8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive introduction, but dry, August 29, 2007
This review is from: Copywriting That Sells High Tech (Paperback)
I've reviewed a few books in the "how to write..." genre, so Janice King offered me an opportunity to look at her book. I accepted because -- unbeknownst to Janice, I suspect -- my essay on "Care & Feeding of the Press" has quietly become a top resource for press relations professionals, which is one of the audiences for this book.
There's 12 chapters here, each of which covers a different facet of marcom. The first four chapters describe project planning, from defining the audience to the writing process (which covers both working with web designers and setting the proper tone for the marketing material). Five more chapters cover process: document elements, content types, text techniques, legal and ethical issues, and international concerns. The last section gives particular attention to specific types of marcom: sales materials, alliance (partner) materials, and press materials.
Although I've written a bit of marcom materials myself (such as technical white papers), my interest was focused on the last section since, as a computer industry journalist for more than 15 years, I have seen more press materials than one can imagine.
The best and worst I can say about Copywriting That Sells High Tech is that it reads like a college textbook. The information you need is all here, well organized and accessible. But it's a data dump -- not a mentor who shares experiences as well as information.
The information she imparts is accurate. Dull, maybe -- I felt as though I'd better be taking notes for the final exam -- but accurate. For example, she lists the types of press articles that a marcom professional might be called upon to produce, such as case studies, research findings, and technology primers, and describes the elements, requirements and expectations for each. If you didn't know any of this (and I can assure you that plenty of so-called PR professionals do not), you'll have a ready made checklist for your PR kit.
However, there's no sparkle in any of it; you don't have the least sense that a treasured friend is confiding her vast experience in this subject. But maybe you don't need that. (I like sparkle, personality, a voice.)
If you're new to marcom, or you're trying to figure out if this (lucrative) sort of writing is right for you, this is an excellent book to help you get started. It may also be useful (though less so) for a businessperson who suddenly has these duties plopped on her desk. You won't learn to write an effective press release (or to write an effective anything, really) from this text, but you'll be able to check off the elements that are expected by the target audience.
Copywriting That Sells High Tech is more "what" than it is "how." There are other references for the "how to write effectively" tasks, though; turn to this book for the broad picture.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The book for ALL technical writing, May 13, 2006
This review is from: Copywriting That Sells High Tech (Paperback)
This book is ideal for the marketing communications writer working for a technology company. In it you will find more than 300 pages of valuable content when writing for the Web or crafting written words for any type of marketing materials. The book is loaded with tips on how to craft compelling content.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Bible of Writing Hi-Tech Copy, May 3, 2006
This review is from: Copywriting That Sells High Tech (Paperback)
I've been writing business-to-business, industrial, and high-tech marcom materials for over a quarter of a century, and I wish I had this book when I started. It's comprehensive and filled with great tips on how to write more compelling, engaging promotions for technical products.
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