Business Copywriter

2009-11-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

Will politicians cut the jargon?

With a general election on the horizon, will politicians finally get the message that clarity trumps jargon every time?

Last year, the Local Government Association (LGA) issued a list of the 100 most over-used buzzwords, including such gems as “step change”, “holistic” “sustainable” and “synergies”, and asked local councils to stop using them.

LGA chairman Sir Simon Milton said that if councils did not explain things in proper English, “local people will fail to understand its relevance to them or why they should to turn out and vote. Unless information is given to people to explain why their council matters, then local democracy will be threatened with extinction.”

Extinction may be pushing it, but certainly, talking to people in clear, plain English instead of hiding behind buzzwords, jargon and bluster might help retain people’s interest, rather than turning them off politics at both the national and local level.

Posted by: Chris on Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Copywriting Agency - Is it 'c' or 's'?

2009-08-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

Is it ‘c’ or ’s’?

English is renowned for its quirky, often logic-defying spelling rules. Gives it character, a mark of our mongrel heritage, we’re told. It doesn’t make it any easier to write, though.

One common area of confusion is when seemingly the same word has two spelling variations – one with a ‘c’, and one with an ’s’. Words like practice and practise, or licence and license.

The simple answer is that you should use the ’s’ version if it’s a verb, or the ‘c’ version if it’s a noun.

So verb: the solicitor plans to practise law in the City.And noun: He hopes to build up a strong commercial property practice.

Or verb: the magistrates refused to license any more bars on the high street.And noun: So the bar owner did not receive his new licence.

One way to remember is to think of advise and advice. Because these two are pronounced differently (the former with a ‘z’ sound, the latter a soft ‘c’ like in ice), they’re not confused as often. But they do follow he same rule – the verb form uses an ’s’…to advise your colleague…while the noun takes a ‘c’…it was useful advice.

So, if you’re using the word as a verb, like to advise, to practise or to license, it’s spelt with an ’s’. If you’re using it as a noun, like my licence, a practice, or good advice, it’s a ‘c’.

Archived in the category: Write words, Writing tips

Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Sunday, July 12, 2009 0 Comments

The meaning of the word Pettifogger

Pettifogger – someone who argues over something petty or trivial, or who is excessively concerned with unimportant detail.

What a lovely word.

Example:

‘Stop being such a terrible pettifogger and focus on the main points of the case!’

There’s a few people not a million miles away that this would apply to…

Archived in the category: Word of the month, Write words

Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Monday, July 20, 2009 0 Comments

Business Copywriter - Newsletter July 2009

2009-07-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

WriteWords newsletter

There’s been a few changes since the last issue of Write Words. We’ve moved offices (still in Manchester, just a nicer part), and we’ve had a personnel change (goodbye Sally hello Chris . We’ve also decided to change the frequency of Write Words to once every two months, to lighten the load on your Inbox.

On the client side, plenty of exciting new projects to get stuck into. We’ve been commissioned to plan and write the content for a new departmental website at the University of London, we won a tender to plan, write and edit a quarterly magazine for the Northwest Regional Development Agency, we’re working with Celerant Consulting on writing some sector brochures, and a we’re doing a monthly newsletter for Career Management Consultants.

That’s on top of the regular stuff from the likes of KPMG, Britannia and Savills, plus a whole host of smaller (but no less important projects), so plenty to keep us busy!

Archived in the category: General musings, Write words
Posted by: Gareth Chadwick

Business Copywriter - Write it down!

2009-06-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Write it down!

As well as spending our days writing about the delights of the aerospace sector, corporate law or enticing graduates to sign their lives away, some of us at Wordsworks Towers like to pen a bit of fiction too.The problem is, ideas come at you at all times of the day and night. Often you get the most fantastic ideas when you are in the most random places. Great ideas, even, that are then lost in to the oblivion that is your mind.

The other night, I had a fantastic dream and woke up reeling from it. It was so fantastic I knew it might lead to some impressive story writing project yet to be defined. Alas,I didn’t write it down and now it’s gone! Never to return again.

What I learnt from this maddening experience is that you really should write your ideas down. Creative or not it really is no matter. Your brain only has so much temporary information it can store at any one time and given that working life can be hectic there’s absolutely no chance of us remembering everything we want to.

So in the name of great ideas that are wasted on brains that act like a sieve, buy yourself a notebook or get using your notes on your mobile and make sure that wherever you are, whatever you are doing, that if a good idea for a story, feature or news item brightens up your imagination you have no excuse for letting it slip away.

