Customer Reviews

How to Put Your Book Together and Get a Job in Advertising: 21st Century Edition

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This is an update of an earlier edition. I've never read the previous edition, but having seen its cover, I wish they had kept the same cover. But I guess that's a fairly minor complaint in the grand scheme of things.

To its credit, the "Book" goes beyond just advising on how to put a book (a.k.a. a portfolio to people outside advertising) together. It also offers advice on the job search and interviewing, among other things. A little over a third of the Book is Ms. Paetro's advice. The remaining two thirds consists of advice from numerous advertising veterans, some of them very recognizable names in the industry.

The Book itself is kind of an oddity in design. It's somewhat oversized, roughly 8" by 11 ½," and is designed to look like a portfolio. Clever, but I prefer the earlier edition's cover. Most of the type inside is oversized also (14 point?), making it a relatively fast, easy read. The advice appears sound and useful, although the advertising industry is notoriously tough to break into even under the best of circumstances. But my guess is anyone using the advice in this book will have a leg up on others.

Whether you are a college student soon to be pounding the street in search of work, or a pro seeking to make a lateral or upward move, there is good advice in here for you. And given some of the names recommending it, it may actually prove to be great advice.

There are now a number of good books on getting a job in the advertising business.
This is the classic - it contains the core good advice you need to get started on your portfolio (aka you "book," sample book, mini-book, etc.) for a job in the "creative" department of an advertising agency - or some other type of marketing communications firm (i.e. web site, in-house department, sales promo, event marketing, branding company, etc.).
In addition to the you-absolutely-have-to-know-this-period-no-further-discussion information inside this book, there are "good advice" essays from some of the absolute top people in the ad profession.
These days, you probably need more than one good book to help you get your book together - and maybe some time at a portfolio or design school (we talk about them, too), but this is the one to get you started.

Your friends at The Copy Workshop

PS. Even though it's listed, you probably won't find this book at your library - people tend to steal it. Bad!!
(But you know better than that, don't you?) Better buy your own copy.

PPS. This book was the first. There are now a number of other books on getting a job in advertising, and most of them are pretty good, too. But a lot of them assume you've read this one.

I am a fiction writer who also wants to write ad copy. I got this book on the recommendation of a professional copywriter and have been glad I did ever since. The book offers sage advice, a comforting hand, and many amusing anecdotes from both Ms. Paetro (herself an advertising professional) and several of the industry's stars.

It has informed and inspired me. It has answered questions that troubled me and others I didn't even know I had. It even includes an address to contact Ms. Paetro at for advice-something I've done a couple times.

If you want to get into advertising, I highly recommend this book.

If you want a job in advertising, even if you are in school for advertising, start here. It is fundamentally sound, and it will give it to you straight. Advertising is a crazy and fun, but it is also serious business. This book helps put it all into perspective. The one thing it is missing, is the leaps and bounds of innovation that have happened since this was published. There was no Facebook, twitter, iPhone, Xbox Live, Android, or even YouTube when this came out. Flash was a novelty, and the thought that you would spend your career working on TV, print, and outdoor was realistic. Now ALL of that has changed. If you get into this business, you will be writing or art directing banners for cell phones, crafting website experience ideas, and making viral videos. So take, very sincerely, what this book has to say. But when it comes to creating the content for your actual Book, look at some other options. I would look at blogs as inspiration and to show you what is possible.

I found this book to be really helpful - what to put, and what NOT to put, in an advertising portfolio; creative and unusual résumé concepts; and all of the insights delivered in a very realistic manner. What is very off-putting is the interior book design. The entire book is set in a HUMONGOUS point size that just screams at you from every page, plus the amateurish illustrations are cheezy. If you can get beyond the aesthetic oddity of the book interior, the information within is quite useful for aspiring art directors. Equally helpful for students just starting out, or for those endeavoring to make a career change.

I didn't know Ms. Paetro was an advertising pro until I looked her up with the intention of doing a recommendation GUIDE for her fiction books. In case you don't know, she's the co-author of two of James Patterson's best books, 4th of July and The Fifth Horseman. (I'm happy to hear she's co-authoring his next release, also ... which pleases me since I'm her biggest fan and think she enhances his writing.) Now don't get me wrong, Patterson is awesome and stands alone without any help, but there's something that clicks for me when Paetro gets into the mix.

But getting back to this "how-to" book, it's a real help to anyone desiring a career in advertising. It's interesting to hear the anecdotes Ms. Paetro tells from her own experience and to learn from a real "pro" who excels in so many areas of writing.

Informative! Inspiring! Thanks Ms. Paetro!