Copywriting resources

Breakthrough Advertising

The most cited book in direct response. Out of print and expensive — but Schwartz's five-stage awareness model (the basis of OATH) is the most important strategic framework in copywriting. Worth every penny.

The Copywriter's Handbook

The most comprehensive beginner book in the category. Every format covered clearly — ads, direct mail, web copy, email, brochures, and more. Not flashy, genuinely useful. A practical reference you'll return to.

Ogilvy on Advertising

Classic thinking on what makes advertising work from the father of modern advertising. Ogilvy's principles on headlines, research, and respecting the reader's intelligence are still as sharp as they were in 1983.

The Boron Letters

Letters written from prison to his son Bond. Part copywriting masterclass, part life philosophy. Halbert's thinking on research, audiences, and persuasion is raw, practical, and still widely quoted 40 years later.

Obviously Awesome

Not a copywriting book — a positioning book. But getting positioning right is what makes copy easy. The clearest, most practical thinking on how to find and articulate your competitive context. Essential for B2B writers.

The Robert Collier Letter Book

The origin of AIDPPC and the bible of long-form sales letter writing. Dense and dated in places — but the structural thinking behind how to build a persuasive argument over long copy is genuinely timeless.

Scientific Advertising

Published in 1923 and still quoted daily. Hopkins established the principles of direct response — test everything, write for results not applause, long copy outperforms short. David Ogilvy said to read it seven times.

The Adweek Copywriting Handbook

Sugarman's handbook on writing copy that pulls readers through every sentence. His concept of the 'slippery slide' — each line making the next irresistible to skip — is one of the most practical copywriting ideas ever articulated.

Made to Stick

Why do some ideas survive and others die? The Heath brothers' SUCCESs framework (Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories) is directly applicable to every headline, hook, and value proposition you write.

Copy School

The most rigorous conversion and email copywriting training available. Trusted by Google, Amazon, and thousands of freelancers. Best for writers with existing clients who want to level up fast. $2,997 — expensive and worth it.

Content Marketing Certification

A solid, free foundation course covering copy, content strategy, and distribution. Best as an intro framework for writers new to marketing copy. Comes with a recognised certification on completion.

Copywriting Academy

Ray Edwards' flagship training — built around the PASTOR framework he created. Strong on sales page structure, high-ticket offer copy, and the ethics of persuasion. Edwards' clients include Tony Robbins and Jeff Walker.

Copyblogger Academy

Nine full-length courses covering copywriting, branding, email marketing, and SEO across 30+ hours of video. Run by the team behind one of the internet's oldest content marketing platforms.

Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

The industry standard for direct response copywriting training. AWAI has trained more working direct response copywriters than any other organisation. Best for those targeting the B2C direct response market.

Marketing Examples Newsletter

Every Monday: 3 short marketing examples, 2 copywriting tips, 1 favourite tweet. Voted the #1 marketing newsletter by 130k+ subscribers. The most useful free copywriting resource on the internet.

10x Emails

Practical email copywriting breakdowns from the person who defined conversion copywriting for a generation. Particularly strong on voice-of-customer methodology and the research process that precedes good copy.

VeryGoodCopy

Short, punchy essays on the craft of copywriting. One focused idea per issue, written with exceptional precision. The newsletter itself is a demonstration of everything it teaches about tight, persuasive writing.

Copyhackers Blog & Newsletter

The most data-driven copywriting resource on the internet. Every post is grounded in split-test results and real conversion data. The archives alone — on email, landing pages, and button copy — are worth hours of study.

Unthinkable

A creative thinking podcast with direct applications to copywriting craft. Jay's episodes on resonance, specificity, and the contrarian angle are among the most useful thinking-about-writing content anywhere.

Ray Edwards Show

Practical episodes on copywriting craft, the PASTOR framework, and the business of freelance copywriting. Running since 2010 with clients including Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, and Jeff Walker. Consistent and genuinely useful.

Copywriters Podcast

Copywriting lessons from David Garfinkel — widely known as 'the world's greatest copywriting coach.' Weekly episodes on craft, direct response fundamentals, and how professionals approach real client work.

Headline Analyser

Scores headlines on word balance, emotional appeal, length, and keyword strength. Free and genuinely useful as a sanity check when you're too close to your own headline to evaluate it objectively. Aim for 70+.

Hemingway Editor

Highlights passive voice, complex sentences, adverbs, and readability grade. Essential post-draft editing tool — paste your copy in and cut anything that turns red. The free browser version does everything you need.

SparkToro

Audience research tool — find out what your target reader reads, watches, listens to, and the exact language they use. Invaluable for voice-of-customer research before writing a single word of copy. Free tier available.

Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyser

Analyses the Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) of your headline — whether it appeals intellectually, emotionally, or spiritually. A different lens from CoSchedule. Free, fast, and surprisingly useful for testing opening lines.

Answer the Public

Visualises every question, preposition, and comparison people search around any keyword. Indispensable for finding the exact language and concerns of your audience before you write a word of copy.