Daily
The Tuesday Rant: Why Does Everyone Think They Can Write Copy?
Volume 6 In a Series By Felix
I’ve been a designer. I’ve been an art director on occasion. But most of my career has been spent writing copy. I studied it in college; I’ve spent more years than I care to count doing it professionally; yet the older and more experienced I get, I am constantly being told how to do my job. And I’m not alone.
Sure, if you’re a designer, art director, photographer or anything else creative in this field, you get told what to do, too. But for some reason, copy seems to be the one creative area that everyone out there feels fully qualified to comment on, be they an account director, production manager or the new intern with a whole year of college behind them. And it pisses me off.
Now, when I was green in the ways of copy, I was more than happy to take advice from all comers. They knew more about this arena than I did, being fresh-faced and idealistic. I still have a copy of the first direct response letter I wrote, for a credit card company. It has so much red pen on it, I swear it looks like I cut my wrists open in an effort to save myself further embarrassment. That letter went through double-digit rounds of changes. It was tough, but I learned a lot.
Fast-forward several years and guess what? Not much had changed. Within the creative department, my copy was flying through with minimal changes, if any. But that didn’t stop the red ink flowing, this time from the account directors and the clients. I have argued, until I am blue in the face, about grammar. It doesn’t need to be perfect; it doesn’t even need to be a passing grade. You can break all rules of grammar as a copywriter if the end game is communication.
That hasn’t stopped countless English major’s scribbling all over my copy. Usually it’s things like “stop starting sentences with and” or “rephrase so this sentence does NOT (underlined twice for effect) end with a preposition.” On those occasions, I fight the fight for one or two rounds, then usually have to give in and do as the client or account director asks because “it’s not worth it, it’s just a bit of copy.”
I get the arbitrary comments as well, just like the designers and art directors. “I’m just not feeling that word, can you rework it to give it more character?” So I do. And then someone else doesn’t feel the new word, and five rounds later we’re back to the original.
The problem, the biggest problem, with copy is that it’s a skill, a craft, disguised as something that looks relatively easy. Hey, everyone wrote essays at school, not everyone knows how to design. So copy is the one creative area that is open to assault from everywhere; it’s an easy way for anyone to put their mark on a project. “Hey, see that headline?” says Dan, the slick account man. “It wasn’t really doing it for me originally, but I gave the copywriter a few ideas and now, it’s gold baby.”
Sometimes designers and art directors jump in and try to defend copy, sometimes they don’t. I’ve had art directors tell me straight up “I don’t care what it says as long as it looks good.” Nice. Thanks. Of course, if the copy changes mess up this guy’s layout, suddenly he gets a big attack of team spirit and begins to fight the fight.
To me, copywriting is a skill that takes time to perfect. Not unlike plumbing or automotive repair, it may look simple enough at first, but there’s more going on that most people don’t care to know about. Before it is presented, it goes through many rounds on the page before the copywriter is happy with it. Every word has been pondered, every sentence deliberated. It’s not like we sit down, throw the first words onto the page that come into our heads and then go off for a coffee break. We are all doing what we can to make the words impactful, interesting and persuasive. We’re in the business of selling, and it takes time and effort to hone words and phrases into a powerful sales tool; then when Joe Schmo comes along and says “can you stop making it sound clever and just write what I tell you?” Well, that’s when writers can go postal.
Imagine walking up to the plumber and saying “yeah, I see what you’re doing there, but we’d really prefer duct tape on that joint” or “look, I know you’re the mechanic and don’t take offense, but I drive a car and I changed my oil once… and I know damn well you don’t need to take the engine apart to change the timing belt, k?”
Copywriters, senior or otherwise, deserve the same respect that is given to any other skilled profession, especially in advertising. If you, as an account manager, wouldn’t push the designer to one side and start messing with his or her layouts, stop doing the same with the copy. We know what we’re doing, and most of us can do it well if given the chance. On those rare occasions when copy is needed in ads these days, it’s best left to the copywriter… not some wannabe who fancies him or herself as some kind of wordsmith. Sorry, you’re not. Trust me.
108 days ago / / Link
Is it that bad? It must be, I keep hearing writers tell me so. I get so many people telling me exactlly what to do in my job (art director) it really gets to me – and you guys have it worse? ouch. (Oddly enough: hen I shill my writing skills nobody changes a thing. I must be lucky-jinxed.)
— Dabitch · Aug 19, 09:03 AM · #
I could deal with the snarky/whiny tone of this editorial if it was more eloquently written, or it seemed like you understood the rules of grammar. I’ll agree that some grammar rules (like the ones you listed) are meant to be broken when writing copy, but the rules you’ve broken in this editorial make the whole piece look lazy.
