This Book will Teach You How to Write Better | Notes, Review & Summary
- Stanley Teller
- Feb 21, 2025
- 9 min read
These are my complete notes and summary of this book.
Notes:
You will write better after this. Communication is just getting one bit of information from one brain to another.
Only fools believe something that must be long to be expensive.
The words on a page can have an enormous impact on someone's life - the example of the letter to your mother. Nice vs Bad
No one cares about me; they care about themselves. When people come across things, they want to understand what they can get from them. Fluffy writing is rubbish.
Excellent customer service for Tennis players - rubbish
Going into detail about benefits the customer will get - Great!
PEOPLE DONT CARE ABOUT US; THEY CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES.
Write in ways that address problems rather than your solutions:
How to avoid getting stretch marks
3 Ways to increase Email opt-ins
Titles that directly describe what is about to happen and learn. These can be improved using some extra sexiness or exaggerated language
How to avoid gross stretch marks on your belly
3 ways to increase email opts in before your lunch break is over
Let them know what benefit they are going to get right away. Always frame so you help the other person.
Write funny. Write informative, just don’t write boring.
Your delivery can make people read or run.
Write casual copy. That’s the secret. Write copy that is casual to you. ****
Imagine you're at a dinner talking to a friend. No corporate talk, no jargon, just simple casual copy.
Example of computer sales. Simplifying the entire process into something they will understand and resonate with. Make stuff sound cool and end on a good hook that leads to more questions.
e.g. “And NASA use our services, but I'll tell you about that another time”
TASK
Record your voice
Pretend you're having dinner in that booth
Explain why what you’re selling is so good
Transcribe what you said into text, ums and errs included
This will result in great copy about your product. Casual copy is the most engaging.
Don’t write wacky. Write casually. The point is to get your reader to take action. Use jokes, humour and side stories only when absolutely necessary.
If an email is useless and annoying - people will just unsubscribe. Stop trying to be clever
and just be clear. Ask yourself some questions:
Is this adding to the user's knowledge
Does this help the reader solve their problem?
Am I helping them by adding this in?
Be ruthless about axing copy. If you're proud about a joke or copy, then delete it. If something is Meh - delete it. The point of your copy is to make them take action.
Sell, sell, sell.
Here are some people pay attention to:
NEW THINGS - A new billboard will draw attention vs one that has been there for years
Novel - You will notice something that has novelty - a wild shirt or stand-out haircut
Helpful - Things that will be helpful for the user
There is a limit to something - e.g. NEW runs out quickly. NOVEL, dressing as a clown at a business meeting is novel but useless.
HELPFUL - being helpful is a good way to get attention, how to solve a problem is a good way to capture attention.
Use this principle, make it helpful, and they will listen.
AIDA formula - for selling.
Note* - every sales pitch, every email, would have been made better by this framework. More sales, more recognition, and more money from this.
ATTENTION
INTEREST
DESIRE
ACTION
ATTENTION - Get their attention to make them read, capture attention with a hook
INTEREST - capture their interest with genuine interest, facts, interesting things, testimonials, uses
DESIRE - Make them want to buy the product, tell them how much faster this can fix that issue, how they can have the life they wanted using this product
ACTION - get them to take an action, click a link, sign up, make the sale, and describe how to take that action and what will happen when they take it
Title template:
Subject line 1:
Subject line 2:
Subject line 3:
Subject line 4:
Attention: Grab attention here
Interest: Interest them with facts
Desire: Make them desire it
Action: What action do you want them to take, and what happens when they take it
Link
Friendly reminder to take the action again
Use that template to write emails, scripts, and landing page copy.
Quick examples. Filled out. Helicopter
Every CEO has a helicopter, why dont you?
Do you hate traffic, what if you drive over it?
How to save 300 hours per year of frustration
Own a helicopter, make more, drive less, be happier
Attention:
That drive from your apartment to work is brutal, if you had a helicopter, that wouldn't be an issue
Interest:
You can get to work faster, 20% of the time, have no more frustration at work, have a fun ride anywhere, and dont live by the rules of anyone else in the city.
