What Some Famous
Copywriters Taught Me
Few copywriters study enough.
And many who commission copy
study even less. So the
partially-sighted serve the blind.
No wonder most copy isn’t very good.
I’ve always liked this old New York joke.
A man asks for directions. “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?”
“Study,” comes the reply.
I started studying how to write copy before I even got a job in advertising. I sat in Manchester Public Library and read everything I could find. I have never stopped. If others have done the job before you, start by studying and copying the best people you can find. It’s the only way to learn.
Most copywriters study little, if at all. They think the key is ingenuity and clever ideas. They put their faith in flair and luck. They “pick it up” as they go along. That is why most copy is so bad.
