The Copywriter Underground

Nicholas Carr wrote an interesting piece about the desire (or demand) for brevity in the brave new Internet world (derived from a Tim O’Reilly piece, which didn’t resonate as strongly), and how the medium is damaging the message.
Both strangely echo a Michael Fortin piece about the death of the long-form sales letter (which isn’t concerned with [...]

Recently discovered via Carson’s new-paint-and-drapes Content Done Better blog is the provocatively named “Screw You!” - a freelance writer’s blog that’s destined to become a fixture on my RSS feed.

 She dug up a John Irving quote, good for a solid whack upside the head:
If you don’t feel that you are possibly on the edge of humiliating [...]

I like the freedom of self-employment. You make your own decisions and answer only to your own instincts (and those of your two-dozen bosses).
Simply put, it means if I want to work for a “green” company, I can.
Now I do.
It’s Easy Being Green
My wife and I try to keep our energy footprint to a minimum, [...]

After working the last three weekends, I’m taking Monday off and going fly fishing.
I’m experiencing absolutely no remorse.

(c)2006 Tom Chandler photo
To heighten the envy, I live at the base of Mount Shasta (background) - just below that thin sliver of snow at the right edge of the frame.
Back again Tuesday. Maybe.
[tags]fly fishing, time off[/tags]

The whole “eyes gouged out” thing is a teensy exaggeration. I’m not quite willing to do that, though I am ready to fall back on a tired, hoary cliche.
You don’t get to whine if you don’t vote.
Me? I’m voting precisely so I can whine later. It’s not pretty. But with old clients resurfacing and [...]

The American Dialect society has chosen its 2006 Word of the Year. And thankfully, it has nothing to do with Web 2.0.
It’s Plutoed.
In its 17th annual words of the year vote, the American Dialect Society voted “plutoed” as the word of the year, in a run-off against climate canary. To pluto is to demote or [...]

Michael Stelzner of Writing White Papers - never one to let a good concept go unused - has morphed his “Ten Best Writer’s blogs” idea into a “Top 10 Books for Writers” post.
I’m learning about a lot of titles I knew little about. But wonder why so few of the classics are seeing the light [...]

Who says list posts are dead? Tech Digest’s Stuart Dredge posted a hilarious “Top 10 ways to diss someone in a Web 2.0 style” and while it won’t bring down the whole list post genre, it might make you shoot milk/tea/cola/beer out your nose.
Here are #2, #3 and #4:
2. Gather a group of friends [...]

I’ll say this right up front: it plumps the ego when a recruiter calls, even when the job isn’t for you.
Still, Coldwater Creek - a growing women’s clothing catalog operation - is looking for a senior-level copywriter at their Sandpoint, Idaho location.
Willing to relocate? Small-town life in northern Idaho sound attractive?
Check out their site. Then [...]

For no discernible reason save the fact I needed to sleep instead of troubleshooting until after midnight, I discovered this blog’s FeedBurner RSS feed stopped working on December 14.

Many of you who exclusively read RSS feeds must have been wondering who I paid to get on the ”Top 10″ writer’s blog list when I only posted [...]