Bob Bly, author of 70+ books and the man McGraw-Hill calls "America’s top copywriter," asks .....

About Bob Bly

Bob Bly is a full-time freelance copywriter specializing in direct marketing. He earns more than $600,000 a year from his writing, speaking, and consulting, and became a self-made multi-millionaire while still in his 30's.

A copywriter for more than a quarter of a century, Bob has written promotions for over 100 clients including Phillips, Agora, KCI, 21^st Century, Weiss Research, EBI Medical Systems, Sony, IBM, AT&T, Grumman, Crain Communications, McGraw-Hill, Intuit, and AlliedSignal.

Bob is the author of more than 70 books including The Copywriter’s Handbook (Henry Holt) and , Business-to-Business Direct Marketing(NTC Business Books).

He has published more than 100 articles in such publications as Successful Meetings, Direct, Business Marketing, Chemical Engineering Progress, Cosmopolitan, Computer Decisions, Writer’s Digest, and Amtrak Express.

Bob’s writing awards include a Gold Echo from the Direct Marketing Association, an IMMY from the Information Industry Association, two Southstar Awards, an American Corporate Identity Award of Excellence, and the Standard of Excellence award from the Web Marketing Association. He also taught marketing at New York University.

Bob has appeared as a guest on dozens of TV and radio shows including The Advertising Show, Bernard Meltzer, CNBC, and CBS Hard Copy. He has been featured in major media ranging from the LA Times and Nation’s Business to the New York Post and the National Enquirer.

What they say about Bob Bly's copy and counsel

"Good things are happening. I am getting a steady stream of Trial and Demo requests from the new site. These requestors are filling out the entire contact form. The site is simpler now, and I am still working to make it even more so. I appreciate your work."
—Jim Romano, DataForceOne

"Thank you so much for your wonderful work. It has been a pleasure working with you and I look forward to working with you on another project in the near future. You were always available, quick to answer questions and always exceeded my expectations. You truly are a gifted writer."
—Aaron Griffith, The Griffith

"Bob, again thanks for the great copy. You consistently help us reach customers with compelling, actionable content, when others just can't!"
—William McElleney, IBM

"The feedback keeps coming in and we all agree yours was a truly helpful, useful, insightful and effective workshop. You did a fantastic job inspiring the troops and we've already begun applying some of the key learnings."
—Paul Connors, Copywriting Manager, A large financial services company in the Chicago area

"Bob ... your creative work, patience, and 'partnership' with us at IT Group has virtually propelled us to another level of business professionalism and recognition. The response we've received from your letters has been nothing short of tremendous. We've not only derived significant business from these unforgettable mailings--your efforts have sparked a creative energy within our ranks which will assist us in years to come. Thanks for your guidance and counsel."
—John A. Fallone, IT Group International

"I hired Bob on his reputation, and found it is well-deserved. His fact-finding process in preparation to write our copy was both painless and enlightening. The final deliverables were right on time as promised, and better than expected – which is saying a lot because my expectations were high. The first time I read his copy for our project, I literally got chills down my back – he nailed it the first time. Wow."
—Dennis Rosenberg, VP Marketing, VNUS Medical Technologies, Inc.

"Bob Bly did an amazing job with our company brochure. We are very impressed with his capacity to learn our product and to write copy so clearly and pointedly. Bob Bly is a great marketing investment."
—Michael Manoussos, Manhole Barrier Systems

"Great white paper! I’m in favor of the entire submission. Please congratulate Bob on a great effort."
—Michael C. Howard, Chasm Recovery

"Your Tax Loopholes ad looked great and is performing very well. Thanks for the strong copy."
—Brian Kurtz, Boardroom

"You did an excellent job. It's been a pleasure working with you on this project."
—Edward Brunet, Decatur Professional Development, LLC

"Thank you very, very much for doing such a great job on the ad. I was one of those folks who would read the ads in the DAK catalog by Drew Kaplan and this was as enjoyable for me as that."
—Chris Pickering, MeritDirect

"Bob ... Just got the copy and advertisement you did for my new book ... It's great! You are good! Great job ... you have tremendous insights into what excites and what sells!"
—Don Libey, Libey Incorporated

"In my opinion, you are the best copywriter in the software industry."
—Judy MacDonald, Director of Marketing, Direct Response

