Two young ladies enter a bar join the #pd-writers Slack channel…
Both copywriters are thirsty for beer and wine knowledge and wisdom.
They ask the bartender their Creative Director:
Can you recommend a few books to read in our journey to become an epic copywriter?
She replies (in Slack):
As per your request, below is a list of books (related to our profession) I highly recommend.
While this is not an exhaustive list of books I’ve valued over the years, I can say with certainty these books have influenced me as a creative, copywriter, writer, marketer, strategist, and business communicator.
As I continue reading books on the below subject matters, I’ll keep the list updated.
The narrator asks himself and then proceeds to copy the conversation…
Her list…
The clearest English style guides out there:
- The Elements of Style – William Strunk Jr, E.B. White, Kalman (illustrated edition)
Books on creativity:
- Steal Like An Artist – Austin Kleon
- It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be – Paul Arden
- Creative Confidence – Tom Kelley, David Kelley
Books on copywriting:
- The Boron Letters – Gary Halbert
- Scientific Advertising – Claude Hopkins
- Ogilvy on Advertising – David Ogilvy
- The Letter Book – Robert Collier
- The Halbert Copywriting Method: Part III – Bond Halbert
Books on writing:
- The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
- Turning Pro – Steven Pressfield
- Do The Work – Steven Pressfield
- On Writing Well – William Zinsser
- On Writing – Stephen King
- Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott
- Right to Write – Julia Cameron
- Writing That Works – Kenneth Roman, Joel Raphaelson
Books on marketing:
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding – Al Ries & Laura Ries
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing – Al Ries & Jack Trout
- Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind – Al Ries & Jack Trout
“What category would you add How To Win Friends & Influence People?”
“What else you got, Lan?”
🧐
She replies:
“I’d categorize it under “Communication & Relationships”. It’s a great book that is also important for writing because of the communication & relationship aspect.”
Communication & Relationships:
- How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie (published 1936)
