How to Write a Direct-Mail Piece
One of the most common forms of direct mail is a letter. It's also the most complex, because all of the elements of the letter package must work together to get the customer to read and then act.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Direct mail is a form of advertising that can generate sales for a product or service. This Business Builder focuses on one form of direct mail, the letter package. In order for a direct-mail letter package to be an effective sales tool, it must be read by and produce an action in the reader. You will learn the step-by-step process of writing a direct-mail letter package that sells — from planning your offer to writing the teaser copy for the outer envelope.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE GETTING STARTED
What is Direct Mail?
Direct mail is a form of direct-response advertising businesses use to market their products or services outside of the retail system. It's known as direct response because unlike other forms of advertising, it asks the consumer to take some form of action, such as send in a reply card, become a donor, telephone an 800 number, or use a coupon.
Catalogs, postcards, and coupon mailers are examples of direct mail. One of the most common forms of direct mail, however, is a letter. It's also the most complex, because all of the elements of the letter package must work together to get the customer to read and then act. You can have a well-written direct-mail letter, but if your response card is too difficult for the reader to fill-out, they probably won't respond at all.
A direct-mail letter is considered the key element of a direct-mail letter package and consists of the following elements:
- *The letter. This can be anywhere from one to four pages and is the primary written component of the package.
- * The outer envelope with teaser copy. Teaser copy is one or two lines of writing that convinces the reader to open the envelope, such as, "Important Money-Saving Offer Inside" or "Free Gift For You! Details inside."
- * Reply device. This usually appears as an order form or business response postcard.
- * Lift Letter. This is an optional component of the direct mail package and its purpose is to literally "lift" or increase response. The lift letter provides an additional reason for the reader to take action, such as: "If you act now, you'll also receive a free gift." Lift letters are usually much shorter and on smaller paper than the main letter and are written by a person other than the writer of the primary letter. If the primary letter is from your company's sales director, then the president or even a satisfied user can be the author of the lift letter.
- * Sales brochure. A formal product description such as a sales brochure is another optional item to your letter package.
How is a Direct-Response Ad or Mailing Different From a Nondirect-Response Ad or Mailing?
With direct response, you know almost immediately whether or not your advertising program has failed or succeeded. Unlike other forms of advertising, direct response advertising generates proof — coupons, order forms, calls…
Who Will Be Writing Your Direct-Mail Package?
The person in your organization with the most writing experience and the best writing skills should take on the role of copywriter. A copywriter is anyone who writes any form of advertising.
The copywriter writes the letter in place of the person it will be signed by. Most direct mail letters are signed by the sales director, sales manager, president, or owner — anyone in charge of generating and processing orders for the organization.
Many large companies and many companies that generate a large volume of direct mail have a copywriter on staff or work with independent freelance writers.
Watch Out For…
Executing an entire direct-mail campaign can represent a significant commitment of time, money and creative energy. If the direct-mail letter is not properly written, it will mean a wasted effort and lost resources. Be honest with yourself about your writing skills (you can't be great at everything!) and the skills of those on your staff. You can find a good copywriter for a reasonable rate — anywhere from $500 to $1,000 depending on the complexity and length of the project and experience of the copywriter. The resource listing at the end of this Business Builder offers advice for locating copywriters.
THE PROCESS OF WRITING YOUR MULTI-ELEMENT DIRECT-MAIL PACKAGE
The process of writing your Multi-Element Direct-Mail Package will follow these three stages:
Plan
Step 1. Construct your offer. The heart of any direct-mail letter is enticing the reader to act. This is your offer. You will refer to this important element repeatedly throughout your direct-mail piece.
The three basic types of offers:
- * Sale — Usually a percentage off the full purchase price. "20% Off Everything in the Store"
- * Free — Usually a free gift with purchase, with coupon, or buy one get one "Buy Any Pair of Shoes in the Store. Get the Second Pair Free"
- * Guarantee — Free trial or money back "If You Don't Like It. You Don't Pay For It."
