JOSEPH SUGARMAN, author of the bestselling Success Forces, is known throughout the advertising world as a copywriting legend and role model. His ads have moved millions of customers to reach for their wallets, and his JS&A Catalog was once America's largest single direct mail catalog of space-age products. He has given copywriting seminars throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
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Jacket Description/Back:
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Jacket Description/Back:
A fun and authoritative guide to writing masterful copy
Great copy is the heart and soul of the advertising business, whether it's for print, television, radio, or any other medium. In The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, legendary copywriter and ad man Joseph Sugarman provides proven guidelines and expert advice on what it takes to write copy that will entice, motivate, and move customers to buy.
Sugarman walks you step by step through the entire copywriting process--from getting prepared to researching products and markets to getting ideas down on paper and polishing them to a brilliant sheen. He explains the vital elements that make great copy and explores the emotional triggers that convince consumers to buy. Sugarman gives you all the tools and tactics you need to write the same kind of effective selling copy that has brought him fame and fortune.
For anyone who wants to break into the advertising business, or ad pros who just want to get better at what they do, this is the ultimate companion resource. Complete with real examples of high-quality copy for various media, this practical and authoritative guide will tell you everything you need to know to write great copy--and get ahead in the cutthroat world of advertising.
"Sugarman is a living legend and by-God genius at writing copy that sells. This book is his masterpiece. It reveals all of his hard-earned secrets. The writing is riveting and the wisdom is worth gold. This is the best book on copywriting in the entire history of marketing."
--Joe Vitale, author, There's a Customer Born Every Minute
"There are a lot of great copywriters, but Sugarman is the best. He knows how to build a story and close a sale."
--Richard Thalheimer, President, The Sharper Image
"[Sugarman has] a real talent for promotion and writing advertisements."
--Albert Gore, former Vice President of the United States
Marc Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of Contents:
Foreword: The Sugarman Legacy Ray Schultz xv
Acknowledgments xix
Introduction: The Origin of This Book 1
Section One: Understanding the Process
Preview 9
1. General Knowledge 11
2. Specific Knowledge 15
3. Practice, Practice, Practice 23
4. The Purpose of All the Graphic Elements of an Ad 27
5. The First Sentence 31
6. Creating the Perfect Buying Environment 35
7. Resonating with the Reader 39
8. The Slippery Slide 45
9. Assumed Constraints 55
10. Seeds of Curiosity 59
11. Copy as Emotion 65
12. Selling the Concept, Not the Product 71
13. The Incubation Process 77
14. How Much Copy Should You Write? 81
15. The Art of Personal Communication 87
16. The Copy Sequence 93
17. The Editing Process 101
Section Two: Understanding What Works
Preview 111
18. Powerful Copy Elements Explained 113
19. The Psychological Triggers 131
20. Selling a Cure, Not Prevention 193
21. Rating Your Writing Level 199
22. Seven Steps to Writing Great Copy 203
Section Three: Proving the Points--Ad Examples
Preview 209
23. The Lazy Man's Way to Riches 211
24. A Fluke of Nature 219
25. Lingerie for Men 227
26. The More You Learn 233
27. A More Stimulating Way 237
28. Magic Baloney 239
29. Pet Plane 243
30. Mail Order Mansion 247
31. Hungarian Conspiracy 251
32. Vision Breakthrough 255
33. Gold Space Chains 259
34. Consumers Hero 263
35. Nautilus Spelling Sale 267
A Note: The Power of Your Pen 271
Section Four: Utilizing Your Copywriting Skills
Preview 275
36. Writing for Different Media 277
Epilogue Some Final Thoughts 313
Appendix A Assumed Constraints, Continued 317
Appendix B Seeds of Curiosity, Continued 319
Appendix C Summary of Axioms and Major Points 321
Appendix D Recommended Reading 325
Index 327
About the Author 337