I teach a copywriting class for the University of Iowa’s Master’s in Strategic Communication program, a class I asked to teach because there’s a void in formal education for this skill.

What I didn’t realize – probably because I work in a bubble – is that the word “copy” doesn’t mean anything to some people.

One of my past students was not marketing-trained, so when I mentioned “writing copy” in another of my classes, he chatted me off to the side and asked, “What do you mean by ‘copy’?”

This thing that I do every day – these words that I write, this material that I edit, this language that I use to persuade – was strange to someone else.

It got me thinking, “How do I explain ‘copy’ to someone who probably reads it every day but doesn’t think about it the same way I do?”

Or, “what is copy?”

This series of articles explores what I believe “copy” is. To me, copy is, much like my wedding dance song, more than words. (Thank you, Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt.) Copy persuades, it shows empathy, it’s personal, it’s helpful, and, especially in times like these (thank you, Dave Grohl), it’s responsible.

The next few pieces here explain what I mean in more detail, and they get to the heart of why I love reading and writing good copy. I hope you’ll follow along.