An invitation to a grand opening, a free demonstration, or an open
house are also examples of effective offers. Offers can be as simple as
a 10% discount or as complex as establishing a club with membership
cards.
Knowing who your customers are and what they value most will help you construct your offer. For example, if you own a discount appliance store, the people who shop in your store probably care most about price and guarantees. An additional 10% off and/or an extended warranty will probably be the greatest enticement you can offer. A new skin care company wants to induce customers into trying products, so a free gift and/or a free facial are the kinds of offers that make sense.
Decide on the time frame for your offer. It's important to limit the life of your offer because you want to foster a sense of urgency. That's the reason most offers are accompanied by deadline statements like: "For a limited time only," "3-Day Sale," and "Act now, this offer is only good until July 5, 200X." Knowing they might miss out on a savings or special opportunity often compels people to take immediate action. The longer a reader goes without taking action, the less likely he or she is to act at all.
Step 2. Determine how you want your customers to respond to your offer. Filling out order forms, ordering via telephone, visiting a store location, scheduling an appointment, or clipping a coupon are all responses you can ask potential customers to make. Whatever response form you choose, it should meet two important criteria:
- * It's a convenient way for people to respond. If the demographics on your mailing list indicate that your readers live in rural locations, asking them to respond by stopping into a store location may not be a convenient response option if they have to drive 10 or 20 miles to do it. In this case, a postage-paid response card or an 800 number are better alternatives. Remember, the harder it is for a consumer to respond, the less likely they are to respond at all.
- * It's a sensible way for you to take and track orders. If you have one phone line, asking people to respond via telephone when they'll get a busy signal is not the best vehicle for generating orders for you.
You need to know which form of direct mail response you will use before writing your letter because you will refer to it in the copy of your letter (to take advantage of this money-saving offer, simply fill out the order form and return it by July 1.)
Write down how you will ask your target market to respond to your offer:
Step 3. Determine the features and benefits of your product and service. Communicating the benefits the readers and convincing them they are compelling enough to act on, is essentially the goal of your letter.
Watch Out For…
Many new direct mail writers tend to confuse features and benefits. What's the difference? A feature is a characteristic of a product or service that automatically comes with it.
For instance: an automatic dishwasher, Super Duper Brand, has a "super scrubber" cycle. That's a feature. Cleaner dishes and time saved not washing pots and pans by hand are the benefits the buyer gets from the feature. Features become benefits when you tell the reader what it will do for them.
In one column, list the features of your product or service. In the other, list the benefits each feature yields to the buyer.
| Features: | Benefits: |
| 1. | 1. |
| 2. | 2. |
| 3. | 3. |
| 4. | 4. |
| 5. | 5. |
It's important for you to distinguish your product's or service's features from its benefits. While features are valuable and can certainly enhance your product, benefits are what motivate people to buy. Keep in mind it is benefits, not features, that appeal to people's emotions.
Your letter needs to communicate how your product's or service's benefits will meet at least one basic human need. Safety, good health, financial security, the desire for love, status, success, saving time and appearing attractive to others are all examples of needs all people have. List all the human needs your product or service can fulfill: The more compelling benefits your product has, the more impact your direct letter will have. The more you can meet human needs, the more likely it is your reader will act on your offer. For example, a skin care cream with a Vitamin E complex (feature) makes wrinkles almost invisible (benefit) and will appeal to women who want (desire) to look more attractive and younger (satisfying an emotion).
It's best to communicate what your product or service can do for the buyer that no other product can do. Identifying what is most unique, different, and exciting about your product will help you write and direct the flow of your copy.
