Writers – these 15 villains will try and get in your way

Defeat them and become your own best writing client [The Writer’ s Life]( October 31, 2023 "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." – Henry Ford Happy Halloween, {NAME}! It's funny how themes emerge every year … While Barbie will likely be the #1 costume, here at the Matter house, we all ended up (unintentionally) choosing to dress up as different villains. It's a bit ironic, as you'll see in just a minute … But before we get to that, we have to talk about something important. Right now, for the last time, you've got a second chance at something I wholeheartedly believe will make a huge difference to you and your financial future … I truly believe EVERY WRITER should be building their own clientless business that generates ongoing revenue month after month … [And I want to show you the way.]( I've assembled a dream team of writers who have built successful businesses, and together we'll walk you step-by-step through building yours. From the idea, business model, list building, and seven different revenue streams … nothing will be left in doubt. You'll have a scalable business that will generate revenue month after month and can be sold if and when you choose in the future. This has been a dream of mine for a long time now … To help writers like you use your skills to build a thriving successful business — where YOU are the client, and YOU collect all the profit. If you're at all interested in making money from your writing skills in a way that isn't tied to the hours you work … [Go here now to get the details and grab a spot.]( Training starts tomorrow, so today is your very last chance to enroll! Having a clientless copywriting business is an enviable lifestyle, and Ben Settle has been a wildly successful trendsetter in this space … Some people look at success stories like Ben's and think — he's so lucky … He spends a little time working each day, he doesn't have to find clients, and he makes so much money from his writing. But the reality is, he faced the same challenges every other writer faces. And in today's issue, he names 15 "Villains" you'll encounter on your road to the writer's life … and gives you an easy way to defeat them. I have this printed on my desk to serve as a constant reminder. If you push past any fears holding you back, you can build a clientless business that makes you a lot of money now — and far into the future. [Don't miss your last chance to do this.]( Have a fun day! Rebecca Matter President AWAI Your ALL-ACCESS Key — Just $1! Get instant access to this exclusive B2B writing community and ALL their private resources, including … All the success roadmaps … All the writing templates … All the articles … All the how-to videos … All 150+ training webinars … The Forum, the Job Board, the tutorials, the tools … And much more! [Go Here for More Details]( 15 Bloodthirsty Villains Who Will Try to Murder Your Clientless Copywriting Business By Ben Settle [Illustration of a team of superheroes pitted against a giant super villain with sunset in the background] The single most important asset you can have if you want to have a successful clientless copywriting business is having your inner game tight. What that means is, people don't fail because they lack talent or skills. Or because they don't have money. Or even because they don't have time. Those are just excuses kicked up by the "rationalization hamster" inside all our heads. No, the main reason someone fails in this business is because their inner game is weak, and they fall prey to the exact same "Mind Villains" that routinely bring down otherwise-smart, talented, and dedicated writers. Below are 15 of the most common of these Villains that could very well be stalking you before you even begin. 1. The Not Comfortable With (Or Don't Think You Deserve) Success Villain — If you aren't comfortable with success, you'll likely sabotage yourself when you achieve it. Many great marketers (like, for example, Gary Halbert) were, by their own admission, notorious for doing this. 2. The Not Comfortable With (Or Don't Think You Deserve) Money Villain — Same as above, if you're not comfortable with money, or don't think you deserve it, you won't be able to keep it even if you make it. 3. The Poor Attitude Villain — It's astonishing how many people don't even like themselves, yet still wonder why nobody wants to buy from them or do business with them. 4. The Paralyzing Fear of Failure Villain — This could very well be the most common of all the inner game Villains, and it often manifests itself as procrastination and/or analysis paralysis. 5. The Play the Marketing Game to Not Lose Instead of Playing to Win Villain — It's hard to make any real leaps in your business if you play it safe and never take chances (on new ideas, tests, sales letters, emails, etc.). 6. The Too Lazy to Do the Work Villain — Like the late Earl Nightingale used to say: It's futile to sit in front of the stove and say, "Give me heat, and then I'll add the wood!" 7. The Don't Make a Plan and Stick to It Villain — With the explosion of new marketing products and systems, it's easy to get distracted and quit one thing only to try something else, then rinse and repeat. 8. The Don't Specialize Villain — By not specializing in something, you automatically make yourself expendable, and easily ignored. 9. The Won't Even Commit a Single Hour of Each Day to Building Their Business Villain — I once heard "A-list" copywriter John Carlton say anyone who works for two solid hours per day (actual writing time) can move mountains. I would say, even just one hour will put you way ahead of anyone else. 10. The Blame Others for Their Problems Villain — A helpful philosophy to live by is, no matter what happens to you, "it is always your fault." And even if it's not, taking responsibility makes you better, sharper, wiser, and less likely to make more mistakes. 11. The Care Too Much What Others Think Villain — Most people are broke, going nowhere, and are like crabs in a bucket: When they see you try to crawl out and do something noteworthy with your life, their first instinct is to try to pull you back in. Why in the world would you care what they think? 12. The Afraid of Criticism Villain — The great Dan Kennedy teaches that the most successful and highest-paid entrepreneurs he knows have an incredible tolerance to criticism. The only way you can develop that is to not avoid it, and even seek it out regularly until it no longer bothers you. 13. The Zero Accountability Villain — If you have no accountability to yourself, your goals, or your mission in life, you will never find lasting success. 14. The Lack of Character Villain — There's a saying that goes, "Character is following through on a decision long after the excitement of the moment has passed." Having no character is like being a house with a shoddy foundation: You'll be easily wiped out the first time a strong wind hits you. 15. The Poor Time Management Villain — Most people don't value their time or anyone else's, making themselves untrustworthy by default, and showing would-be customers they aren't safe to buy from. There are many more "Villains" than these. In fact, there is an infinite number of them. But, these 15 are some of the most common ones. Question is, what do you do to defeat them? One of the best weapons I have ever used to destroy them is to simply do this: When you're building your clientless copywriting business, before you say you "can't" do something you know you need to do or are putting off, replace "can't" with "won't." Doing this will make you realize you are the only thing holding you back, and not some imaginary roadblock like money, time, or ability. Because at the end of the day, you are your own worst Villain or best Hero. The difference is all in how you think. Bottom line: Print out this list of 15 inner-game Villains, and carefully go through them regularly as you build your clientless copywriting business. If you find any that are keeping you back, confront and defeat them by replacing "can't" with "won't." The rest will take care of itself. There's no better way to use your words to build your wealth and the future you want than with a clientless copywriting business. If you'd like to learn more about how to build one, [go here](. But just know enrollment for this second chance opportunity is closing for good tonight at midnight. What's Hot at AWAI … 🙌 [LAST CHANCE — TRAINING STARTS TOMORROW! Grab our brand-new program, The AWAI Model for Building a Thriving "Zero-Client" Writing Business, before midnight tonight!]( 👀 Did you miss Monday's Morning Jumpstart? [Catch up here!]( 💰 [Copywriting skills help Texas woman launch profitable web-based business.]( 🤩 [Austin mom turns blogging into a six-figure, stay-at-home venture.]( Email writing for the win! [Social media post with a thank you to AWAI and Guillermo for the How to Write High Impact Emails program] Congratulations, Joe! 🙌 So glad your email writing is working out well for you. And thank you for sharing your win with us! Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! ⚠️ JOIN US FOR A HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT ⚠️ 26 years ago, we introduced an entire generation to copywriting … And proved to the world that anyone can make a great living as a writer. This Friday, November 3, at noon ET, we're going to reveal something we've been working on that will CHANGE EVERYTHING AGAIN. To be among the first to know, sign up for our FREE live event today by clicking the link below. 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