may be 1,000 times more profitable than your initial sale... and what to do to take advantage of it now!

The 11 steps of "Rolling Out" a project once you have a winner!

How to effortlessly "parlay" the same natural force that has ended more professional football players careers than any other... it's a human's weakest point during a fight (or before a fight begins), and once you know about it you've just increased your ability to defeat a larger man by 200%!

A non-hypey (almost "sleepy") subject line that gets high open rates virtually every time it's used.

A substitute for champagne sauce that isn’t perfect, but works. See page 97.

The common food everyone thinks is so “healthy” — yet actually depresses your immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds, viruses and diseases of all kinds. Consider yourself warned — on page 215.

How to make (super-cheap) radio advertising work!

A subject line tip I learned while studying an old newspaper advertising genius whose headlines were considered the best of his day. (This is another secret that can increase your open rates right away -- and it's easy, too!)

How to use bad jokes to "prime" people on your list to want to buy from your emails.

How to "flip" prospect objections into sales using emails. (If your list is full of skeptics)

How to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your way out of back pain. Page 9.

Exact word-for-word samples of sales letters that brought in millions... and how to adapt those same letters for your own business!

Why certain coffee can damage your vision. See page 554. 

10 stupid things most ad agencies do that you should never imitate!

The sneaky ways people will steal ideas and money from you... important "preventative" knowledge that will save you from being sunk by sabotage!

How to get into deep, soul-pleasing rapport with your partner... and stay there forever! (You will never feel alone again!)

Tested appeals and "grabbers" that guarantee readership... and tested "closers" that almost force people to send you money!

Tips from trouble-shooting experts on how to spot problems hurting your business and the triple-step technique they use to solve them fast!

The 10 easiest markets "rookie" entrepreneurs can tap for maximum profit with minimum risk!

"Insider" tips from the world's savviest (and richest) businessmen on how to shortcut your way to obscene riches and success!

How to gauge the no-fly boundaries of your customer's "comfort zone" -- so you will never take him out of it and jeopardize your sale before it's completed!

Are short subject lines really better than long ones? (The answer may surprise you)

Why having money or a nice car is 100% irrelevant to having a great love-life! (And the 3 "basics" that are relevant, but ignored by nearly every lonely guy!)

The bizarre subject line template that's almost guaranteed to explode your open rates wide open every time you use it

A little-known way to profit from older emails you've written months and years ago.

How to turn everyday items in your pocket (or your wife's purse) into vicious weapons that will (1) show you mean business, (2) instantly frighten anyone with an ounce of common sense, and (3) allow you to dominate any situation with a single blow!

When to use the most simple strike you'll ever learn... an unstoppable natural move so effective in ending fights it's not allowed in full-contact karate tournaments! (Instant disqualification -- it's also a move that 99% of the most brutal street fighters you'll ever encounter have never seen before... and don't know how to defend against!)

How to conquer any nervous moment -- during your first conversation, first date, even intimate encounters! (And how to be "in control" even when you feel otherwise!)

How to automatically avoid the blunders that get even nationally-ranked karate masters demolished in street fights!

How to use the "hip-swinging secret" soldiers use to drop opponents instantly -- no speed or strength required, yet it's like driving a 160 lb. bar of lead into the bad guy's belly! (It's so effective, you don't even have to come close to hitting your "target" area... even the sloppiest attempt by you will bring him to his knees!)

Why your weight, strength, speed and agility are the least important parts of winning a street altercation! (And why the one simple secret that is important will give you an immediate and enormous advantage over any other fighter you meet!)

Why hitting anyone with your fist is silly (even trained boxers bust knuckles that way)... and how to use the 8 "natural weapons" of your body to deliver 5 times the power of a fist with half the risk of injuring yourself!

The one huge mistake all inexperienced fighters make in their head that guarantees they will be turned into victims... and how to "parlay" it into an advantage that will give YOU an instant 200% increase in your chances of winning -- even if it's your first fight ever!

How to practice at home -- using props that won't cost you a dime -- to increase your learning curve 10 times faster!

