Book, Manual, and Seminar Reviews.

I have read many books about copywriting and direct marketing. It's part of my work as a direct response copywriter. I'm constantly looking for sagacity. I'm always looking for ways to improve.

My library also includes manuals and ebooks — some digital, others physical. On this page, you'll find reviews of some of these books, manuals, and products. I also review some of the live events I have attended over the years.

Thankfully, many of the world's top direct response copywriters and direct marketers have written books. For around $20, you can access their wisdom. A bargain.

Here are some reviews of just a few of the books manuals, and seminars.

BOOKS

Scientific Advertising. Claude C. Hopkins. 1923. Quite possibly the greatest book about direct response marketing ever written. Claude Hopkins was born in 1866 and he wrote this book in the 1920s but EVERYTHING in Scientific Advertising is totally salient today … and will continue to be salient as long as humans are humans. The book wholeheartedly and joyously bashes branding advertising and is a love letter to direct marketing. Let’s remember that Hopkins earned well over $200,000 a year back when $200,000 a year was about the same as $10 million a year. A stack of cash, for sure. But he could justify it, I’m certain, based on the revenue he generated. It’s not a long book, and the syntax is a touch archaic, but Scientific Advertising remains the most powerful book ever written about direct marketing. It’s one of those books that everyone in direct marketing should read every day. And for this direct response copywriter, the book is a constant inspiration. I wonder if marketing professors at top business schools make students read Scientific Advertising. I doubt it, based on the paucity of knowledge about direct marketing in the marketing departments of most companies. Fortunately, it’s a lot easier to understand Scientific Advertising than another superb book, Breakthrough Advertising, by Eugene Schwartz.

Secrets of Successful Direct Mail. Richard Benson. 2005. A bit of a technical book primarily for the mathematicians in the room, it provides vital information and fundamental knowledge every direct response copywriter must understand. There's a complete version of the "Byrd" expedition letter, which is a rarely-seen example of super-vivid copy. After reading the copy, I wanted to take the trip. But it was in 1968, sadly.

The Ultimate Sales Letter. Dan Kennedy. 1997. Perhaps the best introduction to direct response copywriting available. The Ultimate Sales Letter dissects a sales letter then shows you how to write a basic sales letter. The headline templates alone are worth the price of admission and I still use them. A great book for the nascent copywriter ... and the more experienced copywriter. The lesson I took away: a direct response copywriter is a salesman, not a writer. It's also an inexpensive way to get plenty of great advice from Dan Kennedy.

Bencivenga Bullets. Gary Bencivenga. Not technically a book although, hopefully, a publisher will put them in a book one day. Bencivenga Bullets are, essentially, a series of 29 blogs about direct marketing, direct response copywriting, and general advice about life. All this comes from one of the greatest direct response copywriters of any era. And all the content is totally free. Bencivenga bullets should be mandatory reading for every MBA candidate and every direct response copywriter must read them and know them at a professorial level. Bencivenga didn't have to write these but fortunately, we have them. You can read them here. The content is super-rich ... he covers so much in just 29 blogs. And these are high-level techniques based on his success and testing.

Open Me Now. Direct Mail Envelopes That Work ... And Those That Don't. Herschell Gordon Lewis. 2006. One of numerous superb books by the wonderful HGL. Last year, I had the pleasure of having lunch with the great man at the AWAI bootcamp. Open Me Now is a highly specialized book about a vital and often ignored copy element: the copy on the envelope. Of course, the book is also about email subject lines. It's a vital book for all direct mail copywriters and all direct response copywriters who write emails.

The Golf Marketing Bible. Andrew Wood. 2009. It’s about golf marketing … obviously … but it’s also a superb introduction to direct response marketing. You can get the “generic” version of this book but I’m especially fond of the golf version because it’s one of the first books I read about direct response marketing. I’m also biased because Andrew introduced me to direct response copywriting and he’s an excellent direct response copywriter. The book starts with the story of how Andrew applied direct response copywriting to his first business … and transformed it from an also-ran into a thriving enterprise with branches around the country. Subsequent chapters dispel marketing myths and beat up the branding guys. Awesome. The chapter about closing a sale is well worth the price of admission alone. Even if you’re not in the golf business, The Golf Marketing Bible proves the power of direct response marketing. You will also get a clear plan for growing your revenue.