For example, suppose you sell the automatic dishwasher with "super scrubber" cycle feature. Most automatic dishwashers however, now have the exact same feature. But suppose you're the maker of the Super Duper Dishwasher. It has a special "quick dry and cool" cycle (feature) that can be used to dry dishes in half the time of any competitor's drying cycles. Plus it also immediately cools dishes after drying (feature). These distinctive features would save the user time (benefit) and prevent burnt hands (benefit). The desire to save time and the desire for safety are needs fulfilled.
Ask yourself, what does my product or service do that my competition's can't? Now, from your features/benefits list above, isolate the most unique feature(s) and benefit(s):
The other features/benefits on your list will now be considered secondary. Secondary features and benefits are those that aren't unique to your product. In the case of the Super Duper Dishwasher, the "quick dry/quick cool" cycle is a unique (primary) benefit because it saves time and no other product offers the same time-saving feature. The "super scrubber" cycle isn't a unique feature (secondary) but it still produces the benefit of saving time.
Step 4. Determine your main theme. The single most unique feature and the benefit it produces will lead you to the theme of your direct mail letter.
An example of a theme is "saving time." Building a theme around this concept is common in direct mail writing. Why? Because everyone can relate to the problem of not having enough time, therefore, claims of time saving products and services appeal to consumers. So, if your theme is saving time your letter will be how you prove your product or service saves time.
Saving money is another common theme because it's universal in its appeal. Who doesn't want to save money? In fact, saving time and money might be an effective theme for your product or service if your primary benefit does both.
Watch Out For…
Make sure your theme is about something your target group feels urgently about. For instance, if your target mailing list has an average income of more than $100,000, saving money, though universally appealing, is not likely to be the most urgent emotional issue for these readers. For this group, saving time or increasing status may be a more appropriate theme.
Decide what your theme will be:
_______________________________________________
Step 5. Research. The best part about researching direct mail is that you don't even have to leave your home or office. Chances are you, like most Americans, receive direct-mail pieces every week. Start saving them. Ask your co-workers and friends to save their direct-mail letters for you.
- * Notice which envelopes compel you to open the letter.
- * Notice which letters produce an emotional response in you.
- * Notice what offers you find appealing.
- * Notice the style the letters you like are written in.
Outline
Once you've determined your offer, the response form, the primary and secondary benefits and features, and the theme, it's time to write the outline of your direct-mail letter.
Outlining is an important step in your direct-mail writing process. Preparing an outline helps keep your writing focused which will cut down on later re-writes. An outline is especially critical if you decide to hire a free-lance direct mail writer. A preliminary outline will provide the assurance that your freelance copywriter understands your product or service benefits and your expectations for the letter. To construct your outline, take a piece of paper and write a few sentences for each of the following points:
Step 1. Headline for your letter. This is optional. A headline is a short statement, one or two lines, that appears at the top of the page before the salutation. A headline should contain the most important benefit or a teaser about your offer. Some direct mail experts feel it's important to have a headline to generate immediate interest in your letter. Some headline examples are:
A SPECIAL OFFER FOR OUR MOST VALUED CUSTOMERS ONLY
WOULD YOU BELIEVE ME IF I TOLD YOU I COULD SAVE YOU TWO HOURS A DAY?
PUT THE ROMANCE BACK INTO YOUR MARRIAGE!
If you use a headline, it should appear in a larger font, with all the letters capitalized and in bold.
Step 2. Testimonials or reviews. This is optional. Instead of a headline you may choose to use a brief testimonial statement from a satisfied customer or an expert. Or, if your product or service was favorably reviewed in a newspaper or magazine you may want to reprint a sentence or two. Testimonials and reviews should be added to a direct mail letter whenever possible (but not necessarily in the headline) because they add credibility to your benefit claims and help eliminate risk for the consumer.
Some testimonial examples are:
— Jane Doe, Anytown, USA
"This product really works. It changed my life!"
— John Doe, Anytown, USA
— The New York Times
"Smart consumers will want to know about this product."
