Customer Reviews:
Better Writing.......2006-02-25
This book is a step-by-step instruction to different kinds of technical writing. It is easy to understand and follow. The topics are well organized and clearly outlined, which makes it easy to read.
It's a nice reference book if you have to look up different writing styles.
teacher ed. unexpected.......2005-07-07
i was supprised that it was the teachers edition but it will still be usefull thanks
This book is better than what some reviewers write!.......2004-06-24
This book is written well and is a useful tool to use when writing everything from a resume and cover letter to a complete proposal. It also give instructions on how to make a web page and scripting in html. Although I am sure that this material is very similiar to that of the previous editions, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to write better.
I wish that I had not read the previous bad reviews and ordered this book in hardcover instead of a used softcover.
Written by an expert in the marketing of textbooks!.......2004-01-09
John Lannon was a successful author of a college writing and composition textbook. He then created various spinoffs so that his publisher could cover more markets: business writing, technical writing, and so on (for both college and high school).
So he's really not a current specialist in technical writing, and he's not employed as a technical writer. He's just an English instructor who has been using essentially the same basic materials in all his books for decades.
This text is a perfect example. It has very little to do with today's field of technical communications. There are many other textbooks that have more specific and up-to-date examples and guidelines for contemporary technical writers. Any book by Hackos, for example, runs circles around this one.
In any case, he and his publisher don't need your single-copy sale. They sell thousands of these books for coursewide use at many schools across the country for use in very elementary courses. They don't care about individual users.
So save your money and buy something else!
What's new in this 9th Edtion?.......2003-09-25
The answer is nothing. This 9th edition is practically the same as 8th. This author must be the greediest man in the academic circle. Over half of the colleges in US use this book for technical writing, and he's still charging people almost $84 for it. Hasn't he made enough money with the 1st edition already?
Book Description
This full color 5
th edition of Technical Writing: Process and Product guides readers through the entire writing process—prewriting, writing, and rewriting—developing an easy-to-use, step-by-step technique for writing the types of documents they will encounter on the job. The authors' reader-friendly style engages readers in the writing process and encourages hands-on application.
Discusses prewriting, writing, and rewriting in relation to ethics, audience identification, electronic communication, and the role of technical writing in the workplace.
For anyone looking to utilize more effective written communication in their jobs.
Customer Reviews:
Best tech writing intro book that I have found.......2006-12-13
I am taking tech writing classes now. Our textbook was terrible. I searched everywhere for good resources and this book was the winner by far. It is a very useful how-to-do-it book. I emphatically recommend this book for anyone in a tech writing role--as a student or at work.
Technical Writing : Process and Product (5th Edition).......2006-06-02
This book contains plenty of good information on the process of technical writing. It is however very difficult to read, because of the only style is that it is constantly varying. The authors should take some of their own advice in any future editions.
Technically very good.......2005-10-18
We use this text by Gerson and Gerson for the technical writing class at the community college where I work. It is an incredibly useful book, particularly for those who are beginning their college careers, and for those who are going into technical fields that require clarity and precision.
Some of the outstanding features of this text include the following:
* Technology tips, providing useful instruction on basic computer literacy
* Techlinks, with updated online material and resources
* Writing at Work Case Studies, showing real-world examples of the ideas being presented
* Before/After Examples, which shows the value of revision
* Sportlights, similiar to the Writing at Work, again shows real-life applications of how business uses technical writing
* Checklists, for ease of remembering and following through on all aspects of the material presented
* Margin Call-Outs, sort of like pull-quotes that highlight particular points of interest in the documents being examined
* Web Workshops and a Companion Website
The units in this book include sections on correspondence (memos, email, letters, including cover letters in trying to find a job), technical publications (fliers, brochures, newsletters, etc.), electronic communications (websites and online help), report writing (MLA and APA styles are presented, as well as methods of research), and a handy handbook of grammar aids as the final section, to help with punctuation, spelling, mechanics and other items of grammatical interest.
There is also a section on oral communication - while this is not a speech textbook, so much of one's business image comes from the way one presents himself or herself orally, on the telephone, in presentations, in interviews, and in everyday conversation. The Gersons also provide some information on using PowerPoint and other visual aids in effective presentations.