Ogilvy on Advertising. David Ogilvy. 1985. One of the first books I ever read about advertising and marketing. For a direct response copywriter, the book provides a bit of a challenge ... it's mostly about branding. Ogilvy also reveals insights into growing and running a huge agency. But it's not really a book about direct response marketing, per se. A couple of things to remember.

1. Ogilvy built his business on direct marketing principles.
2. He started his agency by writing direct response letters to potential clients.

He also wrote superb direct response copy ... advertising his agency in The Wall Street Journal and other publications. While it's not technically a direct response copywriting book, it always gets me fired up about being a direct response copywriter. Ogilvy on Advertising is an absolute MUST for everyone in marketing ... yet I wonder if professors at top MBA schools make it mandatory reading for MBA candidates.

Words That Sell. Richard Bayan. 2006. Ultimately, direct response copywriting — and all writing — is about choosing words and putting them in a certain order. Words That Sell by direct response copywriter Richard Bayan is a book that helps us choose the right words and phrases for direct response copy. The book provides 125 pages comprising long lists of words. It's an esoteric book perhaps and certainly a thesaurus created just for the copywriter. Direct response copy needs color and punch and this short but vital book helps me write more vivid copy. It's also an excellent way to end writer's block — if that ever affects you. It's a book every direct response copywriter must own. Simply go through the book and add the words you like.

Inbound Marketing. Brian Halligan. Dharmesh Shah. 2010. Technically it's not a book about direct response copywriting. But it's a book a direct response copywriter should read, if nothing else because 'inbound marketing' has become such a buzz-phrase. There's a lot of hyperventilating about the concept — as you would expect — but the book provides a good argument for the power and punch of content. The authors give little attention to direct response copywriting and techniques, which is a pity. I use the basic principles behind inbound marketing and they can work when applied correctly. However, as I was reading the book, I was constantly thinking, "classic direct response marketing is always going to produce stronger results than inbound marketing." Shah and Halligan have built an empire around the concept of Inbound Marketing — and more power to them — but it's just one way to market. I'm always leery when marketers basically ignore the direct response copywriter and believe their method is going to be more effective than well-executed direct marketing campaign.

Million Dollar Mailings. Denny Hatch. 1992. A heavyweight in the world of direct response copywriting, Million Dollar Mailings weighs in at around 5 pounds. It’s a huge book, a thumper with over 500 pages. The book has assembled winning mail packages, primarily for magazine subscriptions, information products, and physical products. It’s an absolute must read for every direct response copywriter. These promotions mailed just before the arrival of the Internet when mail was the preferred medium for direct response and magazines weren’t online. The mailings provide an insight into direct response before the digital age … and what you’ll discover is perhaps shocking: the fundamentals of direct response are the same. It’s a superb way to understand the power of the offer in direct response copy and direct marketing. EVERY package pounds away at the offer … usually some type of irresistible discount. Other things to note:

• Exceptional envelope copy … today’s equivalent is the subject line for an email.
• There’s a lot of copy in each package. And these all produced over $1 million in front end revenue. A good lesson there.
• Superb headlines.
• Expert design making the copy easy to read.
• Packages are easy to read for the scanner.
• Many packages include copy doodles.
• Awesome products.

Get the above right and you’ll find success online or elsewhere.

I’m told it’s a difficult book to find … unless it’s on your bookshelf where it will be really easy to find due to its heft. You might have to reinforce your bookshelves. It’s also an excellent book for two additional reasons:

1. Inspiration.
2. The work of the “old boys” of direct response.

It’s a must for every direct response copywriter.