— John Doe, Syndicated Columnist, Associated Press
Testimonials should appear as quotations. Text should be in a slightly smaller font and in italics. Underneath the quote, you should indicate who said it or what newspaper it appeared in.
Watch Out For…
Don't crowd the top of your letter with a headline and too many quotations because it won't look like a letter any more. Remember, a letter is considered a personal form of communication. Too much copy before the salutation will make it look more like an advertisement. You can always mention testimonials later, enclose another sheet filled with quotations, or you can use the lift letter for this purpose.
Step 3. Write your first copy statements, or lead copy. Your first copy statements should express the theme of your letter in a compelling fashion. Professional copywriters often refer to this aspect of the writing process as the "hook." It's called a hook because you must interest your reader right away to keep them reading. A hook must:
- * Get the reader's attention.
- * Appeal to an emotion.
- * Establish your theme.
- * Pose a question and answer it. The reader will either agree or disagree and become involved with the letter.
- Example: Can an appliance change your life? Probably not. But if it saves you time, it will sure make your life better!
- *
Quote a famous person or a refer to well-known saying. Use this
technique to evoke an emotion, or to establish an authoritative tone.
- Example: Time really is money. That's why you simply can't afford to pass up this special offer.
- * Identify with the reader. This will cause the reader to feel that someone understands the problems and frustrations they face.
- Example: You know how it is. You plan. You organize. But still, you never have enough time.
- *
Create a fantasy. This is the most common approach for an expensive
luxury item because it appeals to everyone's desire for quality leisure
time and luxury items.
- Example: Imagine you're on a tropical island, drinking exotic drinks and watching the clear blue ocean waves break on the shore.
- * Admit your own failure to sell a self-improvement product or to establish a confidence with the reader.
- Example: Ten years ago, my life was a mess. My financial worries kept me up at night. I lost weight, became depressed, couldn't sleep.
- * Establish exclusivity. This approach makes the reader feel important.
- Example: You're among the select few in your area to receive this special offer. Why? Because we know you appreciate quality when you see it.
- * Appeal to sympathetic emotions. This is the best approach for charitable causes.
- Example: Imagine if you had no dinner tonight. Imagine what it would be like to sleep outside, in the cold, on the concrete.
Step 4. Write a few sentences about your primary features/benefits and what they will do for the reader.
"Our financial planners come to your house or office (feature). We know your time is valuable and we'd like to save some for you (benefit.)"
Step 5. Refer to your offer.
Don't spell out all the details of your offer yet, you want to build excitement and intrigue. It's important to refer to it early on in your letter, especially if you don't mention it in the headline.
If you call today, not only can you take advantage of our special discount, you'll get an additional bonus if you act before July 1.
Step 6. Write a few sentences about additional features/benefits to build value.
"Our financial planners have the latest technology at their fingertips (feature) so they can answer your questions as they arise (benefit)."
Step 7. Support your product claims with testimonials, examples, or statistics.
These statements will add credibility to your benefit claims. Remember, consumers like to have risk eliminated before they buy a product.
"Your planners made it possible for us to send our children to college."
Step 8. Spell out the specific details of your offer and how the reader needs to respond.
"Fill out the enclosed questionnaire and one of our financial planners will call you to set up an appointment."
Step 9. Close. Write a statement or two for each of the following points:
- * Recap benefits
- * Restate offer
- * Urge reader to act
Step 10. Add a post-script.
You can use a P.S. to reinforce your offer and the urgency of the offer.
"P.S. Don't forget, you must act by July 1 to take advantage of this $$$ opportunity!"
Write
Once your outline is complete it's time to write each element of your letter package.
Step 1. The Letter. Thanks to your outline, your letter should not be too far from finished. Take each point of your outline and expand it more fully. There's some important points to remember when writing your letter.
Vary descriptions. A lot of copy in a direct mail letter involves repeating benefits. You don't want it to be too obvious to the reader though. Instead of writing the phrase time-saving over and over you can write: convenient, handy, cuts down on hours. Instead of writing that a book is comprehensive over and over, use complete, thorough, and exhaustive.