This is a great textbook, useful for classroom settings as well as individual study and reference. The layout is visually interesting and well-formatted, We use it in the Tutoring Center of my college in addition to the technical writing course offered on campus, as most classes on campus have an element of writing.
Useful and valuable ...........2005-02-07
Terrific, easily readable, and highly recommended for tech writers and those learning the craft, as well as for those corporate staff who will work with tech writers.
Liked the parts on short reports, long reports, grammar, punctuation, research, graphics, oral presentations, instructions, technical description, and objectives.
Did not like the wasted political-correctness (PC) ink devoted to "sexist language," which was unnecessary and does not fit in with the value of the other material in this book. That kind of condescending verbiage detracts from an otherwise superb and useful text.
Still valuable for most readers.
This really is a good book........2004-06-09
I learned a lot from this book.
Average customer rating:
- A very good tool
- The Elements of Style
- Great guide for writers of all ages
- Good book.
- Read it, Then Read It Again
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The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
William Strunk Jr. , and
E. B. White
Manufacturer: Longman
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ASIN: 020530902X |
Amazon.com
Composition teachers throughout the English-speaking world have been pushing this book on their students since it was first published in 1957. Co-author White later revised it, and it remains the most compact and lucid handbook we have for matters of basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage and misusage, and writing style.
Book Description
This is the braille version of the timeless reference book. According to the St. Louis Dispatch, this "excellent book, which should go off to college with every freshman, is recognized as the best book of its kind we have." It should be the ". . . daily companion of anyone who writes for a living and, for that matter, anyone who writes at all" (Greensboro Daily New). "No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume" (The Boston Globe). Two volumes in braille.
Customer Reviews:
A very good tool.......2007-10-17
This book is an excellent tool for those who want to learn in a practical way the essentials of writing. Whether you write for science, art, or any other area of investigation; this book will help you giving tips and showing with detailed examples the most common situations while you write. I recommend the book to those who want writing as a way of expressing their ideas and to those who are not conformists and like to go further in life.
This book is: Easy to read, practical, and helpful.
The Elements of Style.......2007-09-25
The book was in wonderful condition. It arrived in a timely manner. I would buy from you again.
Great guide for writers of all ages.......2007-09-25
My son's teacher recommended this book when he was in middle school. He still refers to it in college as he pursues his writing career. My daughter needed her own copy for school because her brother wouldn't give his up! You really can't go wrong with this book.
Good book........2007-09-07
It is good book, but you might find some styles are repeating with other books. It is good to learn from this author, but I also suggest learn more from other authors, too.
Read it, Then Read It Again.......2007-09-06
This itsy bitsy tome is an ageless classic. I read it for the first time 20 years ago. Despite having never found grammar interesting before, I became hooked on the sharp little lessons. I read it again, to both delight and edification. And I'll read it once more, to remind myself of the rules that make English what it is and to smile at Prof. Strunk, long gone but very much alive in these pugnacious 80 pages. He's somehow managed to boil down the bones of the language and give you the absolute essentials. If you haven't read it, you're in for a treat and a pleasant surprise, especially if you don't care for grammar. This is truly short and sweet.
Average customer rating:
- Decent book
- Craft of Research
- A Must Have!
- Very comprehensive but not easy to remeber and follow
- An authentic jewel.
|
The Craft of Research, 2nd edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)
Wayne C. Booth ,
Joseph M. Williams , and
Gregory G. Colomb
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
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ASIN: 0226065685 |
Amazon.com
Skillfully done, research can be the solid cornerstone of your term paper (or dissertation, essay, or article); inadequately executed, it can cause your whole project to crumble and fall. Yet essential as research is to the ultimate success of your work, performing it is not an innate talent. The precepts, steps, and skills of solid research are readily acquired if you spend some time with The Craft of Research before you start on your outlines and thesis statements. Written by three distinguished professors in 1995, published by the University of Chicago, and winner of the 1995-96 Critics' Choice Award, The Craft of Research teaches how to plan, carry out, and report on research for any field and at any level. Aimed at assisting student researchers, from raw beginners to accomplished graduate and professional students, the book shows how to choose a topic, plan and organize research, and how to draft and revise a report of findings such that a convincing solution is offered to a significant problem.
