Content creation conversations with God

Earlier I wrote about how Walt Disney tricked his procrastination-prone (apparently he was a big procrastinator from what I have read) brain into getting enormous amounts of work done. Well, I got more to say on that. But this time it's not from the King of Animation but the Kings of Comicbooks. Here’s the story: Some time last year I decided I wanted to write a third Email Players “Annual” edition (that drills deep into a topic, and that exists outside the continuity of the regular Email Players newsletter). And while I knew what the topic would be — copywriting, marketing, persuasion tips embedded all throughout the Good Book — I had no idea what the cover would look like. I also remembered all the creative problems I had back in 2011 coming up with a cover idea for my Christian Business Secrets book wanting to avoid tropes (i.e., like a cross) and looking typical, or weak, or effeminate, etc like practically all Christian-themed books and probably 5 out of every 7 churches these days. I had yet to write a single word of the Annual. And, in fact, I was purposely putting it off until I thought of a cool cover idea. (For reasons I will explain in a minute) Anyway, short story long: I did what I always do in cases like this — I took a long, 10-mile walk. And, in this case, I wasn’t more than 5 or 10 minutes into it, in the pitch black walking on one of the jetties near my house, with freezing wind trying to blow me into the sea at 3:30 am (back when I used to walk really early)… when the idea for the cover and the title came to me in a (divine? only the Almighty knows for sure…) flash. And I instantly knew I had my cover idea and the title that would both help direct how I would approach and write the content inside. This is, incidentally, why I waited to write it until I had a cover & title ideas. There is a lot of power in having the design and title of a product figured out before creating it. It won’t always work out that way. But when it does you can tap into a powerful creative trick used for decades by smart comicbook editors. When a writer and editor didn’t know what to write a story about they simply had the artist draw a cover — anything he wanted — and then built the story around that. It forces your brain to come up with all kinds of cool ideas. I’ve adapted this technique for years to write emails, sales copy, all of it. You just start with something random and let your brain connect the dots. It takes a lot of “faith” in your skills. But I have always found it can make for better content, better stories, better covers, better everything (even in my fiction) when it works. Oh, and the title? “Copywriting Conversations With God” And the cover? The double-sized, 13-year anniversary August Email Players issue analyzes, unpacks, and picks this bad boy apart from start to finish via the back-and-forth emails with Email Players subscriber Kia Arian whose team designed it for me after sending them my vision for it. That way you can see the psychology behind how the covers for my books, the graphics, and the other designs for my business not only get attention and engagement, but help lead to sales and future sales. We do the same with four other covers, too. I also analyze and explain the comicbook-style ads I’ve been doing. And it also shows my business plan for monetizing fiction, if’n that interests you. More: I don’t merely analyze Email Players Annual #3: Copywriting Conversations with God. I am also including a copy of this 68-page Annual issue with the milestone 13-year anniversary August issue as a gift to my boys & ghouls, after which I will be selling it on its own for a princely sum. Here is a taste of what is inside this bonus I am sending those subscribed in time: * A line in the book of Exodus that is, word-for-word, arguably the single most profitable marketing lesson ever written. (I first learned about this in 1999 when selling MLM and foolishly ignored it. But when I got into daily emails years later, it helped propel my business forward in ways and at a speed that, speed that, frankly, I still don't believe sometimes..) * How to trick your trolls & haters into ramping up your email inbox deliverability… and without them even realizing it. * Denzel Washington’s creepy insight into whether trolls and reply guys are just assholes or are actually possessed by demons. * The CS Lewis method to converting scoffers, doubters, and even hostile unbelievers in your offers to becoming some of your best and most loyal customers/clients. * A little-talked about way (discovered by brain scientists some years back, I believe, but don’t quote me on that) to write headlines and subject lines that are almost neurologically impossible to ignore. * The angry boomer secret Jesus Christ used to go viral — where people told everyone they knew about Him, spread the word about Him, and got people talking about Him. (I don’t know if he does it on purpose, but I notice Dan Kennedy does the exact same thing these days.) * A secret way of using Biblical genealogies to find out if a guru you want to buy from or hire is full of crap or not. * Persuasion secret of an Old Testament prophet who converted a bunch of devil worshippers who wanted to kill him. * How to get away with teaching and saying controversial things on woke and converged platforms (like YouTube, Facebook, the ever-growing list of ESPS, etc) that kick people off for saying anything that goes against the Narrative. * A Biblical persuasion method Jesus taught in the book of Luke that, 2000 years later, Bruce Barton (son of a preacher and the second “B” in the billion dollar BBDO advertising agency) used to convince US Steel to keep paying his company through the nose for advertising when they insisted on killing the contract. * The ingenious secret Jesus used to create the biggest and most influential religion in world history that has also been used by a controversial filmmaker to create some of the biggest and most influential films in cinema history. * A powerful secret for growing a better and more response email list that Old Testament farmers used for growing better and more abundant crops. * A totally violent & disturbing copywriting tactic that works like gangbusters to get attention… but that you should avoid reading if you have a weak stomach. * Ezekiel’s “dung eating” lesson for how to sell with stealth — and in a way that can work far better than just lobbing benefits and claims at your list. * What Genesis chapter 5 teaches about how to preserve your business and protect it from being “Rings of Power’d” by your heirs. * An eerie red flag (straight out of the book of John) to look for if you want to identify the rats, bad actors, and other treacherous “Judas” types when choosing who to do business with. * What to do if you want to “exorcise” trolls and reply guys off your list. (Hint: Jesus, the Apostles, and Old Testament figures were never “nice” to evil — they always got rough with them, cast them out, rebuked them, and in Old Testament days even beheaded them!) * What the Bible says about how to go from always being scared of what’s going on in the world to having the world scared of you. * The violent lesson found right inside the book of Revelation about having a tight, responsive, and profitable email list. * One word that can help rile up large segments of your list (and it’s not even profanity) when you have to get their attention and nothing else you try works. * Advice to businesses who sell MLM offers who don’t want to be shunned and laughed at by friends, family, and peers. Real life story about this: There was once a party full of elites and A-list celebrities in Hollywood, yet everyone was gathered around a little old unassuming lady waiting in line to talk to her. The reason they loved her and ignored the celebrities? Because she was a sex therapist… no, I’m not saying to talk about sex in your marketing. That would be missing the point. But inside you’ll see a way to tap into the same force of persuasion the old lady did to potentially be “the person” people wants to consult about whatever your offers do vs being the person everyone avoids.) Anyway, there’s a lot more in this 68-page “Annual” edition. But time is short, both for me writing this, and for you to subscribe in time. That is, if you want in on the August issue and all it includes. Here’s the link: []( Ben Settle This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2024 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA