Michael Masterson’s Accelerated Program for
Six-Figure Copywriting Student Success Stories
Michael Samonek has been a freelance copywriter, author, and
inventor for more than 25 years. Before he discovered Michael
Masterson’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, he “chugged”
along averaging about $1K a week. At the March 1999 Bootcamp,
Michael experienced a copywriting “Eureka.” And, now he’s
averaging $10K a month...
For a complete interview with Michael, click here
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One year after Stuart Jurs enrolled in Michael
Masterson’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, he
progressed from a basic student to working as a professional
copywriter for one of the top direct mail marketing firms in the
U.S. And, we’re proud to say, three years later Stuart has
produced numerous controls for them including one that ranks as the
third best performing package in the company’s history. Way to go,
Stuart!!
For a complete interview with Stuart, click here
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AWAI Masters Student Glen Strathy has received 14
PAID assignments in the past 12 months. Just two years after
receiving the basic course, he’s living the writer’s life!
For a complete interview with Glen, click here
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Masters student Rich Silver shared this exciting
news with us recently:
“I made an agreement with my brother and his business partner to
try and beat their control. They agreed to test my letter on two
conditions 1) if they didn’t like what I wrote they wouldn’t
test it. 2) I was responsible for doing everything regarding getting
the copy ready. They didn’t care how long the copy was as long as
it brought results. I accepted the challenge.
I studied the stock market in depth and how my brother and his
partner invest. I then proceeded to write, rewrite and rewrite the
copy over and over again.
It was worth it. My brother and his partner are very pleased with
the results – and my letter is their new control. They plan to
double the next mailing. And, they want me to write a space ad now
too.
It’s interesting to note that a large part of what I wrote in the
sales letter came straight from what I learned in the basic and
masters programs.”
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Masters student Edith Nee recently tested our
strategies for finding freelance copywriting work – with great
success! Her client – a national non-profit health charity – was
thrilled. Her first letter brought in a 72% increase in the number
of people who responded and a 28% increase in the average donation
received.
Click here for an excerpt of an interview with
Edith
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Here’s a note we just received from Masters
Student Beth Erickson
“I attended your bootcamp in Baltimore last September. When I go
home, I studied all the materials again; particularly the “Getting
Clients” session. Then I figured, why not give it a whirl? So, I
drafted my own little direct mail package and mailed it to
businesses in my area.
I got a client from that mailing. Since then, I’ve sent out more
letters and work is coming in!
And, about two weeks ago I received word that my first novel now has
a home. I’m pretty excited and terrified. Within the next few
months, I’ll be a published author.
What’s so cool about this (and the reason I’m telling you) is
because after my coaching by John, I went through all my fiction and
reworked it – using the techniques HAMMERED into me by John.
My favorite author is Jon Hassler. It took 10 years for him to sell
his first book. I’ve been working at this about four years. AWAI
helped me shave 6 years off my goal!”
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If for any reason you're not happy with Michael Masterson's
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return the program within 30 days of receipt and your entire
purchase price will be promptly refunded.
Interview with Michael Samonek
AWAI: What got you started in copywriting and advertising as a
profession?
Michael: I got started back in 1970. I had dropped out of Ohio State
University’s pre-med program. I read a story about how the
American economy was changing from a manufacturing economy to a
service-based economy. It also said selling information was going to
be the wave of the future. So I wrote my first information product
– a report on how to instantly stop hiccups – with a technique I
invented called, “The Accupinch.”
I decided to test an ad in the National Inquirer’s classified
section. Using a free booklet I ordered called “How to Write a
Classified Ad that Pulls,” I wrote and placed the ad. And waited.
I only got 3 orders. But, in the process I learned to create
products and advertising that people WANT, not NEED. People need a
hiccup cure, but they want tacos, pizza, and Chunky Monkey ice
cream.
