For many copywriters, the difference between copywriting and copyright, is something they are constantly having to explain. I must admit I often say “I’m a writer” rather than a “copywriter” to avoid the confusion, but this isn’t technically correct either. Writing or feature writing (which I also do) and copywriting are two distinct fields.
Confused? Okay, let me explain. The difference between copywriting and copyright is in the spelling of the latter part of the words. Copywriting is about writing words, whereas copyright is about a person’s automatic right to legal recognition of their authorship of a document (whether it be a book, a song or anything else). You obviously can’t see the spelling of the word if a person is verbally telling you that they are a copywriter – but you can be assured that they are the former – a type of writer. A person dealing with legal copyright would be a lawyer (rather than a copyrighter).
So, why not just call feature writers and copywriters writers? Well, we are all writers but feature writers tend to write longer copy for magazines, newspapers and online publications, whereas copywriters are more often associated with advertising and marketing for businesses. Copywriters can also write blog posts, so the lines do become a little blurred. But I guess the main point of difference is the intention of the writing – copywriting helps sell, promote and basically create an image for businesses.
Hope it’s now a little clearer to you. I can’t help you secure copyright in your work, but I can create great copy for you!