Wing Tang Wong

author: Emily Thornton Calvo Laurence Minsky Emily Thornton Calvo asin: 0809228785 binding: Paperback list price: $12.95 USD amazon price: $12.95

Personal ads, for the most part, are boring and surprisingly impersonal. You know the type: "SWM into foreign films and Chinese takeout seeks SWF for romantic walks on the beach." Any ad with a modicum of originality stands out. Advertising copywriters Emily Thornton Calvo and Laurence Minsky approach personal-ad writing the way they'd approach writing a product advertisement. Not only do they encourage you to be more clever and creative, but they help you figure out exactly what kind of person and relationship you're seeking, and then they show you how to express that information in an ad. 25 Words or Less is too long for what it accomplishes (the way I figure it, you have to read about 3,000 words for every one that you'll write), but it will certainly help less-inspired writers pen catchier, more effective, more personal ads. --Jane Steinberg