Grammar is overrated

Just so you know…this subject line is not a justification for all of the bad grammar I’ve used in my weekly blogs; rather, it is an important consideration when you write or oversee any promotional copy…more on that in a moment…

First, I want to make sure that most of you have purchased your copy of Breakthrough Advertising before I am out of stock on this first printing​…and in a month or so, you will have the opportunity to buy The Brilliance Breakthrough: How To Talk And Write So That People Will Never Forget You.

Both are classic, must-own books written by Gene Schwartz, one of the most prolific copywriters and direct marketers who has ever lived.

If you are new to my online family and want to read more about ​this incredible man, please read “Genius…passion…and building larger mice.”

I just drafted a foreword for this new edition of The Brilliance Breakthrough (“BB”); and as I have done in the past, I am sending you this final draft (see below) to get your opinion and feedback–and to also encourage you to get on the “BB Alert List” if you are not yet on it.

​The foreword will give you a sneak peak into this lost classic…and I will be creating a special workbook to go along with it as a bonus…all of that is detailed below.​

I will mail to that “BB Alert List” immediately once I have books in inventory.

Just send me an email with “BB Alert List” in the subject line.

And thanks for any input you can give me on this foreword.
​I still have time to edit one last time…

So many of you gave me valuable ideas and edits in the past for my Advertising Solution foreword and Breakthrough Advertising afterword…

I’ve got the best editors in the world…you!

Thanks for reading!

Appreciatively,

Brian

Foreword to the Titans Marketing edition of The Brilliance Breakthrough: How To Talk And Write So That People Will Never Forget You​

This masterpiece you now hold in your hands, which has been a lost classic from almost the day Gene Schwartz wrote it, might be the most influential book you will ever read assuming you plan on communicating with other human beings in the future.

It is for me…and it has taught me more about communicating verbally and through the written word than anything I learned in my four years of college as an English major.

Back story on that: When I returned home from my sophomore year of college and told my parents I would be majoring in English, I came dangerously close to being cut off from my “college funding”; and even worse, I thought my parents would kick me out of the house.

But things worked out (or so I thought).

I was able to graduate with a degree in English and I believed that by sticking to my guns and not changing my major (and convincing my parents I would use my English degree for good rather than evil), I learned how to read and write and I was destined for greatness.

But everything changed when I got to know (and learn from) Gene Schwartz just a few years after graduating from college.

This book will forever change the way you think, and have been taught, about expressing yourself and your ideas.

​It’s the next best thing to having Gene Schwartz as your personal copywriting coach.​

​From the outset, Gene makes it perfectly clear what you need to know about this book with the opening sentence of Chapter 1:

“The first thing you have to do with this book is forget everything you were ever taught about grammar!”

Gene’s thesis (and subtitle of the book) of teaching us, “How To Talk And Write So That People Will Never Forget You” has less to do with grammar and “proper English” and more to do with choosing the perfect words to make up the sentences we speak and write for maximum impact.

And yes, this is a marketing book at its core so “maximum impact” means “maximum sales.”

One more thing: Please don’t tell my English professors from college that grammar is no longer relevant to me…they might just take back my diploma…although I think I prefer the “graduate degree” I received from Gene rather than the undergraduate degree those professors gave me…

Why have I been obsessed about bringing The Brilliance Breakthrough back to life?

I think the main reason is that everyone practicing copywriting or marketing today needs as much Gene Schwartz in their life as possible.

I believe he might be the most important figure in the history of advertising when it comes to the merging of human behavior with copywriting and marketing.

And since I like to say, “marketing isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” (in the context of how to get your mission or vision out to as many people as possible and as powerfully as possible), learning how to write like Gene (which you will from this book) is your ticket to creating the most powerful messaging possible.

As Gene says at the conclusion of chapter three:

“…from words, you have generated images. And now from these images you will generate sentences. And from these sentences you will then generate entire discourses. Stories, reports, instructions, poems…a universe of shared emotions and thoughts.”

Despite the fact that Gene never wrote anything for an online promotion, what he is talking about here—and ​ throughout the​ book—applies to all media and forms of communication: Sales letters, space ads, email, video scripts etc.—any written communication that has as its main purpose to get the reader to respond…and buy.

Online or offline.

I think you will also be struck by how simple Gene’s writing approach seems to be and his willingness to peel back the curtain on that approach…word by word, sentence by sentence.

The exercises at the end of each chapter—almost like “Mad Libs” for copywriting (but way more productive and with “correct answers” in the book!)—will guide you through a process that will make you a better writer. Guaranteed.

Also, please follow Gene’s instructions on how to use this book best.

He emphasizes the importance of applying the lessons from each chapter immediately. So if you can, please attack the book as Gene recommends…you won’t be disappointed.

And since I was always taught to never write inside the pages of a book (until I got to college!)—especially one as valuable as this one—I wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to apply Gene’s techniques.

That’s why I created the accompanying workbook which includes all of the exercises which appear at the end of each chapter.

The workbook will also make it easier to toggle between the book and the exercises in the workbook.

