PDF The Adweek Copywriting Handbook The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America Top Copywriters Joseph Sugarman 8582124444448 Books

Product details Paperback 360 pages Publisher Wiley; 1 edition (December 11, 2006) Language English ISBN-10 0470051248

The Adweek Copywriting Handbook The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America Top Copywriters Joseph Sugarman 8582124444448 Books Reviews

• Make no mistake, this is a dense book, packed with information. You don’t want to read this book quickly or skim it. Take time. Read a chapter a day if you must. But read it. I admit, there were days I opened the book, looked at the percentage I’d read so far, and sighed. But about halfway through, the concepts started really coming together. By the time I reached the 70% mark, I didn’t want to put the book down.
  
  There’s a lot of vary valuable advice here, but it will take some time to get through it all. Take that time. You won’t regret it.
• It isn't very often that a non-fiction book excites me. Each month I read at least one book on the profession of writing or related topics, and they're all useful - even the bad ones. But every once in a while I read a book that gets my adrenaline going and my mind racing. A book that provides me with that "Ah ha!" moment. One that changes the way I think about a subject dramatically, and for the better.
  
  For example, Peter Bowman's "Well Fed Writer" book took my ability to understand freelance writing and what people need to a whole new level. It immediately led to my Permaculture Magazine article, which in turn taught me that I don't really want to write magazine articles for a living, along with a lot of other useful ideas. Kelly Enger's book "Writer for Hire 101 Secrets for Freelance Success" was another such book, and led to some great contracts and a reputation that gets better with each new client.
  
  Sales, however, has always been my weak point. I couldn't sell pocket warmers to Eskimos. I've had to rely on my portfolio and testimonials to secure clients, as well as a solid web presence that no one much reads, but which validates me to prospective clients. But selling myself? I've never been able to do it well. However, I recently stumbled across a book that had a profound effect on me. In the first five chapters, something just gelled in my mind. I was suddenly flooded with ideas, and excited about possibilities, the way only a handful of books have done before.
  
  THIS is that book. At almost $13 for the edition, you can bet I did a lot of reading up on it before I bought it. I had it in my Wish List for a few months, and would look at it on every week or so, debating it. I bought it a while back when I was a bit flush, but I didn't read it right away. I was in-progress on two other professional books and a fiction trilogy, so it took a while to get to it.
  
  And when I did finally get around to reading it, by the start of the 5th chapter I knew I should have read this thing a long time ago. What a difference it could have made when I attempted long-form sales sites! Or when I put my old freelancing web site together (now long dead).
  
  If you have any need for direct response sales, even peripherally like I do, I can't say it enough "Buy this book."
• This is going to sound like an ad, but it's not. I literally went from a $100 launch day in sales for my first book before to taking $5k in less than a week on book #2 in no small part to all the information in here. Its' dense. It'll take a lot of reading and rereading for it to soak in. But if you're creating ads for any sort of product, you need this.
• I read this book in about 4 sittings. My highlighter was well used by the time I finished and I started almost immediately to write a two page ad that I wanted to get out to companies who I wanted to sell website services to. I showed the ad to three of my family members. They said they couldn't put the ad down - it was so interesting that it kept their attention to the last. This was high praise for me, but even more for the book.
  
  I sent my ad letter out to 10 local companies yesterday and am waiting to see how effective it is with potential customers!
• I'm not an expert by any means, but I have read 3 other copywriting books from the best of all time, and taken one class.
  
  And if you're trying to learn how to write copy, buy this book RIGHT NOW. Or go "get" the PDF for free - I don't care.
  
  The point is, this is the best book on the subject, period.
  
  How can I say that, if I'm not an expert? Because IT'S THAT GOOD.
  
  If this book is the only place you learn about copy in your life, but you master all the principles, you will be an amazing copywriter.
• This is a great book to have on the bookshelf if you're a writer. Although this focuses on copywriting, the structure and patterns of writing discussed here are valuable for any writer in any industry. In this book you'll learn the process of writing and you'll have a way to rate your writing.
• Ironically, the style of copy taught here that worked in print ads is even more powerful on the web today. Even as a successful copywriter myself, I found powerful ideas in this book I'll be using on copy for myself and clients later this week.
  
  Chief among them
  - his take On Selling the concept above all else
  - creating the right selling environment for your offering
• Better books have been written on the topic and there is nothing especially "ultimate" about this copy.
  
  This book focuses on obsolete, long-form direct-mail of low-end junk. There are also grammatical errors and a plethora of self-congratulatory references in the material that are turn-off. It feels more like a old-school sales job to boost the author's income so he can buy another private plane.