The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters (1ST ed.)

Biographical Note: JOSEPH SUGARMAN, author of the bestselling Success Forces, is known throughout the advertising world as a copywriting legend and role model. His ads have moved millions of customers to reach for their wallets, and his JS&A Catalog was once America's largest single direct mail catalog of space-age products. He has given copywriting seminars throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Jacket Description/Back: A fun and authoritative guide to writing masterful copy Great copy is the heart and soul of the advertising business, whether it's for print, television, radio, or any other medium. In The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, legendary copywriter and ad man Joseph Sugarman provides proven guidelines and expert advice on what it takes to write copy that will entice, motivate, and move customers to buy. Sugarman walks you step by step through the entire copywriting process--from getting prepared to researching products and markets to getting ideas down on paper and polishing them to a brilliant sheen. He explains the vital elements that make great copy and explores the emotional triggers that convince consumers to buy. Sugarman gives you all the tools and tactics you need to write the same kind of effective selling copy that has brought him fame and fortune. For anyone who wants to break into the advertising business, or ad pros who just want to get better at what they do, this is the ultimate companion resource. Complete with real examples of high-quality copy for various media, this practical and authoritative guide will tell you everything you need to know to write great copy--and get ahead in the cutthroat world of advertising. "Sugarman is a living legend and by-God genius at writing copy that sells. This book is his masterpiece. It reveals all of his hard-earned secrets. The writing is riveting and the wisdom is worth gold. This is the best book on copywriting in the entire history of marketing."--Joe Vitale, author, There's a Customer Born Every Minute "There are a lot of great copywriters, but Sugarman is the best. He knows how to build a story and close a sale."--Richard Thalheimer, President, The Sharper Image "[Sugarman has] a real talent for promotion and writing advertisements."--Albert Gore, former Vice President of the United States Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Table of Contents: Foreword: The Sugarman Legacy Ray Schultz xv Acknowledgments xix Introduction: The Origin of This Book 1 Section One: Understanding the Process Preview 9 1. General Knowledge 11 2. Specific Knowledge 15 3. Practice, Practice, Practice 23 4. The Purpose of All the Graphic Elements of an Ad 27 5. The First Sentence 31 6. Creating the Perfect Buying Environment 35 7. Resonating with the Reader 39 8. The Slippery Slide 45 9. Assumed Constraints 55 10. Seeds of Curiosity 59 11. Copy as Emotion 65 12. Selling the Concept, Not the Product 71 13. The Incubation Process 77 14. How Much Copy Should You Write? 81 15. The Art of Personal Communication 87 16. The Copy Sequence 93 17. The Editing Process 101 Section Two: Understanding What Works Preview 111 18. Powerful Copy Elements Explained 113 19. The Psychological Triggers 131 20. Selling a Cure, Not Prevention 193 21. Rating Your Writing Level 199 22. Seven Steps to Writing Great Copy 203 Section Three: Proving the Points--Ad Examples Preview 209 23. The Lazy Man's Way to Riches 211 24. A Fluke of Nature 219 25. Lingerie for Men 227 26. The More You Learn 233 27. A More Stimulating Way 237 28. Magic Baloney 239 29. Pet Plane 243 30. Mail Order Mansion 247 31. Hungarian Conspiracy 251 32. Vision Breakthrough 255 33. Gold Space Chains 259 34. Consumers Hero 263 35. Nautilus Spelling Sale 267 A Note: The Power of Your Pen 271 Section Four: Utilizing Your Copywriting Skills Preview 275 36. Writing for Different Media 277 Epilogue Some Final Thoughts 313 Appendix A Assumed Constraints, Continued 317 Appendix B Seeds of Curiosity, Continued 319 Appendix C Summary of Axioms and Major Points 321 Appendix D Recommended Reading 325 Index 327 About the Author 337