A Recommended Reading List For Copywriters

(Compiled by Ray L. Edwards - Learncopy.com)

One of the first question that aspiring copywriters ask is, Which are the best books to read if I
want to become a copywriter? Below I have attempted to compile such a list and organize the
books in categories so you can make sense of why you need to study them. Of course, no list of
this nature will be exhaustive, so you may find a book useful that is not listed here. This list is
not a judgment on other books you may find personally beneficial. Plus, a copywriter, like any
other writer, should always be reading, both in and outside of his or her field.

Books Dealing Directly With The Subject of Copywriting (My must reads)
The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan S. Kennedy
Advertising Secrets of The Written Word by Joe Sugarman
The Robert Collier Letter Book by Robert Collier
Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples
Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene M. Schwartz
Breakthrough Advertising Secrets by Eugene Schwartz
How to Write a Good Advertisement

by Victor O. Schwab.

The Copywriter's Handbook by Robert Bly

Web Copy That Sells by Maria Veloso
Ogilvy On Advertising by David Ogilvy
Obvious Adams by Robert Rawls Updegraff
Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale
Persuasive Online Copywriting by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg
Net Words - Creating High Impact Online Copy by Nick Usborne
Masters Of Advertising by J. George Frederic
How To Make Your Advertising Make Money by John Caples
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A Recommended Reading List For Copywriters compiled by Ray L. Edwards. Learncopy.com

How to Write Sales Letters That Sell by Drayton Bird

Making Ads Pay by John Caples
The Architecture of Persuasion by Michael Masterson
The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joe Sugarman
The Elements of Copywriting by Gary Blake and Robert Bly
The Greatest Direct Mail Sales Letters of all Time by Richard Hodgson
How To Write Advertising That Sells by Clyde Bedell
Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias
Sales Letters That Sizzle by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Cash Copy by Jeffrey Lant
The Lazy Man's Way to Riches by Joe Karbo
Write to Sell by Andy Maslen
Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich by David Garfinkle
Winning Website Sales Letter by Robert Boduch
Great Headlines Instantly by Robert Boduch
Million Dollar Mailings by Denison Hatch
The Wizard of Ads Trilogy by Roy H. Williams
Write Right: 26 Tips to Improve Your Writing Dramatically by Roger Shapiro
Cashvertising by Drew Eric Whitman

Tools of the Trade (References) & Books On Writing

Words That Sell by Richard Bayan
Phrases That Sell by Edwards Werz & Sally Germain
Tested Sentences That Sell by Elmer Wheeler
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A Recommended Reading List For Copywriters compiled by Ray L. Edwards. Learncopy.com

Magic Words That Bring You Riches by Ted Nicholas

Power Copywriting by Herschell Gordon Lewis
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
On Writing by Stephen King
How to Be Your Own Best Editor by Barry Tarshis
The Elements of Style by Strunk & White

The Copywriting Life /Business /Marketing

My Life In Advertising by Claude Hopkins
Confession of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy
The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman
How I Raised Myself From Failure To success In Selling by Frank Bettger
My First 50 Years in Advertising by Maxwell Sackheim
Ziglar On Selling by Zig Ziglar
7-Steps To Freedom by Ben Suarez
Method Marketing by Denison Hatch
The First Hundred Million by E. Haldeman-Julius
63 Killer Marketing Strategies by Dan Kennedy

Books On Persuasion
Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
Influencing Human Behavior by Harry Allen Overstreet
Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion by Magedah E. Shabo
The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
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A Recommended Reading List For Copywriters compiled by Ray L. Edwards. Learncopy.com

Unlimited Selling Power: How to Master Hypnotic Skills by Donald Moine , Kenneth Lloyd

Mindset Books Great for personal development

New Psycho-Cybernetics by Dan S. Kennedy
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

A Recommended Reading List For Copywriters compiled by Ray L. Edwards. Learncopy.com