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.
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)