One day I saw a full-page ad for a book titled, “The Lazy Man’s
Way to Riches.” That was the headline of the ad, too. I was
foaming at the mouth, so I ordered it (along with a about a million
other people I later learned.)
That’s the book that really got me started in the business of
direct response advertising as a profession. A few years back, I was
placing an ad for a book I had written through an agency that buys
and sells ad space. The owner of the agency said he liked my writing
style and asked if I would write an ad for his son who was
struggling with a mail order business. I wrote the ad for free –
and Irv, the owner (and father) – started recommending my
copywriting to his other clients. Suddenly, I was a professional
copywriter.
AWAI: Can you tell us about any “Eureka!” moments since you’ve
become an AWAI student?
Michael: Yes, it was at the first AWAI bootcamp I attended. During
the afternoon session, when Michael Masterson revealed the 4U’s
for the first time, I knew right there that my job had suddenly
become a lot easier! In space ads, being able to write scorching
headlines and bullets is the whole ball game.
Prior to this bootcamp, I was averaging $1,000 a week with my little
agency. After applying the new principles I had learned to my own
advertising, my income jumped to an average $10,000 per month.
AWAI: What advice would you offer students enrolled in AWAI’s
copywriting program?
Michael: I try to set daily goals for myself. And, I read everything
published about direct response copywriting.
The best advice I can offer to other students is to write and study
a few pages every day. Then reward yourself. Make it a habit every
day to do a little and before long you will have accomplished a lot.
TOP
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Interview with Stuart Jurs
AWAI: How did you become interested in copywriting as a profession?
Stuart: When I graduated from college, I had no idea of what to do
with my Linguistics degree. I received AWAI’s “Can You Write a
Letter Like This One?” promotion and was intrigued. I felt that I
was a strong writer, and until that letter I had never thought of
copywriting as a career. My job at the time was answering customer
service e-mail, and I didn’t enjoy it.
AWAI: What was the most important, most profound, or most helpful
technique that you learned through the Michael Masterson program?
Stuart: All of the secrets work together synergistically, so I can’t
say one secret worked better for me than the rest.
AWAI: You did two assignments for Fourth Avenue Marketing Group. Can
you tell us a little about what you learned while working on those
packages?
Stuart: I learned a tremendous amount. My first draft of the second
assignment didn’t pass Don Mahoney’s “bar-stool” test and I
had to do five drafts before my copy was acceptable. I needed to
improve the “dating the reader” aspect of the letter among other
things. It just wasn’t personal enough. So I got personal stories
from the client, and I injected them into the copy.
AWAI: Was there anything in particular that Don did to really help
you?
Stuart: Yes. Don gave me concrete ways to make my copy better. If
the piece needed more information or something needed to be
presented in a different way, he didn’t mince words about it. He
told me exactly what needed to be done.
AWAI: You’re now working for one of the top direct mail marketing
firms in the U.S. as one of their full-time, inhouse copywriters.
Tell us how you landed the job.
Stuart: After the first bootcamp I attended, I decided I wanted to
try and get a job as a copywriter, even though I knew I still had a
lot to learn. I was on the mailing list of the company I’m working
for and they’re located near me, so I decided to apply there.
First, I asked them if they had any inhouse copywriters. They said
they did, so I filled out an application and brought them the 2
assignments I did for Fourth Avenue Marketing Group and a cover
letter.
I obtained a contact name and called him every week for about six
weeks. Finally, I got a call from the VP of marketing, and he told
me he would give me a project to do. He said he would have to test
me with two or three projects before he could hire me.
My first project was a bookalog, and I had never done one before. In
fact, I had never done an assignment using the “advanced”
knowledge I learned at the Bootcamp. But it went fairly smoothly,
and they liked my work. They also liked my second project, and I was
hired soon after.
AWAI: What advice would you offer AWAI students?
Stuart: Enroll in the Masters Program. That’s what got me my job.
And, if you get poor-quality direct mail from a company, approach
them about writing for them, and keep going after it until they let
you in or tell you to go away.