How to use your worst failures to create irresistible subject lines people can't help but open. (Works especially well on the stubborn subscribers who NEVER open your emails!)

What women really want from a man! (Nine of ten men are absolutely floored by this secret!)

How to use a super-effective, completely unexpected technique straight out of the "Three Stooges" to cause any attacker to automatically (1) back up, (2) raise his hands in defense, and (3) blink rapidly... all of which instantaneously reverses the tables and makes your attacker suddenly vulnerable to a fight-ending blow you can deliver in your own sweet time.

How to avoid the really dumb things 9 out of every 10 people do in business that almost guarantees they will fail miserably!

Why all elite soldiers are given "permission" to use the one street fighter's Secret Weapon we are all taught from kindergarten not to use... and how you can use it to quickly remove yourself from any situation where you have been surprised from behind!

“Works every time” to eliminate “driver’s leg” — that painful cramp in the calf that comes from hours of braking and accelerating. See page 410.

The little-known "trick" that ends nagging (on both sides of the relationship) forever!

The simple massage technique that breaks the “knots” of tissue in painful joints and increases your range of pain-free motion. See page 101.

When to use the secret "3 Week Repeat" technique to increase the results of your direct mail sales campaign by one-third!

How to use the secret of "choking down" to master any club in your bag... no matter how horrible you were with it before!

Why men almost never see the "danger signals" that mean their relationship is failing... even while they believe everything is just fine!

Four little "target" words straight from her mouth that show you exactly how to win her heart for all time!

To speed healing of a cold sore, all you need is a single droplet of this oil. See page 246.

How to use super-cheap C.O.D. (collect on delivery) mail rates to increase response and profit!

How to use the other "dirty" street-fighting tool not allowed in any civilized boxing or karate match... because of its immediate ability to disorientate and topple your opponent! (It also works when you do it incorrectly!)

How to gain an immediate "Psychological Edge" when someone pulls a knife on you... and how to spot the 4 most common methods of knife attacks so you can win with a minimum of fuss and blood!

The absolutely essential First 3 Things you must do before you attempt to sell anything to anyone!

How to pull off unwanted body fat by the pound, while keeping muscle loss to an absolute minimum! (Most "experts" will tell you this is impossible -- yet Leo did it without a problem! And he'll show you how to do it, too!)

A truly "no brainer" (yet usually overlooked) way to bump the amount of your average order by 100% or more... automatically!

The absolutely essential First 3 Things you must do before you attempt to sell anything to anyone!

Why your fist may be the absolute worst weapon you can use in hand-to-hand combat! (And exactly how to strike so you won't damage any part of yourself!)

How to find -- without spending a red cent -- the perfect magazines and newspapers (with the most rabid and eager-to-buy readers) to run your ads in all over the world!

Why a simple "mock" submissive action will always fool a larger opponent... and set him up for quick, easy fight-ending moves!

Why you're already sitting on the best possible "bonus" you could ever offer -- and how to use it to make your sales soar!

Press here to relieve dizziness any time. See page 280.

The George Costanza email marketing secret that: (1) makes it very hard for people on your list NOT to read and (2) can increase your sales substantially every time you use it.

The secret of finding the most efficient aerobic program for burning off fat with your specific body type! (Leo researched for 7 months with professional bodybuilding stars in the U.S. and Germany to discover the key to this "inside" secret!)

How to get yourself quickly into the "zone" of athletic purity -- performing amazing feats of strength and power effortlessly, relaxed, confident, and always in top form!

20 Guaranteed Ways to increase readership and response to your sales letters and ads... without touching your current copy!

How to use your PS to slip past peoples' sales defenses. (They won't even realize they're reading a pitch until they've clicked on the order link!)

The truth behind "follow through" -- and why 99% of all golfers completely blow it right after they hit the ball!

How to mold the "open ended" parts of the super-hot Serious Growth training system to unlock the monster inside you!

The single most important move you can make in any altercation -- it's what your body wants to do, but what most people panic about and refuse to allow themselves to do! (Yet it will save your life!)

How to use the "Gun To Your Head" theory of marketing to make sure every advertising method you use is as close to 100% sales-perfection as it can get!

