List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas - Page 2

webdev · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-10-2006, 07:50 AM

Thanks to everyone who replied. I'm gonna work up a list of a few of the best. I'll post back once I whittle it down. (Thanks Primo, them 2 are on it)

webdev · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-11-2006, 11:28 AM

I've tried to cherry pick a few books most people seem to think are the best of the lot. Here they are:

1) Breakthrough Advertising by Gene Schwartz
2) Advertising Secrets of the Written Word by Joe Sugarman
3) First Hundred Million By E. Haldeman Julius
4) How To Write A Good Advertisement/ My First 50 Years In Advertising By Vic Schwab

Please do let me know if you think one should be up there.

Thanks

MakeLemonade · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-11-2006, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webdev

I've tried to cherry pick a few books most people seem to think are the best of the lot. Here they are:

1) Breakthrough Advertising by Gene Schwartz
2) Advertising Secrets of the Written Word by Joe Sugarman
3) First Hundred Million By E. Haldeman Julius
4) How To Write A Good Advertisement/ My First 50 Years In Advertising By Vic Schwab

Please do let me know if you think one should be up there.

Thanks

Cialdini's Influence. Without question.

B

Mr. Subtle · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-11-2006, 01:22 PM

webdev, first of all First Hundred Million By E. Haldeman Julius is NOT a book on copywriting and you requested books on copywriting.

If you don't have the following books then get them:

Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples (a whoppin' $10.85 and yet it will teach more about copywriting than most $500.00 internet copywriting courses)

Magic Words That Bring You Riche$ by Ted Nicholas (on amazon it's from $59.84, but last year I gave everyone here a link where you could get the pdf for FREE)

Sales Letters That Sizzle : All the Hooks, Lines, and Sinkers You'll Ever Need to Close Sales by Herschell Gordon Lewis (from $19.94 on amazon. The entire 2nd half of the book is devoted to 100 ways of creating a powerful opening paragraph)

You can buy the above 3 books for less than the price of Schwartz's Breakthrough Advertising and learn a heck of a lot more from them. Schwartz was a brilliant copywriter, but he couldn't take that talent and transfer it over to his book. It's probably the most boring book on copywriting that I've ever read and I would market it as "A Natural Cure For Insomnia" because on those rare occasions when I can't fall asleep, I'll pull his book out and by the 3rd page I'm sawin' logs.

Ken Strong · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-11-2006, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

Magic Words That Bring You Riche$ by Ted Nicholas (on amazon it's from $59.84, but last year I gave everyone here a link where you could get the pdf for FREE)

He's not giving it away at his site any longer, but you can download it there for $37. I also see a physical copy currently for sale on Alibris for around $30.

Jason Moffatt · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-11-2006, 03:32 PM

Well I'm gonna go against the grain here and
share one of my secret weapons....

Lenny Bruce

"How To Talk Dirty and Influence People".

It's a killer!

Motley1 · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-11-2006, 03:45 PM

Mr Subtle....you just talked me into checking out your recommendations also.

thanks!

Mr. Subtle · 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Moffatt

Well I'm gonna go against the grain here and
share one of my secret weapons....

Lenny Bruce

"How To Talk Dirty and Influence People".

It's a killer!

I wonder if "The Rich Jerk" has read it. Here's the subject line from his e-mail today:

Rich Jerk Offers Sex to 9/11 Widows

Looks like online e-mail marketing has hit a new all-time low.

I'm not that familiar with Lenny Bruce, but this quote of his has always brought a smile to my face:

"If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses."

The quote above may have inspired comedian Bill Hicks when he said:

“A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. You think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a ****ing cross? It's like going up to Jackie Onassis wearing a rifle pendant.”

webdev · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-12-2006, 11:13 AM

Hey,

Thanks for all your help especially mr subtle, I got a chapter of eugense schwarz's book off amazon, it seemed all:

"A copywriter should be bold, brilliant, cunning and at the same time magnificent... blah blah without actually saying anything you can do"

Maybe amazon picked a bad chapter. But for $99.00 i don't think i'll be looking to find out.

Also i read JP's recommendation for "Magic words that sell..." and with a lot of advanced google searches I managed to find it. Off to read it in front of friends now

Nebulousx · **Re: List of Top Copywriting Books For Xmas -** 12-12-2006, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

Looks like online e-mail marketing has hit a new all-time low.

The quote above may have inspired comedian Bill Hicks when he said:

“A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. You think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a ****ing cross? It's like going up to Jackie Onassis wearing a rifle pendant.”

Hicks was an awesome comedian that died way too soon. Now all his material is ripped off and performed by Dennis Leary.

As for the rich jerk, he really does go way too far. I'm not impressed.