... 25 Words goes a lot further than just getting that ad written. In its insistence that you explore thoroughly who you are before you write your ad, and in an attempt to guide you in that direction, the book actually is a self-help manual.... Their helpful 12-page word catalog at the end, mostly adjectives, is alone worth the $12.95." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 16, 1998
...Who knows better how to make your ad stand out -- and attract the right kind of attention -- than a pair of professional ad copywriters? They offer composition tips, placement suggestions (thumbs down on cable TV) as well as safety tips. -- Dallas Morning News, July 19, 1998
Americans spend an estimated $500 million annually on personal ads in newspapers and magazines. For far less, Emily Calvo and Laurence Minsky will tell you how to write a good one. -- Adweek
Looking for love? Pick up a copy of 25 Words or Less. -- New Woman Magazine, November, 1998
Singles seeking their significant others can turn to executives Emily Thornton Calvo and Laurence Minsky for some excellent advice. They are the co-authors of a thoroughly entertaining and enlightening new book about the strategies of placing personal ads that actually work....Their 240-page book, 25 Words or Less: How to Write Like a Pro to Find that Special Someone Through Personal Ads, applies time-honored advertising techniques to help readers draw attention to the "benefits" that individuals have to offer. -- Screen Magazine
From the Publisher
A personal ad can change your life. It can help you broaden your horizons, make new friends - even introduce you to your future spouse. But using the personals isn't like placing an ad for a used sofa or a '71 Nova. So it's important to it right. Until now, there has been no comprehensive resource that shows you how to connect successfully via the personals. This book changes all that. Packed with expert insights on what to say and how to say it, 25 Words or Less also tells you where to place your ads (including advice on using the Internet), how to attract people you'd like to meet, and how to follow up when the responses roll in. In addition, you'll benefit from streetwise safety advice from America's best-known personals safety expert, J.J. Bittenbinder. These unique features make this book essential reading for anyone who has ever pored over the personal ads and thought, "Maybe I should give this a try."
Advance Praise for 25 Words or Less:
"Want to date? Stop fantasizing and read this book about meeting people through the personals." --Asa Baber, the "Men" columnist for Playboy
"Finally--a way to make personal ads really work. 25 Words or Less provides ways to dramatically increase your odds of meeting somebody that is fabulous for you!" --Wendy Stehling, author of New York Times bestsellers Thin Thighs in 30 Days and How to Find a Husband in 30 Days.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction: "Everyone needs love. We can best accomplish this by first discovering what we individually need, then communicating this needs. It's time to learn about doing that through the personals from the experts." --Larry James, author of LoveNotes for Lovers and How to Really Love the One You're With
"If I'd known then what I know after devouring this riveting how-to, I would have had a swarm of suitors in which to choose my ideal mate." --Patricia Smith, columnist, The Boston Globe
"Minsky and Calvo have taken proven marketing principles and turned them into tactics for finding romance. Guaranteed to fill the void in any love life." --Kevin Tynan, author of Exposure! How to Market So Your Message is Unavoidable, and president, Tynan Marketing
"If your poetry doesn't get you a date, here's a book that will. Hey, you can even make your ad a poem--just don't make it rhyme." --Marc Smith, poet & founder of the Uptown Poetry Slam
"Find your heart's desire--and be smart about it! Minsky and Calvo prove that sparks can fly when you mix romance with reason." --Veronica Ashley, author of Pagan Desires and other romance novels
