Hi, I’m Josh Earl

Josh Earl

I’m a copywriter, email marketer and programmer.

I write marketing emails for clients in several markets, including tax prep, chiropractic and dental practice development, Internet marketing and software as a service.
I run a weekly email newsletter for programmers with more than 78,000 subscribers.
I’m the author of two self-published books for programmers.
I’ve written articles for national publications including The Washington Times and Writer’s Digest as well as and my blog posts have been featured on major sites like Entrepreneur.com, Smart Passive Income, LifeHacker and SitePoint.

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FEATURED ON

Projects

The Sublime Text Tips Newsletter

A weekly newsletter for 78,000+ programmers and writers who use Sublime Text.

Sublime Productivity

When a blog post I wrote about the Sublime Text code editor went viral, I cracked open my Macbook Air and started writing Sublime Productivity, my first book.

It sold more than 2,000 copies and earned me $38,000 and counting, but more importantly I discovered my love for direct marketing–especially email marketing.

Writing Sublime Plugins

Publishing my second book, Writing Sublime Plugins, showed me how to improve my writing process until I was writing more than 1,000 words an hour.

DeskHacks

After I started using a standing desk in 2013, I launched DeskHacks.com to review standing desk gear and earn some income on the side.

LifeHacker featured my 28-Day Standing Desk Challenge and DIY standing desk.

“Gets the Style and Tone Exactly Right”

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Josh Earl is one of the few people that I’ve ever trusted to ghostwrite for me. It’s a demanding job because I have a reputation in the marketing world as the guy who writes the best emails in the business. Josh is a very thorough researcher. He gets the style and tone exactly right. He is ideal for speaking to an audience that pays close attention.

—Perry Marshall, Google AdWords guru and author of the best-selling Definitive Guide to Google AdWords and 80/20 Sales & Marketing

“Hire Josh Before He Doubles His Fees”

Josh has been one of my email students for almost two years and he aggressively applies everything he’s taught. I’ve even interviewed him for my paid newsletter about how to generate big lists using contests.

In fact, when a friend was starting an ad agency the first copywriter I thought of for her to contact was Josh, and I have no doubt he’ll be a major player in the copywriting world.

If you’re thinking of hiring him I suggest doing it now, before he comes to his senses and doubles his fees (which I and others are encouraging him to do already).

—Ben Settle, World-Class Email Specialist and Direct Response Marketer

“Incredibly Creative AND Knows How To Meet Deadlines—I Couldn’t Recommend Josh More Highly”

Josh Earl is not “normal.” I was his instructor for one of the best copywriting programs in the world, the Simple Writing System by John Carlton. And I’ve got to tell you, I’ve been on staff since that program started many years ago, and Josh has been exceedingly one of my best students. He’s incredibly deadline driven. He’s also got a very linear mind, so he thinks through every step of what needs to be done—plus he also is incredibly creative. His metaphors are amazing, and his copy came out fully formed. He is an incredible entrepreneur with an incredible mind. I couldn’t recommend him more highly!

—Lorrie Morgan, Founder of Red Hot Copy and Long-Time Instructor in John Carlton’s Famous Copywriter Bootcamp, The Simple Writing System

“Impressive Emails That Leave Readers Craving More”

This guy has really impressed me with his ability to solve complex sales issues, and swoop in like a copywriting Batman and fix bad copy. We all get too close to our work and need that extra set of eyes, and Josh is a pair of eyes that I really trust. His email copywriting is super impressive. He’s got the rare ability to pack in a lot of valuable information in a conversational tone, and—here’s the really magic part—make you want to read more. It’s a rare gift.

Kevin Rogers
Multi-Million Dollar Copywriter and Founder, CopyChief.com

Interviews

Note: If you’d like to book me on your podcast, contact me today.

Programmar Perspective

Interviewed by Dave Rael

This one on one podcast with Dave Rael covers a broad range of informative topics. We discuss the multiple benefits of email courses, a prediction for the future of software, my top three tips for providing value from a marketing perspective and more. I also share the title of one valuable book I suggest listeners read. Dive in now.

