This is a whopper of a statement isn’t it? Besides being a massive generalisation, it’s just rude and let’s face it, massively misinformed. So where did I hear this? At a networking event a few years ago. It was one of those moments where you wonder if someone is joking or not and then realise, they’re not.
I should have put the guy right. I should have put the next one right too as it was said a few times. Yep. I can’t say I felt that welcome there. So, let’s set them straight.
Hot on grammar
Absolutely. Copywriters are 100% obsessive about grammar. It’s our job and if we’re no good at it who else is? And we break the rules too. I mean, just look at that. I started a sentence with ‘And’. But we know which rules we can break to give copy more impact, or enhance an idea, rather than it just being bad grammar. Like an apostrophe in the wrong place, or sneaking in the word ‘everyday’, when it should be two words. It’s all part of knowing your trade.
More than words
We are so much more than content, headlines and web copy. We are conceptual thinkers. We come up with ideas too. Not just a headline, but the whole message that goes hand in hand with an image and we have more than one idea. Yes, we can write campaigns that are cross channel bits of brilliance. So, ‘Grammar Nazi’ callers, listen up. We copywriters work closely with designers and art directors who are amazing and bring our thoughts to life in ways we never could alone. Not because we ‘just do words’ but because we think about it all holistically, and love working with really talented people, so together, our ideas are a million times better.
We do pictures too
It’s not a revelation to the creative industry, they know how we’ve worked for years. This is for those in networking groups…well alright, THAT networking group. Yes, we writers think in images too and sometimes a designer writes a cracking headline and us writers come up with the image. Crazy, I know. We swap roles. It works very well. It sometimes creates the best, award winning work. We’re not pigeon holed to just the alphabet.
The actual dictionary definition
So, I actually looked up the definition of a grammar nazi and here it is.
Grammar Nazi: one who is likened to a German Nazi : a harshly domineering, dictatorial, or intolerant person a grammar nazi.
A toe-curling definition on many levels.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with lots of great copywriters and I’ve never met any not interested in good ideas, wherever they come from. They don’t want their ideas to dominate. They want the best ideas to dominate. And yes, we interrogate the brief. Yes, we utterly grill the product, but that’s because we want to get to the crux of the magic point that will sell. The gem that gets us the smiley headline.
We don’t correct people’s grammar on the hoof, or critique every written word. We aren’t after you. We’re after the killer headline. The shit hot idea. The winning route forward.
Working with grammar nazis? You’re working with the wrong people.
Why not give me a shout? I’d be more than happy to help. Head to my Contact page and let’s get started.