Desire:
Your time is worth $200 an hour, get an extra $60,000 per year with a helicopter. Make your life more enjoyable.
Action:
I want to show you the prices, where can I send you the prices for these. Dial the phone here or text here for any questions.
PS. The CEO of X has a helicopter and said it was his number 1 thing that made him enjoy coming to work.
always 4 subject lines
then always use the AIDA framework
Think about how you speak to ‘Bob’ about any products. Make all customers like your everyday customers. You need to know your “BoB” / Customer. Know your customer.
Think like your customer to help fulfil the issues and problems. E.g. competitive people want to win at all costs. Technical people want to be ahead of the curve. Wealthy people want prestige.
What are their fears, why are they coming to you, what can you help them with most? Ask yourself these types of questions.
Communication is about transferring information from one place to another. Use text into art.
Turn lists into art by using staggered lists. Make it engaging and visual.
Need help?
Getting more clients
Learning about selling online
How I learnt Sales and marketing today
Creating story lead marketing with Facebook ads
Organise by shortness, to longness, bold to italic, etc. Creating slopes and artwork on pages.
Making something bold will make something useful to see. Use it to help communication.
Centring can help draw attention to a certain point or phrase.
Capitalization and punctuation to make artwork. Using periods to create build-up……………………………………………………………… Bang.
Black text, white background, size 12 Ariel or Times New Roman.
Subject lines - using 4x can help you brainstorm each time.
Easy 3-step headline formula:
The end result they want
The specific time period
Address the objections
Tripel your conversion in 7 days, or I'll refund you.
I'll refund your money if you dont get 10 leads in a week.
The 3 lenses of headlines:
The competitive lens - aggressive, how to beat others
Download and beat your competition with X
Benefit lens - Outlines the goal or benefit they would want
Within 2 weeks, you'll be playing your favourite song on the guitar
Inspiration Lens - even you can do something
You can teach your children to read by the age of 2 at home.
WP engine - hassle-free WordPress hosting
Competitive - 86% faster than regular WordPress means better SEO
Benefit - my site loads faster, makes page views are up, and so my business is seeing the results
Inspirational - even non-computer nerds can have a website with 0 technical issues
Dont be scammy with titles and subtitles, as it will hurt your opt-ins
Short vs long copy. Which is better?
Long is better for an expensive product. - May need to explain benefits more
Short is better for less expensive products - both have user cases, e.g. Add to cart for $1.99
Long copy can sell on emotion for expensive products rather than specification.
Expensive products will always be beat on spec, but they will never be beat on brand and emotion.
Using more copy
The golden rule - Long copy is fine as long as it's not long-winded. If you can convince someone to do something using short text - then do it - it's fine.
e.g. I will send you a healthy breakfast recipe every morning at 4 am for the next month. That will help you eat better and lose weight.
You COULD go into detail about the recipes, details, diets, etc., but you dont need to because you can quickly communicate the message.
The Caveman's voice.
The best way to get things across is simplistically. Breaking down complex issues in a simple way makes it easier for people to understand them, people dont need a long attention span, it is very simple to understand.
Any boring copy, any complicated ideas that are hard to understand - just remove it and rewrite it with a simple copy. Dont make references that only a small % of people will understand. Ask yourself if this paragraph is needed, is it just long for the sake of being long?
Use examples everyone can understand:
A waste of money - This is like the CEO of Walmart collecting trollies in the carpark…
The idea is something everyone can understand, compared with something niche, like how the speed of a website impacts conversion rate.
Question: what is 2+2 =4
Question: What is the sum addition of two prime numbers, which is the opposite of -2…
These are the same question.
Just simplify the hard things down into simple ideas and easy-to-understand concepts.
Dumb down your reading age and comprehension of all your text. So that the barrier to entry for understanding your content is lower.
Comprehensive checklist!
Your writing will match your mood - so write when you're in a good mindset and mood.