How to Write Sales Letters That Sell. Drayton Bird. 1994. I've seen Drayton Bird speak and follow him on LinkedIn. In fact, I met him in person ... a big thrill for this direct response copywriter. In this excellent book, Bird is extremely direct and pulls no punches. The subhead is "Learn the Secrets of Successful Direct Mail" and that's exactly what you get. You can take Bird's techniques and apply them to other platforms. The book works for beginners and veterans. I especially liked the advice to copywriters about approaching potential clients. In fact, I have used the exact words he recommends ... and they work! The book also includes examples of successful copy. Every direct response copywriter should read this book. I also enjoyed the hard-core syntactical advice. Bird writes clearly and without any boasting ... even though he's one of the most-admired copywriters of all time. Everyone in direct response marketing should read this book.

DOTCOM SECRETS. Russell Brunson. 2015. A strong introduction to marketing products and services online. It's also a book about copywriting and various models and approaches that have worked for Brunson and his clients. He also introduces many of his products. Brunson is a big name in the internet marketing world and understands direct marketing at an elite-level. Most of the content in the book was not new to me but I learned about several web-based tools that are out there to help marketers. If you're new to direct marketing and internet marketing or if you're eager to discover more about this subject, it's a great book.

My Life in Advertising. Claude C. Hopkins. 1927 (ish). Available as a "double" with Scientific Advertising, My Life is Advertising buttresses Scientific Advertising. The latter is pure theory, but My Life is Advertising reveals how Hopkins put his theories into practice. It's a book about advertising, yes, but it's also a powerful guidebook to business success. Hopkins discusses his successes and failures in advertising then he describes how he eventually made big-time money in business. Curiously, Hopkins avoided predictability when it came to his clients. He worked for some bizarre people who were on the verge of total ruin. There was nothing linear about the journey Hopkins took in his career and you can see this in the careers of many people in direct marketing. My Life in Advertising is one of the more curious marketing and business books and it's a must for every direct response copywriter. Toward the end of the book, Hopkins even gets a little personal, revealing his true motivations.

The Ultimate Guide to Direct Marketing. Al Lautenslager. 2005. Maybe I’ve missed something but there’s not exactly a surfeit of books about the basics of direct marketing. There are TONS of books about subjects related to direct marketing but very few books that provide a solid introduction to direct response marketing for those who are new to the practice. The Ultimate Guide to Direct Marketing is from the always excellent Entrepreneur Press. Al Lautenslager has written a thorough book that provides a sound introduction to direct marketing. Many people, including new clients, ask me about direct response copywriting before they really know much about direct marketing. And, as a direct response copywriter, it’s vital my clients are serious direct marketing practitioners. Even those who are at the expert level … or close to the expert level … will enjoy the book. The version I have is from 2005 but not much has changed. The fundamentals are all the same.

Tested Advertising Methods. John Caples. 1997? The inside cover says 1997 but I think this book appeared much earlier. It's irrelevant. This book is one of the most important in direct marketing and direct response copywriting. David Ogilvy says it best in the foreword: everything in this book is based on actual measured results. This book works well for direct marketers but it's even better for direct response copywriters. The headline formula Caples reveals is one of the most powerful and it works almost every time for me. Caples bashes "creative" advertising and lauds pure direct response. It's no surprise that all the great copywriters cite Caples and this book as among the most important in their library. I especially liked the "enthusiasm" chapter but every chapter is worth reading over and over. Gary Bencivenga says ... if you're not reading Caples, that's marketing malpractice. Extremely true. It's also a book that gets me really fired up about copywriting.

Retention Point. Robert Skrob. 2018. It's not technically a book about copywriting but it's a book every direct response copywriter should read. Robert Skrob specializes in helping companies build a recurring revenue stream (or many streams) from membership programs. In fact, Robert might be the #1 expert on this subject. If you're in direct marketing, then you need to read this book so you fully understand the mistakes that so many membership marketers make. Then you will fully understand what really makes a membership program rock. Hint: it's all about leadership. Many of the elements from the book translate directly to direct response copywriting. I especially liked the description of the key core elements of a financial promotion. The tactics and strategies in this book are easy to implement. It's not the longest marketing book on the planet but it's packed with great advice.

