Customer Reviews

Gabay's Copywriters' Compendium- revised edition in paperback, Second Edition: The Definitive Professional Writers Guide

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is not a how-to book to read from cover to cover. It is a reference book for writing slogans, headlines, or news releases.

It contains lists of idioms, cliches, metaphors, similes, euphemisms, rhyming words, famous quotations, and notable events in world history. It also includes lists of different types of slogans and the basics of writing brochures, ads, and news releases.

If you make your living as a copywriter, you will be glad to own this book.

A hodgepodge collection of idioms, clichés, quotes, and factoids -- over 700 pages' worth. The problem is, much of the material is tired, obvious, UK-centric, cutesy, hackneyed, and not worth using.

I was looking for a book that would give me some ideas to help my writing sparkle with wit, energy, freshness, and clarity. Heck, a book that helped me in just one of those areas would be a good find.

But this isn't that book. Gabay's is littered with clumsy, dull writing ideas that often made me wince.

If I used the book as a guide, my writing would end up as tired as a tombstone. (Yes, that simile is an actual example from the book. Talk about a stink bomb; there are more, but it's the only one I can force myself to type.)

The page count misled me to think that this would be a comprehensive writing reference brimming with great ideas. The reality: ehhh, not so much.

If you got rid of the dreck in this book, and kept the smattering of good ideas that are scattered throughout, you'd end up with a much thinner book -- but a much more useful one. And that would be a real gem.

excellent for anyone who wants to go further than eats shoots and leaves