---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the words in your copy should be “like…"
description: "\"“the words in your copy should be “like the windows in a storefront. The reader should be able to see right through them and see the product.”\" — Rober..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/robert-w-bly-39651_books_the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-th_975230.jpg"
---

#  the words in your copy should be “like the windows in a…

![“the words in your copy should be “like the windows in a storefront. The reader should be able to see right through them and see the product.” quote by Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/robert-w-bly-39651_books_the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-th_975230.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/robert-w-bly-39651_books_the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-th_975230.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/robert-w-bly-39651_books_the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-th_975230.jpg)

> ““the words in your copy should be “like the windows in a storefront. The reader should be able to see right through them and see the product.””

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Copy should be transparent, allowing readers to see the product clearly, like a storefront window.

**In simple terms:** Copy must be clear and transparent.

Key Takeaway

Write copy that reveals the product plainly.

Themes

clarity transparency marketing

Mood

practical informative

Type

educational instructional

When to use this quote

- advertising
- website design
- product descriptions

Key Concepts

communication design principles

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance transparency with intrigue?
- What visual metaphors enhance product appeal?

A Different Perspective

Overly literal windows can reveal too much, reducing intrigue.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

## Related quotes

> [I know "accessibility" is a term that's kind of thrown around wantonly today, especially with talking about visual media. But I think that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-powell/i-know-accessibility-is-a-term-that-s-kind-of-thrown-around-wantonly/)

[Nate Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-powell/)

> [“But once an original book has been written-and no more than one or two appear in a century-men of letters imitate it, in other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulle/but-once-an-original-book-has-been-written-and-no-more-than-one-or/)

[Pierre Boulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulle/)

> [“Merrick belonged to that class of reader who was able to forget with amazing ease the hand moving the characters behind the scenes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-j-palma/merrick-belonged-to-that-class-of-reader-who-was-able-to-forget-with/)

[Felix J Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-j-palma/)

> [A breeze, a forgotten summer, a smile, all can fit into a storefront window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/a-breeze-a-forgotten-summer-a-smile-all-can-fit-into-a-storefront/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [I want to have a storefront here in Los Angeles. I want people to be able to come here and connect - not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-xan/i-want-to-have-a-storefront-here-in-los-angeles-i-want-people-to-be/)

[Lil Xan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-xan/)

> [“I have enormous respect for the reader. They are able to take symbols from a page that an author has invented, and turn them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynette-willows/i-have-enormous-respect-for-the-reader-they-are-able-to-take-symbols/)

Lynette Willows

> [“hotels and trinket shops and storefront museums and all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/hotels-and-trinket-shops-and-storefront-museums-and-all/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“You swallow hard when you discover that the old coffee shop is now a chain pharmacy, that the place where you first kissed so-and-so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/you-swallow-hard-when-you-discover-that-the-old-coffee-shop-is-now-a/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“Since I was a big reader, I might be able to accomplish something. I had no gift. That didn’t mean I must be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-paley/since-i-was-a-big-reader-i-might-be-able-to-accomplish-something-i/)

[Grace Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-paley/)

> [Story is about pulling the reader in and a plot is a more externalized mechanism of revelation. A plot is more antic, more performative,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-enright/story-is-about-pulling-the-reader-in-and-a-plot-is-a-more/)

[Anne Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-enright/)

> [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/)

[Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/)

> [Critics are biased, and so are readers. (Indeed, a critic is a bundle of biases held loosely together by a sense of taste.) But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-balliett/critics-are-biased-and-so-are-readers-indeed-a-critic-is-a-bundle-of/)

Whitney Balliett

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

## More by Robert W. Bly

> [Instead of creating aesthetically pleasing prose, you have to dig into a product or service, uncover the reasons why consumers would want to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/instead-of-creating-aesthetically-pleasing-prose-you-have-to-dig-into/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [“the surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definite, and concrete. The greatest writers—Homer, Dante, Shakespeare—are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/the-surest-way-to-arouse-and-hold-the-attention-of-the-reader-is-by/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [Listen to your instincts, then do the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/listen-to-your-instincts-then-do-the-opposite/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [Writers are interested in a diverse range of subjects, but prefer to move from field to field to satisfy intellectual curiosity, rather than devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/writers-are-interested-in-a-diverse-range-of-subjects-but-prefer-to/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [We are not in the business of being original. We are in the business of reusing things that work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/we-are-not-in-the-business-of-being-original-we-are-in-the-business/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [“Copywriters are salespeople whose job is to convince people to buy products.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/copywriters-are-salespeople-whose-job-is-to-convince-people-to-buy/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [“Grade your performance as a copywriter on sales generated by your copy, not on originality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/grade-your-performance-as-a-copywriter-on-sales-generated-by-your/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [“Avoid pompous words and fancy phrases.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/avoid-pompous-words-and-fancy-phrases/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [What you want to do as a living and get paid for, others want to do as a hobby and for free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/what-you-want-to-do-as-a-living-and-get-paid-for-others-want-to-do-as/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

> [“Clever advertising can convince people to try a bad product once. But it can’t convince them to buy a product they’ve already tried and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/clever-advertising-can-convince-people-to-try-a-bad-product-once-but/)

[Robert W. Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

[Explore all 11 Robert W. Bly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/)

## More Books quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

Christopher K. Krebs

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“the words in your copy should be “like the windows in a storefront. The reader should be able to see right through them and see the product.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert W. Bly"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-the-windows-in-a-storefront-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-the-windows-in-a-storefront-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/robert-w-bly-39651_books_the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-th_975230.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/robert-w-bly-39651_books_the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-th_975230.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/robert-w-bly-39651_books_the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-th_975230.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“the words in your copy should be “like the windows in a storefront. The reader should be able to see right…” — Robert W. Bly",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert W. Bly",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-bly/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“the words in your copy should...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-the-windows-in-a-storefront-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-bly/the-words-in-your-copy-should-be-like-the-windows-in-a-storefront-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
