Back in 2019, I struggled HARD to break into copywriting.
I read a few books. Dabbled in some online courses. Plowed through a wide variety of blog posts, YouTube videos and social media posts.
But, I still had NO FREAKIN IDEA what I was doing.
So…
I gave up on my freelance writing dreams.
But then, in 2020 (when lockdowns hit) I made the SMART decision to give copywriting another shot.
This time…
I broke into copywriting like a wrecking ball on speed.
I got over 50 paying clients within 3 months, worked at multiple companies as an in-house & agency copywriter and wrote for HUNDREDS of freelance clients over the next couple years.
However, I attribute any “success” I’ve had in my copywriting career (4 years and running) to the first 3 months, in 2020, when I gave copywriting a second crack.
Why?
Because within these 3 months, I got an accelerated education into copywriting.
I quickly built my copywriting knowledge, skills and felt EXTREMELY confident to go out and get clients.
What did I do?
In these 3 months…
I read 10 copywriting books (2x each).
But not just any copywriting books.
These 10 copywriting books for beginners were written by the BEST copywriters on the planet, who have proven their success through products sold.
I studied from the best copywriters in the world and quickly became an elite copywriter because of this “boot camp” like education from reading the top 10 copywriting books (along with practicing my writing skills via copy practice)
In this post…
I’m going to reveal the single best way to learn copywriting (perfect for beginners who want to learn copywriting FAST), why reading books will make you a better copywriter, and the 10 best copywriting books EVERY BEGINNER MUST READ.
What is the Best Way to Learn Copywriting?
In my phat opinion…
EVERY beginner copywriter MUST read the 10 books I’m about to mention.
Why?
Before you can get clients and provide value to them through your writing, you need a solid education on the direct response basics.
Copywriting 101.
I recommend all aspiring and beginner copywriters to read these 10 books, as they will give you a very solid foundation of everything you need to know about copywriting.
You'll learn the principles, the fundamentals, the basics of copywriting to get a really good foundation of your knowledge of what successful copy is and also what it's not.
You'll learn from the top copywriters in the history of this industry who have paved the way in this field and who have proven their success through the money they've made with their copy (through products sold).
This is the most important step when starting out because this is going to lay the groundwork for everything else you do in your copywriting career.
If you get a good education on the principles and fundamentals of what makes successful copy, you'll be building your career off on the right foot and this will help you with everything you do later on.
You can think of it like building a house.
You're laying the foundation.
If you mess up the foundation, the house is going to crumble.
It's the same with your career.
You need to learn what makes good copy and to really understand the fundamentals and the laws of copywriting, salesmanship, marketing, and human psychology, at a DEEP level, which these 10 books are going to cover in full detail.
So many copywriters struggle because they skip this do-or-die first step.
They never truly learn the fundamentals of copywriting.
This curses them from the beginning and almost guarantees low-paying gigs, mediocre writing and mountain-high obstacles throughout their entire (short) careers.
All of which COULD be avoided IF they learned the basics BEFORE trying to get clients.
How Can Reading Books Make You a Better Copywriter?
Reading copywriting books from the world’s most successful copywriters will transform your copywriting skills – in record time.
After you learn from the best and practice what you’ve learned, you’ll gain tiger confidence in your writing skills and be able to provide REAL value to your clients.
As I always say, in order to become a successful copywriter, you MUST be able to provide value for your clients.
And there’s only ONE way to do this…
By getting them their desired results through the words you write (leads and sales).
Learning from the top copywriters will set you apart from the fierce competition and ensure you can provide your clients with extreme value.
The 10 Best Copywriting Books for Beginners
Here are the 10 best copywriting books for beginners to learn copywriting.
All of these books cover the basics of direct response copywriting (the stuff that sells).
Each author gives their own unique methods for writing killa copy. Most of these books provide checklists, fill-in-the-blank formulas and examples of real-life ads (with insights).
Alrighty, let’s get it on like Donkey Kong…
1. The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert – FREE
It’s no secret, Gary Halbert is one of the best copywriters who’s ever lived. These letters (written to his son while he served time in jail) hold some of the greatest lessons on copywriting, marketing & business. There are 25 letters in total. They are quick to read and are very fun & engaging. You’ll learn the basics of direct response marketing and copywriting. As you read, pay special attention to how Gary writes these letters. There’s an entire copywriting education in studying his structure, flow and writing style.
