Sales Letters That Sizzle: All the Hooks, Lines, and Sinkers You'll Ever Need to Close Sales [Hardcover]

Herschell Gordon Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1995

Gives you every tested and proven rule, tool, guideline, and trick of the trade for writing sales letters that will light up your cash register, make your phone ring off the hook, and fill your in-basket with business. Packed with hundreds of examples of letters that make and break the rules, along with tips on what works, what doesn't, and why. You'll discover how to:
-- Get big results with every letter
-- Grab and hold your reader's attention
-- Showcase your message
-- Close with a bang (not a whimper)
-- Get your envelope opened every time

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Herschell Gordon Lewis is the author of more than 20 books on advertising, copywriting, and direct marketing. He is chairman of BJK&E Direct, a full-service marketing consulting firm.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: NTC Business Books; 1st edition (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844235474
• ISBN-13: 978-0844235479
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,476,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible for any direct mail writer, August 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sales Letters That Sizzle : All the Hooks, Lines, and Sinkers You'll Ever Need to Close Sales (Hardcover)

Herschell Gordon Lewis -- one of the world's leading authorities on writing copy that sells -- has summed up the tricks of the trade learned through years of experience in this delightful, extremely useful book. I find myself referring to his book again and again when I'm stuck on finding the just the right opening for a direct mail letter. Lewis uses real-life examples of direct mail copy throughout the book, showing readers where it went wrong and how it could have been more effective. (After reading his book, you'll find yourself scrutinizing every piece of junk mail you receive, wondering what Lewis would have to say about it!) Best of all, Lewis's keen wit makes the book fun to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who writes direct mail.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Speak English Herschell..., November 2, 2002

By 

La Rossa (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sales Letters That Sizzle : All the Hooks, Lines, and Sinkers You'll Ever Need to Close Sales (Hardcover)

I agree with Rush.

This book does have a very useful list of headlines, opening sentences, and a knowledgeable section on envelope copy with illustrations...

..but the guy explains these things in such a bizarre vernacular and egotistical vibe that it was hard for me to feel any sort of enthusiasm as I was learning (or trying to). Maybe Lewis should've been a politician.

If you want a sales letter book, I fully recommend Dan Kennedy's 'The Ultimate Sales Letter'. It's step by step, easily understandable, fun to read and teaches you everything Lewis does but much more. Your excitement will skyrocket. Kennedy's your Man.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what it could be!, June 30, 2002

By 

Tony Rush "TonyRushDOTcom" (southeast Alabama) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sales Letters That Sizzle : All the Hooks, Lines, and Sinkers You'll Ever Need to Close Sales (Hardcover)

I won't presume to be critical of such a great copywriter as the author. But my reason for giving the book only 3 stars instead of five is because the entire book could have been so much more.

The latter half of the book are "100 ways to start a sales letter". It ought to be a gold mine. It IS of value, but again, in nearly all of the illustrated "ways", Lewis illustrates how people foul them up; not in how they are used successfully.

The same is true for the first part of the book. He helpfully offers actual samples of sales letters that he has received but spends most of his time mocking them and showing what's wrong. Certainly many of them deserve criticism but I wonder how much better the book would have been if Lewis had given examples of GOOD copy.

I recommend the book. I was just disappointed that it continually focused on the negative instead of helping the reader with GOOD copy.