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8 Great Books for Copywriters

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I don't know about you but I've noticed that an increasing amount of people are chucking in their day jobs to embark on a career as a freelance copywriter. I'm not entirely sure why so many fancy their chances. I guess they believe they can write a bit. No doubt they've been told what a pleasant sort of life copywriting is and they rather fancy the idea of working from home. And maybe they've come to understand that it pays rather well, sometimes better than journalism and PR, and it can be more personally rewarding than account handling.

Don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with other people wanting to become copywriters. The thing that annoys me is that so many are being conned into believing that it's easy. Well let me tell you, easy it aint.

Just look around the internet and you'll see thousands of sites encouraging the would be writer to pick up a pen and follow the path of the advertising greats. It's a no-brainer they say, anyone can be a top copywriter. If you can tell a story, you already know how to do it, and apparently you'll have plenty of work because there is a huge and increasing demand for copy.

Well let me put the record straight. I'm not trying to sell you a course and I'm not trying to kid you into thinking you'll be swimming in loads of work, or even that you'll be any good at it. Copywriting can be a tough business. You will need a thick skin because your ego will take a beating on a regular basis. Sure it can be rewarding but it's also highly demanding. There are no short cuts and no hiding places. You have to deliver something better than your client can write - otherwise you're out of work. And let's not forget that your client is an expert. He or she probably knows more about the product than you do.

Still interested? Good. Apart from picking up a pen and paper, the best place to start a writing career is here. These books deliver much more than any online course can offer and they've become pretty much indispensable to me in my work. I have all of them placed neatly on a shelf by my side. Well, all of them except one.

The Copy Book. D&AD.
How 32 of the world's top advertising writers go about their work. Each section begins with a portrait of the writer and then there’s personal advice on how copy should be written. There are numerous examples of work and it's remarkable to read so many different approaches to the craft. Well worth every penny.

Brilliant Business Writing. Neil Taylor.
The trouble with most business writing is it feels like it been written on auto-pilot. Neil has produced a great book that shows how to bring it to life and energise and engage people with text. He also points out that you don't have to stick slavishly to grammar, in fact sometimes the writing is better if you don't.

On Writing Well. William Zinsser.
Every piece of copy should draw the reader in and be clear in its purpose. This gentle and persuasive book explains how to achieve these fundamental principles. After you have read this you will realise finally that you can delete up to 50% of the words you use in a first draft and make it 200% better! You'll come away with a clear idea of how to make your writing a pleasure to read.

Andy Maslen. Write copy, Make Money. The Copywriting Sourcebook
Andy has a very no nonsense approach to the business of writing copy and he provides lots of practical advice. Write copy, Make money really gets under the skin of running your own freelance business and you'll come away a lot wiser for it. He even explains how best to write an email to clients who might be slow on payment. Plenty of great tips for the wannabe writer.


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On Writing. Stephen King
All writers can learn from other writers even if the dont quite follow the same path. This book is not a biography. It is rather a kind of curriculum vitae- an attempt to show how a writer was formed and as Stephen King says, "This is how it was for me, that's all a disjointed growth process in which ambition, desire, luck and a little talent all played a part." Absolutely fascinating and a great collection of tips for the aspiring writer.

Pretty much anything written by John Simmons
I've lost count how many books John has written on copywriting, brand writing and business writing (whatever you want to call it.) The fact is he is one of the true greats in this field. If you're new to this craft called copywriting you won't find a better teacher. John is always encouraging and he always remembers that great writing is all about one person speaking to another.

Roger Horberry. Brilliant Copywriting.
A truly great book. So good, in fact I bought it twice. Contains all sorts of advice for anybody trying to break into marketing copywriting rather than advertising ( yes there is a distinction.) Buy it and it will give your copywriting career a rocket assisted launch.

Lindsay Camp. Can I change your mind. The craft and art of persuasive writing.
Think of it as the antidote to Eats, Shoots & Leaves: a book about being a better writer that isn't interested in what's correct, only what gets results. This, I'd be so bold to suggest, is one of the very smartest book on copywriting out there. So smart in fact that I rarely get to read it - it's usually on loan. Wherever it is currently, I'm not entirely sure. But if it is with you, could I please have it back?


John Fountain is a freelance copywriter
Follow @fountainjohn

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