There’s writing, and then there’s copywriting. The former is relatively straightforward to pick up; the latter takes a LOT of practice.
Writing isn’t something you can master overnight, not even if you’re the most talented scribe in the world. Copywriting is no exception to this because each brand requires a unique kind of copy approach.
If you picture copywriting as just using flowery words and bloated language, you’ll be surprised to know that the actual writing is just 20% of the whole process.
Believe it or not, there’s an actual method behind the perceived madness of copywriting.
How to Become a Better Copywriter
There are several ways you can pick up the skills necessary to become a professional copywriter.
- Self-practising
- Learning from a mentor
- Reading (plenty of books)
The third option, in particular, is fairly interesting because there are various copywriting books out there that can help you perfect your copywriting technique. To top it off, they’re all easily available on e-commerce platforms like Amazon!
To save you the trouble, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of all the must-read and best copywriting books for beginners available on the market. These best books to learn copywriting vary greatly in the way they teach the craft to how extensive they are.
In other words, there’s a copywriting guide for every writer! So without further ado, let’s go through the list of books. If you see something you like, don’t hesitate to purchase it through the link under the entry!
Do note that these books are not ranked in any particular order.
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Best Copywriting Books For Beginners
1. The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells
Of the best copywriting books for beginners, this book takes an all-inclusive approach to Copywrite, taking everyone from freelance writers to creative directors into consideration.
It gets into the nitty-gritty of copywriting, explaining the inherent aspects behind print ads while also touching upon modern methods such as emailer crafting.
And so this book tells you how to become a better copywriter. Even industry titans like Ogilvy swear by this book.
Author: Robert W. Bly
Edition: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover
Note: This book’s audiobook version comes free if you have credits in your Audible trial
2. How to Write Better Copy
The book touches upon the A to Z of copywriting. Right from understanding the brief to ideating copies, the book walks you through the whole process with concise guidelines. In addition to this, there are also pointers on how to adapt your writing for a wide variety of projects like brochures and mailers making this one of the best books for copywriters.
Author: Steve Harrison
Editions: Kindle, Paperback
3. Copywriting Secrets: How Everyone Can Use the Power of Words to Get More Clicks, Sales, and Profits…No Matter What You Sell or Who You Sell It To!
Of the best books to learn copywriting from, this nifty book is your go-to option if you want to understand copy from the point of view of sales. It covers all the bases you’ll need to know to market your goods to your target audience. On top of this, it also gives you insights on how to write for a modern audience, with a low attention span.
Author: Jim Edwards
Editions: Kindle, Physical
4. Copywriting: The Definitive Beginner’s Guide
This copywriting guide helps you answer how to become a better copywriter and explains the basics of copywriting in clear-cut terms, from start to finish. It also touches upon interesting topics such as common mistakes in copywriting and the ethics of writing good copy.
Author: Adam Richards
Editions: Kindle, Physical
5. Copywriting: Everything You Need To Know About Copywriting From Beginner To Expert
With this book, you will gain a perfect guide to becoming a bonafide copywriter. You gain access to copywriting from a business perspective. From learning to write the perfect pitch to understand the competition, this book has it all.
Author: Linc Bartlett
Editions: Kindle, Physical
6. Copywriting: The High-Paid Content Writers’ Secrets About Powerful Copy That Sells And Generates Leads
Of the many English copywriting books, this book embodies the message that content is king and that good marketing copy attracts people. In that regard, the book speaks about how to market your writing to the right audience effectively. It also speaks of the importance of connecting with your audience emotionally.
Author: Federico Fort
Editions: Kindle, Paperback
7. How To Write A Good Advertisement: A Short Course In Copywriting
With this book, you will learn the ropes of how to craft compelling ad copies for a variety of brands. You can also learn how to prepare unique call-to-action statements that help you convert leads effectively. It’s the complete ad copy package! And so is one of the best copywriting books you can read.
Author: Victor O. Schwab
Editions: Kindle, Hardback, Paperback
8. The Adweek Copywriting Handbook
Written by a veteran copywriter, this explains copywriting from a creative perspective. It helps you create a copy with one goal: To draw in more customers consistently. It’s a great resource to have on your writing journey.
