I have absolutely no doubt that this article is going to ruffle a lot of feathers in the copywriting world. I’m going to be addressing an issue that has been going on, and has been accepted now, for ages in the copywriting community. Nobody seems to have a real problem with it. Well, almost nobody. And don’t get me wrong, I am not saying flat out that this practice is wrong. I am just putting this out there for discussion. You have to come to your own conclusion.

One of the first things copywriters teach their students is to keep what they call swipe files. What these swipe files are, are little bits and pieces of copy from other sales pages. Most swipe files contain headlines that copywriters use to create their headlines from. The idea of the swipe file is to do just that, get ideas. You hear it all the time on forums. “I just added that to my swipe file…thanks.” And everybody is cool with it. But I still have to ask…isn’t this just pure theft?

Now, I realize that there are only so many unique ideas in the world. If you look at any one sales page, you’ll probably see elements that you know you’ve seen elsewhere. The headlines especially all seem to come from the same cookie cutter mold with just a word here and there changed to fit the particular product. For example:

“Discover How To Permanently Lose 30 Pounds Of Ugly Fat…In Just 3 Days”
“Discover How To Permanently Remove Warts…In Just 3 Days”

I could keep going but I think you got the general drift of where I’m going. The “discover” headline is just one of the many popular ones that copywriters use. And there are plenty of others…all the same…all with that cookie cutter feel. It’s like nobody has any originality anymore.

And why should they? The swipe files…the good ones…are all taken from the top selling copy of all time. Heck, there are even products out there that sell swipe files making the key selling point that these swipe files came from sales letters that made millions of dollars in sales. In other words, just use these bits of copy and you’ll make all this money too.

The irony is, and the truth is, these swipe files only help at a minimum. The thing that really sells the product is the offer itself. If it’s something nobody really wants, or isn’t at a price they’re willing to pay, no swiped copy is going to sell it. But the belief is still there, so the myth continues to go on.

Like I said, I’m not passing judgment on this whole thing. It’s up to you to decide whether or not this practice is theft or not.

Me? I like to try to come up with original stuff…maybe because I’m just too lazy to keep a swipe file.

To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim

Want to write copy just like the pros? Visit my site at http://www.bcipe.com/ and discover killer copywriting tips that have allowed me to write my own copy for years and earn myself a 6 figure a year income selling my own products.