Book · ~350 pages

Microcopy: The Complete Guide

Kinneret Yifrah · microcopybook.com (Nemala) Paid Beginner

This is the single most practical book written entirely about the tiny words in your product (buttons, error messages, empty states, form hints). It walks through real screenshots and shows the difference between a label that stalls a user and one that moves them forward. If you only buy one thing on this topic, start here.

  • Every button and message is a design decision, not filler text
  • Write for the user's motivation and the barrier in their head at that moment
  • Errors should name the problem in plain words and point to the fix
Open on microcopybook.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. How do I write clear button and error messages so users know exactly what to do next?

Read with it

  1. This is the book most working UX writers point to when they need a system, not just tips, for the exact text on buttons,... O'Reilly Media Book Strategic Writing for UX (2nd Edition) Torrey Podmajersky
  2. Nielsen Norman Group is the closest thing to a standard reference in usability, and this piece is a clean, specific checklist... Nielsen Norman Group Article Error-Message Guidelines Tim Neusesser and Evan Sunwall (Nielsen Norman Group)
  3. This is the reference everyone quietly copies when they first try to write down their brand voice, and it is public, free, and... Mailchimp Content Style Guide Article Voice and Tone, Mailchimp Content Style Guide Mailchimp
  4. If you are a founder or designer writing your own product copy without a UX writer on the team, this is the most practical... Smashing Magazine Article · About a 20 minute read How To Improve Your Microcopy: UX Writing Tips For Non-UX Writers Irina Silyanova
  5. Concrete rules for writing the words on your buttons and menus so nobody has to decode them. It covers using a verb plus a noun... Nielsen Norman Group Article · ~9 min read UI Copy: UX Guidelines for Command Names and Keyboard Shortcuts Anna Kaley
  6. Kate Kiefer Lee shaped Mailchimp's famous voice, and this book teaches you to write clear, human interface and product copy and... nicelysaid.co Book · ~272 pages Nicely Said: Writing for the Web with Style and Purpose Nicole Fenton and Kate Kiefer Lee
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