"When I received the piece, I thought, I'll have to skim over it now and read it later. But, once I started, I couldn't stop! You did a GREAT job with Ken's story. I love it. It kept me reading. I'm VERY pleased with it."
—Craig Simpson, Ken Roberts Company

"Bob, It's been a pleasure to work with you!!! Thank you so much! I'm very happy with the copy; I feel it will give me good results."
—Alejandra P. Bigai, Romanicos Chocolate

"Thanks again for a great job."
—Davis Ross, Ross Advertising

"I just wanted to thank you again for the excellent work you did for us. You are the man and I can't tell you how much I admired your approach and service. Although I've never worked with a copywriter before, I think you set the standard pretty high. I look forward to working with you again. You certainly have my vote for the next round!"
—DP Jovine, Tycoon Research

"Great job – I’m always amazed at how you can boil the complex down into simple terms. It flows very well."
—Kyle Hodgens, Capital Financial Media

"Thank you for the copy. I see why you're the expert. It's so simple, it's brilliant."
—Sau Hyoung Pak, Big Machine

"The radio spots are very well done. I am very impressed with your work and copywriting expertise. We will be making the changes to the print ad as you suggested. In the future we may work with you to design a totally new print ad. Again I'd like to say I'm impressed with your services. You were prompt, informative, and definitely know your stuff. We will be recommending you to others and doing repeat business."
—Joshua Andrews, Health Solutions, LLC

"When people get to the promotion, the promotion has a good conversion rate. In one test, it actually had a 14% conversion to sale... can't ask for much better than that."
—David Galland, Casey Research

"I loved the ad! I don't see any reason for revision so I have already put through a check request for the balance I owe you on the ad. We are very excited about this one. I can't wait to see how it does. Thanks so much!"
—Alice Wessendorf, Agora Health Book

"I show off the work that we did on lead generation for negotiation -- as well as the conversion program from HMCL -- as big successes."
—Paul Szymanski, Harvard Business School Publishing

"Thank you for being very instrumental on making the launch of the wealth management book such a resounding success. It was so successful that we had to request more copies."
—Ingrid Boney, II

Thanks, Bob! You are awesome to work with."
—Matt Morsa, Stock Secrets, Inc.

"I've spoken to a thousand copywriters over the years and Bob Bly is the best. He knows what he's doing."
—Joe Culotta, Natural Medicine Co.

"I am happy to report to you that your piece out produced the 4 other packages we tested against it. I want to talk to you about another project...."
—Nick Roumi, Pacific Coast Funding

"This is an outstanding letter. Really nice work!"
—Paul Szymanski, Harvard Business School Publishing

"Like the package ... the tone ... I think it's excellent."
—Bill Caskey, Caskey Sales Achievement

 

“Yes, can I help you?” I asked the bearded young man who had shown up – without an appointment – at my office door.

He looked at me without emotion as he handed me a thick stack of papers.

“You’ve been served,” he said, turned, and walked away.

“WHAT!?” I shouted after him.

The papers were a law suit against me for something I had written years ago.

The plaintiff was a large corporation.

That meant they had deep pockets – much deeper than my pockets.

I was scared. So I called my lawyer.

He wasn’t very reassuring.

“Yes, I believe you are in the right here and they have no case,” he told me.

“On the other hand, if they press forward, it could cost you up to $100,000 or more to defend in court.

“And of course, there’s no guarantee we will win.”

He said it was in my best interest to settle -- and fortunately, the whole thing only cost me around $2,000 or so out of pocket.

But it had been a sobering experience.

I imagined a vortex of endless legal fees – or worse, a judge’s award against me – sucking away all the money I’d worked so many years to earn, scribbling away as a freelance writer.

The point of this story is simple but important ...

As a writer, you are not immune to legal woes.

Inadvertent plagiarism ... copyright infringement ... a dispute with a co-author ... an unhappy client who wants his money back ... someone you interviewed claiming you misquoted him ...

Any or all of these – and many other legal matters related to your writing – could end up with you in court, losing large sums of money.

And yes, the legal fees and judgments against you could take away your savings ... your future wages ... your car ... your kids’ college fund ... even your house – leaving you and your family without a dime.

As a freelance writer, you have to protect yourself against legal issues -- just like any other business.

