Claude C. Hopkins Quotes about Writing

Ads are not written to entertain. When they do, those entertainment seekers rare little likely to be the people whom you want. This is one of the greatest advertising faults. Ad writers abandon their part. They forgot they are salesmen and try to be performers. Instead of sales, they seek applause

The product itself should be it's own best salesman. Not the product alone, but the product plus a mental impression, and atmosphere, which you place around it

Genius is the art of taking pains

Do nothing to merely interest, assume or attract. This is not your province. Do only that wins the people you are after in the cheapest possible way

Fine writing is a distinct disadvantage. So is unique literary style. They take attention from the subject

"Best in the world," "lowest price in existence, " etc are at best claiming the expected. But superlative of that sort are usually damaging. They suggestion looseness of expression, a tendency to exaggerate, a careless truth. They lead readers to discount all the statements that you make

Advertising is utterly unprofitable, and I could prove it to you in one week. End an ad with an offer to pay five dollars to anyone who writes you that he read the ad through. The scarcity of replies will amaze you.

The advertising man who spares the midnight oil will never get very far.

The writing of headline is one of the great journalistic arts. They either conceal or reveal am interest

Names which tell stories have been worth millions of dollars. So a great deal of research often precedes the selection of a name.

A man coined to superlative must expect that his every statement will be taken with some caution

Whatever claim you use to gain attention, the advertisement should tell a story reasonably complete.

No generality has any weight whatever. It is like saying "how do you do?" When you have no intention of inquiring about ones health. But specific claims when made in print are taken at their value

One may gain attention by wearing a fools cap. But he would ruin his selling prospects

The one just consider the average reader s only once a reader, probably. And when you fail to tell them in that ad is something he may never know