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The Copywriter's Handbook is somewhat out of date. There are no references to Web sites or the Internet, and author Robert W. Bly advises that a freelance copywriter have a good typewriter. No matter. Bly has compiled an incredibly useful resource for budding, and even experienced, copywriters. Bly calls his book "a step-by-step guide to writing copy that sells." And that it is: Bly covers the writing of print ads, direct mail, brochures, catalogues, public-relations material, trade-journal articles, speeches, newsletters, commercials, and more. But equally informative is the substantial amount of space that he devotes to the copywriting business, in which he offers guidance in setting up a freelance copywriting business, getting hired by an ad agency, and hiring and working with copywriters (this section also includes a chapter on graphic design for copywriters). This is a terrific book. If you don't take my word for it, take David Ogilvy's: "I don't know a single copywriter whose work would not be improved by reading this book," he says. "And that includes me." --Jane Steinberg

A book for everyone who writes or edits copy, it reveals dozens of techniques that can help you write ads, commercials, and direct mail that get more attention and sell more products.

Customer Reviews:

• Buena ayuda!
  Compre este libro para mejorar mi habilidad para escribir COPY para promos y comerciales. Lamentablemente no tiene mucha cobertura sobre spots de TV y Radio, sin embargo es de muy buena ayuda para escribir Copy de material impreso.
  
  Debes leerlo si estas buscando tener un conocimiento m¨¢s s¨®lido sobre como escribir Copy que sea efectivo....more info
• Muy bueno pero se centra en c¨®mo trabajar para una agencia
  La primera parte es excelente, con buenas ideas y ejemplos. La segunda parte, de c¨®mo trabajar como copywriter, est¨¢ enfocada en c¨®mo trabajar para una empresa de publicidad m¨¢s que en c¨®mo trabajar freelance directamente con los anunciantes. Me hubiese gustado que explicara m¨¢s esto ¨²ltimo. De cualquier manera, es muy recomendable....more info
• What is your goal??
  First off, I'm an actual copywriter at a real ad agency, and my creative direct would fire me if I presented any of the crap in this book. What is your goa?? That's the real question here. If you are just a business person who needs to write copy once in a while, this is probably a good book for you. If you are trying to become a writer at an ad agency this book will get you laughed at by every CD on the planet (And if it doesn't RUN). Bly doesn't really have any ad cred (No pencils or lions), but in the business world this really doesn't matter. Now as far as creativity and entertainment not being important: Nike before W+K and their ads = company nobody has ever heard of. Nike after W+K and their ads = biggest brand on the planet. Oh and there actually is a book called "The Copywriter's Bible", D&AD put it out, it's really good. Features advise by industry gods like David Abbott (AMV), Neil French, Luke Sullivan (Fallon/ "Hey Wipple" guy), Ed McCabe, and a bunch of other great writers. Rob Bly is not on that list. ...more info
• Excellent Buy
  This book is well written. It uses real life examples. While it does not address online copywriting, which is my specific interest, i believe that the techniques are applicable to any form of copwriting, with a few minor adjustments. Best of all it is not boring. I would defitely recommend this book to a newbie...It is a MUST have. ...more info
• Learning Copywriting? Start With This Book....
  ...and you won't be disappointed. Bob Bly gives time-tested advice for not only what to write, but where to write it. He starts with the basics of copywriting, including headlines, testing, writing body copy, writing to sell, and asking for action. He tells you the best format for classified ads, direct mail, print ads, brochures and catalogs, press releases, and web-pages using concrete examples. If you want to learn copywriting to expand your small business, improve your marketing skills, or as an introduction to the lucrative field of copywriting, this book will get you started, and serve as a back-to-basics reference that you'll pick up again and again. ...more info
• The Copywriter's Handbook
  Excellent service.
  Arrived really quick and in excellent packaging.
  Love the book, Thank you!
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• Excellent Copywriting Resource To Learn From
  Bob Bly's "Copywriter's Handbook" is an instant classic that all aspiring copywriters should read - it's a "foundation" piece in which Bob teaches everything needed to understand how to craft winning ad copy.
  
  Bly's book is also instantly usable, as his techniques are easily applied to any copywriting situation, whether it be online copy, offline advertising, or any other "salesmanship in print" situation that you wish to succeed in.
  
  Excellent book, highly recommended.
  
  -Ken Calhoun...more info
• How To Improving Your Copywriting Skills Immediately
  I originally borrowed this book from my local library. After having the due date extended twice, I went to Amazon and bought the book! It's a must read for any serious copywriter or would be copywriter and it is now a permanent fixture in my library "tool box." In fact, it's sitting on my desk right now, because it doesn't really belong on the shelf. It's like having a dictionary and thesaurus at your fingertips. If you are a writer, it's for daily use as perhaps one of the most powerful reference books out there.
  
