I received a warm email about my David Ogilvy Tribute Page which made me think I should update this blog more often. Congratulations if you found your way here, because Google increasingly penalizes us for broken links in long-ago posts. (Memo to fellow bloggers: use images or links to your own files when you refer to external material, because the reader will get a broken link alert if the external link goes away.)
Otis A. Maxwell Advertising (though not its proprietor) has been laid down, as Quakers say, and I am no longer actively seeking clients. I do some volunteer work for causes that are important to me and still do a fair amount of food writing. (I also maintain an active food blog, Burntmyfingers.com, in which I share experiences and recipes.) And very occasionally I do a commercial project which is just too appealing to pass up. (If that describes your project, please drop a line to otis@otismaxwell.com.)
I get a lot of requests for advice from people who are just beginning a career as a copywriter, or want to know what to look for in a copywriter, and I always direct them to our Copywriting 101 category which contains the essence of the copywriting class I used to teach for the Direct Marketing Association. This category also includes posts providing examples to learn from, many now with broken links per above.
You can get much of this content in Kindle format by ordering Copywriting that Gets Results from Amazon. It’s only $6.99, a true bargain in these inflationary times. The book was published in 2011 so it’s heavier on print and lighter on electronic media than the same book would be today, but the fundamental principle of effective copywriting is unchanged: It’s not creative unless it sells.