Write Copy, Make Money by Andy Maslen
If you want to make money as a freelance writer, this should be the first copywriting book you read.
Andy takes you through all the key aspects of running a copywriting business, including finding clients, business planning and setting prices.
Andy is one of the UK's foremost copywriters and copywriting trainers. He also includes tips from other copywriters, including our own Tom Albrighton.
Note: this book doesn't cover copywriting technique. If you want to learn how to be a copywriter, get Write to Sell (right).
Write to Sell by Andy Maslen
Write to Sell is one of the best copywriting books available in terms of covering the basics clearly and concisely.
Reflecting his own background, Andy is very much focused on the nuts and bolts of creating high-performing, hard-selling content for commercial clients on a freelance basis.
The book covers focusing on the reader, planning, writing style and editing your own work. It also discusses writing for the web.
An excellent first read if you want to learn how to write commercially.
Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A guide to creating great advertising by Luke Sullivan
Not explicitly a copywriting book, but Sullivan is a legendary US copywriter and his book is very much about writing as the driver of creativity.
Using hundreds of classic ads as examples, he explains what makes a truly original, memorable, creative advert.
The subtitle says it all: this is a practical guide to creating (as opposed to just doing) great (as opposed to just good) advertising.
However, the focus is almost entirely on B2C ads in print and broadcast media. For a B2B perspective, see Creative B2B Branding (right).
Creative B2B Branding (No, Really) by Scot McKee
Why shouldn't B2B marketing be creative? That's the question that has driven McKee's career as a marketing consultang, and it's the driving force behind this book.
Arguing (convincingly) that much B2B branding is lazy and mediocre, McKee sets out a practical process for encouraging B2B companies to think about their brands and how they could develop, before explaining how a B2B brand can be rolled out across a range of media.
If you work for B2B companies, this is an essential read. You'll never accept an ad featuring people shaking hand or the word 'solution' again…
Does Your Marketing Sell? by Ian Moore
Again, not explicitly a copywriting book, but Does Your Marketing Sell? has a huge amount to teach the copywriter.
'Salesmanship not showmanship' sums up Ian Moore's attitude. He served his own apprenticeship in the practical, tried and tested world of direct marketing (sales letters and mailshots), and it shows. He explains how benefits are the key to effective selling, and emphasises the critical importance of making things easy and clear for the reader before you invite them to take action.
It's highly readable and very funny, with hundreds of informative examples. Strongly recommended.
How To Write Sales Letters That Sell by Drayton Bird
Sooner or later, every copywriter gets asked to write a sales letter.
And it's a tough gig: getting the reader to continue right to the end of a letter they never asked for, about something they perhaps never thought about before.
Bird, the grand old man of UK direct marketing, works through all the essentials of writing a sales letter, from salutation to signoff. He covers assessing the competition, developing the brief, research, taking the customer's perspective, writing style and much more - all in his brusque, irreverent style.
An essential read if you want to write effective direct mail.
The Complete Plain Words
by Sir Ernest Gowers
Originally written in the 1950s as a guide for UK civil servants, Plain Words has lost none of its relevance over the decades.
It's not so much a copywriting book as a guide to using language as simply as possible - particularly in situations where jargon, complex sentences and unclear structure tend to creep in.
Therefore it's an essential read for the B2B copywriter, or anyone who needs to make technical material more accessible.
Can I Change Your Mind?
by Lindsay Camp
Persuasion is a key part of effective copywriting. In this readable, entertaining guide, UK copywriter Lindsay Camp sets out the principles of persuasion, the key techniques of persuasive writing and some fascinating thoughts on persuasion in a wider context.
A copywriting book that can help you become a more powerful, persuasive writer.
