On Copywriting

James Brausch Has a Problem...

James Brausch has a problem.

It involves mistreatment at the hands of CDBaby, a company James uses to distribute his CDs. Apparently, CDBaby may be involved in contest fixing.

Anyway, James has asked for his readers to respond to the question: "What would you do?" He has already suggested a lawsuit, doing nothing, chalking it up to a learning experience, etc.

If I was in James shoes, I'd be angry. I'd feel slighted. And I'd want to do something about it. Nobody likes to be treated unfairly. But before I offer any advice, let me share a minor situation that happened to me this past week.

As you might already know, I recently wrote and published "How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less." It is available on Clickbank.

So far, I've had a very low return rate. But one customer who requested a refund stood out. He bought my report and returned it only a couple of hours later.

I remembered the man's name because he had purchased one of James Brausch's products on my recommendation last fall. The man then requested a refund for that product as well... about three days later.

By all appearances, this man is a criminal.

I was prepared to publicly humiliate this man and warn other info marketers to delete his name from their lists. But that's the human in me talking.

As I did my reading this morning, I was reminded of my higher calling. By quoting what I read today, perhaps I can remind James of his higher calling, too.

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Jesus spoke these words in Luke 6:27-36.

I tell you what, it is hard to love your enemies! And yet it is what God calls us to do.

My advice is simply this: Be merciful. Turn the other cheek. Pray for those who mistreat you.

One Word That Instantly Gives You Personal Power

There is one simple word in the English language that provides enormous personal power.

Any time you employ this word, the positive feeling you receive is almost automatic.

Use the word too infrequently, and you'll be saddled with obligations you can't fulfill. Use it frequently, and you'll be rewarded with a higher quality of life.

More peace. More joy. More of what you really want.

What is the word?

It is the word "no."

Lately, I've been saying "no" a lot. For instance, I've said no to television. It's been lying dormant in the garage for a week, and will be gone for good shortly.

I've said no to the newspaper and magazines. I don't get them anymore.

I've said no to many of my books. In fact, this past year, I've unloaded over 200 of them... because... I finally got honest with myself. Many books I've acquired I know I will never read. So I got rid of them--I unloaded 82 of them at the library today. (Not to worry; my personal library is still hundreds of books strong.)

I've said no to coffee. After drinking 2-3 mugs a day, I've not had coffee for nearly a week. I intend not to drink it anymore. The headaches were annoying, but I'm past those now. What's more, drinking coffee in the morning is one less thing I'm beholden to.

I've said no to certain copywriting projects, social obligations, etc. The list goes on.

Learn how to say no. It'll slowly but surely change your life.

P.S. The difference in my children's attitudes since getting rid of TV has been nothing short of amazing. They're more creative, more focused, more pleasant to be around. Should never have allowed TV back into our lives three years ago... and should've ditched it sooner.

P.P.S. James Brausch agrees. Read "The Power of No" here.

Opportunity Cost & How It Applies to Information

Opportunity cost is a concept you must know how to effectively apply to survive and thrive in the 21st century.

My definition of opportunity cost is this: The value of what you could be doing whenever you are doing something else.

For instance, writing this blog post in this moment carries an opportunity cost. Because I could be doing any number of other things: writing sales copy, marketing my business, spending time with my kids, etc.

One thing I continue to struggle with is the volume of information I receive, whether digital or in print.

At James Brausch's suggestion (see his "Life Management 101" CD), I canceled my newspaper and six magazine subscriptions, including a subscription to Fast Company that was paid up until 2011.

Why?

Because every moment spent reading a magazine carries a high opportunity cost. During that time, I could be reading something more valuable. For instance, a book or newsletter. Or I could be applying concepts, strategies, and techniques I've already learned.

Now I'm examining additional subscriptions with a more critical eye. Am I reading them? Am I actually applying what I learn? If not, why am I still paying to receive the information?

You see, at some point, reading (and the consumption of yet more information) is simply a way to avoid taking action. It becomes an escape behavior.

This is why it's so important to choose carefully who you listen to... whose suggestions you believe are worthwhile... who is actually adding value to your life. Select a few premium sources and cut off the rest.

Otherwise, you may find yourself drowning in information, yet still thirsty for progress.

Think about the concept of opportunity cost. What are you doing right now? What is it costing you? What could you be doing instead that would add more value to your life?

Ryan on EzineArticles.com

Have you heard of EzineArticles.com?

It's a giant repository of articles that are available for ezine publishers to reprint and distribute. It's also a great way to get traffic to your site.

I've written 11 articles now and have posted them on EzineArticles.com. Sometimes I write completely original articles. Other times I "swipe" myself. I take a short blog post, add to it, and convert it into an article.

Article marketing is a great strategy for growing your reputation, your traffic, and your business. The trick is, it won't do you any good to just write an article or two. You have to be consistent and publish a lot. (One guy, Lance Winslow, has published 10,001 articles! He's the #1 author on the site.)

Anyway, if you'd like to read a few of the articles I've published, please go here:

  ==> Ryan Healy - Expert Author at Ezine Articles