One of the hardest, yet most useful things I've learned in my publishing career is the art of writing copy—catalog copy, jacket copy, etc. Much like writing an essay, there is a formula and/or "trick" to it that, once discovered, becomes a lot easier to wrap your mind around. In junior high and high school, many teachers famously teach the "Five Paragraph Essay" formula. I personally never liked that formula much—I find it too restrictive—but it does serve as a good starting point. Similarly, this "copy formula" I am about outline for you is only a starting point, and you shouldn't adhere to it too religiously. (These rules can also be applied to queries, which are a type of copy as well, as after all.) Nevertheless, in the years I've been writing copy, these are the rules I've come to develop for myself.
The Art of Writing Copy
The Art of Writing Copy
The Art of Writing Copy
One of the hardest, yet most useful things I've learned in my publishing career is the art of writing copy—catalog copy, jacket copy, etc. Much like writing an essay, there is a formula and/or "trick" to it that, once discovered, becomes a lot easier to wrap your mind around. In junior high and high school, many teachers famously teach the "Five Paragraph Essay" formula. I personally never liked that formula much—I find it too restrictive—but it does serve as a good starting point. Similarly, this "copy formula" I am about outline for you is only a starting point, and you shouldn't adhere to it too religiously. (These rules can also be applied to queries, which are a type of copy as well, as after all.) Nevertheless, in the years I've been writing copy, these are the rules I've come to develop for myself.