Jahzel, nice to meet you.

It can definitely be a helpful tool if used properly:

1. Given the right input
2. Go back and forth with it — don’t just accept what it comes up with, tell it how to improve the response.
3. Don’t just cut and paste — edit what you get to inject the human element into it.

Look at it as a very fast, very kno…Read more

Yeah, David is spot on here. Pay attention to the writers who are actually USING artificial intelligence as a tool in their kit. There’s a lot of foolish nonsense out there — mostly from folks who are just trying to squeeze themselves in the front of the parade — that ignores the very obvious caveat with AI: It’s not actually a thinking being…Read more

I use AI extensively for research, writing, and editing. You can great copy out of it, but you need to (a) choose the right tool for the project and (b) know how to train the AI.

Specifically – Claude is your best bet for actual writing – it’s leaps and bounds ahead of chatGPT, at least until chatGPT 5 comes out.

In terms of training the AI,…Read more

Lisa Speal—John Carlton and I recently finished recording new lessons that cover the points you’ve made and more. We’ll be adding them to The Simple Writing system.

I think we nailed demonstrating how we use AI as a super enthusiastic, tireless, and not-great at producing final copy assistant.

You’ve got a solid example of the kind of copy AI p…Read more

Stan – you’re correct; AI will at maximum only get you about 80% of the way there. You always have to edit to get it to where it needs to be.

One quick correction – the person that copy refers to actually does have deep contacts in the intelligence community – he’s ex-CIA.

I’m not using this copy of course, but I am curious how close it is to…Read more

Thanks Lisa,
I’ve been using Claude lately and it’s been a very helpful assistant!

We don’t provide an official certificate to everyone who tells us they have completed every step of the SWS program.

We have no way to measure if or how they paid attention, completed exercises, or the quality of their efforts.

Plus, people trying to leverage the goodwill of the John Carlton and SWS brand would quickly copy and fake anything we…Read more

Hi, Max,

I think the “hook” section is related to the “big idea.”

If you’re doing a 30 page sales letter or long VSL, you may need a “big idea” that’s a bit broader than a “hook”.

Otherwise a good hook should suffice.

All the best,

David

Hi Max,

SWS, A-List Copywriting Secrets, and High-Speed Copywriting all teach a way to start with a blank page and get yourself to an ad in a format that has proven to be successful. For 100+ years. Across lots of technology changes.

No course on anything is THE way.

More often than not, David Deutsch tries to start with a Big Idea. A-List…Read more

Bumping

Hi, Niki,

Good bullets can make good headlines.

Good headlines can’t always make good bullets.

A hook is more conceptual, and a headline can be based on it.

Like the one legged golfer with an amazing swing.

Or the idea that French women never seem to be overweight.

Or that the dollar is collapsing and therefore America as we know it will…Read more