Most word processing programs have a built-in thesaurus. If you don't have this feature, obtain a thesaurus in book form because you will need it!
Use action verbs. The following are verbs commonly used in direct-mail writing: act, analyze, evaluate, save, affect, accomplish, persuade, demand, direct, recognize, discover, improve, demonstrate.
Remember to use the following key words in your direct mail copy:
New: People love novelty. New Computer Software!
Save: People love to save money, time, the environment — anything with perceived value. New Computer Software Saves You Time Spent on Billing!
Guarantee and Proven: Helps eliminate feelings of risk. We Guarantee our software saves you time spent on billing!
Discover: People love finding adventure and novelty. Discover how you can reduce time spent on billing.
Results: People want to know what the outcome will be before they buy. "I save hours each week because of your program!"
The most important word in any direct mail letter is YOU. Why? Because a direct-mail letter is a personal communication between you and the potential buyer. Use YOU whenever possible.
vs.
"You, like most people, probably feel pressured by the need for money."
Use bullets to communicate features and benefits. Bullets help call the reader's attention to the copy. Bullets also help break up blocks of text and make the letter easier to read.
Keep your paragraphs short. Shorter paragraphs will help keep the reader reading! Large blocks of text can make the letter seem to difficult to bother reading.
Step 2. Teaser copy for the outer envelope. Your teaser copy will be similar to your headline in that it must grab the reader's attention and give the reader a reason to open the letter.
Examples:
If Your Love Life Isn't What It Should Be Open This Letter
Open This Letter If You'd Like $500
You May Already Have Won $25,000
You're a Winner! Details Inside!
Step 3. The Response. Your response form or card must have the space for the following information: customer's name, address, phone number. Most response cards have boxes for the customer to check method of payment (check, money-order, credit card). If the customer needs to indicate how many of your products they'll be ordering, then you need to allow space for that.
- Yes! I want to take advantage of your special offer:
Name:
____________________________________________________
Address:
____________________________________________________
Phone:
____________________________________________________
Payment
exp. _______________ card# ______________________________
How many items?
Step 4. The lift letter. If you decide to write and include a lift letter, remember the following points:
This letter is from a person other than the person writing the main letter. Many lift letters are on smaller paper and are simply folded in half with copy showing that entices the customer to read it. For example:
If you're still not convinced…
Read this only if you've decided to buy
If you act now, you'll also receive a free gift
The lift letter is the reader's final call to action, the last plea. Your offer may include a free gift, but you'll want to save the details for the Lift Letter. Some lift letters are expanded testimonials from satisfied customers or even celebrity endorsements.
Lift letters are supposed to be short. You don't want to write another entire letter — it would be too much to hold the reader's attention.
Step 5. Once your letter and all of the components are written, give them to at least two or three other people to read (the more they're like your target market the better). Get their comments and feedback, and ask them to check for typos. Listen to what they have to say. Be willing to take advice and criticism, and do a little rewriting.
