Recently I saw some catalogue copy written by an artist. The work in question was described as “distinctively unique.”

If that didn’t make you do a double take, go look up “distinctive” in a thesaurus.

You got it. “Distinctively distinctive.” Or if you prefer, “Uniquely unique.”

Not good.

The rest of the copy was effusive. At first glance, it seemed to describe the most extraordinary objects you’d ever see. Unfortunately, it also contained spelling errors, and some words were capitalized that weren’t proper nouns.

Those kinds of mistakes can hurt your credibility, particularly if you say you pay close attention to detail.

Be clear and accurate
When you write promotional copy, make sure you fully understand the words you’re using. Otherwise, you can end up with an embarrassing redundancy, or worse, completely misuse a word or phrase. Fluffing your copy is dangerous.

If you’re not sure of the meaning of a word, use a dictionary, preferably with a thesaurus included. If you don’t have one somewhere on your computer, they’re available online for free.

Better yet, quit fluffing.

The work in our example didn’t live up to its promises. Imagine how a prospective buyer reacts when that happens.

Stick to the facts
Stressing over marketing copy is a common affliction among artists. You feel self-conscious. Catalogue copy is the worst—there’s usually a word limit, so you want to make a big impact with those few words. You panic and try to pretty it up.

Not only does that waste your valuable catalogue space, but you tell your prospective buyer what to think. Be careful. One person’s “cute” is another’s curled lip.

You can talk about your earthy palette. Or that your work is deeply textured. Or minimalist. But do you really need to say it’s beautiful? Will people assume your work is ugly if you don’t?

And why say you’re unique? You’re an artist, not a copy machine.

You don’t have to have a Pulitzer Prize to write eloquently about your work. Pretend you’re explaining it to someone wearing a blindfold. If you can’t let go of “unique,” look it up in the dictionary. See if your perception of the word matches its meaning. Switch to a thesaurus to help you find a word that’s not so overused.

A dictionary is one of the most valuable resources in your marketing toolbox. It can save you a lot of time and writing headaches.

Do you have trouble writing about what you do? What are some of the best—or worst—examples of catalogue descriptions you’ve seen?