Copywriting: Successful Writing for Design, Advertising and Marketing by Mark Shaw is full of tips, tricks, exercises and examples to get you thinking more creatively.
What’s the book about?
If you were ever unsure of the importance of copy in the worlds of marketing and advertising, Mark Shaw’s Copywriting will quickly prove to you that writing is greatest tool available.
Copywriting covers writing for a whole range of publications, including: digital media, branding, advertising, direct marketing, retailing, catalogues, company magazines and internal communications.
For me, I love how each chapter makes copywriting feel accessible. It can often feel like a profession that’s difficult to get into, that the art of writing is only a natural talent and not something you can learn. But, in Shaw’s book, copywriting becomes something that anyone can do, given time to develop and practice your skills.
Who’s this book for?
Whether you’re a newbie copywriter, work within a marketing team in-house or in an agency, or long-time freelance copywriter, Copywriting has helpful advice and exercises that are accessible for all competency levels. For newbies, the book will develop their awareness of copywriting techniques, while more experienced copywriters will benefit from the refreshers that it provides throughout.
The interviews featured throughout are a nice touch too – as you learn and feel inspired by real world marketing examples as their processes are broken down. I particularly love the practical elements in the book, such as how to write a copywriting brief, with clear step-by-step instructions on how to do so.
These are all followed by round ups at the end of each chapter – a helpful TL;DR when you need it.
Key quote from the book
“Using a clever play on words, a pun or quick witticism is becoming less important than being able to craft a well-constructed, stimulating message”.
Clarity is key!
I share more copywriting tips over on my blog here, and more tips on my Instagram here.