The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters 1st Edition

by Joseph Sugarman (Author)

559 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0470051245

ISBN-10: 0470051248

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Great copy is the heart and soul of the advertising business. In this practical guide, legendary copywriter Joe Sugarman provides proven guidelines and expert advice on what it takes to write copy that will entice, motivate, and move customers to buy. For anyone who wants to break into the business, this is the ultimate companion resource for unlimited success.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A fun and authoritative guide to writing masterful copy

Great copy is the heart and soul of the advertising business, whether it's for print, television, radio, or any other medium. In The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, legendary copywriter and ad man Joseph Sugarman provides proven guidelines and expert advice on what it takes to write copy that will entice, motivate, and move customers to buy.

Sugarman walks you step by step through the entire copywriting process—from getting prepared to researching products and markets to getting ideas down on paper and polishing them to a brilliant sheen. He explains the vital elements that make great copy and explores the emotional triggers that convince consumers to buy. Sugarman gives you all the tools and tactics you need to write the same kind of effective selling copy that has brought him fame and fortune.

For anyone who wants to break into the advertising business, or ad pros who just want to get better at what they do, this is the ultimate companion resource. Complete with real examples of high-quality copy for various media, this practical and authoritative guide will tell you everything you need to know to write great copy—and get ahead in the cutthroat world of advertising.

"Sugarman is a living legend and by-God genius at writing copy that sells. This book is his masterpiece. It reveals all of his hard-earned secrets. The writing is riveting and the wisdom is worth gold. This is the best book on copywriting in the entire history of marketing."
—Joe Vitale, author, There's a Customer Born Every Minute

"There are a lot of great copywriters, but Sugarman is the best. He knows how to build a story and close a sale."
—Richard Thalheimer, President, The Sharper Image

"[Sugarman has] a real talent for promotion and writing advertisements."
—Albert Gore, former Vice President of the United States

From the Back Cover

A fun and authoritative guide to writing masterful copy

Sugarman walks you step by step through the entire copywriting process―from getting prepared to researching products and markets to getting ideas down on paper and polishing them to a brilliant sheen. He explains the vital elements that make great copy and explores the emotional triggers that convince consumers to buy. Sugarman gives you all the tools and tactics you need to write the same kind of effective selling copy that has brought him fame and fortune.

For anyone who wants to break into the advertising business, or ad pros who just want to get better at what they do, this is the ultimate companion resource. Complete with real examples of high-quality copy for various media, this practical and authoritative guide will tell you everything you need to know to write great copy―and get ahead in the cutthroat world of advertising.

"Sugarman is a living legend and by-God genius at writing copy that sells. This book is his masterpiece. It reveals all of his hard-earned secrets. The writing is riveting and the wisdom is worth gold. This is the best book on copywriting in the entire history of marketing."
―Joe Vitale, author, There's a Customer Born Every Minute

"There are a lot of great copywriters, but Sugarman is the best. He knows how to build a story and close a sale."
―Richard Thalheimer, President, The Sharper Image

"[Sugarman has] a real talent for promotion and writing advertisements."
―Albert Gore, former Vice President of the United States

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wiley; 1st edition (December 11, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0470051248
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0470051245
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.58 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.16 x 0.78 x 8.97 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #22,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Business Marketing
- #17 in Market Research Business (Books)
- #23 in Direct Marketing (Books)

Customer Reviews:
559 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		79%
4 star		11%
3 star		7%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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P. Eddy

Worth the time it takes to absorb the material

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018

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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.

48 people found this helpful

Helpful

Guen

This is going to sound like an ad

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

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.

24 people found this helpful

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Jeremy Menefee

Not many books get me excited

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2016

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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 Kindle 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 Amazon 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."

45 people found this helpful

Helpful

but I have read 3 other copywriting books from the best of all time

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2018

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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.

16 people found this helpful

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Ultimate?

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2019

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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.

10 people found this helpful

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M. J. Williquette

This book really helped my copywriting - and I don't even like to write!

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2017

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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!

12 people found this helpful

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antifiat

The best methodical copywriting approach ever.