The Advertising Solution. Craig Simpson and Brian Kurtz. 2016. A great book for direct response copywriters and direct marketers. I hate it when I see books or hear presentations from so-called 'experts' who haven't stepped foot on the direct marketing battlefield. I know Brian and I know of Craig and they have been in the wars for several decades. They have generated tens of millions in revenue. Their new book profiles and condenses the wisdom of six highly successful direct marketers: Robert Collier, Claude Hopkins, John Caples, David Ogilvy, Gary Halbert, and Eugene Schwartz. These marketers are among the most successful direct marketers based on actual results. I highly recommend that every direct response copywriter read EVERYTHING by the marketers above but The Advertising Solution provides an introduction to these marketers for newcomers to direct marketing. It also provides essential reading for seasoned direct marketers who need fresh ideas based on proven techniques. I found the summary of the work of Eugene Schwartz especially valuable as his book, Breakthrough Advertising, is a difficult one to digest. So any help there is extremely useful and welcome. The Advertising Solution is well written and clear, as I'd expect from the publisher, Entrepreneur Press. The semanticist in me has a hard time with all the split infinitives, but if you're like me when it comes to those, you've been warned. But that's being slightly silly on my part. I wish they had written a stronger title, which I'd love to improve one day. Again ... I'm being picky. But it's a superb book and already one of my favorite direct marketing tomes. A lot of direct marketers and direct response copywriters will read this book but I hope people outside our crazy industry will read it so they understand direct response principles. A must read.

NO BS Price Strategy. Dan Kennedy and Jason Marrs. Pricing is part of direct marketing and direct response copywriting. This excellent book provides 236 pages of thoughts and practical advice about how to price for maximum profit. Kennedy and Marrs look at several companies and how they determine prices; it’s not always pretty and they openly criticize some big companies. Read this book and you’ll discover you can charge significantly more than you’re currently charging. I’m a direct response copywriter so it’s extremely important that I help my clients with their pricing strategy. Everyone in direct marketing should read this important book. It will also help you avoid discounting and you’ll discover how to avoid price wars and also how to justify really high pricing. Why charge less than you need to?

Ask. Ryan Levesque. 2015. I worked with Ryan on the acquisition funnel for Revolution Golf as the direct response copywriter. It's a funnel that's been hugely successful so I can vouch for the legitimacy of the "ask" methodology. It's certainly a book that everyone in direct marketing should read. Why? The intelligence from the data gathered provides information you can use to create new products and refine current products. The book has two distinct parts. The first is more theoretical. The second part describes and details how to put together a survey funnel and how to use the data. Levesque provides all the information you need to get going and it's not a sales pitch, which is nice.

On Writing Well. William Zinsser. 1976 to 1990. Perhaps it's not exactly a book about direct response copywriting but numerous direct response copywriters and people in direct marketing have recommended this book. On Writing Well is a somewhat disjointed collection of thoughts and ideas about writing nonfiction. The style is conversational and informal, which I like, and there are some bizarre stylistic touches, like the total absence of the Oxford comma. There’s some great advice, especially when it comes to brevity and clarity. However, a lot of the writing and opinions seem a touch ornery, just for sake of being ornery. I also see extensive use of the verb “to do” which I associate with second-rate writing. I’m not a huge reader of books about writing, because I spend so much time writing, but I found much of the content entertaining. I wonder what the author would think of direct response copywriting. My biggest beef with the book, by far, is the title. Should I write well or should I write brilliantly? If I write well, then I’m not getting paid to write.

Mindset. The New Psychology of Success. Carol Dweck. 2007. It's not a copywriting book but it's an important book for every ambitious copywriter. A friend who is a ski instructor recommended this to me and it's a fascinating book. There are two types of person on the planet according to Carol Dweck. People who have a growth mindset and people who don't. The latter really never go anywhere. The former move forward and are more likely to reach their goals. People with the growth mindset deal with adversity. They learn and grow constantly. There are two types of direct response copywriter. One is always learning and trying to get better. The others never really get things going successfully and complain and blame others when things don't go especially well. The growth mindset isn't natural. It's learned. And this book provides ways to get the growth mindset into your life. I'm usually not too excited about personal growth books because the market is so full of rotten advice from people who are just making stuff up but this book provides a great road map for moving forward and developing.