Using the example of the Super Duper Dishwasher, here's a Direct-Mail Letter:
|
September 1, 200X Karen Jones Dear Mrs. Jones, Can an automatic dishwasher change your life? Of course not. But a very special automatic dishwasher can make your housework a little easier. And it can save you money too! Here's how: If you've ever wished you could put your dirtiest, toughest pots in the dishwasher — the Super Duper Dishwasher will make your wish come true. If you've ever wished your dishwasher dried your dishes faster so you could get the job over with and have more time to spend with your family — the Super Duper Dishwasher will make this wish come true! If you've ever wished to buy a brand new dishwasher at half the cost of your old one — the Super Duper Dishwasher makes your money-saving dreams come true too! The fact is, all other automatic dishwashers can't clean pots like ours can. That's because no other dishwasher comes equipped with our "Super Scrubber Cycle." Using state-of-the-art technology, this feature will get even your toughest pots as clean as if you scrubbed them by hand. Think of the time you'll save. No other dishwasher has our "Quick Dry Quick Cool" cycle either. Your dishes will be dry in half the time of all other major brands. Plus, it cools your dishes so you can handle them immediately. Save Time, Hassle and Money! Best of all, you won't believe how affordable the Super Duper Dishwasher is! Many of our satisfied customers report they paid only half the cost of the price of their old dishwasher. Because you're one of today's smart consumers, you're probably thinking it isn't possible that a dishwasher can save you time, hassle and cost less. But it can. You see, unlike Sears, General Electric and the other companies that make consumer appliances, we don't spend millions of dollars advertising our product on national television. We choose to pass that savings on to you. We don't have expensive retail outlets either. Our customers buy direct from our warehouse. Again, we choose to pass this savings on to you. Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed Mrs. Jones, we understand that you want a guarantee before you make any appliance purchase — even one that will save you time and money. That's why we're giving you one. Buy a Super Duper Dishwasher and if you're not completely satisfied within 60 days you can return it, at no cost to yourself, for a complete refund. If you choose to keep your Super Duper Dishwasher, we'll give you a three-year warranty. But that's not all. If during this three-year period, your dishwasher breaks for any reason, one of our repair people will be at your home within 24 hours of when you first notify our customer service department. If, for any reason, a repair person fails to be at your home within 24 hours, we'll pay you $50 for any inconvenience we may have accidentally caused you. Call our toll-free 800 number by October 1, 2003 and we'll take an additional 25% off your super duper dishwasher! With the Super Duper Dishwasher you can:
All you need to do is phone our 800 number and a customer service representative will schedule an appointment for you with one of our knowledgeable sales representatives. There's never any pressure — if you prefer, we'll send you a sales brochure and information and you can simply order it from your home. But please hurry and take advantage of this exceptional time and money-saving opportunity. Call 1-800-555-4600 today! Sincerely, Alan Weiss
|
Using the example of the Super Duper Dishwasher, here's a Direct Mail Letter with a headline:
|
September 1, 200X Karen Jones Dear Mrs. Jones, Can an automatic dishwasher change your life? Of course not. But a very special automatic dishwasher can make your housework a little easier. And it can save you money too! Here's how: If you've ever wished you could put your dirtiest, toughest pots in the dishwasher — the Super Duper Dishwasher will make your wish come true. If you've ever wished your dishwasher dried your dishes faster so you could get the job over with and have more time to spend with your family — the Super Duper Dishwasher will make this wish come true! If you've ever wished to buy a brand new dishwasher at half the cost of your old one — the Super Duper Dishwasher makes your money-saving dreams come true too! The fact is, all other automatic dishwashers can't clean pots like ours can. That's because no other dishwasher comes equipped with our "Super Scrubber Cycle." Using state-of-the-art technology, this feature will get even your toughest pots as clean as if you scrubbed them by hand. Think of the time you'll save. No other dishwasher has our "Quick Dry Quick Cool" cycle either. Your dishes will be dry in half the time of all other major brands. Plus, it cools your dishes so you can handle them immediately. Save Time, Hassle and Money! Best of all, you won't believe how affordable the Super Duper Dishwasher is! Many of our satisfied customers report they paid only half the cost of the price of their old dishwasher. Because you're one of today's smart consumers, you're probably thinking it isn't possible that a dishwasher can save you time, hassle and cost less. But it can. You see, unlike Sears, General Electric and the other companies that make consumer appliances, we don't spend millions of dollars advertising our product on national television. We choose to pass that savings on to you. We don't have expensive retail outlets either. Our customers buy direct from our warehouse. Again, we choose to pass this savings on to you. Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed Mrs. Jones, we understand that you want a guarantee before you make any appliance purchase — even one that will save you time and money. That's why we're giving you one. Buy a Super Duper Dishwasher and if you're not completely satisfied within 60 days you can return it, at no cost to yourself, for a complete refund. If you choose to keep your Super Duper Dishwasher, we'll give you a three-year warranty. But that's not all. If during this three-year period, your dishwasher breaks for any reason, one of our repair people will be at your home within 24 hours of when you first notify our customer service department. If, for any reason, a repair person fails to be at your home within 24 hours, we'll pay you $50 for any inconvenience we may have accidentally caused you. Call our toll-free 800 number by October 1, 2003 and we'll take an additional 25% off your super duper dishwasher! With the Super Duper Dishwasher you can:
All you need to do is phone our 800 number and a customer service representative will schedule an appointment for you with one of our knowledgeable sales representatives. There's never any pressure — if you prefer, we'll send you a sales brochure and information and you can simply order it from your home. But please hurry and take advantage of this exceptional time and money-saving opportunity. Call 1-800-555-4600 today! Sincerely, Alan Weiss |
Some Thoughts On Design And Appearance
- * Keep your letter package simple.
