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Copywriting is a versatile skill. In today's increasingly digital economy, demand for creators of digital content and writers is on the rise. The digital writing profession has been growing by about 33% each year, and copywriting is an essential part of this category. As the digital advertising landscape continues to change, copywriting novices and pros alike can benefit from books that help them hone their skills. These are some of the best books for copywriting that can help you build your career wherever you are on the ladder.
10 Best Books For Current and Future Copywriters
Whether you’re interested in breaking into scientific advertising, sales letters, content creation, or another form of direct marketing, there is a book out there that will help you develop your skills. Our top ten cover a range of information for copywriters at all stages of the game.
Copywriting Books for Beginners
The best copywriting books for beginners have information on copywriting principles and basics and offer tips and tricks for improving your writing and creating compelling copy. Check these books out if you have a limited understanding of copywriting or if you need help figuring out how to focus your business.
1. Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy is widely known as the “Father of Advertising.” He started his ad career in 1938 and went on to build one of the most well-known agencies in the business, Ogilvy and Mather. Mather’s book, which was published in 1985, covers everything from how create a successful advertising campaign to the science behind market research. It is a popular guide like its predecessor, “Breakthrough Advertising” by Eugene Schwartz.
It also covers how to write successful copy that motivates people to read it. The book is clear and concise, and it's easy to understand. Its advice still holds up nearly 40 years after it was written. While Ogilvy couldn’t have predicted e-commerce and advertising in the digital age, his principles regarding copy and psychology are timeless.
In 2018, Miles Young, a non-executive chairman of Ogilvy and Mather, wrote a sequel of sorts that was titled “Ogilvy on Advertising in the Digital Age.” This book is a good companion piece to its predecessor and offers sound advice on how to tailor Ogilvy’s original principles for a modern customer.
2. The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly
Written by Robert Bly, a poet and essayist, “The Copywriter’s Handbook” is one of the best books for learning copywriting. It covers everything from the basics to the tips you need to make your copy better. Bly talks about how to open a sales letter, the basics of headlines, and much more.
This book was written in 2006 and covers a breadth of information for different types of marketing. There is even a section dedicated to crafting email marketing messages. Since 87% of marketers rely on email, this is valuable information for anyone looking to ignite a career in copywriting.
Since this book was written before social media and e-commerce really took off, you may want to add some supplemental reading material to brush up on those skills. But Bly’s advice on print ads is easily translatable to some digital campaigns.
3. How to Write Better Copy by Steve Harrison
If you’re interested in breaking into the business, you need to learn the art of effective copywriting. Steve Harrison’s 2017 book is only 160 pages, so it’s an easy read for anyone with a short attention span. It’s structured and easy to follow with tips that will help you avoid common copy mistakes.
Since the book is well-organized, its lessons build on each other, and the information is easy to digest. This book is one of the top copywriting publications for those who’ve got the basics down but want to learn how to polish their copy and take their writing to the next level.
“How to Write Better Copy” serves as a practical guide for each step of the process, from the brief to the final product. It has tips on how to help your clients reach their goals ranging from improving sales to attracting new customers. Use the guidelines for your own business too. Keep it on hand when you’re ready to start pitching.
4. Breakthrough Copywriting: How To Generate Quick Cash With The Written Word by David Garfinkel
“Breakthrough Copywriting” is another comprehensive guide if you’re starting out. This book focuses a lot on selling and creating messages that persuade people to buy. If you’re interested in writing sales letters, product descriptions, and other marketing-related copy, this book is a great place to start.
As an added bonus, this book gives you tips on how you can start your own business and generate a full-time income from copy. It covers scientific advertising principles that you can use in your own sales pitches and tips that you can use to help your potential clients shine.
If you’re a visual learner, you will likely appreciate the examples presented in this book. Garfinkle chooses clear illustrations to help you grasp the key concepts, and he offers insights and explanations into why his techniques work.
5. On the Art of Writing Copy: The Best of Print, Broadcast, Internet, and Direct Mail by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Advertising copywriter Herschell Gordon Lewis had a successful career in direct marketing that spanned over five decades. His approach to copy is one of the reasons he was so successful, and he lays out his secrets to success in this book. It covers everything from online copywriting to print ads.
Gordon Lewis was a master copywriter, and this book covers multiple varieties of copywriting. It not only covers the professional copy itself, but also how to present yourself professionally to potential clients. If you need to brush up on grammar and other basics, there’s a section to help you hone your skills.
