[dghlsakjg]

Grammar and spelling are table stakes for copywriting. A copywriter shouldn't sell themselves on it, or mention it, because it is an assumption that it will be good.

When a copy writer is offering a service with bad copy, it casts into doubt their ability to write or edit copy.

I ran this sentence from the article through google docs:

>There was overwhelm of not knowing how to start a website, what pages to include, and what those pages should even be doing.

Google docs correctly picked up the error, and made the correct suggestion. I expect that a copy editor will NEVER turn in copy that has not been run through a basic automated check.

[token6053]

Hey, I get it. I totally understand if writing "there was an overwhelming feeling" seems more correct to you. But my goal is to relay a message as I hear it from the target audience which explains a lot of those strategic choices I made in the blog post (trust me, me and Google spell check were good friends throughout the writing process). But I try not to use Google spell check like it's a God. More like a helpful angel on my shoulder.

[dghlsakjg]

Overwhelm is a verb that is being used as incorrectly as a noun in this sentence. It can’t be the subject of the sentence since it is a verb. This isn’t about what seems more correct, or about an accepted although incorrect usage. If you have examples of it being used in this way please do point to them.

Otherwise, realize that this is your target market giving you very direct feedback.

Edit: I love that you are responding and open to feedback. But, again, the mistakes that people are mentioning are not trivial, nitpicks, or a matter of opinion. You are the only person that search can find who has ever used the phrase “there was overwhelm of”…

[token6053]

I understand your point of view, truly. But I disagree with the premise that because I have used that phrase we have to throw the baby out with the bath water. Essentially, the point of copy is not to follow each and every grammar rule. It is to make sales. Nothing more, nothing less.

Also, here's an interesting post from the Columbia Journalism Review: https://www.cjr.org/language_corner/overwhelming-overwhelm-w.... The author acknowledges that the word "overwhelm" has been used as a noun since the 1500s.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea. But it doesn't need to be.

So there are two truths here. Yours and mine, which can happily coexist :)

[dghlsakjg]

And yet…

You corrected kahunas to cojones, and cleaned up the copy around nouning overwhelm so that it read like the article you found. Your original usage was clunky, and we were trying to give you valid feedback. You are sticking to your guns in the thread while making ninja edits in the copy.

Feedback hurts, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to help you. You keep saying it’s not about correctness, but about sales. What we’re telling you is that your incorrect grammar is losing you sales.

[token6053]

I'd be crazy not to optimize the copy, for sure. I even mentioned that I would be doing so in an earlier comment I wrote here yesterday. I still don't feel that my original sentences were "wrong" per se but they were detracting from the original purpose of the post if they're attracting all the attention. And luckily, I've been doing this long enough that I was able to hit my sales goal even if that means I couldn't convert you. It just means I've got more work to do to become that good!

So thank you for taking time out of your day to share your thoughts. It's much appreciated! Have a good day!

[dghlsakjg]

Cheers!