Product Description

The Definitive creative writers' resource.
I wrote Gabay's Copywriters' Compendium because as a copywriter I wanted an all-embracing book covering the answers to the kind of copywriting questions I asked on a day-to-day basis. For example, questions about grammar, word confusions, spelling, vocabulary and so on.
Like you, I already owned a dictionary and thesaurus, but needed something much more specific to copywriting. The book I had in mind wouldn't gather dust on a shelf. Instead it had to be designed for everyday use, even to the point of having its corners frayed through constant thumbing by the reader. Of equal importance, the book shouldn't come across as being too `stuffy' and long -winded but fun, with lots of insights and tips throughout for everyone from the first-time writer, to seasoned professional.
Believe it or not, the project started in earnest a decade ago. I began to scribble down tips that I picked up in my career working at major international advertising and marketing agencies. I spoke to creative directors, PR professionals, brand managers, direct marketing experts, authors, journalists, designers and many more. I collected articles related to writing brochures, websites, leaflets, direct mail, advertising, press releases, presentations, speech writing, newsletters, reports… in fact anything useful that would help demystify the commercial writing process.
Then I joined the Faculty of the world's biggest marketing training institute. This meant I could pass on my knowledge to an even wider circle of would-be and career minded copywriters who worked at agencies or small companies or even in-house for multi-national leaders. Over the years, they shared their experiences of writing about and for IT, finance, broadcast, B2B, FMCG, viral marketing, services industries and so on.
As I taught and continued to practice my craft, I learnt. By this time I had written several books on marketing, communications - including of course copywriting. To my surprise, each was well received and most went into second, third or more editions.
Yet none fulfilled my original plan to produce the definitive reference book that could be `dipped-in' anytime to deal with real-life writing issues such as " I have to write a poster headline in the next five minutes - how can I get inspired?" "My boss wants me to write a press release on a `touchy' subject - are there any euphemisms that I can use - or should avoid?" "The response rates to our direct marketing are low - what can I do?" " I am writing copy for a US based website which is accessed worldwide, are there any tips on US to UK English?" "How do I brief my agency?"
Now, after collecting a vast library of reference material, speaking to literally thousands of copywriters and listening to their needs, I am proud to have worked with the talented team at Elsevier to publish Gabay's Copywriters' Compendium.
The book contains over 700 pages packed with just about any answer to any question you may have concerning creative writing.
For example you'll find `instant answers' to topics such as:
Brand origins Similes Tongue twisters
Copy positioning Direct Marketing Presentations
Etymologies World data & conversion tables Writing for the web
Metaphors Clichés Portmanteaus - copy blending
Proof reading Oxymorons PR writing
Punctuation US Vs. UK language Slogans
Radio commercials TV commercials Idea generation
Rhyme time Collective nouns Business quotations
Creative briefs Writing reports Awareness advertising
Viral Marketing

Copy for packaging Sales promotion copy
Wise sayings Marketing terminologies Euphemisms
Word confusions
(Such as e-mail or email?) Vocabulary Modern idioms
To keep the book up to date, there is also a dedicated website where readers ask their own questions and even network with other copywriters.
I hope readers of Gabay's Copywriters' Compendium will find the book as fun and rewarding to use as I did to write.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66520 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 704 pages

Synopsis
Marketers, creative writers, and individuals for whom copywriting forms part of their job are often required to produce innovative and engaging copy in a short space of time. Creativity is not always on hand, and therefore, on some occasions, additional help is required to find the right phrase, description or slogan. "Gabay's Copywriting Compendium" contains a wealth of inspiring tips, ideas and descriptions to aid the writing process, such as advice on spelling and grammar, examples of rhyming words, suggested euphemisms, and odd facts. The compendium goes on to provide a "Top 25 Rules" section for a number of key topics, such as how to brainstorm, how to write innovative copy, and how to think creatively. The text has been carefully designed to ensure the material can be accessed quickly and easily, and the easy to read layout will assist copywriters in finding appropriate help at any particular moment.

About the Author
By Jonathan Gabay

Customer Reviews

A great resource for all writers!
This book does exactly what it says on the packaging. It is a definitive guide, for professionals who 'do words', and is most certainly a compendium for any writer, not just the copywriter.

The Copywriters' Compendium is a fantastic and eclectic collection of wordy ideas, appropriate vocabulary, enticing dictum, and well-researched advice for anyone who gets paid to produce outstanding and memorable copy. It is not a guide to tell you how to go about copywriting from scratch - the author assumes you are already in the business - but if you need to add some zing to your text and wow your customers with your words; you've come to the right place.

There are many fabulous sections to pick and choose from at leisure or at work. Personally, I'd find this book fascinating even if I wasn't a writer, purely because the richness of expression with which it is filled could have me musing all day. There is a whole chapter of Gabay's favourite clichés, another of classic similes (amusingly titled 'As thought-provoking as a well-placed simile'), and more with collections of idioms, quotes, metaphors and even tongue twisters. There are, of course, the usual compendium inclusions of commonly misspelled words and grammatical errors, but all so well-presented and clearly explained that they make for interesting reading in themselves.

Yes, there are some tips for providing particular types of copy, such as writing press releases or direct mail, but these are not extensive. The purpose of the book is more concerned with giving you the 'oomph' you need to pep up your prose and provide inspiration when you can't see the vowels for the typescript. Invaluable - and not solely for the use of copywriters, I'm sure.

If I was to try to offer something in the spirit of constructive criticism, I'd be hard pushed to find anything to say, this volume is one of the most useful 'all-rounder' resources I've picked up, and I'm positive it will become a dog-eared and much thumbed edition on my shelf in no time.