June word of month

Archived in the category: Word of the month

Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Saturday, June 6, 2009 - 0 Comments

How about this:

Humdudgeon - An imaginary illness

The urban dictionary actually gives a few definitions.

1) A person down on his/her luck

2) A grumpy simpleton

3) Someone who sits in the corner of parties angrily eyeing guests, or pervertedly leering at the young female guests

4) Someone who sits in the corner at a party POKING other guests as they walk by…usually with a drink in their hands.

‘Oh my goodness, what a humdudgeon you’ve met there.’

‘That hundudgeon really rubs me up the wrong way.’

Archived in the category: General musings, Write words

Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Sunday, June 21, 2009 - 0 Comments

Copy Writing Agency - The Meaning of Deipnosophist

2009-06-01T10:31:00.001-07:00

Words Works - The Meaning of Deipnosophist

How about this:

Deipnosophist (dee-ip-noso-fist) - one who excels at conversations at the dinner table.

Two things that we all love: eating and talking. What could be better?

This comes from two Greek words: deipnon, the chief meal or dinner, and sophistes a clever or wise man. It does in fact originate from a 15-volume work entitled Deipnosophistai, written by the Greek Athenaeus after AD 228, about a group of learned men talking about food at a banquet. But we all knew that didn’t we?

Nowadays it’s probably best used to refer to the more trivial idea of pleasant chit-chat to pass the time while having tea.

“Oh Charles, you simply must come for dinner with my Uncle Fritz. He is an amazing deipnosophist.”

Archived in the category: General musings, Word of the month, Write words
Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Friday, May 15, 2009

copywriting agency, words, deipnosophist, the meaning of deipnosophist, greek words

Copy Writing Agency - Simple Like Da Vinci

2009-05-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Simple Like Da Vinci

When he wasn’t busy painting masterpieces or inventing helicopters, all-round-Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci found was one of the leading thinkers of his day.

He was a simple man though, Da Vinci. The illegitimate son of a country girl and a rural notary, he regarded simplicity as the foundation of his genius. His motto was: “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

Although writing wasn’t one his greatest strengths, we can learn a lot from the bearded Florentine.

Simplicity is at the core of great copywriting. The sentences that work best are the ones that use simple, clear, straightforward language and structure. A sentence doesn’t get better the more words you stuff into it. On the contrary, it almost invariably gets worse.

Many people fall in to the trap of over-writing, trying to sound more impressive or to demonstrate their knowledge by using unnecessary words or flowery phrases.

But the most effective corporate writers make their point quickly and clearly. They use precise words and simple phrasing.

Don’t write:
“The company does not intend to remove the automatic bollards, but it is necessary to carry out repairs to the bollards for the purpose of keeping them operating effectively.”

Keep it clear and simple:
“The company does not intend to remove the automatic bollards, but it must repair them to keep them working properly.”

Or how about:
“Overestimating on one type of the relevant material could have a detrimental impact on cost-effectiveness for the client.”

Instead of:
“Overestimating one type of material could cost the clients more.”

So next time you’re tempted to throw in a few ‘corporate’ sounding phrases or flowery language to sound more sophisticated, just remember the words of our old friend Leonardo da Vinci. If simplicity was good enough for him, it’s darn tootin’ good enough for me.

Simple Like Da Vinci
Archived in the category: Write words, Writing tips
Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Monday, February 25, 2008 - 0 Comments

Six Words to Remember

2009-05-26T09:24:00.001-07:00

Six words to remember

You may have heard the tale of how, in the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway bet ten dollars that he could write a complete story in just six words. He wrote: “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.” He won the bet and often referred to the story as his best work ever.

There are now dozens of websites devoted to six-word stories (just try Googling it). One of the best, recently featured on Radio 4, is from US online magazine Smith, which tweaked the rules by asking its readers to sum up their own lives in just six words.

The results are surprisingly poignant; often funny (”No more kisses, whisker burn lingers.”), sometimes sad (”Two sons. One died; now none.”), sometimes regretful (”Wishing I’d jumped sooner, missed mark.”), even a little scary (”He seemed ok at the time”). You should try it; we did.

As business copywriters, we’re always banging on about conciseness and short sentences. And while we don’t expect you to turn your firm’s client newsletters, your website or your marketing material into heart-wrenching six-word stories (wouldn’t that be fun, though!), it’s a reminder of just how emotional and powerful words can be, even just six of the little blighters.

So think of that, next time you’re trying to explain to your boss why your ten word sentence is better than his 30-word jargon fest.

