The Adweek Copywriting Handbook

Great copy is the heart and soul of the advertising business. In this practical guide, legendary copywriter Joe Sugarman provides proven guidelines and expert advice on what it takes to write copy that will entice, motivate, and move customers to buy. For anyone who wants to break into the business, this is the ultimate companion resource for unlimited success.

Great copy is the heart and soul of the advertising business. In this practical guide, legendary copywriter Joe Sugarman provides proven guidelines and expert advice on what it takes to write copy that will entice, motivate, and move customers to buy. For anyone who wants to break into the business, this is the ultimate companion resource for unlimited success.

Foreword: The Sugarman Legacy Ray Schultz xvAcknowledgments xixIntroduction: The Origin of This Book 1Section One: Understanding the ProcessPreview 91. General Knowledge 112. Specific Knowledge 153. Practice, Practice, Practice 234. The Purpose of All the Graphic Elements of an Ad 275. The First Sentence 316. Creating the Perfect Buying Environment 357. Resonating with the Reader 398. The Slippery Slide 459. Assumed Constraints 5510. Seeds of Curiosity 5911. Copy as Emotion 6512. Selling the Concept, Not the Product 7113. The Incubation Process 7714. How Much Copy Should You Write? 8115. The Art of Personal Communication 8716. The Copy Sequence 9317. The Editing Process 101Section Two: Understanding What WorksPreview 11118. Powerful Copy Elements Explained 11319. The Psychological Triggers 13120. Selling a Cure, Not Prevention 19321. Rating Your Writing Level 19922. Seven Steps to Writing Great Copy 203Section Three: Proving the Points--Ad ExamplesPreview 20923. The Lazy Man's Way to Riches 21124. A Fluke of Nature 21925. Lingerie for Men 22726. The More You Learn 23327. A More Stimulating Way 23728. Magic Baloney 23929. Pet Plane 24330. Mail Order Mansion 24731. Hungarian Conspiracy 25132. Vision Breakthrough 25533. Gold Space Chains 25934. Consumers Hero 26335. Nautilus Spelling Sale 267A Note: The Power of Your Pen 271Section Four: Utilizing Your Copywriting SkillsPreview 27536. Writing for Different Media 277Epilogue Some Final Thoughts 313Appendix A Assumed Constraints, Continued 317Appendix B Seeds of Curiosity, Continued 319Appendix C Summary of Axioms and Major Points 321Appendix D Recommended Reading 325Index 327About the Author 337