Email Courses With Josh Earl

Interviewed by Charles Max Wood

Charles Max Wood from devchat.tv, along with Jonathan Stark and Reuven Lerner pick my brain about the specifics of email courses. We discuss the advantages of offering email courses and how they differ from traditional email marketing. I then go on to share the “secret sauce” to increase sales from email list through solving customer specific concerns. Get some sauce here.

Key Factors You Need To Know To Boost Your Email Marketing

Interviewed by Mark Podolsky

In this informative podcast with Mark Podolsky and cohost Scott Tod I share the unconventional way I fell into email marketing. I also discuss the common obstacles I’ve observed in the world of copywriting and how to excel in those areas. Click here to get the scope.

Copywriting and Email Marketing Mastery

Interviewed by Lindsey Anderson

I sat down for an interview with Lindsey Anderson a.k.a One-Click Lindsey who created Web Impakt – the top Idaho Falls Web Design company. Among other things in this 27 minute podcast, we discuss the giveaway technique I used to grow my email list with highly-targeted subscribers. Tune in to get the full dose of tips and tricks, including an usual tactic I used to ramp up the number of subscribers I get from my guest posts.

How to Sell With Stories

Interviewed by Jorge Lazaro Diaz

Most email marketing campaigns are consigned to the trash folder – victims of a disengaged audience. In this podcast, I illustrate how to craft compelling stories that keep an audience hooked. Pro-tip: No two audiences are the same. Learn more on how to analyze different audiences and give them the stories that truly resonate.

Become a Giveaway Expert: An Interview with Josh Earl

Interviewed by Jack Kaufman
Unconventional PR

Here I go over the art of giveaways – how to structure them and how to make them spread like wildfire. Most giveaways suffer as subscribers have no incentive to share it with others, lest they reduce their chance of winning. There’s a way to overcome this – listen in to discover how one might plan the perfect giveaway.

Email Marketing in Depth

Interviewed by Craig Hewitt and Ken Wallace
The Nights & Weekends Podcast

In this podcast, I go over the nitty-gritty of email marketing. When is list building worth the effort? How do you convert customers from a drip campaign? Should you charge early in a funnel? Explore the specifics of email marketing here.

3 Ways to Sell More with Your Email List

Interviewed by Phoebe Chongchua
The Brand Journalism Advantage Podcast

Three simple pillars of making the most out of your email list – it’s not rocket science! In this interview I also go over my journey into the realm of copywriting, including the setbacks I had as a writer. Get the lowdown on email lists here.

Building Email Lists for Freelancers

Appeared with Eric Davis, Jonathan Stark and Reuven Lerner
Freelancers’ Show Podcast

Here I explain how to build an email list from scratch. Getting quality subscribers isn’t easy; here I evaluate different methods of getting subscribers. Twitter, guest posting, Facebook ads – are they effective?

Boost Your Email List

Interviewed by Yann Ilunga
360 Entrepreneur Podcast

How do you bulk up your email list with giveaways? There’s a right answer to that question. Learn the tools of the trade here, including the content upgrade technique and the most effective types of lead magnets.

How to Grow Your Email List with Josh Earl

Interviewed by Steve Young
Mobile App Chat Podcast

The first time I did a giveaway, I got a mere 400 new subscribers. After making a few changes, I had a LOT more success. Here’s what made the difference.

How to Dominate the Internet: Go Hard or Go Home

Interviewed by Heath Armstrong
The Artrepreneur Show

Where there’s interest, there’s business. Learn how I created opportunities out of seemingly unconventional business routes – be it straight razors or a text editor.

Sublime Text and Email Subscribers

Interviewed by Paul Kemp
The App Guy Podcast

With my Sublime Text website, I was able to grow a large email list very quickly. Could this same approach work for you? Get the whole story here.