Making Ads Pay. Timeless Tips for Successful Copywriting. John Caples. 2012? How many books did John Caples write? Three? That's all I can find. The title says it all. Caples takes you inside his world and details his successes and his failures. Yes ... there were times when John Caples went up against a control and things didn't work out for him. Like Tested Advertising Methods, Making Ads Pay is replete with excellent, practical advice for all copywriters, especially direct response copywriters. Early in his career, Caples wrote a lot of what he calls "story" ads where he used a made-up story to sell the product. It's not a technique I would use but it worked at the time. He also writes a lot about real-world tests. The book includes superb chapters about headlines and leads. The book ends with a chapter about believability, which is ultimately about proof and specificity. The version of this book says it was published in 2012 but it must have appeared much earlier. Doesn't matter ... it's all totally relevant today. Gary Bencivenga said that not studying John Caples is marketing malpractice. I agree. It's not just for copywriters. The book is for everyone in marketing. The deep dive into testing is the best thing about this book. It was also curious that Columbia University used to have a course in copywriting. That's where John Caples started. It's a must read for every serious direct response copywriter.

Overdeliver. Brian Kurtz. 2019.I've read a lot of books about direct marketing and direct response copywriting. It's rare for me to read a book about two of my favorite subjects and go, "this book is rubbish." Almost all the books are excellent. Why? Because they're written by people who have been in direct marketing and have succeeded ... and failed. You won't find many theorists writing books in our world. Thankfully. Plus in our world, everything is measured to the penny. There's no way to argue with the results and the people who have produced the results.

So I've enjoyed a lot of great books about direct marketing. And OVERDELIVER is right up there with the "elite" direct marketing books.

OVERDELIVER works on two planes. First, for the nascent, it's an excellent introduction to direct marketing. It's a book everyone in business should read. And it should be a part of the required reading at every business school. OVERDELIVER is one of the few genuinely comprehensive books about direct marketing. Second, it's a great book for people who are in direct marketing.

I was in Brian's mastermind group for 3 years and I count Brian as a friend and colleague. I thought I had heard everything Brian had to say about direct marketing. And while much of the content was familiar, there was so much more I discovered.

Again, Brian was right there in the middle of the direct marketing battles and he succeeded. But Brian is humble enough to admit that all his decisions were not necessarily successful. There are so many great lessons that everyone can learn from OVERDELIVER. Brian provides so much excellent advice based on what's actually worked in direct marketing. But my favorite chapter might be the one about how to treat people and building relationship capital.

Brian built his reputation in direct mail but everything translates to digital marketing. Everything.

I'm confident a lot of people in direct marketing will read OVERDELIVER. They will discover a lot and this will help them succeed.

My big hope is that people in branding read this book and make the move to direct marketing. I might be dreaming, though.

Brian talks about branding for about 3 minutes. Instead, Brian sticks to what's actually accountable and what actually works. Read this book and digest its pure sagacity.

Even better, there's a great list of marketing books everyone should read.

Writing to Persuade. Trish Hall. 2019. Trish Hall was the editor of the op-ed page at The New York Times. Should you buy this book? Here are the thoughts of a professional direct response copywriter who is paid by companies around the world to ‘persuade’ people to take a specific action leading to a sale.

Let’s start with a whopping promise on the inside flap.

“Whether you want to compose a convincing cover letter, pitch a story for publication, or win over a college admissions officer, ‘Writing to Persuade’ is the definitive resource on the neglected art of persuasion.”

If you’re looking for that ‘definitive resource’ this ain’t it sports fans. In this review, I’ll briefly explain my thinking and recommend other books to help you discover how to motivate people to take a specific action or think a certain way.

Neglected? Choosing and organizing words to influence others is part of daily life for everyone on the planet.

