‘Copy. Righter.’ Oh dear. A more juvenile piece of copywriting it would be hard to find than this title to Ian Atkinson’s addition to the pantheon of ‘how to’s for wannabe copywriters. And yet… within the covers Atkinson has come up with a very neat and helpful book that delivers far more sensible, practical help than many of the offers already in the market.
Where many seem to me to attempt a definitive work in what is far too shaded an area of interest to make this simple to achieve, Atkinson has satisfied himself with noting down and organising sensible, down to earth and usable professional tips gleaned from hard won experience.
It’s his refusal to be ponderous that I like. It feels to me like a two hour chat with an organised, serious-minded pro, rather than a three year course taught by someone with all the theory and none of the practise.
The only book you’ll ever need? No. Probably not. But if you’re inexperienced and want an accessible and encouraging book that will move you forward in absolutely the right direction, it’s worth £16.99.
Hi – thanks for the review.
You’re right about the title (well, ‘juvenile’ is a bit harsh) – I regretted it as soon as I’d suggested it to the publishers, but it was their favourite.
There are much better examples of puns in the book – my favourite (still, after all these years) being the slogan for a furniture company called ‘Sofa King’.
Their line? ‘It’s Sofa King Good’.
I read the line “Oh dear. A more juvenile piece of copywriting it would be hard to find..” and got a little annoyed, but then saw that it referred to the title! Phew! It’s a really neat book.