The Craft of Research is more than just another instruction manual getting you from topic to outline to notes to report. Recognizing that good research is rarely a simple, sequential procedure, but is instead a complex and intricate process, it discusses the subtle ways in which asking questions about your topic can influence how you draft your report, how a quality introduction can send you back to the library, and how the process of drafting can highlight flaws in your argument that need to be addressed. Clear and explicit, sophisticated and practical, The Craft of Research encourages high standards of scholarly achievement, and spells out the steps by which to get there. --Stephanie Gold
Book Description
Since 1995, more than 150,000 students and researchers have turned to The Craft of Research for clear and helpful guidance on how to conduct research and report it effectively . Now, master teachers Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams present a completely revised and updated version of their classic handbook.
Like its predecessor, this new edition reflects the way researchers actually work: in a complex circuit of thinking, writing, revising, and rethinking. It shows how each part of this process influences the others and how a successful research report is an orchestrated conversation between a researcher and a reader. Along with many other topics, The Craft of Research explains how to build an argument that motivates readers to accept a claim; how to anticipate the reservations of thoughtful yet critical readers and to respond to them appropriately; and how to create introductions and conclusions that answer that most demanding question, "So what?"
Celebrated by reviewers for its logic and clarity, this popular book retains its five-part structure. Part 1 provides an orientation to the research process and begins the discussion of what motivates researchers and their readers. Part 2 focuses on finding a topic, planning the project, and locating appropriate sources. This section is brought up to date with new information on the role of the Internet in research, including how to find and evaluate sources, avoid their misuse, and test their reliability.
Part 3 explains the art of making an argument and supporting it. The authors have extensively revised this section to present the structure of an argument in clearer and more accessible terms than in the first edition. New distinctions are made among reasons, evidence, and reports of evidence. The concepts of qualifications and rebuttals are recast as acknowledgment and response. Part 4 covers drafting and revising, and offers new information on the visual representation of data. Part 5 concludes the book with an updated discussion of the ethics of research, as well as an expanded bibliography that includes many electronic sources.
The new edition retains the accessibility, insights, and directness that have made The Craft of Research an indispensable guide for anyone doing research, from students in high school through advanced graduate study to businesspeople and government employees. The authors demonstrate convincingly that researching and reporting skills can be learned and used by all who undertake research projects.
New to this edition:
Extensive coverage of how to do research on the internet, including how to evaluate and test the reliability of sources
New information on the visual representation of data
Expanded bibliography with many electronic sources
Customer Reviews:
Decent book.......2007-09-25
This book was on my book list for a college writing course. It is helpful but some of it is just tedious and common knowledge. Helps you write your paper if you have no idea where to start and some references to how to cite a book or article. There are some good tips when it comes to research, but take it with a grain of salt. Reusable, but there's a point to how much knowledge is just retained. Worth buying used, but not brand new.
Craft of Research.......2007-09-14
This book is so well- written, that I actually enjoy reading it. All it talks about is how to be a good writer, but it was written as if the reader is having a conversation with the author. It is also offers extremely helpful strategies for improving academic writing.
A Must Have!.......2007-08-05
As a seminary student in the midst of a master's thesis, 'The Craft' is a joy. It is helpful, and both easy to navigate and understand.
Very comprehensive but not easy to remeber and follow.......2007-06-02
The book is really great if you are persuining any degree. The only problem is that the authors did not lay out the guidlines as clear and strainght forward as I would expected. As you read you SHOULD take notes for later usage and "easy" reference.
An authentic jewel........2007-03-14
This book is a complete and authoritative guide to do sound academic research in any field at any level. It is stupendously well organized and brightly written. Many clear examples and illustrating anecdotes are included.
It is structured in five sections. The first section explains the nature of research and why it is important to write it up. It identifies the roles of writers and readers, focusing in making a connection between them. The second section deals with perhaps the most complicated task new researchers, and old ones adventuring into a new field, face: framing their research problem. In this section the authors describe, step by step, this process: from choosing a topic to asking questions to defining a problem to using sources. Section three is probably the core of the book. Its purpose is to illustrate how to make a claim and supporting it. This section explains that claims launched in research reports must be backed with reasons that are based on evidence; and that convincing research reports should also acknowledge and response other views. Section four is entirely devoted to the long and crucial task of clearly communicating what it has been found. It basically consists of three stages: planning, drafting and revising the report. Finally, in section five some last considerations are presented, including the ethics of research.
