Writing can be hard. Be it about your life, your business or pure fiction, the whole process can be exasperating. A few years ago, when I decided to leave my full-time job and risk setting up my own business, someone (who was trying to talk me out of it) jokingly asked me if I intended to write for a living. Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I did. And I do. After all what is translating if not writing? Are we not asked on a daily basis to write texts, directions, thoughts, even feelings in our mother tongue …?
Plus, anyone who owns a small business will eventually have to write. A lot. Write to your clients, write about your business, write for your blog… I’m all in favour of hiring professional writers to do it, but I personally decided to go for the DIY option. First, because I like it and second, because I’m seriously committed to getting good at it. As my path as a translator moves even further into more creative fields, I find myself faced with the challenge of writing texts almost from scratch to comply with the client’s tone and voice.
So, lately I’ve been focusing a lot on writing techniques as a way to craft compelling copy that will speak to the reader. My latest reads show exactly that. Below you can find a few books I’ve recently read about this subject. I won’t write reviews on them as there are already a lot of good ones to be found online (that’s actually how I selected them). I can say I recommend them all as I’ve learned different things from each one of them and hope to put it to good use very soon:
- On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
- Everybody Writes: Your Go-to Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
- So You Think You Can Write?: The Definitive Guide to Successful Online Writing by Julia McCoy
- High Conversion E-Mail Copywriting: 50 E-Mail Marketing Copywriting Tips to Increase Your Conversion Rates by 30% or More by Scott Frothingham
- The Idea Writers: Copywriting in a New Media and Marketing Era (Advertising Age) by Teressa Iezzi
- Copy Righter: Become a Master Wordsmith and Harness the Copywriting Secrets That Will Win You Hearts, Minds… and Business by Ian Atkinson
- Persuasive Copywriting: Using Psychology to Engage, Influence and Sell by Andy Maslen
- Love-Based Copywriting Method: The Philosophy Behind Writing Copy That Attracts, Inspires and Invites by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)
- Fascinate, Revised and Updated: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist by Sally Hogshead
Of course there are tons of other books and resources on this subject. If you’re interested in this subject and you’d like to exchange thoughts and ideas, don’t hesitate to drop me a line. I’d love to hear about your recommendations. Also, don’t forget to share this article, if you find it useful. And if, like me, you’ve decided on the DIY approach, write away!