TOP
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Interview with Glen Strathy
AWAI: Being a copywriter is quite a change for you. What’s been
the best part so far?
Glen: Although I’m just beginning, I feel copywriting offers me
the opportunity to enjoy much more freedom in my life. I like
variety – the chance to work for short, intense periods of time on
a variety of projects, each offering it’s own challenges. I also
like coming up with creative ideas. And, I’ve always been good at
research. Copywriting offers me all of these things.
But, even better, copywriting offers me the chance to work and live
wherever I choose. For example, I can be working on a project for
Fourth Avenue Marketing Group in Florida, while living on a lake in
Ontario, Canada. In the future, I would like to live in Europe for a
year or so. Copywriting will let me do that while continuing to earn
a living. I also like setting my own hours. And working at home lets
me spend more time with my wife and 2-year-old daughter.
AWAI: What have you learned from AWAI that you’ve applied to your
copywriting career?
Glen: AWAI’s courses have been invaluable. In the past, although
being a writer appealed to me, I thought that it meant being a poet,
novelist, or playwright. (You might as well put “starving” in
front of any of those three.) AWAI showed me there was an entirely
different venue where writing was valued and rewarded. And, that
copywriting can be as respectable as any other field of writing.
Moreover, I found that throughout the courses and bootcamps, I was
actually learning a new way of thinking – about business, about
the world, about relationships, and especially about advertising. I
learned to see copywriting as a helping profession, and that let me
get excited about it.
AWAI: What’s been the biggest benefit of working for Fourth Avenue
Marketing Group?
Glen: The biggest benefit was getting that first copywriting
assignment, and the others that followed. I now have more confidence
in my abilities. And when I look for copywriting jobs on my own, I’ve
got something in my portfolio to show prospective clients.
AWAI: What secrets from AWAI have helped you the most?
Glen: The Architecture of Romance certainly. And how to write in an
effective voice and style. I was used to writing academic papers for
university courses – where clarity, directness, and a personal
voice are shunned. I find I can now pick up almost any sales letter
that comes in the door and see the weaknesses instantly.
AWAI: How has mentoring added to your copywriting ability?
Glen: Working with a mentor helps ingrain the skills of writing good
copy. Whenever I’ve gone astray, especially on the first few
assignments I did, or when struggling with an approach for a
project, I can count on my mentor to help me re-focus and correct
any weaknesses.
AWAI: What advice would you offer students enrolled in AWAI’s
copywriting program?
Glen: To persevere – it’s easy to get lazy about finishing the
assignments, especially since the course is deceptively simple. I
didn’t because I was pretty sure copywriting was what I wanted. So
the small amount of effort it took was nothing compared to the
potential rewards.
TOP
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Interview with Edith Nee
AWAI: We’re happy to report you’ve landed your first client.
Tell us about how you did it.
Edith: It started when I got a fundraising letter from the Alzheimer
Society’s national headquarters. Like I was coached to do in the
copywriting course, I contacted them (via e-mail) and asked if I
could write a fundraising letter for them. After some phone tag, I
spoke to the Development Director. She asked to see some examples of
my writing. I faxed two of my letters from the course to her on
Friday. By Monday, I had my first assignment!
I did additional research to supplement the background materials
they gave me. And, I managed to complete the letter in less than a
week.
After one revision, my first letter was in the mail. And, my client
was very pleased with the results – 72% increase in the number of
people who responded and 28% increase in the average donation
received.
Since then, they’ve asked me to write 4 more letters for them.
TOP
Want to see some more reviews and testimonials?
Then just click here...
Or...
Via Our Secure Server
Your Unconditional Guarantee:
If for any reason you're not happy with Michael Masterson's
Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting --- or you decide
that direct sales copywriting is simply not for you --- just
return the program within 30 days of receipt and your entire
purchase price will be promptly refunded.