This book has been very helpful to me not only to do my own research, but also to supervise my students to do theirs. After having read it several years ago, I still find it useful as reference book.
Customer Reviews:
Workplace Communications.......2006-01-04
Having taught technical writing, workplace communications, and business English at three different institutions--community college, four-year institution, and private university--and possessing an earned doctorate with an English minor, I find Searle's textbook user friendly, relevant, and functionally practical for nontraditional students, particularly those seeking applied science associate degrees that are terminal. Each of the 10 chapters relate to written and spoken communicative tasks that are required on the job for most persons employed in skilled and paraprofessional positions. The format of the text is inviting and varied without being cluttered or obtrusive. Every community and technical college should consider this text for nontraditional "technical" or business writing courses.
It sucks.......2005-01-25
This is a terribly written and composed text. No school anywhere should use it.
Customer Reviews:
Little, but essential.......2007-10-01
I have assigned an earlier edition of this book for an upper-division historical geography course that featured lots of writing. The Essential Handbook is compact, easy-to-use, and inclusive of the essential information needed by college-level writers. While there are larger, more detailed works that the continuing writer will want, this little book provides a fine initiation into the world of careful and correct writing.
Expensive.......2004-09-06
The book was expensive at my school's bookstore and I regret not buying it from here. It may be called the little BROWN book but mine is purple and I have an older version which is gray...go figure!!!
useful writers handbook.......2004-01-09
My school requires all students to buy copies of this book before entering high school and I do not think they could have chosen a better book to use as a basis for grammar excercises and teaching proper citing protocol. While I have only used sections of this book, it seems to be easy to use and contrary to what an earlier reviewer said, both section names and page numbers are listed in the table of contents. The book is tiny, perfect for carrying in my backback and holds a ton of information. The only problem I have with this handbook is that there is an updated MLA pamphlet that is included with the book and it is harder to understand. Also, the book really should be brown just so the books shows some sense of humor (just kidding). I would highly recommend this book to high school students as a quick reference guide for writing research papers and projects.
Hard to Navigate.......2002-04-24
The layout of this book is very strange, rendering it hard to use. Only a summary Table of Contents appears at the beginning of the book. Worse, it is split over two facing pages--that is, the Table of Contents is presented as one page with the book binding splitting the page in the middle. And, though the book is organized by numbered sections, the section numbers (incredibly) do not appear in the summary Table of Contents. There is a detailed Table of Contents, but it doesn't appear until the literal end of the book. It spans the last page and the inside back cover and is mostly hidden by a fold-in book flap (now that's handy). Of course, this also means that the index is not actually at the end of the book, as you foolishly might have expected; it preceeds that detailed Table of Contents.
It is a lot of work to use this book. The content may be good, but if you're looking for guidance on something specific, you're going to have to dig to find it. A guide should be easy to use, not a chore, in and of itself.
Handy Guide.......2000-04-03
The Little, Brown Essential Handbook for Writers is a useful guide for grammar, style, punctuation, and other writers' needs. The plastic binding makes the book easy to manage when referencing and editing your work.
It isn't always as detailed as a writer might like on usage, but if you have a strong handle on usage, then this shouldn't be a problem.
The book is small and compact, so it doesn't take up a lot of shelf space, but it is full of useful information. It's also great as a writer's traveling companion. Information is quick and easy to find. I recommend keeping this one nearby when proofreading and editing one's work.
Book Description
Engaging and direct, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace is the guidebook for anyone who wants to write well.
Key Benefit
Engaging guidebook for anyone who wants to write well.
Key Topics
Style, Clarity, Grace, Form, Ethics Guidelines for writing.
Market:
General Interest: Improving writing
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Guide and Workbook.......2007-08-26
Even a brief browsing of STYLE: LESSONS IN CLARITY AND GRACE would persuade most readers that it makes the much touted Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style" look simplistic. If the seductively slender "Elements"--no exercises to do, easily read in a day--could deliver its claim, by the end of the day there'd be millions of excellent writers.
In contrast, the author of the 286-page STYLE urges in his preface: "If you read this book on your own, go slowly. It is not an amiable essay to read in a sitting or two. Take the lessons a few pages at a time, up to the exercises. Do the exercises, edit someone else's writing, then some of your own written a few weeks ago, then something you wrote that day."
