Running Head: ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA

TCHEN

On Copywriting: An Interview with Melissa Tchen

Antoinette M. Faiella-Mascarello
University of Central Florida

ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA TCHEN

On Copywriting: An Interview with Melissa Tchen

The Definitive Guide to Copywriting, a web outline detailing the
craft, states, Copywriting is the art and science of writing copy that
sells your product or service. (Patel & Putnam, n.d.) It sounds like
sales, right? Well, the guide also tells us that a sales team contacts
customers one at a time; a copywriter reaches all of them at once
through billboards, magazine ads, sales letters, blog posts, and more.
(Patel & Putnam, n.d.) Words and text are an extremely important part
of any advertisement, next to imagery, of course.
So, you want to be a copywriter. But, how do you become one?
What is this career all about? These are questions that are addressed
by Melissa Tchen, who has been a copywriter for Valenicas Marketing
and Strategic Communications team since 2007. The team handles
marketing for the college, which includes promoting enrollment for
credit programs, continuing education, and international studies. As
the only copywriter, Tchen produces a lot of work. I am sort of the
voice of Valencia, since I write all communications and marketing
materials that come out of our department, she states. (M. Tchen,
personal communication, October 1, 2015) She is also responsible for
proofreading everything that the team produces. Tchen is a part of a
company that adopts division of labor practices, much like the model in
Division of Labor or Integrated Teams: A Crux in the Management of

ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA TCHEN

Technical

Communication,

(Jones

&

Killingsworth,

3
2003)

with

copywriting being the labor Tchen is specialized in.

A typical day consists of meetings, developing creative concepts,
creative reviews and of course, writing. Whenever Tchen is assigned a
new job to work on, the team will have an input meeting to kick it of
and let everyone know the details of the project and to set due dates.
She typically works with a designer to develop concepts and then
reviews them with the rest of the creative team. I spend a lot of my
time

at my

computer,

writing

copy,

Tchen

admits.

(personal

communication, October 1, 2015) Go figure.

She writes copy for Valencia print collateral, such as brochures,
posters, flyers, postcards, and print ads, as well as for websites and
web advertisements. Sometimes, shes also asked to name a product
or service. Tchen says she could spend hours or days trying to write
the perfect headline for something like a billboard or tagline for an ad
campaign. (personal communication, October 1, 2015) There are even
times when Tchen writes articles for Valencias Vitae magazine. She
calls this putting on her journalism hat. She is currently working on a
feature article that she says will take about two weeks to develop
between the interviews, research, and writing; the end result being a
2,000 word article.
Tchens work environment is pretty casual, sitting above the
library at Valencias West Campus. They can wear jeans and sneakers if

ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA TCHEN

they choose and the overall atmosphere encourages creativity and

collaboration. There are big black boards in the hallway where they
pin up any work thats in development so that anyone can review it as
they walk by. Tchens workspace is near the other creatives where the
lights remain of for the designers to avoid any glare on their computer
screens.
Tchen is the only copywriter on the team. There are two account
managers, one director of interactive marketing, one traffic manager,
two public relations people, one photographer, four graphic designers
and an art director. Tchen works closely with the creative teamthe
graphic designers and the art director. Together, they brainstorm ideas,
develop creative concepts and review each others work. Tchen reveals
that by the time a project is finished, we usually dont even know
whos idea it was originally, because everyone played a part in
bringing it to life. (personal communication, October 1, 2015) Tchens
workplace demonstrates a healthy balance of interaction and isolation
as discussed in Orality and Literacy in the Workplace. (Spilka, 2003)
They work independently at their desks, but only after a great deal of
communication and collaboration.
When noon rolls around, Tchen is pretty diligent about taking
lunch breaks. She says its important to step away from work every
once in a while to refresh, refuel, and recharge. (M. Tchen, personal
communication, October 1, 2015) She usually breaks with the

ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA TCHEN

designers. They talk about current events, television shows, and more.
Knowing each other outside of their work roles makes them a stronger
team, according to Tchen. (personal communication, October 1, 2015)
She believes As a copywriter, you always have to be taking in new
information and getting perspectives outside of your ownlunch with
friends is a great time to do that. You never know when an of-hand
conversation could lead to your next spark of inspiration. (M. Tchen,
personal communication, October 1, 2015)
There are many resources that Tchen uses on a daily basis.
Dictionary.com is always open on her computer, specifically the
thesaurus tab, and she has a subscription to AP Stylebook online. She
also never goes anywhere without a notepad. Over time, there has
been a growing emphasis on writing web copy and building more
digital content. Tchen had to become familiar with various content
management systems, such as WordPress. Technology is always
changing, trends are always changing, and consumer expectations are
always changing. To Tchen, change is kind of exciting because its
what keeps you from falling in a rut. Especially in advertising and
marketing, its important to stay in touch with new developments.
(personal communication, October 1, 2015).
One of the hardest parts of my job is having to revisit a project
and rework it over and over again, Tchen admits. (personal
communication, October 1, 2015)

It can be frustrating, because

ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA TCHEN

sometimes you really love something and someone else thinks it needs
to be changed. (M. Tchen, personal communication, October 1, 2015)
However, like most careers professionals are most passionate about, it
is rewarding in the end. Tchen, for instance, enjoys being creative and
working with other people to solve a problem. To her, the most
rewarding part is getting to see a final product in marketlike driving
by a billboard that she wrote. Also, since Tchen works for a college, she
is writing for a product that she believe in and that may make a
diference in someones life. (M. Tchen, personal communication,
October 1, 2015)
Tchen went to school at the University of Florida and majored in
advertising. It provided a good background in the various aspects of
advertisingaccount

management,

media

buying,

research

and

creative development. She was drawn to the creative side of things

and had always been strong in English and writing, so naturally she
gravitated toward copywriting and focused her study on related
classes. Today, writers have an advantage as schools are altering their
curriculums to include classes that fine tune students writing skills as
highlighted in First Flight. (McKenzie, 2008.) In school, Tchen also
joined a student-run ad agency club where they did ad work for local
clients, and participated in two internships at Orlando ad agencies. To
be a copywriter, she says, you need a strong writing background and
you also need to be good at persuasion. (M. Tchen, personal

ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA TCHEN

communication, October 1, 2015) Tchen recommends that aspiring

copywriters start with a bachelors degree in English, marketing, or
advertising, as well as aquire some sort of formal portfolio education.
During junior and senior years, try to get and internship at an ad
agency. Youll be surrounded by creativity, inspiration and lots of
people who want to help you and can mentor you. (M. Tchen, personal
communication, October 1, 2015) Tchen gives another piece of advice:
keep an idea journal and carry it with you wherever you go. You
should always be writing, taking in new information and observing
people. Sit in a crowded area and take notes, write down what you see
and overheard pieces of conversations. Its these little insights that can
spark an idea in the future. (M. Tchen, personal communication,
October 1, 2015)
Outside of work, Tchen likes to spend time with her family. She
has two young childrenand 18-month-old boy and a 4-year-old girl.
They like to go to the park, do arts and crafts, and read books. Right
now, they are working on their Halloween costumesthe whole family
is going to be members of the Avengers!

Jones, B. G., & Killingsworth, M. J. (2003). Division of Labor or

Integrated

ON COPYWRITING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA TCHEN

Teams: A Crux in the Management of Technical Communication.

Tim Peeples
(Ed.), Professional Writing and Rhetoric (pp. 321-341), Addison
Wesley
Educational Publishers, Inc.
McKenzie, A. (2008). First Flight. Jennifer MacLennan (Ed.), Readings
for
Technical Communication (pp. 15-28). Canada: Oxford University
Press.
Patel, N., & Putnam, J. (Last edited date). The Definitive Guide to
Copywriting.
Retrieved from https://www.quicksprout.com/the-definitive-guideto-copywriting/
Spilka, R. (2003). Orality and Literacy in the Workplace: Process and
Text
Based Strategies for Multiple-Audience Adaptation. Tim Peeples
(Ed.),
Professional Writing and Rhetoric (pp. 146-170), Addison Wesley
Educational
Publishers, Inc.