26 Comments
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Sean Bohl's avatar

Oh I thought you made them cry with your prose using proper heart authority, my mistake. Getting a whole 2 classmates to cry from your feedback is rookie numbers. You need to pump those numbers up.

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Ya I need to bump it 😂

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Thomas D’Arcy O’Donnell's avatar

Give it Time .. though the topic bores me .. I 'get what this stuff is.. % why .. but I'm 1/2 century in - working in HyperMedia. as a 'generalist a la Marshall McLuhan's prediction. My last Class was circa 1971 & Freelance Pro 'shooter by '75.. Directing / Writing evolved over time. Excelling at 'Touch Typing in High School & reading by age 3 via my sister's encouragement has been a Phenomenal Advantage .. Zero Neediness for 'RoboType

🦎🏴‍☠️🎬

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Sean Bohl's avatar

% why .. did you post this on .. 'my comment 🤷🏻🤖?

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Thomas D’Arcy O’Donnell's avatar

.. you were ‘spirited i thought ‘gettin tight after it.. .. & was i presumed many might comment - ‘in time .. well perhaps i wuz ‘out of order .. not to worry & my apologies - take it as a ‘complement .. i enjoy the repartee - when ‘the gettin’s good eh 🦎🏴‍☠️🧨

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Edith Bow's avatar

Don't ever stop being honest. The world needs to hear the hard parts.

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Appreciate you

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One Brilliant Arc (OBA)'s avatar

“It's about creating so much curiosity, they feel like they need this story to understand their own life.” —not only is this a solid understanding of jacket copy, but it is the entire reason stories are so powerful. This is the core reason why we write.

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Danielle's avatar

I have been wrestling with this push to write better pieces with my job and law school applications. Actually the moment happened one month ago when I was reading my friend’s cover letter and it said “I am good at communicating”. I sighed. So boring. I called him up, and told him that he could be way more interesting in his cover letter. We fixed it up, and he actually got the job not just the interview.

I’m embodying this in my law school application. I am arguing against myself in my personal statement to show them the stronger argument about why I want to study law. I needed this post. Thank you. I am doing it the better way, clearly.

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Good. Never sell out and challenge everything, especially me

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Danielle's avatar

I recently learned that challenging something is a job that you can do. I was born to challenge. I do it today, and I’m excited to keep spiralling into myself to challenge even larger systems and dreams.

Thank you!

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Vinny Reads's avatar

As a reader, I might buy the "love is magic" book because that's an intriguing concept, but I already not invested in the characters, I just want to see the mechanics. With your copy, yeah I'd probably buy that book.

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Nothing wrong with love is magic , but it’s not my jam and I don’t want to be like everyone else . And copy , yes it’s everything

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KB Fiction's avatar

This came at exactly the right moment for me. I love your point thst people react to a feeling then justify reading a book later. I believe most of our decisions are like this. I read a great article on the “structural pitch” last night and today this, which gives opposite advice. Looks like it’s time run a little experiment and write two pitches. May the better one win.

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Yes . Write more than one variable. When I did copywriting I’d often write 15-25 headlines before I found my groove

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Zivah Avraham's avatar

Some of your classmates need to develop a thicker skin and, dare I say it, the humility to understand that they can learn from people other than the lecturer/tutor/whatever the teacher is called, otherwise life as a whole is going to be a very painful experience for them, let alone trying to be a writer of published books.

Plus… your feedback wasn’t even unkind or inappropriate.

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Truth

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Nick Winney's avatar

why would they cry when the truth should set them free? self limiting = self harming.

everyone can always do better and there is always somebody better to learn from.

suck it up like a sponge.

cut me...do I not bleed?

Yes! But will I heal and will the scars remind me why?

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Yes , even my feedback . I never take it personal and ask okay where can I use this

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Ian Patterson's avatar

Well shit, this is great and makes me want to go back and rewrite my book blurb. I can see that it would work well for pitches too. Love it, you've given me something to think about!

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Yes do it

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MamaForestCritter's avatar

This is really great. I'm addicted to romantic suspence and they know how to get you to pick up a book too. By the emotions, the hint of tangled situations and intriguing characters. I also hate when they give away the plot twists. Your advice is spot on as far as my experience as a book consumer.

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George Kalantzis's avatar

Reader feedback is valuable

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Haly, the Moonlight Bard ✒️'s avatar

First and foremost, fucking killer jacket copy.

Second. Fuck dem kids, FUCKING KILLER JACKET COPY.

In conclusion, thank you. This is great, and really helpful.

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Natalie Arriola's avatar

I'm surprised (actually maybe not so surprised) your classmates are so sensitive. I run a writing critique group and we are honest with our comments, kind, but honest. Though it's true, a lot of people show up once then never come back. But we have our regulars who get that you need a thick skin to be a writer. Anyway, I agree that mystery is essential to any story and it seems like a lot of people forget that these days. Maybe that's why most contemporary fiction bores the shit out of me. I know you're talking about jacket copy, but I feel like it applies to how people write stories these days in general.

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Thomas D’Arcy O’Donnell's avatar

if 10+ % of Leading Substack 'Authors utilize RoboWriting (AI) - what % of Minor League or even Lower Level - Daily Dross deploy Robotic Writing or RoboSnaps ? The 'vaunted Algorithm has 'Buried Me.. to my great amusement haha .. ! An 'All Ages 'Creative Reflection & Gallery - Far Far Away from 'being a NewsLetter.. & with Zero Politics or Religious FantasyLand.. 🦎🏴‍☠️💋

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