I have used STYLE as the main textbook in Advanced Editorial Workshop, a ten-week course, I taught at the University of California. Each term, the students rated the book as excellent. (The prerequisite to the workshop was a ten-week review course, using "The Harbrace College Handbook" as the main textbook. Although STYLE includes a 32-page appendix summarizing punctuation rules and grammar, most readers would be well-advised to review a standard college handbook, such as Harbrace or Bedford. See my review of Bedford, seventh edition on Amazon.)
I've read all of the 42 Amazon reviews of STYLE published so far. The one-star reviews criticized the author's own writing in the book as lacking grace. Well, this is a comprehensive workbook; understandably, the tone tends to be pedagogic. I hear the author's voice not as lacking in grace but as earnest and refreshingly honest. For example, commenting on what's new in the ninth edition, the author says in the preface: "Finally, I've also done a lot of line editing. After twenty-five years of revising this book, you'd think by this time I'd have it right, but there always seem to be sentences that make me slap my forehead, wondering how I could have written them."
Moreover, I wholly agree with the author's insight: "I know that many who do see clearly, feel deeply, and think carefully can't write sentences that make their thoughts, feelings, and visions clear to others. I also know that the more clearly we write, the more clearly we see and feel and think."
Good writing emerges only from rewriting. This five-star workbook teaches the exacting--and joyously rewarding--craft of rewriting.
-- C J Singh
Simple and Concise writing Guide line.......2007-08-07
Although the price is little bit high, this book contains good recommendations of good writing such as KISS(Keep It Short and Simple).
I highly recommend this book for whoever wants to wrige concisely.
Nicely written and useful for everyone.......2007-07-05
This is one of the nicely written text book on English writing. I recommend everyone to read this if you are doubtful how to write.
Write for the People.......2007-06-20
Some style guides are highly respected in the writing community, but others are just vanity operations by literary snobs who think they're important enough to tell the rest of us how to write. There's a reason this guide by Williams has made it through nine editions, and that's because he has gained respect while debunking the condescending language snobs. Williams presents fairly standard recommendations on word choice and sentence construction, but the key to this book is its organization. Constructing this guide around the maters of clarity, grace, and ethics leads to a great amount of illumination on the opportunities and responsibilities of writing. Williams is not afraid to cut down style tyrants and academic obfuscators, with bodacious convictions like "it's a language of exclusion that a democracy can't tolerate" and "what is at stake is the ethical foundations of a literate society." But unlike his opponents, Williams can back up such convictions with serious tips for avoiding language that will make you look like an obtuse egghead, a shifty demagogue, or any other villain who talks down to the reader. And while you can get basic style tips anywhere, Williams has the edge in making you realize why you should care about strong style, besides pleasing your instructor. You can also write for yourself and for the people.
(Note: this rather skinny book just barely avoids being docked one star for its excessive retail price. Find a cheap used copy of an older edition, which would not really be "outdated" as you'll only be missing a few minor updates.) [~doomsdayer520~]
IS THIS A JOKE? .......2007-06-19
Before I attempted to read this book I was opposed to book banning, however, I'm rethinking that now. This book is like a parody of a book on clarity. His attempts to communicate contain vast amounts of wasted words and confusing passages and once you finally figure out the concept then the quotes used to illustrate them take forever to wade through. No one writes this kind of gobbledygook. Waste of time and money. Great torture device though.
Book Description
sHORT RETAIL DESCRIPTION: A must-have reference book for business and technical writers of any level, Strategies for Business and Technical Writing will help you plan, organize, create, and polish your writing. You know the ability to communicate effectively both in person and on paper will help you advance in your career—the selections in this book will help you write effective letters, reports, memos, resumes, and other professional documents. The new edition features helpful models, tips, and advice from top experts, including David V. Lewis, Making Your Correspondence Get Results, The Royal Bank of Canada, Letters That Sell, Vincent Vinci, Ten Report Writing Pitfalls: How to Avoid Them, and Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts, Ten Ways to Make Your Technical Documents Shout “Read Me!” Whether you are a student, or seasoned professional, this book will help you plan, create, and improve your business and technical writing. Readings, advice, and models from top experts to help writers improve their technical and business writing skills. Correspondence, ethics, proposals, email, reports, memos, letters, resumes, business writing, technical writing, business communication, technical communication.