Archived in the category: General musings
Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 1 Comment

ernest hemingway, copywriter freelance, copywriter agency, freelance copy writer, ernest hemingway articles

Confabulation (noun) Meaning

2009-05-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Word of the month

Archived in the category: Word of the month

Our word of the month is confabulation (noun). It means familiar chat or informal talk.
Example: “I took Justine by the arm and led her onto the balcony, determined to distract her with a spot of romantic confabulation.”

Or: “You boys, cease your incessant confabulation before I inform the headmaster.”

Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 1 Comment

copywriting tips, words, confabulation, what does confabulation mean

Copy Writing Agency - Wordsworks Followers of Fashion

2009-05-19T04:15:00.001-07:00

Followers of fashion

It’s funny how certain words or phrases become fashionable. I’m not talking about obvious mots du jour like groovy or wicked, but more discrete verbal fashions. Iteration, last month’s word of the month, for example, seems to have been popping up all over the place in the last few months, as people presumably try and find a more high falutin’ way of saying version.

Take fit for purpose. Ever since John Reid, then Home Secretary, condemned the immigration service as ‘not fit for purpose‘, it’s become a phrase of choice for everyone from politicians to small business owners. A quick Google throws up, among millions, Sequence diagramming that’s fit for purpose and a cover sheet for small guest accommodation businesses to use as checklist when applying to be ‘Fit For Purpose’. We’ve even received press releases about ‘fit for purpose compost’.

Now, we’re all for rediscovering new words and improving our vocabularies, but it does become a bit annoying (not to say cliched) when everyone suddenly starts using the same phrases. Not to mention that there are numerous single words that could make the same point more concisely and just as, if not more, clearly.

Spoonfed is the longest word with its letters arranged in reverse alphabetical order.

Archived in the category: General musings, Writing tips
Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Friday, May 30, 2008

Good Writing Tips

2009-05-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Clear or cloudy?

No, not a comment on the weather, but one of the main considerations for anyone trying to tighten up their writing.

Good writing is all about clarity - getting your message across clearly and concisely. But in the wrong hands, words can often cloud, rather than clarify, the intended message.

Have a read of what reader Julian Critchlow had to say in a recent letter to The Times:

Sue Whiting, a “retired special educational needs co-ordinator”, asserts in her letter (Oct 10) that “there are likely to be 20 per cent of children in any classroom with specific learning differences”.

My initial reaction on reading this was that, surely, all the children would have learning differences: that is the human condition. However, on closer analysis I deduced that what was stated was not what was actually meant. Surely Ms Whiting’s unadorned meaning was that 20 per cent of the children would, for one reason or another, have learning difficulties.

Orwellian usage of this kind debases the language as a tool for expression. It leads, at best, to lack of clarity and, at worst, it is downright misleading and stifles legitimate debate. It needs to be rooted out.

Julian Critchlow, Savage Club, SW1

Hear, hear for Mr Critchlow. It’s not always easy to be honest in your writing. But if you can manage it, you’ll usually be rewarded with better understanding and more engagement from your readers.

PS We’ve no idea what the Savage Club is, but shall be applying for membership immediately!

Another Train Grumble - Copywriter

2009-05-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Another train grumble…

Not that we’re obssessed with the relationship between transport and language (there’s a PhD in there somewhere, surely?), but the mangled language used by our public transport companies just gets odder and odder.

I was surprised yesterday to hear the station announcer refer to the train arriving to Platform 5.
Now, I know there can be a little bit of flexibility with certain verbs and the prepositions they take, but arriving to? What’s the matter with the good old-fashioned (and correct) arriving at?

Don't be shy - call us on 0161 637 9224
or email us in regards to your copywriting requirements.

Archived in the category:
General musings - Copywriting Agency Wordsworks Blog

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Spoken like a President

2009-03-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Spoken like a President

Archived in the category: General musings, Write words

Nice to see that Barack Obama - lauded as the most powerful public speaker in American politics for a generation - has been using some of our favourite writing tips in his speeches.

Remember three’s company, where we talked about grouping your points into three to create more impact? Well they don’t get much more power full than these three:
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy - tonight is your answer.”

They are the opening lines of his victory speech in the November presidential election - widely regarded as one of the finest speeches in modern US politics.

Here’s another bit:
“It’s been a long time coming, but today, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.” And just to show he’s not a one-trick pony, he uses another technique to great effect, the power of pairs. This is a favourite politicians’ trick of not saying one thing if you can equally say two, adding emphasis to the message.

So he says, “people who waited three hours and four hours…”, instead of saying the less powerful, ’people who waited hours…’

There’s also a lesson there about being specific. By specifying three hours and four hours, rather than a vague ‘hours’, it resonates more strongly with the audience and the impact is that much greater.

