Comments on: How to Navigate the Body Copy Minefield Without Getting Blown to Smithereens http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html Business-Building Secrets for Growth-Obsessed Companies Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:35:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Douglas Case http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html/comment-page-1/#comment-8008 Douglas Case Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:28:45 +0000 http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html#comment-8008 Clayton, Especially love your material regarding copywrighting, but I also wanted to thank you for not inviting me over on Christmas to open gifts.  I don't think I can afford any more Holiday "gifts" that cost me money. Kinda adds new meaning to the word "gift" doesn't it?;) Clayton,

Especially love your material regarding copywrighting, but I also wanted to thank you for not inviting me over on Christmas to open gifts.  I don’t think I can afford any more Holiday "gifts" that cost me money. Kinda adds new meaning to the word "gift" doesn’t it?;)

]]> By: Peter Hughes http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html/comment-page-1/#comment-8007 Peter Hughes Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:32:04 +0000 http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html#comment-8007 Really helpful info  as always -  many thanks.  Being something of a pedant (having been brought up on Latin and Greek) I've found the inclusion of the odd 'bloop' can be very distracting in body text as  -  depending upon the degree of pedantry the reader has reached  -  it can have a 'distraction factor' quite out of proportion to its 'bloopiness'.  Hence the importance of  proofreading by more than one person   -  which, of course, you do. It was just a tad ironic therefore to run into your reference to 'a jot or a title.'   I quote: <em>"… And that makes it essential to get downright obsessive about every word, every turn of phrase, every jot and title".</em>  Well, this may be obsessive on the part of the reader but it can catch their attention just at the point where any diversions are highly unwelcome  -  and especially those that send them off on a browse through Johnson's Dictionary or Roget's Thesaurus to establish whether it actually is <em>'title' </em>rather than <em>'tittle' </em>. Yes, it's petty minded but it does illustrate just how damaging it can be. I speak not as a seasoned copywriter (so who am I to talk?) as much as a seasoned copyreader!  Nuff rambling. I'll crawl back into my hole now. Best regards Peter Hughes PS  Of course maybe on your side of the Atlantic it IS  <em>'jot and title'</em>. <em> </em> Perhaps I'm just another English smart-ass?! Really helpful info  as always -  many thanks. 

Being something of a pedant (having been brought up on Latin and Greek) I’ve found the inclusion of the odd ’bloop’ can be very distracting in body text as  -  depending upon the degree of pedantry the reader has reached  -  it can have a ‘distraction factor’ quite out of proportion to its ‘bloopiness’.  Hence the importance of  proofreading by more than one person   -  which, of course, you do. It was just a tad ironic therefore to run into your reference to ‘a jot or a title.’   I quote:

"… And that makes it essential to get downright obsessive about every word, every turn of phrase, every jot and title". 

Well, this may be obsessive on the part of the reader but it can catch their attention just at the point where any diversions are highly unwelcome  -  and especially those that send them off on a browse through Johnson’s Dictionary or Roget’s Thesaurus to establish whether it actually is ‘title’ rather than ‘tittle’ . Yes, it’s petty minded but it does illustrate just how damaging it can be.

I speak not as a seasoned copywriter (so who am I to talk?) as much as a seasoned copyreader!  Nuff rambling. I’ll crawl back into my hole now.
Best regards
Peter Hughes

PS  Of course maybe on your side of the Atlantic it IS
 ‘jot and title’.   Perhaps I’m just another English smart-ass?!

]]> By: John Deck http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html/comment-page-1/#comment-8004 John Deck Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:59:03 +0000 http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html#comment-8004 I love the bloopers, especially when they are not your own. I have written a couple that almost got out the door. One I always read my copy out load, and two have my wife read it. She is very good at catching my mistakes (pun intended). John Deck www.DirectMarketResults.com I love the bloopers, especially when they are not your own. I have written a couple that almost got out the door.

One I always read my copy out load, and two have my wife read it. She is very good at catching my mistakes (pun intended).

John Deck
http://www.DirectMarketResults.com

]]> By: Louis Burns http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html/comment-page-1/#comment-8003 Louis Burns Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:27:40 +0000 http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html#comment-8003 That was a terrible mistake. What kind of restaurant are they trying to run? Children should be at least $2.50 on that scale. They're much harder to prepare than turkey or beef. That was a terrible mistake. What kind of restaurant are they trying to run? Children should be at least $2.50 on that scale. They’re much harder to prepare than turkey or beef.

]]> By: Roy Everitt http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html/comment-page-1/#comment-8002 Roy Everitt Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:58:26 +0000 http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html#comment-8002 Yep - so easy to let it slip in the body copy. Here's a tip that some poets like to live by - make every line strong enough to be your first line.  If any line (or sentence of your copy) is weak, distracting or unnecessary, change it or take it out. Roy    Yep - so easy to let it slip in the body copy.

Here’s a tip that some poets like to live by - make every line strong enough to be your first line.  If any line (or sentence of your copy) is weak, distracting or unnecessary, change it or take it out.

Roy   

]]> By: Bernie http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html/comment-page-1/#comment-8001 Bernie Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:40:20 +0000 http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html#comment-8001 Fantastic post!  You are correct the body copy can get the short shrift.  I always keep that old standby, the  A-I-D-A rule in mind. Attention:  Headline Interest:     Lead Desire:        Body Action:        Close/Offer Nothing worse than getting someone's attention and interest, and then having it fall flat because you have not fulfilled their desire. Cheers! Bernie Fantastic post!  You are correct the body copy can get the short shrift.  I always keep that old standby, the  A-I-D-A rule in mind.

Attention:  Headline
Interest:     Lead
Desire:        Body
Action:        Close/Offer

Nothing worse than getting someone’s attention and interest, and then having it fall flat because you have not fulfilled their desire.

Cheers!

Bernie

]]> By: Blake http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html/comment-page-1/#comment-2675 Blake Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:15:23 +0000 http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/clayton-makepeace/how-to-navigate-the-body-copy-minefield-without-getting-blown-to-smithereens.html#comment-2675 A housekeeping service: <strong>Tired of cleaning yourself? Let <em>ME</em> do it! I might have gone for that with the right graphic to support it.</strong> A housekeeping service:
Tired of cleaning yourself?
Let ME do it!

I might have gone for that with the right graphic to support it.

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