You can do it

Copywriting is an art, a craft and almost a science. The skills and principles involved can be learnt by ANYONE who takes the time. You don´t need a degree or years of training to become a good copywriter. Follow principles and practice, practice, practice. Even the greatest copywriters will tell you that no matter how well you write, you won´t move everyone. But good copywriting techniques applied to your work will rapidly increase the response rates to whatever it is you are communicating.

Advertising Copywriting

The first type of copywriting is called Advertising Copywriting. An advertising copywriter initiates ideas based on advertising principles, then plans and prepares the contents of an ad that´s based on those ideas.

This can include Yellow Pages ads, newspaper ads, flyers, brochures, website content and direct mail promotions- which are long ads.

What is Copywriting?

A copywriter, one who writes or prepares copy (esp. of advertisements) for publication. Yes, pretty basic I know but that´s how some dictionaries are. Copywriting is an art, a craft, a creative skill!

So here´s my own definition: "Copywriting is selling with words, the art of presenting written material, either advertisements or detailed information, in such a way as to cause the reader to respond to the writer´s offer."

Good copywriting demands a response: "I need to keep reading." "I have to take up that offer." "I need to buy one of these today." "That´s the best and clearest information I´ve ever read on this subject." "Wow, I didn´t know that."

Trademark versus Copyright

Trademark and copyright are different legal protections. For a business like yours, you will want to register your label as a trademark. A trademark protects words, phrases, symbols, or designs identifying goods or services as originating from a particular party. Check out the U.S. Patent and Trademark website for more information: www.uspto.gov.

Regarding your second question, what you are referring to is also known as the "poor man's copyright." It is not a valid method of registering copyright. No court of law will recognize this as a lawfully registered copyright. If you wish to learn more about copyrights and registering a copyright, consult the U.S. Copyright Office website: www.copyright.gov.

Editing

The second type of copywriting is called Editing. Someone who edits, "prepares for publication." A copywriter examines a particular body of text for grammar, spelling mistakes (preferably use spelling check software), literary content, unnecessary words, style etc, then publishes it once satisfied.

Good copywriters don´t have to be English or other language teachers, anyone can learn to be a copywriter. A journalist is an example of an editing copywriter. Just look at any article in a newspaper and you´ll see the work of a copywriter.

If you write sales letters, website content, books, or any type of written material, you´ll need to apply editing skills to see the best results.

Copyright Basics

According to current U.S. law, a written work is protected by copyright the moment it is created. Copyright protects original works of authorship including poetry, novels, movies, and songs. You do not need to register your copyright unless you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.

In Depth

For more in depth information about editing copy, go to the "Writing Principles" and "Articles" sections.

Principals of Copyright

In short, according to current U.S. law, a written work is protected by copyright the moment it is created. Copyright protects original works of authorship including poetry, novels, movies, and songs. You do not need to register your copyright unless you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. See the U.S. Copyright Office website: www.copyright.gov if you need more in-depth information.