Great copywriting just got easier

It's strange to think that there was a time when only the privileged few could read or write. The rest of us relied on the spoken word. Storytelling was used to pass knowledge on from one generation to the next. Now, most of us are literate and use the written word to gather information and inform our decision making.

Increasingly we do this online, with social media and messaging enabling rapid, spontaneous global

communication. But rather than freeing us from the need for clear, effective written communication, it actually makes good communication even more important.

The less we communicate face to face, the greater the opportunity for misunderstandings. Of course, all writing communicates your message to people you cannot see and may never meet. It means you can influence more widely; it also means you must take care not to make assumptions aboutyour reader, especially those who see your public postings.

Successful copywriting is constructed from carefully selected words, each with a clear purpose. It is written to prompt feelings, thoughts or actions. It is clear, concise and at times comforting. It is also comprehensible, even to those not yet confident users of your language.

Reading this book, and following the techniques it introduces, will make you a more effective writer. Expertise in grammar is not needed as all the necessary jargon is simply defined and, anyway, some forms of business writing deliberately ignorerules. This book is for people who want to write for results.

Each of the seven chapters in Copywriting In A Week covers a different aspect:

- Sunday: Focusing your message

- Monday: Using layout, pictures and colour to make words memorable

- Tuesday: Writing effective letters

- Wednesday: Making advertising work for you

- Thursday: Communicating clearly with the media

- Friday: Preparing promotional print

- Saturday: Composing proposals and presentation visuals