What writers & others say
“Take common quotes and phrases and give them a twist. ‘America discovers Columbus’ — ‘All things come to those who waitress’ — ‘Woolf in sheep’s clothing’ — ‘Let’s hear it for sushi — raw, raw, raw.’”
— Jim Heinrich, Sunday Magazine copy editor for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Many good headlines come from thinking of words that SOUND like key words you’re writing about. Some hammer head examples: ‘Carnival knowledge’ — ‘Bra, humbug’ — ‘Paradise lofts’ — ‘Show me the monkey’ — ‘Believe in ferries.’”
— Jim Heinrich, Sunday Magazine copy editor for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Let’s state the obvious. You can’t write a good headline unless you’ve read the story. Because the headline is often the first thing a reader perceives, it must reflect the tone of the story, the photos and the graphic elements. A funny story deserves a funny headline. A serious story doesn’t deserve a flip headline.”
— Jim Heinrich, Sunday Magazine copy editor for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Think “more New York Post than New York Times.”
— Ken Terrell, director of employee media and Bell Atlantic Corp.
“Obvious wordplay, such as Rubber Industry Bounces Back, should be tested on a trusted colleague the way mine shaft air is tested on a canary. When no song bursts forth, start rewriting.”
— New York Times Style Guide
Get the word out with display copy
“Readers” don’t read. Even highly educated web visitors read fewer than 20% of the words on a webpage.
So how do you reach “readers” who won’t read your paragraphs?
Learn how to put your messages where your readers’ eyes really are — in links, lists and CTAs — at our display copy-writing workshop.