Customer Reviews:
An adequate reference, a good starter.......2000-10-14
I'm an instructor of Business Communication and this is the textbook we utilize for the class. I find that most of the articles in this book are good ones; however, there is a lot of repetition, especially when they are referring to the writing process. YAWN. Boring. How many ways can you reiterate "clear, precise, and to the point" as the main idea?
Otherwise, some of the other articles in there are great for those beginning in the world of business writing.
Amazon.com
The Copywriter's Handbook is somewhat out of date. There are no references to Web sites or the Internet, and author Robert W. Bly advises that a freelance copywriter have a good typewriter. No matter. Bly has compiled an incredibly useful resource for budding, and even experienced, copywriters. Bly calls his book "a step-by-step guide to writing copy that sells." And that it is: Bly covers the writing of print ads, direct mail, brochures, catalogues, public-relations material, trade-journal articles, speeches, newsletters, commercials, and more. But equally informative is the substantial amount of space that he devotes to the copywriting business, in which he offers guidance in setting up a freelance copywriting business, getting hired by an ad agency, and hiring and working with copywriters (this section also includes a chapter on graphic design for copywriters). This is a terrific book. If you don't take my word for it, take David Ogilvy's: "I don't know a single copywriter whose work would not be improved by reading this book," he says. "And that includes me." --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
This is a book for everyone who writes or approves copy: copywriters, account executives, creative directors, freelance writers, advertising managers . . . even entrepreneurs and brand managers. It reveals dozens of copywriting techniques that can help you write ads, commercials, and direct mail that are clear, persuasive, and get more attentionand sell more products. Among the tips revealed are eight headlines that workand how to use them eleven ways to make your copy more readable fifteen ways to open a sales letter the nine characteristics of successful print ads how to build a successful freelance copywriting practice fifteen techniques to ensure your e-mail marketing message is opened This thoroughly revised third edition includes all new essential information for mastering copywriting in the Internet era, including advice on Web- and e-mail-based copywriting, multimedia presentations, and Internet research and source documentation, as well as updated resources. Now more indispensable than ever, The Copywriters Handbook remains the ultimate guide for people who write or work with copy.
Customer Reviews:
Want to Write For a Living? Bly Shows What It Takes.......2007-10-21
Highest recommendation!
I'm a copy writer for a small company serving businesses across the country. I learned the ad writing business "on the fly via Bly" after miraculously landing a copywriting job when a very brave Pacific Northwest employer decided to take a chance and hire me -- even though I didn't have a single day's worth of "in the trenches" experience beforehand!
My resume documented that I had written four books and dozens of articles for magazines and newspapers, but writing advertising copy is a whole 'nuther animal!
Because of Bly's excellent books (he has several -- none of them will steer you wrong) and a few others by Joe Vitale, I was able to jump into the new job and truly wow diverse clients from the get-go. The information and insights in The Copywriter's Handbook saved my bacon!
Kristine M Smith, Author
DeForest Kelley: A Harvest of Memories : My Life and Times With a Remarkable Gentleman Actor
Every copywriter's best friend - a must-read keeper.......2007-10-03
Bob Bly is the master of showing beginning copywriters how to write compelling copy. He also knows all there is to know about the copywriting business.
If you're just starting out in this business, you must buy this book and any time Bob updates it, buy the new one.
He helps you know what to charge. He guides you in the rules of the road in a way you'll understand. Reading this book could be the ticket to a great career for you. So pick up your ticket and enter the world of copywriting.
Highly recommended --- especially for beginning copywriters or those who need a handy everyday reference to refer to when they have a question.
The Copywriter's Handbook.......2007-08-29
Excellent service.
Arrived really quick and in excellent packaging.
Love the book, Thank you!
Breaks down the basics of writing killer copy.......2007-07-28
Before I started my own copywriting business years ago, this one was my first books on the subject. And I still refer back to it periodically. Bob Bly is a copywriting legend who is well-known for making the fundamentals of writing great copy easy to understand. Whether you're thinking about a writing career, or just need to make your marketing materials more effective, this is the perfect primer for anyone who wants to learn how to write to sell!
