Ten Tips on Writing from David Ogilvy

A memo from the legendary advertising man David Ogilvy  to his employees on How to Write

1. Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing Read it three times

2. Write the way you talk – Naturally

3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs

4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally

5. Never write more than two pages on any subject

6. Check your quotations

7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it – Read it aloud the next morning — and then edit it

8. If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it

9. Before you send your letter or your memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do

10. If you want ACTION, don’t write – Go and tell the guy what you want

    David.

Via  Unpublished David Ogilvy see also his books On Advertising, and Confessions of an Advertising Man.