Let’s hope his policies are as effective as his speeches…

Posted by: Gareth Chadwick on Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Copy Writing Agency Wordsworks has a New Writer

2009-03-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

Wordsworks Has a New Writer

Copy-writing agency Wordsworks has taken on a new writer following a busy summer, bringing its team up to four.

Stockport-based Wordsworks has employed Catherine Dolman as a copywriter to help look after the company’s growing client list. Catherine is a former freelance copywriter and has spent the last four months writing the content for the NUS’ new website.

Said Catherine, “it’s a great opportunity for me to apply my skills and experience as a freelance copywriter to a wide range of clients. I’m looking forward to helping firms in different sectors communicate their message in the clearest, most engaging way possible.”

Wordsworks is a specialist copy writing consultancy, with a particular focus on copywriting for the professional services, environmental and larger corporate sectors.

It was set up by journalist Gareth Chadwick in 2003 to provide outsourced copywriting and copy-editing services to businesses. Typical projects include copywriting for firm brochures, web sites, case studies, recruitment brochures, client newsletters, reports, and in-house magazines.
Explained Gareth: “companies need to communicate their expertise and their brand in a way that reinforces their credibility, not detracts from it. So much written material is badly written and poorly presented. It’s not so bad it goes straight into the bin, but it’s the missed opportunity that it represents.”

Wordsworks’ copywriting client list includes KPMG, Savills plc, Baker & McKenzie, JP Morgan, the Northwest Regional Development Agency, 3i corporate finance, Addleshaw Goddard, The College of Law, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Ince & Co, Cobbetts and TLT Solicitors.

Prior to setting up Wordsworks, Gareth was a journalist specialising in small business and professional services. His credits include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, Manchester Evening News and Growing Business magazine.

For further information, please contact:
Gareth Chadwick
Wordsworks
Tel: 0161 443 4135
Email: gareth.chadwick@wordsworks.co.uk
http://www.wordsworks.co.uk/

January's 'Word of the Month' - Spoken like a President Article

Write headlines that entice, not mystify

2008-04-08T05:55:00.001-07:00

Message

A great post over on the main Wordsworks business copywriting blog here, about how to write headlines that pull your readers in. Check it out.

Who are you trying to impress?

2008-03-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Message

I had an interesting discussion recently with a lawyer I was writing an article for. It illustrates one of the key lessons of good writing that all of us, not just lawyers, can learn from.

He'd asked Wordsworks to help write an article a general business magazine. It was about current sentiment in the corporate finance market. In the notes the lawyer gave me and in our conversations, he insisted on using complex terminology and industry jargon.

I suggested that it would make more sense, given the audience, to ditch the jargon and instead explain the issues in simple, easy-to-understand language. He responded that, "I have to use jargon to show people I know what I'm talking about."

This shows a common but dangerous confusion about the purpose of business writing. You're unlikely to impress your readers (often potential clients) by using jargon and terminology that they may not understand. You are in effect saying, look how well I understand my business. But what is more relevant to your readers, is how much you understand their business. And that means using clear, simple language; language that shows that not only do you understand the issues well enough to explain them in plain English, but more importantly, that you understand how those issues relate to their business and the challenges they face.

Business Copywriter - Journalism for Business - Freelance Business Journalist

2008-02-06T05:12:00.000-08:00

1. WORDSWORKS GOES DUTCH

Professional services copywriting agency Wordsworks is exporting the power of the written word to the Netherlands.

The Manchester-based agency has been appointed by MindsinMotion.net, a Dutch-government funded website on ‘green’ transport, to provide weekly news and features in English on environmental transport issues from across Europe.

Wordsworks, which already has several clients in the environmental sector, will research and write weekly stories on topics such as alternative fuels and environmentally-friendly buses.

It will also provide ad hoc support to the development and branding of the website and associated marketing communications material.

Gareth Chadwick, managing director of Wordsworks, says that, “English is a hugely important language in the international business arena. Companies all over the world use it to communicate across borders and reach new markets and new clients. To do that effectively can be a challenge for non native English speakers. Wordsworks can help them overcome that challenge.”

Wordsworks is a specialist writing consultancy, with a particular focus on the professional services, enterprise and environmental sectors.

It was set up by former journalist Gareth Chadwick in 2003 to provide outsourced writing and editing services. Typical projects include firm brochures, web sites, case studies, blogs, recruitment brochures, client newsletters, reports and in-house magazines.