  Bob Bly takes the mystery and romantic illusion out of being a "writer" and shows step by step exactly how to work at the craft with true practical application and precision. I first meet Bob Bly at a copywriters bootcamp and he definitely is the real deal. This book is not some academic theory stuff from someone who's never really worked in the business. These pages are written by a working copywriter who has practically done it all in a variety of industries, styles, and settings.
  
  I highly recommend this masterpiece by Robert Bly and actually anything else Mr. Bly has written because you will definitely find a wealth of detailed information on the craft of copywriting, and when properly applied will give you a wealth of new clients and a fatter bank account....more info
• Great book for beginners and experienced copywriters
  I thought copywriting was going to be quite a challenge for me. Not with this book.
  
  Marketing the skills and experience of individual job seekers came rather easy to me. Marketing my own services was a bit more of a challenge.
  
  Robert Bly's "I do what works for me and here's how" method of teaching makes it so easy to pick up and run with copywriting. He gives solid advice and how-to along with permission to be yourself and develop your own style.
  
  I began to apply what I've learned to my business and now I actually enjoy marketing for a change. It's a book worth every penny and many more.
  
  Angela Betts
  The Resumeritr...more info
• Nice but dated
  I read this book a long time ago, long before I started the now famous AUDIN Web Design. I remember it too be a valuable companion piece to my creative writing during my copy writing days in advertising. His explanation of #2 pencil is invaluable and priceless. The use of plurals in copy writing is important. Bly talks about copy that tells a story. He's right. You have to tell a story.
  
  Although I read this book a while back and thought it was excellent in its day, I would hesitate to recommend it to new copy writers of today. So much as change since those days of print. Now with online stuff, there would be a better book. It's still a good book, but you might want to save the big bucks for something else.
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• Good, but Bly Never Met My Creative Director
  As several other reviewers have mentioned, this IS a great back-to-basics handbook for anyone getting into or going back to the business. Among the more helpful items for me are that 1) It's just an ad (don't get bent out of shape if it doesn't come); 2) Write like people speak, and 3) Pen the most common, front-of-mind words in a list and compile them to craft a headline. Good stuff. Inspirational. But some of this common sense doesn't cut muster in the cut-throat-and cut-some-more (copy) world of advertising that I know.
  As a writer for a Fortune 50 company, I've sought many sources (including Bly's) to draw upon. While his is most competent, I must admit I feel his "bible" does not find the Promised Land. Where does the writer go beyond the basic? Intuitive? Academic? Bly does not say. Instead, he offers advice on lines that would get kicked out any initial creative review in an agressive corporation.
  If you are looking for a solid starting point to copywriting, this may be it. It offers sage fundamentals to the craft. Where to find words. How to stay grounded. But (sorry, fellow ad wizards out there) this tome deserves a Part 2 if is to direct the serious writer toward a higher level in their career....more info
• The best nuts and bolts guide for writing effective ad copy
  This book is mainly geared towards people wanting to learn hard sell direct response advertising. Sales letters and web advertising are its main focus. There are chapters on other forms of advertising such as brochures and white papers, but IMHO there are other more effective books on soft sell methods.
  
  As for the comments dinging the Bly on his comments about creative advertising... Yes, there is a place for creativity in advertising, but the creativity should never obscure the main purpose of advertising, which is to sell products. As a copywriter, your job is to write the words that get people to pull out their wallets and buy. Are there ads that are both effective and creative? Of course. However, for a copywriter, effective should always come before creative. Never forget that you're playing with other peoples' money, and advertisers want the best bang for their buck.
  
  Note that there have been some revisions for the 3rd edition. The section on computer equipment have been removed. No big loss there, since by definition the technology would be outdated by the time the book went to print. The chapter on freelancing has also been omitted, since Bly devotes an entire book to freelancing, Secrets of a Freelance Writer....more info
• This is a great place to start
  This book tell you how to write many different copywriting jobs you may encounter. He also helps you figure what information you need to request and questions you may need to ask....more info
• Breaks down the basics of writing killer copy
  Before I started my own copywriting business years ago, this one was my first books on the subject. And I still refer back to it periodically. Bob Bly is a copywriting legend who is well-known for making the fundamentals of writing great copy easy to understand. Whether you're thinking about a writing career, or just need to make your marketing materials more effective, this is the perfect primer for anyone who wants to learn how to write to sell!...more info
• Indispensible.
  As someone who has done a good bit of commercial writing, but is just now venturing into the "freelance" aspect of the business, I found this book indispensable. Robert Bly is widely recognized as a giant in the business and THE COPYWRITER'S HANDBOOK is a good indicator as to why. Readers will enjoy his straightforward approach to writing copy that sells.
  
