This much I know…
A series of interviews with copywriters
You can recognise great copy because it …
… makes you think “I’ve GOT to have that/go there/eat more fish/ join the circus” or whatever it wants you to do.
I know I’ve done a good job when…
… the client gets good results. Before that, when the piece sounds clear, convincing and wool-free.
The ideal client is …
… someone who gives a detailed, thought-through brief. And who knows it’s OK to start sentences with “And”.
My favourite type of work is …
… to indulge my conscience, anything charity or eco. To indulge my creativity, anything where I can paint a descriptive picture – Namibian safaris, fancy cars, fundraising appeals etc.
People like my copy because …
… it sounds like one human being speaking to another, not a blether-generating robot with a penchant for Latinate jargon.
Too many people think copywriting is …
… something to do with copyright.
To me, copywriting is all about …
… selling. It might be a product, action or idea, and it might not involve money – but selling is in there somewhere.
The thing that drives me mad is …
… at the moment, it’s the abandonment of the hyphen: “cross team interaction”, “50 odd delegates” etc. As St Lynne of Truss points out, a hyphen is the difference between extra-marital sex and extra marital sex.
If I wasn’t a copywriter, I’d be a …
… member of the E-Street Band.
When I was growing up my parents always told me …
…“Of course, the E-Street Band may not actually need a recorder-player…”
I relax by …
… reading, cooking, seeing friends, watching Mad Men.
My guilty pleasure is …
… playing Candy Crush. Actually, just now I hate it because I’m stuck on a level. But I keep crawling back.
About Jane
English at Cambridge, marketing for publishers, freelance copywriter since 1874 OK, 1993. I’ve written about everything from broadcasting giants and business intelligence to legal services and luxury holidays (alliterative habits die hard). All surprisingly useful for the pub quiz. London-based with lovely husband, lovely daughters and insuperable levels of clutter.