The demand for this book has exceeded expectations.
It was with a great deal of surprise that Mark Shaw opened a brown parcel to discover a copy of his best-selling book, ‘Copywriting: successful writing for design, advertising and marketing’ in a fully translated Chinese edition. The book was initially published in English by Laurence King, one of the world’s leading publishers of books on the creative arts. At first, the publishers had indicated that they would not be printing the book in different languages because the imagery in Mark’s book is used to highlight the text on the campaigns – requiring that each image be translated – which made the process very expensive and quite challenging. Also, because of the nature of the topic, the publishers had assumed a smaller target audience. Instead, the book has been a tremendous success with students and academics, as well as professionals. To satisfy the high demand, a new edition is about to be published that includes copywriting for social media.

Nothing’s lost in translation.
The book’s amazing popularity inspired the publishers to distribute it in China – the world’s largest market – and struck a licensing deal with Century Vision to launch Mark’s best-selling textbook in China.The Chinese edition is true to the original in virtually every way, except the cover, which now features two vibrant butterflies featuring a high gloss finish that create an almost 3D effect. One can only imagine the significance of this, as Google explains that butterflies symbolize ‘love’ in Chinese. We’re taking it as a good sign. The design and layout of the pages is based on the original design by Angus Hyland of Pentagram, and each of the images used as examples feature a translation of the copy that’s being showcased. As Mark explains, “I was amazed to discover I’m helping Chinese students better understand the important role of copywriting, it’s a great honor and I feel very privileged. It is exciting to be spreading these best practices to China. I’m not sure if there are any other books on copywriting and brand messaging in Chinese. I may be leading the field.”

Comprehensive, clear, and a good read too!
Mark spent two years writing the textbook, gathering examples and case studies, and interviewing leading writers. He had previously spent 15 years training copywriters within his studios and lecturing on copywriting across the UK. The book includes the best advice and guidance from the greats of the last century, in-depth explanations of how to write for all formats, and tips and techniques for anyone writing copy – from novices to advanced practitioners. “Copywriting: successful writing for design, advertising and marketing” is being re-launched in the US and Europe in September, with updates to reflect the current demands for social media copywriting.