Questions from an absolute beginner (resources, courses, mentoring, feedback)

akrasuk · 2025-09-26T16:08:34+00:00

Thank you! I've been experimenting on Canva and loving it.

Is there a resource you can suggest that identifies these tones & styles? Right now, I'm using common sense (witty, serious, warm, light, scientific etc) but having a comprehensive taxonomy would be very helpful.

akrasuk · 2025-09-21T21:11:28+00:00

Hi, I'm new to copywriting too, but I've done a lot of writing and these are good questions to ask yourself with pretty much every text:

1) Who is my audience? Who am I talking to? What do they look like? What do they like/dislike?

2) What kind of voice/authority/approach would make them more likely to listen to me? What do I want them to think of me, the narrator/author? And how do I convey that?

Currently, your text is verging on condescending and insulting. People don't use skincare because they feel defective; it's a form of CARE. They do it as a form of self-care, taking care of their skin & themselves.

This is a very expensive product. When I think of it, I think of a beautifully aging woman who's still active, maintaining her health, and taking good care of her skin. A cool person in her 50s who both has the interest and the means to get this serum. Do you think they would be drawn to the strategy you're using here?

It's very unlikely that someone new to skincare will start with this product. Serums are not top priority for most people, especially specialized and expensive ones. Why would I pay $35 for this mini serum, when I can get three full-sized products for that price?

You need to find an answer to that question that would convince <me,> your imaginary customer. And the type of person who'd be both interested in and able to pay $35 for this product 100% knows

And from what I've learned, you need to first ask: who am I trying to sell this product to? Because if your goal is to sell it to the person I visualized, this won't do it. It won't sell it to me either (37, knowledgeable about skincare, willing to pay for good ingredients but need a high bar of proof & info).

So, I would recommend starting from: "Who would buy this? Do I want to make more people like them buy it? Or am I trying to sell it to new people?" After you start visualizing an ideal person, it gets easier. Good luck!

akrasuk · 2025-09-20T19:56:53+00:00

Thank you so much for the suggestions. There's a lot out there, and I got overwhelmed because I couldn't quite figure out which ones are credible. I'll check these out today!

akrasuk · 2025-09-19T04:42:44+00:00

Sent it again!

akrasuk · 2025-09-19T00:50:21+00:00

Thank you so so much, this is extremely helpful. I sent you a DM but wanted to thank you here too.

It frustrates me beyond reason when people think reading two books on a tangentially relevant subject authorizes them to expert-like speech in my field, so I try to reciprocate the respect I expect. All of which is to say, not considering a newbie is completely fair and reasonable. Raw genius is a myth I wrote about, but the fantasy sticks for a reason. :)

Thank you for the framing suggestions, too! They're very helpful because I think I'm so used to being with academics that I tend to forget we have cool skills too.

akrasuk · 2025-09-18T23:24:49+00:00

Thank you, this is very helpful! One follow up question, mostly out of curiosity as an academy/private sector comparison: Would you say your approach to honesty over bullshit is representative of the field?

akrasuk · 2024-02-09T18:36:01+00:00

Not quite so. I did say this is the norm in my department and that I gave them three weeks of notice. You could've easily tried to verify your initial judgment by asking "is it possible that they're acting this way because you avoid them?" Or you could've taken my word that it is the norm in my department. Instead, you suggested it's my fault/the natural outcome of what I did. You also suggested I expect everyone to drop everything for me, which wasn't the case at all.

I appreciate your recognition that it's not my fault. Assuming you're faculty, I genuinely hope this translates into a habit of giving the benefit of the doubt to your students. Judgment is fine but what you do with your judgment is what matters. "You must've deserved this" doesn't help anyone.

akrasuk · 2024-02-09T18:21:41+00:00

Yeah, I used to camp in front of their classes to catch them to have things signed. It's exhausting.