Good for direct response copywriting, but not so great for ad agency writing.......2007-05-18
Since this review is largely negative, I should admit that "The Copywriter's Handbook" can be found near my desk and I reference it often.
With that confession, I'll take my first punch: the author of this book has never won an advertising award. Not one that matters, anyway. But in Bob Bly's world, awards really don't matter.
Since 1985, "The Copywriter's Handbook," has been a guide to the ugly but lucrative subculture of advertising called direct response. In this world, Bob Bly is a self-anointed diety. Since the book was first published, mobs of enterprising disciples have drunk his Cool-Aid, hoping not for a promised land, but a six-figure salary.
It's true that copywriters can earn $10,000 for writing one letter. Of course, it's a direct response letter. The kind beleaguered with double underlined sentences. Features explained through benefits. Promises punctuated with exclamation points. And, of course, the grand finale is highlighted in yellow: an offer that must be acted upon immediately.
For industrious writers who want to come up with this stuff, "The Copywriter's Handbook," is considered a bible. But for anyone who aspires to create concept-driven advertising, there's not much in this book.
Bly starts this work by taking sides against concept-driven advertising. He explains, "A copywriter is a salesperson behind a typewriter." He warns against becoming "an artist or entertainer." For if you go down this dangerous path, Bly warns, "Your copy will be wasting your client's time and money."
Although I don't do direct response, as a freelancer, I write a lot of stuff that's not artistic, entertaining, concept-driven advertising. I often write stuff that works hard at doing more than building a brand. For those jobs, this book contains a lot of practical advice.
Of its nearly 400 pages, I found Bly's lists most helpful. "Copy motivators" offer 22 reasons why someone might buy a product, a good thing to ask your client before writing. Bly offers interview questions too, many of which I have incorporated into my own. He also outlines different types of ads, which can be useful in finding direction for an ad. Will we do a question ad? A testimonial? An offer of free information?
But for all of his juicy nuggets, so many of Bly's examples read like spam. They sound too good to be true, killing the credibility of his work. So much so that I think his audiences must be incredibly stupid to read - let alone respond - to what he writes.
"Would you pay $1,000 to save $5,500?"
"One of a kind. Is that phrase a little trite? I used to think so until I tried to find you. ..."
"Three years ago this month, a man I know - he was then a vice president of a big corporation in Illinois - walked into his boss's office and handed in his resignation. Two weeks later, he started his own company. ..."
Aren't we past this kind of stuff? Judging by the number of people who make serious cash writing Bly-style advertising, apparently not. I know that I don't allow any of it into my life, not even from nonprofits and politicians I believe in.
Despite the money to be made, you won't find me crossing to the schlock-y side of hard-sell direct response advertising. Even knowing about the profit potential of this work, I still want to create cool, concept-driven creative work. Because unlike Mr. Bly, I know that my kind of advertising can work for clients.
I recommend: How to Write Great Copy: Learn the Unwritten Rules of Copywriting
Book Description
This complete, “on-the-job” exploration of both written and oral communication concentrates on the most effective techniques for the types of communications most frequently encountered in today's business world. This new edition updates coverage to accurately reflect the techniques used to write today's professional correspondence and reports. The book uses the example of two employees involved in two technically-oriented companies, the type of work they perform, and some typical situations that call for them to communicate with clients, suppliers, and each other, to drive home the concepts presented. Topics include: letters, memos, and e-mail; short, informal reports; larger informal and semiformal reports; formal reports; technical proposals; communicating with prospective employers; and technical writing. For any employee whose responsibilities include preparing reports and documents; also for those where speaking at meetings and seminars is a necessary part of their jobs. This book can serve as an excellent reference for job-hunters.
Books:
- Technical Communication
- The Art of Talking to Anyone: Essential People Skills for Success in Any Situation
- The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their Employees, Retain Talent, and Drive Performance
- The Challenge of Effective Speaking (with CD-ROM and SpeechBuilder Express/InfoTrac )
- The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Writing Clear, Concise Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents (Elements of Series)
- The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
- The Gregg Reference Manual
- The Gregg Reference Manual
- The Gregg Reference Manual
- The Gregg Reference Manual
Books Index
Books Home
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The Handbook of Technical Writing, Eighth Edition (Handbook of Technical Writing Practices)
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The Technical Writer's Companion
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