Read The Boron Letters TODAY:
https://morgancrozier.com/boron-letters/
2. The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman – $15
Joseph Sugarman, creator of the famous BluBlockers’ ad, hosted very expensive seminars ($2000+ per person) for an elite group of entrepreneurs on copywriting. He turned these seminars into a book – The Adweek Copywriting Handbook. This is probably the most extensive book on copywriting and the closest thing to an A-to-Z copywriting course (much better than ANY copywriting course online). This book will give you everything you need to know about what goes into successful copy. At the end, Joseph gives dozens of pages worth of real-life examples to see his teachings in action.
Read The Adweek Copywriting Handbook TODAY:
https://www.amazon.com/Adweek-Copywriting-Handbook-Advertising-Copywriters/dp/0470051248
3. How to Write a Good Advertisement by Victor O. Schwab – $10
Victor reveals his 5-step process for writing homerun copy. My favorite part of this book is the headline section. He gives away the 100 most successful headlines ever written (at the time) and gives great details and insights on WHY they worked so well.
Read How to Write a Good Advertisement TODAY:
https://www.amazon.com/Write-Good-Advertisement-Victor-Schwab/dp/1614278865
4. Scientific Advertising By Claude Hopkins – $4
The godfather of advertising explains what advertising (and copywriting) really is. This book revolutionized advertising. Changing it from a mysterious art to a definite science. You’ll want to read this book AT LEAST 10x.
Read Scientific Advertising TODAY:
5. The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy - $12
Dan Kennedy gives away his secret formula for creating successful sales letters. He gives you a step-by-step process that anyone can follow to write better sales letters and ads. There are tons of examples, breakdowns and copywriting secrets packed inside this goldmine.
Read The Ultimate Sales Letter TODAY:
6. Ogilvy on Advertising By David Ogilvy – $20
The REAL Don Draper (Ogilvy) spills the beans on everything advertising. You’ll not only learn how to write good ads, but you’ll learn what images to use, how to design ads (that make money), how to deal with clients, and the nuances of different copywriting styles and niches.
Read Ogilvy on Advertising TODAY:
7. Tested Advertising Methods By John Caples – $18
Like scientific advertising, this book breaks advertising (and sales copy) down to a science. Caples provides tons of real-life examples – backed by cold hard data - to prove his claims. You’ll discover what works, why it works and HOW to replicate it for similar extraordinary results.
Read Tested Advertising Methods TODAY:
https://www.amazon.com/Advertising-Methods-Prentice-Business-Classics/dp/0130957011
8. Cashvertising By Drew Eric Whitman – $12
Unlike the other books, the author of this book is not a top copywriter. BUT… he is a top marketer who specializes in buyer psychology. To write effective copy, you must tap into your reader’s psychology, this book covers everything you need to know about WHY people buy things and how they react to ads. This book gives HUNDREDS of tips and tactics on how to tap into your readers’ psychology to “force” them to read every word you write and buy from you.
Read Cashvertising TODAY:
9. The Copywriter’s Handbook By Bob Bly – $8
Bob Bly is one of the top-paid living freelance copywriters. In this book, he covers everything you need to know about how to write effective direct response copy. He gives great insights on how the internet has changed copywriting, and how it’s remained the same. This book gives a crash course on how to write direct response copy, and then, covers how to write copy for all of the most popular media used today.
Read The Copywriter’s Handbook TODAY:
10. Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel By John Carlton - $40
John Carlton, the most ripped-off copywriter on the web, reveals his secret formula for writing kick-ass copy. He gives his own unique spin on copywriting and a LOT more… like: how to create your own product, how to choose a starving crowd, etc.
Read Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel TODAY:
https://marketingrebel.com/kick-ass-copywriting-secrets-of-a-marketing-rebel/?cookieUUID=78cf5886-f0b5-42ae-86d0-97fad09cc052
Conclusion
You now have a treasure chest filled with copywriting gold.
Pick up your shovel and start digging!
I recommend reading each book twice.
The first time, just read it and have fun.
The second time, take detailed notes.
After you’ve read these 10 books, and have studied them, you will be ready to break into copywriting with lightning speed and provide your clients supreme value.
If you’d like to learn how to get a flood of new freelance clients and quickly climb the copywriter’s mountain to fame and fortune, enter your email below: