Elements of Copywriting: The Essential Guide to Creating Copy That Gets the Res (Elements of ...) (Paperback)

by Gary Blake (Author), Robert W. Bly (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly have written a straightforward, well-organized guide to writing "copy intended to sell": ads, direct mail, brochures, catalogs, press releases, press kits, audiovisual promotions, Web-site material, and the like. Copywriting is different from any other writing, business or otherwise. Redundancy that reiterates. Superlatives! "Quotation marks." Sentence fragments. That's what sells. While Blake and Bly address each copywriting task individually, there are some rules that apply across the board: focus on the customer, not the product; use a conversational, friendly tone; use simple words and short sentences; and close with a "call to action" (involving the use of a coupon, Web-site address, toll-free number, etc.). One chapter, on "power copywriting techniques," discloses how to use ingredients such as research, adjectives, testimonials, and guarantees to make your ad stand out. And remember: "If you have to choose between being clever and obscure or simple and straightforward," say the authors, "we advise you to be the latter. You may not win any advertising awards, but at least you'll sell some merchandise." (A warning to owners of Bly's The Copywriter's Handbook: while there is much original material here, a substantial part of The Elements of Copywriting is reprinted here, slightly paraphrased.) --Jane Steinberg

Product Description
In the tradition of The Elements of Style, here is a concise handbook of the principles and practice of writing effective ads, brochures, and every other type of copy intended to persuade. It covers writing headlines and body copy as well as increasing readership and response, and goes on to provide copy guidelines for print ads, direct mail, brochures, catalogs, press releases, electronic messages, and more.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Longman; Pbk. Ed edition (September 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028626303
• ISBN-13: 978-0028626307
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #380,937 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good guide to writing copy, July 9, 2000

By	Christy Y. Lai (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had never read a book about writing copy before, so a lot of what I read from this book was new to me. I learned a lot from reading this book, although I felt that a lot of it repeated itself over and over. "Be concise, be specific, get their attention, have an eye-grabbing headline." Well duh. I had to have read a lot of the same things twice, although they were designated for different topics, from advertising to brochures to press releases. At least I got the information tattooed into my head. This is an older book, so the section on writing copy for websites is rendered completely useless. But other than that, if you want a guide on writing effective copy, this is a good book for you. If you are experienced in copywriting, it could be of help, but you'd be reading what you already know.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Overview of Copywriting Areas, October 24, 2001

By	Christian Uhl (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews

The Elements of Copywriting nicely explains how to write copy that sells in the most important areas/fields such as direct mail, press releases, product catalogues etc.

As a junior copywriter at an advertising agency I can recommend this book to junior copywriters or persons that are thinking of becomming copywriters. For seniors this book will probably be too general in its content. How ever the first part of the book can be used for inspiration on where to put your emphasis in your copy. And because of that it might be helpful even for seniors.

The greatest thing about The Elements of Copywriting is how the content is organized. You can read it from cover to cover or use it as a reference. I'll keep this book on my desk - it might come in handy when I'm low on ideas..

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Copywriting Primer, January 7, 2004

By	James Sadler (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With this book, Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly have written a well-organized and concise guide to copywriting. While not nearly as comprehensive as Bly's "The Copywriter's Handbook,"(which you also get if you are buying this book), "The Elements of Copywriting" is a great introduction to copywriting for most people. It covers a number of areas of copywriting: display advertising, direct mail, brochures, catalogs, press releases, press kits, audiovisual promotions, Web-site material, and more.

It quickly and deftly outlines the differences between copywriting and other writing, e.g., it's perfectly acceptable to use "And" to begin sentences in advertising copy. Blake and Bly address each type of copywriting task mentioned above individually, as well as providing more broad-based rules for copywriting: use a conversational, friendly tone; use simple words and short sentences;focus on the customer, not the product; and close with a "call to action."

This is a very concise guide to copywriting that is an excellent starting point for those wanting to learn the craft.