It's Better If You're Not! (A Wee Rant)

Ahh, direct mail marketing. I got this lovely missive in the mail a few months ago and it filled me with rage. And yet, ten minutes later, I was still reading, oddly mesmerized by the outrageous promises of effortless wealth.

Here's the line that finally broke me out of my stupor:

"You don't have to be a good writer to be successful... in fact, it's better if you're not!"

Yep. Anyone can make six figures writing letters. Especially if you're... bad at it (?) Wha--???

Corporate writing and sales letters can be a fantastic source of income, and I totally respect people who do that for a living, or as occasional freelance work. I worked for Indymac Bank for a few years, writing corporate articles for their intranet. It's just when people claim that it's easy, or that it requires no training, that cheeses my crackers (a phrase I HAVE NEVER BEFORE USED IN MY LIFE).

Writing is an art and a skill just like anything else, and it takes practice and time to do it well.