Weight Loss Chat with Josh Earl from TrackAbout

Get Up and Code Podcast
Interviewed by John Sonmez and Iris Classon

For most people, weight loss is seen as an epic personal journey where one must battle personal demons. This can be awfully demotivating. I prefer to see it as an exercise in data collection. This is how I lost weight by focusing on the cold, hard data.

I Can’t Gain Muscle, But I Sure Can Lose It!

Get Up and Code Podcast
Interviewed by John Sonmez

Muscle – it’s hard to gain, tougher to sustain, yet easy to wane. In this podcast I talk about my ventures into the world of muscle-building. Tune in to get a different perspective on sustaining those gains.

Entreprogrammers Podcast

Cohost with John Sonmez, Derick Bailey and Charles Max Wood.

I cohost a weekly podcast aimed at entrepreneurial programmers (as the name would suggest!). If you’ve ever wanted to watch a few folks talk about the pains of WordPress development or launching a killer Kickstarter – well, you’ll fit right at home here

Press

Kissmetrics: How to Attract New Subscribers for Your Email List

This post is a good summary of my approach to growing my Sublime Text newsletter email list. Read more here.

Writing

You’re Such a Tease

When trying to persuade your audience to join a webinar or tune into a podcast you must tease them a bit. Give just enough details that leaves them wanting more. Leave them wondering what you could possibly say next. Learn about about this technique here.

Sometimes Customers Suck

I stand behind my products. I sometimes go out of my way to ensure my customers are satisfied. I even offer huge money back guarantees to encourage customers on the fence to make a purchase. Some people appreciate this. Some try to take advantage. Learn more

Newbie “Hack” for Great Copy

Most newbies make the assumption that copywriting should be formal and boring. This is a HUGE misconception. Read this article for actionable advice for new copywriters.

Email Template Paralysis

Content is the most important part of any communication. Yes, design is important as well. But at the end of the day youraudience is seeking content that teaches something valuable. I explain why in this advice I gave a client. Click here.

Copywriting Top Guns

One of my clients sent me an email asking to me suggest copywriters I studied. Studying and practicing the craft of copywriting can take you far in a multitude of businesses. Click here to learn more.

How to “Sherlock Holmes” your Way to Copywriting Brilliance

I give a few pointers to solve boring copywriting cases in this article. It can be difficult to sale a product you are not sold on yourself but with these tips should help you out. Read here.

Selling Murder on Autopilot

Click here to read about my autopilot intention that turned into a total nightmare. I was forced to do a little investigation solve
this mystery.

How “Committee Paralysis” Slaugters Sales

In this article I discuss why too much information isn’t a good thing. This could cause your audience to feel confused rather than informed. Learn more.

Writing a Book – What a Waste of Time

Not-At-All. Read this article I wrote about why writing a book is a great move and how it help grows your brand.

Google’s Murderous Product Launch Philosophy

Google plays it safe (and smart) when they decide what projects to pursue and what projects to kill. This is a great lesson to also apply to marketing your products or services. I give you a few pointers in this article.

Price Anchoring- In Reverse!

Are you cheating yourself out of a huge profit? When was the last time you evaluated the price of your products? Are you hesitant to raise prices although you have major value to offer? Read about price anchoring in reverse here.

“Superfan” Wonders: Do email courses hurt your open rates?

I explain to one of my “superfans” the impact that email courses have on overall open rates in this article.

The “Fingernail-On-A-Chalkboard” Podcast Pitch

In this article I describe what techniques I would use to sell a product about learning the Go programming language. Check it out here.

I Hate “Junk Subscribers”

Getting new subscribers can be awesome. But sometimes subscribers subscribe for the heck of things and do not intend to purchase products or engage in any future communications. I share tips on how to increase “junk subscriber” engagement in this article.

That Won’t Work In My Market

Learn a bit about what techniques may work when marketing to a professional audience. In many cases you can use the same process but a different approach. Click here.

Free Samples – Yea or Nay?

Are giving away free samples of your product or service a good idea? It may be – but there’s a process before you go about giving out those free samples. Learn more.