It also goes into the subtleties of writing copy and how you can apply them to your own projects. If you’ve got access to your old projects, use the book to rewrite them and see how they improve.
Books for an Experienced Copywriter
The best books about copywriting aren’t limited to the fundamentals. Even if you’ve been copywriting for a while, you can always improve, especially as the marketing landscape continues to change in the digital age. Whether you’re interested in perfecting your writing skills or you want to learn how to tackle copy from a different perspective, these books offer great practical advice.
6. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
“Everybody Writes” presents sound advice to seasoned copywriters and content creators alike. Anyone who uses their website and social media to promote themselves will likely find some good advice in this book. In it, Ann Handley outlines why we all need to learn to write well in the current climate and how to go about it.
First, she gives tips on grammar and tone, and then she dives into the art of storytelling. This books is a quick and easy read for anyone who wants to shift their career towards content creation or marketing copy. If you’re interested in jumping into technical writing, Handley also offers tips on how to properly cite and format references.
Most importantly, Handley discusses how to find your writing style, which will help you learn how to stand out as a copywriter. The book itself is very engaging and conversational without sounding too condescending. Read it if you’re ready to start your own blog or if you want to learn to create better blog posts for your clients.
7. The Idea Writers by Teressa Iezzi
If you’ve been copywriting for a while and want to learn how to approach a multi-dimensional ad campaign, this is a great book. Its advice might be a little daunting at first, because Iezzi is honest about the advertising industry as a whole. She knows you’ll be competing in a saturated landscape and offers tips on what to do when you’re staring down a blinking cursor.
Any copywriter who started out before social media blew up should read this book to learn the basics of writing for multiple platforms. Although the book was written in 2010 and doesn’t cover Instagram, TikTok and newer platforms, its advice helps people with a classical advertising background adjust their traditional approaches to a digital world.
Anyone who’s already running a copywriting business will find helpful tips and tricks in this book. Use it to help market yourself.
8. Making Your Website Work by Gill Andrews
When you’ve been copywriting for a long time, it’s easy to get complacent. This book will help you fix any mistakes you may be making in your own copy. Andrews offers advice for spotting and fixing vague copy, writing persuasive testimonials, how to make your website more dynamic, and much more.
You can apply the lessons in this book to your own copywriting clients. Learn how to evaluate their websites for areas you can clean up to drive more traffic. Andrews’ own writing style is practical and approachable. She doesn’t include a lot of filler or jargon.
This book also offers actionable advice that’s easy to apply to your own copywriting business. You can also go to her website for accompanying worksheets that drive the lessons home.
9. Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
Another book rooted in scientific marketing principles, “Wired For Story” explains how to grip a reader using psychology. In today’s marketing climate, customers are more engaged by storytelling. Effective advertising based around a story helps businesses establish authenticity and connect with potential customers, 88% of whom want to buy from brands that are authentic.
This book takes a different approach to traditional marketing and copywriting guides. It compels you to consider why you’re writing and how your words will connect with your reader. It can help you take your writing to the next level by identifying common mistakes and learning the science behind why clunky writing loses readers.
Although the book is directed towards writers in general, its principles are great for copywriting, much of which is intended to be persuasive. The book will teach you how to make people curious, engaged, and want to keep reading. If you’re a copywriter who dabbles in fiction, use it to perfect both sides of your writing.
10. The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
When you’ve tried everything you can think of to improve your copywriting but you’re still missing that final piece, check out this book. “The Power of Moments” is another great guide that will help you create a connection. Effective copy moves people and resonates with them.
Learning about how certain moments resonate with people will help you create copy that allows people to tap into their memories. Its lessons are adaptable for any type of copywriting, from ad copy that sells to a white paper that highlights a customer’s story in detail. The book itself is an engaging read. It flows well from chapter to chapter, allowing you to finish it pretty quickly.
Chip and Dan Heath inspire you to apply their lessons, so you may end up putting the book down in between chapters to practice. Each section includes a summary and worksheets, so if you do move on from a chapter, you can go back and relearn it without having to read the book again.
Transform Your Content With Effective Copywriting
Whatever your career level, you can always learn more tips and tricks that will improve your writing. If you’re a newbie or a professional, these books give you advice that will equip you to effectively serve your clients and help them meet their goals.
If you’re a business owner who could use some help with your own copy, you don’t have to read the books on this list. Contact Compose.ly and use our vetted copywriting services to connect with your potential customers. We have writers for any industry or niche, ranging from legal to technical writing. We can help you create blog posts and more to tell your story and build relationships. Request a sample today.
