EDITOR’S NOTE:
Author, copywriter, podcaster, speaker, Glenn Fisher is the founder of AllGoodCopy.com, a free online resource for direct response copywriters and marketers. Glenn worked with The Agora, a multi-million-pound international financial publisher before leaving in 2018 to write freelance.
His first book, The Art of the Click, has quickly become an Amazon bestseller and was shortlisted for the Business Book Awards. Glenn is the host of the popular All Good Copy Podcast and regularly writes and consults for international businesses, brands, and ad agencies. He lives happily with his partner Ruth and dog Pablo on the East Coast of England.
Thrilled to have Glenn stop by for a Micro-Interview! In 348 words, he shares:
The secret behind every successful piece of copy…
How to shorten your learning curve as a copywriter…
The key skill when it comes to engaging people with words…
And much more…
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Thank you, Glenn.
Let’s get started:
1) “What’s your work routine?”
I wake up and have breakfast with Ruth. I'll then take Pablo for a walk. If I'm not meeting with a client, I'll get ready and go out to a cafe to write for a few hours. I come home at lunch to read a little or watch something interesting.
In the afternoon I'll write again or work on other things for a few hours before Ruth comes home.
Evenings we try to leave free to relax, or I'll create silly stuff for the podcast, while Ruth works on her art.
2) “What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”
That you shouldn't attempt to write anything until you know what to write.
3) “What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”
You can't always follow formulas. And the success of any piece of copy ultimately rests on there being a good idea behind it.
4) “What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your craft’s learning curve?”
Hmm. Tough one. Mainly because I think very boring things have been the most useful. I mean, writing every day is very good for you. Reading every day is good too.
A more interesting answer might be understanding real people buy things, so you should spend more time in and around real people. Don't just hide in an office being theoretical.
5) “What book has helped you the most over your career?”
Ugh. I read a lot, and widely, so this is tough. And as most people will be familiar with the usual books on advertising and marketing, I'll pick something completely different and say Getting Even by Woody Allen.
His short stories taught me a lot about how to structure your writing in a way that drip feeds certain details to lead the reader down unexpected paths and reveals. It's a key skill when it comes to engaging people with words.
6) “And your parting piece of advice?”
Be glad to be helpful.