To The Man or Woman Who Wants To Quit Their Job Someday

It is indeed possible to work from home and be your own boss. But it takes discipline and will power. In this article I share actionable tips for those that inspire to be their own boss. Read these helpful tips here.

From Frustrated Rookie To Competent Copywriter

Learn about how my buddy went from rookie copywriter to near pro.

Zeus Himself Was Sick With Jealousy …

Your companies latest awards and achievements may be a big deal to you- but it’s not wise to flood your email subscribers inboxes with this news. In this article I share a funny story that drives this point home. Read here.

This ain’t Burger King

I cannot please everyone. I cannot tailor emails to everyone’s specific interest. It was almost unbelievable when I received this email from a subscriber.

Does Design Matter?

Although copy is the most important aspect of communication, design plays a huge role as well. This is what I’ve been carefully considering as I am coming closer to launching my new software development book. Click here to learn more about my thought process.

You want fries with that?

We may not all love McDonalds but we must admit- They have awesome marketing techniques. I explain here where I apply the “McDonalds option” to my own products. It’s seemingly simple but can yield great results. Learn how it works.

The Great Book Dover Deathmatch (Part 1,2 & 3)

In these three articles I let you guys in on the surprising findings I discovered when I asked for assistance in selecting a cover for our new software development book. When I first sent the book cover poll I thought I could almost predict what the audience would select but boy was I wrong! My mind was blown to say the least. See what happened here.

An Ounce of Cure – RIGHT?

We are a society that’s more interested in the cure than the prevention.We are not concerned with a dilemma until we are personally faced with it. Through this article I will show you how to use this to your advantage when marketing your products to customers.

Warning: RANT

I go on slight rant here and explain why this deceiving advice gets under my skin. In this article I dissect this seemingly simple advice and give solutions that are a lot more viable. Implement this advice when planning product launches instead of being made to believe it’s as simple as adding zeros to increase profit.

Homeschooled “Screech” Greases the Groove

Setting huge goals and committing to achieving them in a short period of time is why the majority fail at meeting goals. There is a much better (and much more realistic) approach to accomplishing goals in your daily life. I explain why slow and steady is the key to results in many areas of your life.

Why are you SPAMMING me?

This is what your email subscribers will think if you make this mistake when they sign up for your email list. In this article I teach you the single technique that takes your emails from spam to priority. Through the story I tell from my own experience you will see exactly why this step is crucial.

Reaching Out to Bloggers (Without Being a Dirty Rotten Spammer)

Sending emails to a large audience without being marked as spam is a tricky task. When a reader receives an email from an unknown sender it only takes a half second for the reader to make a decision. Will they send the email to spam or actually read what you have to say? This critical article list what steps to take and what to avoid when attempting to reach a new audience.

Hand Grenade in the Marketing Foxhole

Too many products and services in one space is never a good thing. And attempting to market all of these products at once can be a total nightmare. Exclusiveness is best. I take the opportunity in this article to discuss why you should narrow down your marketing focus to one specific product or service to deem yourself an expert.

The “Baby Duck” Secret to Bonding with your Email List

If you love baby ducks you’ll love this article. (okay…that may be an overstatement). In this article I inform readers on the method of “imprinting”to bond with email subscribers from the very start. Utilize this technique to make a strong first impression and leave a strong last impression that’ll make your email subscribers crave more.

Apple’s Copywriting Voodoo

Take pointers from Apple and make the normal sound exclusive with jazzy words and catchy phrases. I list a few examples of this marketing approach to show just how easy it can be. Apply this technique to your own products and services for a fun spin on the ordinary. After all, perception is reality.

5 Ways to Power Your ‘Creativity Pump’ for a Content Gusher

Nope, sitting down for three hours and ‘thinking about it’ isn’t going to magically unblock your mind. In this article featured on Entrepreneur.com, I discuss 5 easy methods to break out of your bubble and start writing again. Inspiration is easy to find if you know where to look.