Author: Joseph Sugarman
Editions: Kindle, Physical
9. Copywriting: Successful Writing For Design, Advertising And Marketing
It’s a book with a very simple approach. This book is extremely recommendable, especially as a copywriting book for beginners. What’s the crucial element that ties together design, sales and marketing? Good copy. This book explores copywriting through those three lenses concisely.
Author: Mark Shaw
Editions: Kindle, Physical
10. Persuasive Copywriting: How To Cut Through The Noise And Communicate With Impact
Though this is more of a textbook format, the tips contained within are golden. The author helps you understand copywriting from a psychological perspective. Through this, you can craft effective copy that strikes a chord with the consumers in the right way.
Author: Andy Maslen
Editions: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback
11. Breakthrough Copywriting: How To Generate Quick Cash With The Written Word
This book capitalizes on the monetization aspect of copywriting. It takes the approach that you should make every word count to deliver an emotional punch to your target audience. The step-by-step breakdown is easy to understand.
Author: David Garfinkel
Editions: Kindle, Paperback
12. Writing Copy For Dummies
It’s exactly what the title says: a layman-friendly guide to copywriting, and so is the best book to learn copywriting from. This book will equip you with everything you need to know to land a job as a copywriter. It’s a book anyone can pick up, read, and fully understand, hence its effectiveness.
Author: Jonathan Kranz
Editions: Kindle, Paperback
13. How To Write Great Copy: Learn The Unwritten Rules Of Copywriting
The author uses their years of experience in the field to provide insider secrets about being a copywriter. This also includes copywriting tips on how to write different types of projects and the approach that is required for it.
Author: Dominic Gettins
Editions: Paperback
14. Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies For Every Writer
This book offers a unique format in that it teaches writing through crisp essays. These essays are anecdotes from the author’s prolific career and the learnings he has had on the way. Though it’s not a traditional copywriting book, it is a must-read for every writer out there.
Author: Roy Peter Clark
Editions: Kindle, Audiobook, Paperback, Hardback
15. On The Art Of Writing Copy: The Best Of Print, Broadcast, Internet and Direct Mail
This author focuses on how to streamline good copy into great copy. The book also contains plenty of effective case studies that help you learn by example. The book is penned by the once-#1 copywriter in the world, so it’s definitely worth a read!
Author: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Editions: Paperback
16. Copy Righter: Become A Master Wordsmith
This book equips any aspiring writer to become proficient with the art of modern writing. It teaches you how to use substance and structure to craft good copy that grabs eyeballs. In a nutshell, it equips you with the starter pack you need to get started as a copywriter.
Author: Ian Atkinson
Editions: Paperback
17. How To Write Seductive Web Copy
With a focus on crafting content for the web era, this is a must-have for every digital marketer. It teaches simple but effective writing that’s easy to grasp for all. Through a 6-step process, the book teaches you everything you need to know about web copy.
Author: Henneke Duistermaat
Editions: Kindle
18. The Everything Guide To Writing Copy
As the title suggests, this is a guide to everything modern copywriting. It deals with specific aspects such as writing headlines, brand development, and even freelancing as a copywriter. The section that deals with common copywriting mistakes are also a nice touch.
Author: Steve Slaunwhite
Editions: Kindle, Paperback
19. The Copywriting Sourcebook: How To Write Better Copy, Faster
This book addresses a crucial aspect of life as a copywriter: tight deadlines. The author mentions a lot of tried-and-tested shortcuts that can be a lifesaver throughout your career. As a bonus, there are also pre-set templates that will help you get started with writing copy and practising your skills.
Author: Andy Maslen
Editions: Paperback
20. Copywriting For Beginners
From finding your niche to writing masterful copy based on client briefs, this book has it all. You can learn how to write specifically for different social media platforms, as well as affiliate marketing through this book.
Author: Mick McPherson
Editions: Kindle
Conclusion
Copywriting is far from a one-size-fits-all niche. Everyone has their own style of writing, which also varies from brand to brand. These books are a great stepping stone to honing your skills as a writer.
For starters, these books are highly recommendable as they are the best copywriting books for beginners.
With time and practice, you can become a bonafide copywriter who wields words with aplomb. It’s essential to know the tried-and-tested writing methods while also adding your spin to them.
Which of these books are you going to pick? Whichever one you choose, know that it isn’t enough to give it a read-through.
Read, apply and elevate yourself to a professional calibre!
