It’s autumn, and isn’t life wonderful?
The smell of roasting marshmallows in the air,
woolen clothes against your skin, first snow-fall,
the smell of turkey cooking…

The Copywriter Who Could Make You Drool

Copywriting fanboys and fangirls may recognize the unmistakable flair of one of the best copywriters most have never heard of.

The words above are in-my-humble-but-true opinion, pure poetry.

And it’s not just the words.

But the images those words paint.

Like a fine artist’s brush, they lightly stroke the mind with warm, inviting thoughts.

They make you feel the joy of being alive during an autumn day.

Richard Armstrong, one of the top A-list copywriters living today, recently spoke about the copywriter who penned those memorable words.

“Does anyone here remember the name Bill Jayme?”

Often at copywriting conferences, no hands go up.

As Richard says, “Oh. My. God. When I was starting out in this business, Bill Jayme was Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio rolled into one. We all admired him and wanted to be just like him.  He was a copywriting god.  Thirty years later? Tomb of the unknown junk-mail writer.”

Armstrong continued.  “The moral of this story: If you want to be remembered as a great copywriter, take a break from direct mail and write a book like Caples, Hopkins, Ogilvy, and Schwartz did.

The great thing about Bill was that he elevated our business and made us all a little prouder to be involved with it. His writing had a grace, elegance and wit that would’ve sparkled like a diamond even if it were in the pages of The New Yorker.”

——

Bill Jayme was one of the greatest direct mail copywriters of the 20th-century.

His magazine sales letters brought in boatloads of subscribers for magazines like Arts & Antiques, BusinessWeek, The New Yorker, Smithsonian, Elle, Bon Appétit, House & Garden, Better Homes & Garden, and dozens more.

He charged $20,000 to $40,000 per sales letter back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

Today those fees would be worth between $153,120.00 to $306,240.00.

He had powerful publishers flying to his home in California, begging him to write their subscription letters.

Why?

Because Bill Jayme had a way of making friends with the reader.

His copy conveyed warmth and charm.

It rewarded the reader for her reading time. And it sold the offer very gently.

Bill and his creative partner, Finnish-born graphics designer, Heikki Ratalahti, became THE gurus of direct mail.

In over 40 years together, their stylish direct mail packs launched around three dozen magazines.

I’m sharing this for a few reasons.

One, I believe the greats in any field should never be forgotten.

And two, I believe that in our rush to sell whatever it is we’re selling… we’ve often  forgotten how important it is to make  friends with our reader.

It’s all about relationships.

If you’d like to warm up your introductions to your clients and prospective buyers, let me know.

We’ll paint an inviting picture that will open their hearts… and their wallets.

Warmly yours, ~ Mary Rose
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