Alastair has a good point though, some copywriters are wonderfully creative whereas others are anally astute; so perhaps best to play to your strengths and be honest?

I wrote about this problem back in January here, saying that “I can wire a plug, but I don’t think I’m an electrician, just because you can write English, doesn’t make you a copywriter.”

You’re completely right that the simpler something is, the more powerful it gets (usually). That’s the theory behind minimalist writers like Raymond Carver, Bret Easton Ellis etc.

But editing down isn’t exactly the same skill as copywriting, is it? It’s being a good editor. I’ve known people who can edit but can’t write, and who can write but can’t edit.

If a good copywriter needs to do both, perhaps copy “writer” is the wrong term for what we do after all.

Or as William Zinsser notes, “A clear sentence is no accident.”

But it’s often tough convincing clients of this truism. I’ve had clients ask for rewrites of superlative-free copy–or simply pencil in a load of “innovative” “world-class” words.

Sigh.