  I suppose an aspiring copywriter could make it in the business without this book, but why would you want to try? This is nearly 400 pages of advice from Bly's years of experience. The book is well written, well organized, and loaded with helpful information.
  
  Just a few of the key things I learned here were such things as rating headlines using the 4 U's, the effective use of bullets in your copy, include headlines in sales brochures where there is often nothing more than a logo, and even the most effective fonts to use. The structure of the book contains valuable information on many aspects of copywriting. Certainly not all-inclusive, but covering a lot of ground and answering a lot of questions along the way.
  
  The appendix section guides the reader to further study and other valuable resources. I highly recommend this book.
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• Good copywriting guide
  This book is easy to read and it's good for beginners and also for professional copywritters to refresh. Good tips and advices...more info
• Good content, very practical.
  The Copywriter's Handbook is just as the name suggests - it's a good handbook, easy to read with practical examples....more info
• A fast-paced fun-to-read book on selling in print...
  From the opening line: "A copywriter is a salesperson behind a typewriter." Mr. Bly shows how sales, marketing and copy are related in a fast-paced and fun-to-read book that deserves to become dog-eared and highlighted and kept close by.
  
  This book, the Copywriter's Handbook by Bob Bly, is one of the best books ever written on the subject of Writing Copy that Sells. He covers the range of sales materials from headlines and advertisements, to brochures, to public relations statements and he gives examples at each turn.
  
  My favorite part of the book starts on page 79, and is titled "Getting Ready to Write". You can improve the effectiveness of your sales writing by 1000% if you will just take the information in this short twenty page chapter to heart and do the simple things that Mr. Bly recommends.
  
  This is a classic and deserves every one of the 5 stars I have given it....more info
• Should be required reading!!!
  Robert Bly's book should be required reading for everyone associated with sales and marketing! This includes everyone that produces, hires, and/or works with copywriters. I have worked in sales and production in the construction, engineering and architectural industries since the mid 1970's. Mr. Bly has filled in the gaps and given me another view of copywriting that personal experience has not taught me. His "Copywriter's Handbook" will be on my reference shelf for a long time! I appreciate his writing style and information so much that I am currently reading his "Online Copywriter's Handbook". I can't wait to give my review on that book also! I appreciate you Mr. Bly!...more info
• Proofread Your Reviews
  I have not read this book, thus the 3 rating (in the middle). But guys, if you want to be copywriters, could you try to write better reviews? For one thing, if you are going to refer to this book as a bible, it's not a "Bible." A "Bible" is the sacred book of Christianity; a "bible" is an authoritative guide on a subject. Like copywriting.
  
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• Pass on this one!
  I bought this book because it was supposedly the new and updated version on Bob Bly's classic. Well, let me tell you, there was nothing updated about it. It uses computer and word processing terminology from the early 1980's. In the section which talks about what the freelance writer needs to get his/her business off the ground, it tells the reader that you can get a good computer for around $2,500! Personal computers havent cost that much since the late 1980's!! These are just a couple of examples, but the book is filled with 1980's references. You can tell that a proof-reader simply read through the original copy and missed such references. Then, the publisher gave it a new cover, and sent it back to press! Overall, I found this book to be a pile of badly outdated references and advice which is useless in 2005! I re-sold my copy on Amazon yesterday!...more info
• Want to learn about Copywriting? START HERE!
  Want to be a Copywriter? Looking to learn the sales copywriting craft for your own business? This is the place to start! If someone approached me personally inquiring where or how to start, my answer would be only two words...Bob Bly!
  
  Bob Bly is a man who is without a doubt a modern day Copywriters...Copywriter. A copywriter who is considered by many today to be a living legend in this business.
  
  Now you have the opportunity to learn Copywriting from one of the Masters of this industry with his newly revised edition of...The Copywriter's Handbook. This definitive guide has been the first step in learning copywriting and the lucrative copywriting business for countless writers for over 20 years. This newly revised edition is better than ever! This modern up-to-date version is a great step-by-step primer that will give you a solid foundation of writing, style, and essential sales copy elements. You also gather valuable insights on the copywriting business too!
  
  Do yourself a favor and avoid all the confusion of..."where should I start?" Even if you're a Pro, this is one book that should be in every copywriter's library!
  
  
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