Author: Jonathan Gabay

ISBN: 0-7506-6402-9

Genre: Reference

The following review was contributed by:Andrea Wren & CLICK TO VIEW Andrea Wren's Reviews

This book does exactly what it says on the packaging. It is a definitive guide, for professionals who ‘do words’, and is most certainly a compendium for any writer, not just the copywriter.

The Copywriters’ Compendium is a fantastic and eclectic collection of wordy ideas, appropriate vocabulary, enticing dictum, and well-researched advice for anyone who gets paid to produce outstanding and memorable copy. It is not a guide to tell you how to go about copywriting from scratch – the author assumes you are already in the business – but if you need to add some zing to your text and wow your customers with your words; you’ve come to the right place.

There are many fabulous sections to pick and choose from at leisure or at work. Personally, I’d find this book fascinating even if I wasn’t a writer, purely because the richness of expression with which it is filled could have me musing all day. There is a whole chapter of Gabay’s favourite clichés, another of classic similes (amusingly titled ‘As thought-provoking as a well-placed simile’), and more with collections of idioms, quotes, metaphors and even tongue twisters. There are, of course, the usual compendium inclusions of commonly misspelled words and grammatical errors, but all so well-presented and clearly explained that they make for interesting reading in themselves.

Yes, there are some tips for providing particular types of copy, such as writing press releases or direct mail, but these are not extensive. The purpose of the book is more concerned with giving you the ‘oomph’ you need to pep up your prose and provide inspiration when you can’t see the vowels for the typescript. Invaluable – and not solely for the use of copywriters, I’m sure.

If I was to try to offer something in the spirit of constructive criticism, I’d be hard pushed to find anything to say, this volume is one of the most useful ‘all-rounder’ resources I’ve picked up, and I’m positive it will become a dog-eared and much thumbed edition on my shelf in no time.