I’ve enjoyed your rants, but this one misses the mark for me.
— Katie · Aug 19, 09:30 AM · #
Ha. Have to laugh. Katie’s comments about the ‘rant’ is that it’s snarky/whiny (it’s a rant…duh) and then she attacks grammar in a piece saying grammar is secondary to message. What a tool. Or is that toolette? And hey Katie, I just started sentences with AND and OR.
— Chris Lawson · Aug 19, 10:05 AM · #
True, the grammar is a bit lazy in this piece. But the whole point is communication, not grammar. This rant communicates pretty effectively what it is that pisses us writers off so much.
The one I hear a lot is usually along the lines of “How about we just change this word to this?” Or something like, “Let’s just say ‘Buy now!’ That works, right?” To which I respond, if I’m feeling feisty, “How about I smack you upside your damn head? That works, right?”
It’s really quite simple: comments and feedback are OK. It is perfectly understandable, and expected, to provide comments and feedback. However, it is when people presume how to do my job that I lose it. I don’t tell them how to do their job, so what makes them think they have the right to tell me how to do mine? It’s arrogant, presumptuous, and will be met by staunch and verbally-violent resistance.
— The Artistic Mercenary™ · Aug 19, 10:14 AM · #
I don’t care too much about starting sentences with prepositions, but “countless English major’s scribbling”? It just looks lazy. I like copywriters. I’m jealous of them. I just think Felix’s argument needs a little fine-tuning.
— Katie · Aug 19, 10:15 AM · #
This is why I like web design more than print design. There’s still enough “mystery” in the technology to keep the client/legal department/bookkeeper/waterboy from totally taking over the project.
— Rick · Aug 19, 10:18 AM · #
Telling me how to do my job will be met by staunch and verbally-violent resistance.
That is going on a t-shirt. Thanks Mercenary.
— Paul Suggett · Aug 19, 10:35 AM · #
Some of you may be missing the point.
To those nitpickers, I say this: Copywriting is no more about proper grammar than a well-told story is. Great copy is passionate. And that’s what Felix delivers in his piece. Well said, hombre.
— Gregg · Aug 19, 10:57 AM · #
Katie, you’re getting tangled in your own semantics. The argument is fine, what you’re saying is the writing itself needs some fine-tuning, right? Or, do you think the argument needs work? What would you add? To be honest, your silly nitpicking has only proven Felix’s point. Are you in account management?
— Chris Lawson · Aug 19, 11:21 AM · #
“Copy…is a skill, a craft, disguised as something that looks relatively easy.” Well said, Felix.
And as for grammar, I think too many people mistake our breaking the rules of grammar with the perception that we we must not know them.
That being said, to all the grammar nazis reading this, you could have the most grammatically correct story or ad on earth, but if it lacks compelling content then you’ve wasted my time. Name any great ad you’ve seen, any great novel you’ve read. Now ask yourself, did you love it because they really nailed the use of semi-colons and prepositional phrases?
— patrick · Aug 19, 11:48 AM · #
correct grammar in copy is optional, depending on your target audience – think about all the fucked up spelling and grammar people use in tweets and txt messages.
If you’re marketing a $20 million dollar vacation home to rich snobs, you’ll want to be as grammatically correct (and stuffy) as is humanly possible.
But if you’re marketing to 20-35 year-old tech savvy geeks (read: all of us), as long as you can effectively communicate the message, you’re fucking golden. Often times, it’s the weird copy that makes a message stay fresh in a consumer’s mind (one of my favorites is Tech N9ne – even if it doesn’t exactly make sense).
That being said, I feel like this blog entry was just a first draft. I agree that clients fuck with copy way too much, though. And it fucks with the copywriters and designers. And then we hate the client.
But they’re paying the bills, which is keeping us from being waiters (and their clients are even more bastardly).
— josh mishell · Aug 19, 12:26 PM · #
A few times, I’ve responded to the statement “You know, I’m a pretty good writer too.” with “Great. I’m a pretty good salesman. I’m just putting words on paper to do this.” It helped re-focus the conversation on the task at hand.
Then again, Felix, I’ve felt the pain, man.
But hey: Happy Hour exists for a reason.
— Chris Maley · Aug 19, 12:59 PM · #
Paul,
Glad you liked it. Just make sure I get a royalty!
And to Chris Maley’s point: Happy Hour does exist for a reason. That reason usually being so that Mr. Maley can take his pants off.
— The Artistic Mercenary™ · Aug 19, 01:38 PM · #
give me clever, thought provoking, inspiring copy any day.
If I have to, I’ll fix the grammar myself and then put into the layout. I’d rather have a copywriter doing what they do best – helping with concepts and helping to come up with the message. grammar can always be tweaked and still stay within the framework of the message. yuh know whut i meen?