And that’s where Reba Kennedy’s new e-book, Legal Issues for Freelance Writers, can help save you time, money, aggravation, and grief.

 

What every writer needs to know about
the law

There’s no one more qualified to write Legal Issues for Freelance Writers than Reba Kennedy, Esq.

She’s both a practicing attorney -- as well as a successful freelance writer – specializing, naturally, in legally-related topics.

In her new legal guide for writers, you’ll find answers to the most common – and important – questions freelance writers ask about the law ... all explained in clear, concise, accurate prose.

Including:

• Many clients and publishers offer “work for hire” arrangements? Should you agree to this arrangement – or stay away? Page 24.
• Your house is not zoned for business. Can you legally operate your freelance writing business out of it? Page 15.
• Does the "fair use" doctrine allow you to quote up to 300 words from other books in your book? The answer will shock you. Page 28.
• How to register anything you’ve written with the U.S. Copyright Office for only $45 without a lawyer. Page 53.
• Where to find – and how to hire – an attorney with experience in representing freelance writers. Page 6.
• 3 freelance writing situations in which you’d be foolish not to get a lawyer. Page 8.
• What type of corporate structure – sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, S corporation, C corporation – makes sense for you? Plus: pros and cons of each. Page 5.
• How to ensure that your home owners insurance policy cover your computer and other home office equipment. Page 17.
• Can you deduct the cost of your freelance writing business if you don’t make a profit this year? Page 21.
• 8 essential points that must be in your collaboration agreement before you partner with a fellow writer or subject matter expert to do a book or other project. Page 23.
• How to determine whether a work is protected by copyright or in the public domain. Page 27.
• A person you interviewed doesn’t like what you wrote about her. Can she sue you for libel? Page 32.
• The supporting documentation you need to maintain on file to prove your writing is accurate ... and how long you have to keep it. Page 36.
• How to avoid invading an interview subject’s right to privacy. Page 37.
• Can you write anything you want in a book as long as you say it’s fiction – a novel – and not fact? Page 41.
• How to use the Freedom of Information Act to research the books and articles you are writing. Page 44.
• Should you trademark the names of book series ... characters ... names ... phrases ... and specific words you invented in your writing? Page 48.
• The 5 types of rights controlling the use of your published work ... and how to negotiate the best deal on each. Page 52.
• What to do if another writer plagiarizes from your work. Page 54.
• Key points you want to make sure are in your book contract when negotiating with your publisher. Page 61.
• Earn extra money by licensing your content to others: what to look for in the licensing agreement. Page 62.
• How to make sure the material you right is protected by copyright. Page 47.
• Best legal and other related Web sites for writers. Page 64.
• And much more .....

Legal Issues for Writers is a short, quick-reading guide to you and the law.

And because it’s an e-book, you can download the guide immediately as a convenient PDF file.

That means no shipping or handling charges ... and no waiting.

Order today ... and protect yourself against legal woes tomorrow.

Depending on what state you live in, a judgment against you in small claims court alone could cost you $1,000 to $5,000 or more.

And if you were to hire an attorney to represent you, you’d be billed $250 to $500 an hour. Yikes!

But Reba’s legal advice and guidance won’t cost you $1,000 or $250 or even $100 … because Legal Issues for Writers is yours for only $29 – less than you’d pay to go out to dinner with a friend tonight.

That’s like "hiring" Reba to be your legal advisor all year long ... for a very reasonable "retainer" of less than 8 cents a day!

And you won’t pay even that much if you don’t think Reba’s guide to legal issues for writers is worth at least 10 times the cover price ...

If you don’t agree that Legal Issues for Writers is the most accurate – and helpful – legal advice you’ve ever encountered as a freelance writer….

Or you are dissatisfied for any other reason ... or for no reason at all ... just let me know within 90 days.

I’ll refund your $29 payment in full. No questions asked. And, you can still keep the e-book free.

That way, you risk nothing.

In 90 days or sooner, you could be safeguarding your wealth, your house, and your family against frivolous lawsuits –

-- and ensuring that everything you do in your freelance writing business is both legal and advisable.

Or, you could continue to chug along – vulnerable to a future judgment that could rob you of your entire net worth.

It's entirely up to you.

So what are you waiting for?

To order Legal Issues for Writers on a 90-day risk-free trial basis, just click below now: