[REVIEW] How to Turn Your Words into Money
Guest Blogger | 1 November 2015 | Blogs
With twenty five years experience in the field, Jeff Brooks knows direct mail. And luckily for us, he’s happy to share his wisdom. How to Turn Your Words into Money is Jeff’s latest book, dedicated to the theory and practice of writing effective fundraising materials.
Jeff wants to help us raise ‘truck loads of money to support good work’ and his passion for fundraising is abundant and infectious In this short book he guides us through writing style, how to use stories in our copy, making the donor the hero, assumptions about donors and the writing traps we fall too easily fall into. There are also dozens of examples of poor copy that Jeff rewrites —certainly one of the most helpful parts of this book. Of course it’s also incredibly well written, but who’d expect anything less?
Jeff’s points us to his website for further examples of the ideas he talks about. Uncle Maynard’s archive has provided many moments of amusement and insight since its discovery.
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If you’re brand new to writing for fundraising I might suggest starting off with Jeff’s earlier book – The Fundraiser’s Guide to Irresistible Communications, which gives an easily readable short overview. But that’s not to say this book doesn’t have something for fundraisers at every stage of their career- whether they’re writing direct mail or grant bids – there’s something in here to make your writing much much better, and ultimately more likely to succeed.
Jeff says he hopes his words will help us ‘become better equipped, more enthusiastic, and empowered to win battles with those who don’t get it.’ It will, and for that alone, it’s worth the read.
How to Turn Your Words Into Money: The Master Fundraiser’s Guide to Persuasive Writing by Jeff Brooks is available from Emerson & Church and from UK Fundraising’s bookshop.
Rachel Brown forged her fundraising career in Individual Giving, and now heads up a one-(wo)man fundraising shop for a leading art gallery. Responsible for all elements of the fundraising operation, she loves looking for new and innovative ways to connect with supporters, and finding the ‘why.’
She tweets about fundraising and bad tv at @brownrach and blogs at The Fundraising Collective.
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