Your copy should appeal to one or more of buyer's basic needs: love, acceptance, security, recognition, attractiveness, health, sex appeal, happiness, fulfillment, etc...

Don't make buyers do work of figuring out what benefit your product or service offers. Most people devote only a fraction of their mind to marketing and advertising. They won't put forth effort of discerning what's in it for them. You have to do that for them.

5. Use Active Verbs - I will keep this short as I don't want to cause any high school English flashbacks. Your copy should motivate people to take action, therefore, you need to stick with action verbs as much as possible.

Here are two sentences, one using an active verb and one using a passive verb:

"Johnny was knocked to floor when he was punched in face by Chuck."

"Chuck punched Johnny in face, knocking him to floor."

The first sentence, using passive verbs, is wimpy. The second, using action verbs, is powerful and concise. 'Nuf said.

6. Use Short Sentences and Short Words - Just because you are writing doesn't mean you should turn into John Faulkner. Save excess verbiage and utter confusion for pretentious literature. The last thing you want to do is confuse your reader.

Eliminate irrelevant and redundant words and don't add fluff for sake of puffing up your copy. Write your copy way you would talk to a friend. Say what you mean and keep your copy lean.

7. Tell Your Reader What To Do - Your readers needs to know exactly what you expect of them. Don't be shy. After you spent all that time writing your exceptional copy, don't let your reader go off saying, "What was point of that?"

Instruct them to call, write, reserve, visit, buy, order, fax, or whatever you want them to do.

After reading all these rules and regulations, you may have come to conclusion that copywriting just isn't your cup of tea. Don't feel ashamed. That's what professional copywriters like myself are here for.

If you choose not to write your own copy, then it's important to have a reliable copywriter on call. Otherwise you'll be stuck if an important project comes up and you have no one to turn to.

The time to choose a copywriter is before you need one. When choosing a copywriter remember that not all of those who claim to be professional copywriters actually are professional copywriters. Ask to see samples of their work before you make your decision. Now that you know rules of good copywriting, you can make an accurate assessment of work's quality.

Ask around to friends and business associates. Chances are they will know writer's to investigate as well as those to avoid.

Don't let geography stand between you and copywriter you prefer. It's nice to find a local, but when all is said and done it just doesn't matter. Choose writer who fits your needs. Don't base your decision on whether or not you could drive to their house in 30 minutes or less.

Once you do choose a copywriter, always treat him/her in a professional manner. Many writers are used to being treated like second class citizens, but that doesn't mean you should perpetuate that treatment. Writer's perform an important and necessary function in society, one which most people can't appreciate.

But if there is one thing that will make you appreciate work copywriters do, it's attempting to write your own copy.

Well, not quite. In fact, his book is about humorous anecdotes from many years in his particular profession. Hmm. That wouldn't qualify him as an author, even if he publishes. It would put him in that blurry purgatory between "writer" "and" "author" in company of so many silver medal winners who almost made it and whose names we almost remember .

Why? Because he doesn't qualify for that crucial qualifying praise, "I just couldn't put your book down." That comment is reserved for novels, "serious" non-fiction like biographies and history, and how-to books on topics that require wads of glue. Other lowly books just don't count.

But what if a lowly book could attract an " I just couldn't put your book down?" Would that make writer an author, or would author remain just a writer?

My book is a self-help book. Climb your Stairway to Heaven: 9 habits of maximum happiness. Self-help books are certainly not considered second-class books by literary elite. They wouldn't even let self-help books into fourth class. In other words, mine is not a title any self-respecting New York Times book reviewer would allow to qualify for "I just couldn't put your book down."

At least, not in theory. But several people have said exactly that. (Too bad they said it to me and not to New York Times.)

One lady even apologized for not calling me back one morning because she had stayed up into wee hours of morning reading my book. Now that's kind of feedback that makes an author smile. What heck, that kind of feedback would make even a writer smile.

Call me a writer. Call me an author. I couldn't care less. As long as you tell me "I just couldn't put your book down," I'm happy as a pig in ... uh ... Jell-O.