Tasks before you write:
Clean your bed or room in less than 1 minute
Get caffeinated - or drink a beer
Try eating clean for a full day in the week, write when you're energised
Write when your energy peaks
Stay in the moment whenever you feel inspired, write and dont stop until it's done.
1. People Only Care About Themselves
Core Point: Your reader doesn’t care about you or your brand—they only care what you can do for them.
No One Cares: Don’t talk about your features, talk about how those features benefit them.
Example:
Bad: “We provide a carbon-fiber tennis racket.”
Good: “Our racket helps you swing 30% faster so you can destroy your friends on the court.”
Action Step: Scan your copy and replace every “we” or “I” with “you.” Highlight every benefit that actually matters to the reader.
2. Write Casually (Not Boringly)
Key Idea: People want to read fun, friendly writing—like chatting with a buddy over dinner.
Do This:
Record yourself explaining your product to a friend.
Transcribe it (ums and all).
Tweak it into copy.
Don’t Sound Like: A corporate robot.
Action Step: Write a paragraph like you’d say it out loud. If it sounds fake or too formal, rewrite it.
3. The AIDA Framework
A = Attention
I = Interest
D = Desire
A = Action
How It Works:
Grab their attention with a bold statement or headline.
Keep them interested with facts, stories, or benefits.
Stoke their desire by explaining why they need this.
Tell them what to do next (CTA, buy link, phone number).
Example (Helicopters):
Attention: “How to skip traffic forever.”
Interest: “Owning a helicopter saves you 300 hours of frustration a year.”
Desire: “Imagine all that time spent doing what you love—this is how CEOs live.”
Action: “Call us now, and we’ll send you helicopter prices in 2 minutes.”
4. Headlines & Subject Lines That Sell
Write 4 Options Each Time: Forces your brain to get creative.
3-Part Formula:
The End Result (What do they want?)
The Timeframe (How fast?)
Overcome an Objection (Address doubt)
Example: “Triple your conversions in 7 days—or get a full refund.”
Action Step: Next time you write a subject line, come up with at least 4 variations. Pick your favorite or test them all.
5. Short vs. Long Copy
Short Copy: Perfect for cheap or simple offers—just get to the point.
Long Copy: Use when selling higher-priced products or more complex offers (you need space to overcome objections).
Golden Rule: Long is fine, but never long-winded. If you don’t need extra words, cut them.
Action Step: Decide if your offer is simple or complex. Write just enough to get the sale and no more.
6. The “Caveman’s Voice” = Simple, Clear Writing
Keep It Stupid Easy: If a 12-year-old can’t understand your copy, rewrite it.
Example:
Complicated: “Utilize advanced synergy to mitigate marketing inefficiencies…”
Caveman-Friendly: “We help you get more customers—fast.”
Action Step: Read your copy out loud. If you stumble or need to re-read, simplify.
7. Visual Structure Matters
Why: Big text blocks are boring and scare away readers.
Do: Use bullet points, bold text, line breaks, and interesting formatting to keep the eye engaged.
Example:diffCopyEditNeed help?
- Getting more clients
- Learning about selling online
- Setting up Facebook ads
Action Step: Take your next piece of writing and add:
Short paragraphs
Bullets (like these)
Bold or italics for emphasis
8. Know Your “Bob” (Your Customer)
Neville’s Take: Always imagine you’re writing for one specific person (your ideal customer).
Focus on:
Their biggest fears
Their top desires
What language they use
Action Step: Jot down a mini-profile of your customer: age, job, main pain points, what success looks like to them. Write your copy directly to that person.
9. Mindset & Energy
Mood Affects Your Writing: If you’re tired or cranky, your copy shows it.
Try:
Cleaning your workspace for 1 minute
Grabbing coffee (or a beer—Neville does sometimes)
Writing when you’re fresh and inspired
Action Step: Schedule a writing block when you’re usually most alert (morning, afternoon, late night) and protect that time.
Final Words
Always cut the fluff—edit ruthlessly.
Use AIDA to structure your message.
Write to a friend, not a faceless crowd.
Keep it super simple.
Make it visually easy to read.
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