In copywriting, poetry don't sell, as someone once said.

The Craft of Copywriting by Alastair Crompton. The book that impressed Bill Bernbach.

The Craft of Copywriting was first published in 1979 and is a great book to dip into every now and again. I've had this book since the early 80s.

For some, this book is grannies and eggs and irrelevant in parts. Being over forty years old, there are a few passages that are out of kilter with today's sensibilities.

Yet for others, like myself, it's an enjoyable reminder of what a copywriter's job is and how to do it well.

These days there is a lot of waffle that passes itself off as copywriting, particularly in long-form content writing. It makes for tiresome reading, unlike this book.

If you can get a copy, keep it forever. It will end up being well-thumbed.

The following extract about poetry don't sell neatly states what a copywriter does.

The foreword is by David Abbott, a man who knew a thing or two about how to put the right words in the right order.