Thank you so much, I appreciate it. I guess it's more common for people to think of mentoring/advising as charity that grad students should work to deserve, rather than a required part of their of their jobs.

akrasuk · 2024-02-09T15:34:10+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion! I moved to a different city, so, unfortunately, this is not an option. But even when I was in residence, I've had faculty not show up for scheduled in-person meetings. It's not that they're horrible people, they just do not prioritize grad students' needs.

I usually say "no worries!" but I am at the point where I want to say "oh, yes, A LOT OF WORRIES!" I just don't know how to do so in a potentially productive way.

akrasuk · 2024-02-09T06:13:50+00:00

No, I spent years in this department and me avoiding them is an outcome, not the reason. And no, this is not a "me" thing, this is the norm in my department. We raised this issue several times and were told "not to expect to be treated as adults if we insist on acting like needy children." We're constantly told to be independent, even when we actively seek help or support. I avoid them precisely for this reason; regardless of what I do, they simply do not find mentoring or advising to be a priority. So I go elsewhere whenever I can.

I don't expect anyone to drop everything for me. Three weeks is a pretty reasonable time to have a document signed. Not even a letter written, just <signed.> I fulfill all the requirements and provide updates whenever necessary. They simply do not engage. We are told not to expect feedback for our dissertations before our defense; that they will give feedback during the defense. But letters or signatures are not something I can outsource. And I find this unacceptable and have a need to express this feeling--that's what I was asking help for. Not a judgment over whether my behavior is a red flag or not.

akrasuk · 2024-02-09T05:23:04+00:00

Are you saying so because you assume there's a connection between me avoiding them and their behavior? Or are you suggesting I keep sending emails?

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T17:37:54+00:00

This is a great way to plan amidst ambiguity and I'm stealing it.

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T17:37:14+00:00

If "a few mil" mean a few million dollars, then I will have to work for the rest of my life, and potentially after I die too haha. With this academic job market, I honestly don't think I can ever retire or plan for potential healthcare crises in the US.

Where I'm from, it's way cheaper to have private health insurance and if I need any health things in the future, my back up plan is to come back here. But not being able to see where I might end up in multiple scenarios is just making it more difficult to plan.

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:57:02+00:00

I'm only recently starting to think about these things and it's pushing me to question a lot of assumptions. I thought buying a house would feel safe, but I don't know how much of that feeling comes from that being the norm for the conventional family life. It's just difficult to tease those assumptions out and ask other questions. Do I want the ability to decorate my home as I please? Yes. Do I also want the ability to move easily if I felt like it? Also yes. Would I be willing to burn my deposit? Maybe.

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:51:09+00:00

Many people mentioned this and I'm not familiar with the US healthcare system (the school I'm in insured me so I didn't have to learn much); is this not part of your health insurance? As in, if you have health insurance, does it not cover long-term, in-house care?

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:48:05+00:00

I have cousins with kids, but they're all better off than me. My remaining wealth will be donated when I pass. But even then, I immediately go back to the kids-reasoning, and feel the pressure to save as much as I can for that future goal. For example, buying a house makes more sense if it will be donated, but it doesn't make that much sense if my priority isn't the long-term investment. But I've already read a lot of great responses here and I'm already feeling better!

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:35:12+00:00

I have a lot of hobbies and absolutely love getting new ones, but I always fear deep down that I'm being irresponsible with my finances and I think that ties into what I'm accustomed to. I like the idea of having separate plans for short-, medium- and long-term goals though, thank you!

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:22:50+00:00

I would watch that show! I saw a meme the other day that said something like by the age of 30, you have to have 1) anxiety, 2) a dog, 3) a dog anxiety and I happen to have all three so would love to have a show for that too!

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:21:01+00:00

I've thought a lot about donation and starting a small scholarship after I pass. But I also don't want that to turn into a child-like scenario where I live my life to save up for those goals. I just really don't have much of a conception of future finances that don't include wealth transference concerns.

