How to Stop Writing About Cars Wrong

As a copywriter and editor, I have seen plenty of bad car tips. And here are my best methods to quickly learn how to become a much better writer for the automotive market.

I want to start with a quote from my favorite author Stephen King. In his book "On Writing", he advised aspiring authors to write what they know. But that is easier said than done when it comes to something other than your personal life experiences and occupation. Does it mean that car mechanics become the best writers for automotive blogs and journals? Not necessarily, because knowing something doesn't automatically make you a good teacher or storyteller. Some mechanics are great experts and give wonderful advice, but only a few can manage entertaining, interesting, and comprehensible content for the general public.

The tried and trusty methods I use to improve my articles when I write about topics other than automotive lighting will not make you an expert. Copywriting is not about faking expertise, it's about arranging true facts and good tips in the most simple and engaging way possible.

#1 Get An Expert To Help You This tip is not the most accessible, but it comes first because it is the absolute best thing imaginable. If you are writing for a project and you can contact the technical team and ask questions and quote their opinions on the matter, you will definitely create something worthy. If you are not an expert, it's better to ask one. That way you will be certain that the end product is useful and safe. This is especially important if you write tutorials or give lifehacks concerning maintenance, detailing and customization. Anything more complicated than changing a rubber rug inside the car deserves to be verified. Don't mess with other people's property. In this era of information, unreliable sources are doomed. #2 Add Fact-Checking To Your Checklist Cars are complicated, they are basically ecosystems with different components that can only work properly when there is harmony. If your content deals with modifications, upgrades, repairs and car care, check every statement. Mistakes can get very costly in car maintenance. Recommend a wrong bulb size for a certain car model and year and the reader will have to buy a different one. Give a potentially harmful piece of advice about up-sizing wheels, and the bill to fix brakes and wheel well damage will quickly get out of control for the poor fan of custom wheels. Remember that when you recommend something, you know where this information comes from and you can swear that this source is reliable enough. #3 Primary Sources The word "copy" must be excluded from the "copywriting" for good. If you are a copywriter, you must create useful or entertaining articles, not mindlessly copy other people's work. So I recommend searching for new topic leads using frequently asked questions instead. And when you need proof for your tips or news, try digging deeper into the materials from the manufacturers themselves. Car companies openly share lots of specifications like towing capacity, curb weight, and engines with the best performance available for certain models. This is the best source of information for comparison between years or trim levels. Some parts and accessories manufacturers make wonderful points of reference for the same reasons. Brands talk about their products, you only need to listen. And government institutions like DOT provide information on regulations. Not sure if something cool you've found is road legal in your state? Go check it out there, they have a press-release section, it is much easier to digest. Or find other people quoting DOT regarding your topic and check if they link to a certain paragraph that matches your question. And please remember that Wikipedia is not a reliable source. But you can certainly use that information as an idea for further fact-checking.

I want to stop at three key points. Three rules to write them all even if you are a newbie at both writing and car talks. It is easier to remember and use. I hope this magic number will make our content at least a little better.

Author's Note

I also suggest using size charts if you write about replacement parts or aftermarket alternatives. This is an example of a model-specific bulb finder https://lightninglab.org/ford/f-150/
Any special methods you use to write about niche topics?

Reviews

[Spamalott]

"In his book "How to write a book,"
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Sorry, but he never wrote a book by that name. His book on writing was titled, "Stephen King: On Writing. So, it's the second line and you got it wrong because you didn't take the time to check your facts. Not a promising start.
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"he advised aspiring authors to write what they know."
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Again, dead wrong. What he actually said was:
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“The dictum in writing classes used to be “write what you know.” Which sounds good, but what if you want to write about starships exploring other planets or a man who murders his wife and then tries to dispose of her body with a wood-chipper? How does the writer square either of these, or a thousand other fanciful ideas, with the “write-what-you-know” directive?

I think you begin by interpreting “write what you know” as broadly and inclusively as possible. If you’re a plumber, you know plumbing, but that is far from the extent of your knowledge; the heart also knows things, and so does the imagination. Thank God. If not for heart and imagination, the world of fiction would be a pretty seedy place. It might not even exist at all.”
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So...you got the title of Steve's book wrong, you misrepresented what he said, and in general, are presenting personal opinion as if it's fact, and you an expert. And you're doing it on a writing site, assuming that no one will notice. Seriously? You assumed that no one would know, or check?
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The tried and trusty methods I use to improve my articles when I write about topics other than automotive lighting will not make you an expert.
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Interesting that you talk about YOUR articles, as if you're published professionally, and, your advice based on experience. But your bio points to no writing or background in writing. And strangely, a Google search locates not one piece of writing, or even a Charles Farrell.

So why is my spider-sense tingling the way it does when one of the students of Academy360 posts one of their tries at writing?

[Charles Farrell]

Thank you for correcting me. I should have followed my own advice and checked the title. My memory insisted it was correct.
Also, your tone is so condescending, almost like my old teacher's.
So my writing is not as perfect as yours, but are the recommendations wrong? I do not think so

[JayG]

• but are the recommendations wrong?

Yes. You're not checking your facts. Take:read more• but are the recommendations wrong?

Yes. You're not checking your facts. Take:
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The word "copy" must be excluded from the "copywriting" for good. If you are a copywriter, you must create useful or entertaining articles, not mindlessly copy other people's work.
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No one has EVER used the term copywriting in the sense that you copy things. So pulling the word apart as if it's spelled copy writing, and is a form of writing where the author copies, is unjustified by the facts

The text a journalist creates has ALWAYS been called copy. It took me less than 30 seconds, via Google, to find:

Copy: All material for publication, whether written stories or pictures.

So you need to take your own advice: Add Fact-Checking To Your Checklist.

That aside, this section is for stories. But this isn't a story. In fact, in all the time I've been a member of this site, I've not seen anyone write about cars in the sense you mean. So who are you lecturing?

[Charles Farrell]

Okay, that means that the recommendations are okay, but I am not trying well enough. There is something wrong with your logic