Wordsworks’ client list includes The College of Law, Ince & Co, Foresight Venture Partners, Addleshaw Goddard, UK Centre for Environmental and Economic Development, TLT Solicitors, Northwest Regional Development Agency and The Independent.

Prior to setting up Wordsworks, Gareth was a journalist specialising in business and professional services. His credits include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent , The Lawyer, Legal Director and Managing Partner magazine.

Editor’s note
Wordsworks is based in Stockport, South Manchester, and employs three people. It also has a roster of experienced external journalists and copywriters that it uses for specific projects.

For further information, please contact:
Gareth Chadwick
Wordsworks
http://www.wordsworks.co.uk/
Tel: 0161 443 4135
Email: gareth.chadwick@wordsworks.co.uk

2. WORDSWORKS FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE

Professional services copy-writing agency Wordsworks has won its second overseas commission in a month.

The Manchester-based agency has been appointed by Singapore-based international business association XL Foundation to write its first annual sustainability report.

Inspired by the UN-sanctioned Global Reporting Initiative, the sustainability report outlines the work of the XL Foundation in the context of its environmental, social and cultural impact. It will include feature articles, interviews, case studies and profiles.

The new clients cap a busy summer for Wordsworks, which has recently finished writing recruitment brochures for two major law firm clients.

Gareth Chadwick, managing director of Wordsworks, said, “this autumn has been our busiest quarter ever. More and more firms are recognising that they need to communicate their expertise and their brand in a way that reinforces their credibility, not detracts from it. Creating professional, clear and engaging written material is fundamental to that.”

Wordsworks is a specialist writing consultancy, with a particular focus on the professional services, enterprise and environmental sectors.

It was set up by former professional services journalist Gareth Chadwick in 2003 to provide outsourced writing and editing services. Typical projects include firm brochures, web sites, case studies, blogs, recruitment brochures, client newsletters, reports and in-house magazines.

Wordsworks’ client list includes The College of Law, Ince & Co, Foresight Venture Partners, Addleshaw Goddard, UK Centre for Environmental and Economic Development, TLT Solicitors, Northwest Regional Development Agency and The Independent.

Prior to setting up Wordsworks, Gareth was a journalist specialising in business and professional services. His credits include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent , The Lawyer, Legal Director and Managing Partner magazine.

Editor’s note
Wordsworks is based in Stockport, South Manchester, and employs three people. It also has a roster of experienced external journalists and copywriters that it uses for specific projects.

For further information, please contact:
Gareth Chadwick
Wordsworks
http://www.wordsworks.co.uk/
Tel: 0161 443 4135
Email: gareth.chadwick@wordsworks.co.uk

copywriting agency, journalism for business, freelance journalist, freelance copywriter, copywriting business, copywriting for major business, corporate copywriting, professional copywriting services

Copywriting Agency

2008-01-08T09:42:00.001-08:00

Copywriting Agency

Wordsworks is a copywriting agency. We help organisations harness the power of words to improve their business. We work with design and marketing agencies looking for words for specific projects, or we work directly with businesses looking to improve the quality and clarity of their written material.

Wherever you need words, think of wordsworks. We can usually help. We use words effectively and efficiently to inform, advise, educate and persuade. Some of the recent projects for which we’ve provided the words include: case studies, web sites, blogs, annual reports, in-house publications, client newsletters, marketing material, speeches and ghost writing for senior management. Whatever the project, we’ll give you well-written, engaging and interesting copy.

For further information, please contact:
Gareth Chadwick
Wordsworks
http://www.wordsworks.co.uk/
Tel: 0161 443 4135
Email: gareth.chadwick@wordsworks.co.uk

Wordsworks is a specialist writing consultancy, with a particular focus on the professional services, enterprise and environmental sectors.

The business was set up by former journalist Gareth Chadwick in 2003 to provide outsourced writing and editing services. Typical projects include firm brochures, websites, case studies, blogs, recruitment brochures, client newsletters, reports and in-house magazines.

Wordsworks’ client list includes The College of Law, Ince & Co, Foresight Venture Partners, Addleshaw Goddard, UK Centre for Environmental and Economic Development, TLT Solicitors, Northwest Regional Development Agency and The Independent.

Prior to setting up Wordsworks, Gareth was a journalist specialising in business and professional services. His credits include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Lawyer, Legal Director and Managing Partner magazine.

For further information, please contact:
Gareth Chadwick
Wordsworks
http://www.wordsworks.co.uk/
Tel: 0161 443 4135
Email: gareth.chadwick@wordsworks.co.uk