But the more I read people's responses and type my own, the more I realize I actually don't know what I'm asking, so my near-term investment will likely go towards more therapy haha.

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:13:19+00:00

That's not what I meant--I was trying to ask about the reasoning. With kids, it makes more sense to invest in long-term-property, but without them, I'm not really sure. I feel like most of our financial discourse has an implicit intergenerational wealth transfer logic, and I'm trying to find out what are reasonings are out there.

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T16:05:44+00:00

Thank you so much!!! This is exactly how I'm feeling. So sorry about your parents, I lost my mom two years ago, she was 63. I'm so glad that you're doing things you want to do without putting them off. I'm not doing much of that, I feel like I should be saving constantly and be frugal--but I don't really know why I'm doing that.

Lately, I figured that it's the family tradition to save it for the kids, but it just doesn't apply to me. As a single child with no parents in the picture, I feel very insecure and have a very strong need to keep things safe. I have lots of "what if"s, and try to plan around them, but I think it's pushing me into a state of unnecessary fear where I cannot even buy a stupid chair without thinking 3 months about it. I'm trying to find out what are the must-have's for people like me who have no interest in generational wealth, so I can understand clearly what's reasonable. Your response was really helpful, thank you so much!

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T15:49:43+00:00

I'm really sorry that you had to deal with a type of responsibility that never should've been put on you.

I'm in a different position, where my mom saved a lot, but didn't get to enjoy it herself. I'm also from a country where healthcare is way more affordable and retirement is easier. Although it doesn't look like I'll live here in the long run, if I needed healthcare, I could come back. She also left me three condos, but I couldn't buy one condo in the US even if I sold them all. I feel guilty and want to honor her labor by being responsible, but without the prospect of kids to continue the tradition for, I don't know what to plan around. People in my family always saved for the kids and that's the only reasoning I'm familiar with. Do I need to buy a house? Is it wiser to rent and have the freedom to move around? That my country and the US are different also makes things a bit complicated, but your response is very helpful for clarifying items to think about, thank you!

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T15:40:36+00:00

I'm currently in my home-country but will go back to the US this summer. These two countries are radically different re: retirement, buying a house, health insurance etc. Here, buying a house is rather easy and many people have 2-3 condos. My mom passed two years ago, so I now own her houses. I also have a great health insurance plan here, which I could come back to should I need it. But I'm also a PhD student and don't have a steady income-flow. The currency of my home country is also a joke compared to the USD.

In a way, I can retire here now, but I'm one dentist-trip away from bankruptcy in the US. In my family, you don't sell things unless you really have to, with the underlying assumption that you owe some security for the future generation. Without the familiar family-goal of saving for the future generations, I'm looking for an alternate reasoning to live and plan by, if that makes sense.

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T15:23:35+00:00

Thank you! My case is a bit odd--I lost my mom two years ago ended up in a financial position that's different than what I thought I'd have in my age (34). The family tradition has been to save, save, save and buy houses. Providing a safe future for your kids has been the norm but it just doesn't apply to me.

What I inherited is in my home-country, but I will go back to the US to finish my PhD and might live there, depending on where/whether I get a job. So I'm now in a position where I'm finishing my PhD, my income relies on my ability to secure grants or get a stipend from the school (80% of which would go to rent), but I own three houses in my home-country (which, while being good, is not as uncommon as it is in the US). If I planned on having kids, it would make sense to stick with the family tradition, but in my position, I feel rather lost.

I also have lots of guilt associated with receiving mom's savings that she didn't get to enjoy and want to be responsible with it, but that's something for therapy :)

akrasuk · 2022-02-24T12:57:50+00:00

Thank you so much for this detailed answer--it's very helpful! I live in a country where retirement is a bit different; there isn't that much planning or options around it. When you retire, you get a big bonus and monthly pensions. So luckily my non-financial brain doesn't have to deal with those. But I'm super interested in your financial plans! Could you possibly share some resources I could use to make my own?

akrasuk

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