— Chris Thomas · Aug 19, 02:04 PM · #
Mercenary, (and I know who you are man, I can reveal the secret),
You can take your pants off at other times besides Happy Hour.
— Chris Maley · Aug 19, 02:10 PM · #
Chris Thomas – don’t designers have notoriously poor writing skills? I’m not saying you do, but in general…
— josh mishell · Aug 19, 02:24 PM · #
If “countless English majors” are scribbling all over your copy, then maybe, just maybe, you DON’T know what you’re doing! Bad english is as distracting in copy as bad design is in print.
get over yourself and learn too take constructive criticism. And quit whining…it’s unbecoming.
— Patrick Gerace · Aug 19, 02:40 PM · #
This coming from a man who helps market Diebold. I’ll take errors in my copy over errors in counting votes any day.
— Chris Lawson · Aug 19, 02:45 PM · #
Hey Josh – tis true about designers and grammar.
I actually take pride in mine – I even got 4th place in the spelling bee in 5th grade. Man, that was a real highlight…
— Chris Thomas · Aug 19, 02:46 PM · #
I got a ribbon for a picture I drew in third grade. By you’re reasoning that makes me qualified to tweak your design.
Despite his poor grammar, you just proved Felix’s point. LEAVE OUR FUCKING WORDS ALONE.
— Regrettably not named Chris · Aug 19, 02:55 PM · #
i once had an account person tell me he knew how to write copy, because his father was a copywriter. i asked him if his father were a brain surgeon, would he feel qualified to slice open someone’s skull. surprisingly, he said no.
i always try to give someone the courtesy of at least listening to their suggestions. usually, they’re wrong. but every now and then, they’re right.
— larry hinkle · Aug 19, 03:05 PM · #
Regrettably, there’s no room for humor in this string.
— Chris Thomas · Aug 19, 03:14 PM · #
I’ve always wanted to know how great ideas and executions are sold, especially to giant corporations.
Everyone talks about the creative process. But I wonder what process the best agencies use to prepare clients to accept good ideas and offer useful feedback.
Judging by the number of clients CP+B loses, I don’t think it’s easy for anyone.
— Andy Bosselman · Aug 19, 03:40 PM · #
Andy. You should drop that question or something similar under the post soliciting questions for Jonathan Schoenberg at TDA so we remember to ask him.
— The Denver Egotist · Aug 19, 03:57 PM · #
i wasted a shitload of cash at portfolio school if the only qualification for being a copywriter was the abilty to put together a grammatically correct sentence.
— patrick · Aug 19, 04:18 PM · #
You’ll see something similar in the videogame industry where they’ll hire skilled programmers, reasonably talented artists and musicians, even hollywood actors for voice-overs, and the script will be relegated to whatever jackass has some spare time (or even the producer, whose background is either in programming or business management).
— Eric J · Aug 19, 04:21 PM · #
–Busy ad professionals don’t have time to read all this copy Felix
–Try turning your argument into a concise series of bullet points
–Then you no need grammar
— mar · Aug 20, 06:59 AM · #
The. Best. Copy. Makes. People. Feel. Grammar. Becomes. Irrelevant.
— Rick Rosenberg · Aug 20, 05:14 PM · #
Reminds me of a Luke Sullivan headline for a sipping whisky.
— Paul Suggett · Aug 21, 12:07 AM · #
Grammar is such a funny concept, illustrated so beautifully in this string. (BTW, I used ellipsis after the comma to omit the understood words “which is” – the typical introduction to a non-restrictive clause.)
Everyone says “grammar” when addressing copy, but rarely do people cite actual grammatical problems. Ending a sentence with a preposition is not bad grammar; it’s ignoring a stylistic technique. And when it comes to grammar, people often remember the guidelines conveniently, anyway.
To the critics on this thread, you’re proving Felix’s point. Treat our copy like it’s a design. Tell us it’s not engaging enough. Point out where we’re not achieving the goals of the creative brief. Just please don’t ask us to “tweak the wording” because you “have a problem with how it sounds.”
Most importantly, please don’t bring up something you learned 12 years ago in Composition 101. That’s just rude.
— pat · Aug 21, 04:17 PM · #
Katie, can you find the two grammar mishaps in your first comment?
— Edward · Aug 22, 12:15 AM · #
Oo, sir, (puts hand up) can I have a try? I’m total crap at grammar but I think it should be “…if it were written more eloquently…” And I don’t think you need a comma before ‘or’ as it does the same job, right? Maybe? Man, this grammar stuff is hard. I’m glad I’m not a copywriter…oh wait. S**t.
— paul suggett · Aug 22, 09:59 AM · #