These exercises will enable you to write in ways you never thought possible.

I firmly believe that when we are working inside our passion—when our work is truly our play—you can become the best copywriter for your business.

That’s not to say that if you ever have an opportunity to hire a copywriter of Gene Schwartz’s caliber you shouldn’t jump at that opportunity—but most of us will not be given that opportunity in our lifetime.

However, this book, and the process Gene lays out for us step-by-step, is the best way for you to bring out what is inside of you…enable you to write incredibly powerful copy…with the possibility of needing only a proofreader when you are done.

And remember…the proofreading will have little to do with proper grammar…

So that’s why this book needs to be brought back to life…and it is no accident why the price of used copies of this book have been offered online for as much as $8,000…and as of this printing, the cheapest used copy I’ve seen is around $4,000.

Only a select few have been able to apply The Brilliance Breakthrough…until now.

What makes this book different from Gene’s other masterpiece, Breakthrough Advertising?

In a perfect world, I would have preferred re-publishing The Brilliance Breakthrough before Breakthrough Advertising since this book, while not a primer for copywriters, is not nearly as dense as Breakthrough Advertising–and it is immediately usable and practical to many more people.

I think if you read The Brilliance Breakthrough first, you will get more hands-on training before diving into what is clearly Gene’s “advanced course” (i.e. Breakthrough Advertising).

But no biggie if you have already read Breakthrough Advertising and you are now beginning to read this treasure.

I would highly recommend, however, that you re-read Breakthrough Advertising after you have been through The Brilliance Breakthrough.

The fact is that neither of these books can be read just once to garner their full impact anyway.

In short, The Brilliance Breakthrough is all about execution on the theories Gene Schwartz penned as copywriting rules of thumb (and universals about human behavior) in Breakthrough Advertising.

You need both of these books in your library…they complement each other beautifully…and this is the first time in decades that both are easily accessible to all generations of marketers and copywriters.

How lucky are you to have easy access to The Brilliance Breakthrough?

Well…luckier than when I was a lad…

The stories I have heard over the years about smuggling copies of this book out of libraries are legendary.

Publisher and direct marketing historian (and my partner in getting this new edition printed), Jim DiCola, told me this story:

I went to my library [many years ago] and requested an interlibrary loan. After checking across the country, the only copy they could find was from the Library of Congress.

A month later the book showed up at my local branch.

However they had strict instructions that they would not let the book leave the library due to restrictions from the Library of Congress and that it was only on loan for a short period of time.

So every Saturday morning (and some weekday evenings) I would trek a mile to my local library, go to the front desk and request the book, and then a staff member would have to personally go to some secure part of some back room and bring me the book to read on the premises only.

And as the due date approached for when they had to return the book to the Library of Congress, I had been successful in my secret mission to photocopy the entire book, one chapter at a time over many months, unbeknownst to them.

And Brian, I will not tell you where this library is located…ever!
​They will take away my library card for sure if they find out! ​

Of course I asked Jim if I could make the story richer by saying he walked 12 miles each way to the library, in the snow, and barefoot as well…however, what he told me above was the best he could do…

But you get the idea.

I’ve heard other stories from folks who had to leave significant “collateral” at the front desk at their library in order to read The Brilliance Breakthrough on site.

I was frantically looking for someone who might have forfeited their Rolex to sneak out of a library with the book…hey $4,000 could buy a pretty nice watch, right?

Sadly, I couldn’t get that story and decided not to make one up.

But the good news is that the book is no longer rare.

And congratulations that you now own a copy.

Are you ready to become your own best copywriter?

I want to thank Gene for being such an incredible mentor to me and so many others during his lifetime.

And I also want to thank his wonderful wife, Barbara Schwartz, for being so generous with Gene while he was with us…and to this day.

Her generosity is the main reason this book is now available to you.

When I approached her about re-publishing this book, she only had one copy of the original text herself…which I have not let out of my sight while using it to print this new version.

Yes…I did a little photocopying myself…

And
​I made a ​very cool ​discovery ​which was
clearly a message from Gene to me (and to you): There were a couple of notes from Gene inside Barbara’s only copy with changes he wanted to make to some of the chapter titles should the book ever be reprinted.

Of course all of those changes have been incorporated into this edition.

And seeing those notes made it abundantly clear that Gene also wants to be part of getting this book back into circulation…and to share his wisdom with all of you.

Like Barbara, Gene was very generous too…and I am so gratified seeing the appetite for Gene’s work today, even among the youngest copywriters and marketers…but I am also not surprised.

And this book in particular, while on the surface looks like it is targeted at copywriters and marketers, is really for anyone who desires to speak or write more clearly.

I know of quite a few people who want to give it to their children…one friend is buying a copy for his 11 year old son.

I know Gene is also smiling down on all of us, seeing the impact his work has had on multiple generations already…and also how much more impact he will be making on generations into the future.

It’s obvious that Gene practiced what he preached:

He knew better than anyone how to talk and write so that people will never forget him.

Brian Kurtz

May 2017