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An experienced advertising copywriter focuses on writing from the practical viewpoint of grabbing a potential reader's eye through effective design, content, clarity, and interest. Through a series of forty short chapters, subjects ranging from the importance of background research to how to write effective résumés are covered. The approach is unabashedly commercial. Writing is equated with the art of selling, and how to do this efficiently is the book's theme and content. Citing several famous advertising copywriters, examples of how to keep the reader's eye moving down the page, the importance of the first ten words, and the art of composing easily read sentences are given. The changing influence of the Internet on research, publishing, and even how the "lede," or first ten words, are composed is also discussed.
Some discussion of grammar is included, modern slang and e-mail shorthand (i.e. "lol") being noted as inappropriate in professional communications. Keeping sentences short and words uncomplicated in order to keep a reader's attention is also illustrated. It is this book's unique take on the craft of writing that makes it different from most on the market. PR campaigns and press releases about a new publication are not usually covered in books about creative writing. The author's approach is nuts and bolts, with the how-to and why writ large. Concrete examples make the ideas clear. Short summaries of the main points are included after every chapter. The result is informative, thought-provoking, and an excellent addition to the category of writing-advice literature.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review