Copywriter, writer, editor - or is it copyright?

Well, is he a copy writer, copywriter, writer or an editor?  Perhaps he's a Wordsmith? And what has copyright to do with it all?

Hey - if you just want to know how to type the copyright symbol, click here

Copywriting is a useful catch-all phrase that describes the process of crafting words to promote a person, business, opinion, or idea. The words themselves are called 'copy'.

The main aim of marketing or promotional copy is to persuade people to act — to buy a product, commission a service or subscribe to a certain viewpoint.

Some copywriters specialise in advertising, slogans, jingles, taglines and so on. Other writers specialise in writing 'content' - the stuff that brochures, press releases, white papers, newsletters and case studies are made of.

And some offer copywriting services for websites, including Search Engine Optimisation (making sure the site ranks well with search engines like Yahoo and Google, as well as attracting mere humans).
 
Editing is a service offered by some copywriters. That's where they take copy you have written yourself and 'breathe' on it. Bring it to life. Perhaps restructure your copy. They will certainly check out your punctuation. And if they are any good, they will adapt the 'tone of voice' to that of your audience.

Copyright, however, is the term used to describe the legal protection of the written word. Confused?

The concept began as an attempt to prevent the unfair copying of books in the days of Charles II. No longer restricted to whole books, a single sentence (such as a strapline) can be protected by copyright. In the UK a single word is not eligible, but can still be protected as a 'trade mark'.

The copyright symbol looks like this: ©

So, there you have it. I am a copywriter, writer, editor and SEO content writer. And with a name like Len Smith, I can happily describe myself as a Wordsmith.

One thing you can be sure of; I am happy to transfer copyright to my clients.

Do look around my website to see how your business can benefit from my copywriter services. You can also find out more about me, Len Smith, as well as hearing what my clients think about my work.