What never to eat on an airplane.

Astonishingly easy ways to escape any grab or hold (including a "bear hug" from behind by someone many times larger and stronger than you) and reverse the attack instantly (and painfully for your attacker)!

5 fast, simple steps to formulating your own "Unique Selling Proposition" (also called your USP). Your USP explains in the simplest way who you really are, what you're really offering and why you're the only one to do business with! (Not knowing your USP is like not knowing your own name -- you're lost without it!)

An 8 word email opening so naturally curiosity provoking someone would have to be unconscious not to keep reading your email.

How to use a simple "cat-like" move to instantly position yourself to deliver the easiest knock-out blow imaginable -- a strike so natural your grandmother could pull it off against Mike Tyson!

Amazing "energy boosters" without carbohydrates that will put you into a state of astonishing athletic confidence!

How to use simple "double checks" (like the "visible knuckle" rule) to instantly make sure you're prepared for any shot... so you'll always get a repeatable result no matter what the conditions are! (Even if you're playing a strange course, in the rain, with your partners coughing and dropping bags to distract you!)

The "voice tool" secret that will immediately change your attitude from calm to dominant in any surprise situation!

  What every catalog mailer in the world does wrong, month after month... and how to create your own "gold mine" catalog from scratch -- even if you don't have a "line" of products yet!

The single most important element of any sales message... and how to exploit it for maximum sales!

Press her, and hold for two minutes, for wonderful relief of eye strain. See page 293.

How to instantly "shut down" an attacker's testosterone levels, using your body's own built-in "brick". (Even a 90 lb. woman possesses this amazing rock-hard weapon!)

If your crepes are delicious but too heavy, see page 263.

How to keep sour cream from burning when you cook with it. See page 23. 

The "Dark Side" of success: What to expect from sudden wealth, and how to avoid the pitfalls most newcomers fall into! (So you can keep your money and enjoy it!)

The "school yard brawl" subject line that is very hard for male prospects to ignore.

How to use industry "gossip" to make lots more sales with email. (Every niche and industry has its own "sewing circle" of gossip. And whether that gossip is based on truth, opinion or even downright lies... here's how to use it to increase your sales and profits.)

Simple fight-ending moves that require no strength whatsoever! (I know of arthritic 80-year-old grandmothers who have knocked young male attackers senseless!)

Yes, you can slow the balding process. See page 334.

The Real Reason people choose to buy anything -- the secret truth long known by master salesmen, sociologists and "con men" finally revealed!

The all-natural way to get rid of bad breath anytime, anyplace. See page 199.

Lets you “sweep aside any feelings of fatigue” in a matter of minutes. See page 298.

The 2 worst things you can do when being choked during a fight... it's what most people want to do instinctively, yet knowing just one artless move from this system can free you and end the assault at the same time!

Why the new "lag" in your swing will cause your buddies to shake their heads... until they see you consistently out-drive them by 40, 50 and 60 yards off every tee! (I guarantee they'll make you play with one of their balls, just to make sure you aren't cheating somehow!)

How to cheaply "test" whether your idea has any real money-making potential in the real world... so you can avoid the disastrously-expensive mistakes 9 of 10 new marketers make!

The secrets of running a business super-smoothly -- from choosing the right people (and purging the "psychic vampires" who are bleeding you of money and energy) to concentrating on "Operation Money Attraction" (instead of wasting precious time on things that aren't going to make you rich!)

How to avoid the power-sapping problems of "classic" swings -- and guarantee yourself repeatable accuracy, tremendous "punch", and the most comfortable, natural swing you'll ever experience!

How to put on your own seminars without nightmares... including how much to charge, how to structure the daily sessions, and how to write the all-important sales letter that puts their fannies in the seats!

How to use a little-known "positioning secret" to completely cancel out the superior size or experience of your attacker! (Size and strength are meaningless when you know this secret!)

Done? Congrats! 

You should have 100 index cards in front of you, each with a hand-written fascination. 

No small feat, right? That was a lot of work. And a good chunk of focus time. Great job.

You reap what you sow. 

Happy fascinating,