A catalog or coupon pack might be direct mail pieces that require a lot
of art work, illustration, and design, but a letter is different.
Remember, your letter should appear as much like a personal form of
communication between you and your potential customer as possible. How
many personal letters from friends or relatives have you received with
a complicated design?
- * The first page of your direct mail letter should be printed on letterhead bond paper.
Additional pages should be on plain (no letterhead) matching bond
paper. The lift letter can be on smaller, plain (less expensive) paper
- * Don't staple the pages together. Again, your letter should have the appearance of a personal communication.
Plan
___ Construct your offer.
___ Decide on your offer's time-frame.
___ Determine how customers will respond.
___ Determine your product or service features and benefits.
___ Decide on your theme
Outline
___ Write your headline.
___ Write your testimonials or reviews.
___ Write your lead.
___ Write a few sentences about your primary feature and benefits.
___ Refer to your offer.
___ Write down what other features or benefits your product has.
___ Support your claims with testimonials, examples, or statistics.
___ Write the details of your offer.
___ Write down the points you want to make for your closing paragraph.
___ Write your postscript.
Write
___ Write letter.
___ Vary descriptive words.
___ Use action verbs.
___ Use key words.
___ Put benefits into bullet form.
___ Write teaser copy.
___ Write the response card.
___ Write the lift letter.
Books
Write on Target: The Direct Marketer's Copywriting Handbook by Donna Baier Stein and Floyd Kemske. (NTC Business, 1997).
Creative Strategy in Direct Marketing, 2nd ed. by Susan K. Jones. (NTC Business, 1998). Chapter 10: "Direct Mail."
Do-It-Yourself Direct Marketing: Secrets for Small Business, 2nd ed. by Mark S. Bacon. (Wiley, 1997). Chapter 12: "The Power of Letters."
Winning Direct Response Advertising: From Print Through Interactive Media, 2nd ed. by Joan Throckmorton. (NTC Business, 1997). Chapter 4: "Direct Mail: How the Pros Do It."
Do-It-Yourself Advertising & Promotion: How to Produce Great Ads, Brochures, Catalogs, Direct Mail, and Much More, 2nd ed. by Fred E. Hahn and Kenneth G. Mangun. (Wiley, 1997). Chapter 4: "Direct mail and Database Direct Marketing."
Contact the Following Association for Lists of Freelance Writers:
Association for Women in Communications
Journals
Catalog Age. Primedia Business Magazines.
Direct Marketing. Hoke Communications.
Target Marketing. North American Publishing Company.
About the writer — Susan MaGee, formerly Publicity and Book Club Sales Director for Running Press Book Publishers, now operates her own Philadelphia-based business specializing in public relations and business writing.
All rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.
This In-Depth Business Builder was originally published in 1996.
"Pleasure should be a mixed dish: one part taking, and two parts giving."