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

I must agree with so many other reviewers—this book is incredible.

I have taken many professional copywriting courses and read most of the books by the copywriting legends. Nothing compares to this.

One could almost disregard the online materials and coursework that are available and use this as your only guide.

This book sums it all up in a methodical way. It will change my writing going forward.

5 people found this helpful

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Kia Carrington-Russell

A phenomenal and informative read

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2019

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I’m sitting here dazed. Days after devouring this book, my brain is fried from overload. I didn’t know who Joseph Sugarman was months ago but now I consider him as an inspiration, mentor and one of the best. This read was invaluable and covered so many topics that I will use moving forward. An absolute bargain considering the amount you will learn from this book. This read is your next investment.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Paul Simister

A true marketing classic and packed with charm

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2016

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Some copywriters work for clients and charge a fixed fee. Others charge a fee and ask for a percentage of the revenue generated on top so they gain financially if the item sells well. Neither of these groups of writers lose out if the copy flops all together.

Some copywriters, like Joe Sugarman, made their reputations by going out and finding interesting products to sell, writing their own copy and buying advertising space. These copywriters had the opportunity to win big but also to lose. The lessons they learn can be brutal but they strike home quickly.

This is a great book. It is based around an expensive course ($2,000 in 1977) that Sugarman gave to the people who wanted to understand how he did what he did to make a fortune and develop a cult following for JS&A space age products. Once he even sold an aeroplane from a magazine advertisement when he decided to flog off the third corporate jet that he used least often.

At its core is copywriting for display advertisements in newspapers, magazines and catalogues. A headline, sub-heading, photograph, copy and the JS&A symbol people learnt to look for. Towards the end of the book, he explains how the ideas can be transferred to other types of marketing including the Internet.

It's strange to think of a business book as charming but this one is packed with Sugarman's panache. The book is based around his 15 axioms, 3 emotion principles, 10 graphic elements, 23 copy elements and 31 psychological triggers. 30 of those triggers are covered well here but are explored more extensively in Triggers: 30 Sales Tools You Can Use to Control the Mind of Your Prospect to Motivate, Influence, and Persuade. These factors are all neatly summarised at the back of the book when you want a quick reminder.

What makes this book even better is that Sugarman picks some advertisements written by other people and analyses them with you, explaining exactly what the copywriter is doing and why. He also includes the full text of some of his own advertisements including that plane he sold.

I read a lot of business books but this is one of the few that I have as a physical book and as a Kindle book. That way, I can carry it around with me. It really is that good. Note to self, re-read the best of the best more often.

Paul Simister, a business coach who helps business owners who are stuck with disappointing marketing, to get unstuck.

27 people found this helpful

Nelson

A must for any aspiring copywriter

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2018

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I'm new to copywriting and so I bought this book to learn more about the subject. I bought it because I saw it recommended on forums.

This book is truly amazing! I cannot recommend it enough. Joseph Sugarman touches on everything you need to know to write amazing copy. I was really mindblown by this book.
I will definitely reread it in the future.

5 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

More of a biography and very TEDIOUS Reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2020

Verified Purchase

The writing style is not for everyone (certainly not for me) - it's written in a flat and boring manner. It was also way too much about the Author and what he's done. To be fair, there were minimal, and I do mean minimal (maybe enough for an A5 sheet), sections of actual interest. But overall this is not worth the price tag.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Extremely well written.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

Must have book. The way he writes is so seductive you can't help but read. He sucks you in and sets you on a slippery slide and before you know it you've read the whole chapter. Excellent writer. Even if you generally can't be bothered to read, this book changes everything as I can almost gaurantee you will read the whole book. Love the writer, love the knowledge he gives away in his book and love his stories. Thanks

4 people found this helpful

the only copywriting book that kept me interested

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

I've been reading a few copywriting books to improve my writing and this is the only one that got me gripped reading it page by page. Joseph Sugarman is one of the best copywriters out there, although this book is more geared to writing copy for advertising it taught me how to come up with a good story to get people to read my blog.