I’m a direct response copywriter and I purchased ‘Writing to Persuade’ because I’m constantly striving to improve. I’ve read many of the books about direct response copywriting and direct marketing so I look for techniques from outside marketing.

My livelihood depends on motivating potential customers to try products and services. My clients measure the results to the penny and so I HAVE to perform. I can’t hide behind awards or congratulations from other copywriters.

So I must understand the techniques and psychology of writing to motivate … or my clients fire me. My clients measure my results and they keep hiring me so I’m getting there. I’ve written over 350 ads for one client and helped them generate over $250 million in measurable revenue.

There’s a fundamental flaw in this book and it’s a subtle one only a direct response copywriter would understand. This type of writing is NOT about persuasion. It’s about motivation. I can’t persuade someone to buy a heat lamp in the Sahara. But I can motivate someone who is dealing with joint pain to try a dietary supplement others find effective.

Look up the words ‘persuade’ and ‘motivate’ in the dictionary and you’ll understand my logic. I base this on the stark reality of selling and not on theory.

It’s a subtle but seriously important difference.

In direct response copywriting, we channel the emotions, logic, common sense, and experience of the reader toward the benefits the product or service provides. This strategy, which is difficult to understand at first, will help you write and speak with the authority and power you’re trying to achieve.

Many of the techniques Ms. Hall includes are direct response copywriting techniques. That’s a good thing. You get some of these in the “Fifteen Principles of Persuasive Writing” on page xi. Empathy. Specificity.

The advice on pages 52-56 is pure gold. Taking a potentially dry subject and making it engaging through someone’s personal experience can be a powerful technique. Ms. Hall provides the clearest explanation of this technique I’ve read. Every writer who is writing to motivate must read these pages.

I also liked the advice on page 161 about listening to people’s conversations to discover what’s really happening in their lives. We all need to listen more and blab less.

However, parts of the book had me scratching my head or thinking, ‘that wouldn’t work in copy’ or ‘that’s not true.’

For example, on page 175, Ms. Hall writes, “All of us, whether we’re conservatives or liberals, dislike having our positions challenged. It makes us uncomfortable, and we perceive it as a threat.”

I’m totally happy for anyone to challenge my views. I’m confident in my beliefs and opinions. I like being challenged and I’m not an argumentative person. Am I the only person like this on the planet? No.

On page 180, Ms. Hall writes we tenaciously hold onto our views … “partly because we don’t want to try to hold two opposing beliefs in our mind. And it’s partly because we just don’t find it pleasant to acknowledge that we can hold such different ideas.”

In direct response copywriting, we know people base their view of the world on goals, desires, experience, beliefs, and proof. It’s not theory. It’s based on results measured to the penny.

There are some missing pieces I hope Ms. Hall includes in the next edition.

There’s nothing about overcoming skepticism. There’s very little about providing proof.

And what about headlines? You can write the greatest article ever but if the headline is duff then nobody will read the pieces. I regularly see epic headlines in newspapers so I’m sure Ms. Hall knows how to write a great headline.

Motivation starts with grabbing someone’s attention through the headline. Use the John Caples headline formula and everyone will look at your article.

I spend my entire working day writing headlines, overcoming skepticism, and carefully finding proof. Result? I motivate people to take a specific action … exactly what you’re trying to achieve.

Nobody will ever call me a grammarian and I’m not an editor but the semantic structure seems way off. Split infinities. Comma splices. I could remove the word ‘that’ about 300 times and the prose would be clearer, crisper. I’d find a new editor, Ms. Hall. One who would prune ruthlessly.

In the final pages of the book Ms. Hall admits nobody really knows the impact of op-ed pieces. True. There’s no way to measure the impact. Perhaps you can look at subscription data.

But in direct response copywriting, we measure the impact of our words to the penny and so we know EXACTLY what works when it comes to motivating people to act in a specific way.

Ms. Hall is genuinely interested in persuasion. My advice to her and everyone interested in this subject: understand the difference between motivation and persuasion then read the books written by the successful direct marketers and direct response copywriters. Make sure it’s the direct marketing people and NOT the branding people. The latter never accurately measure their results. Why? Because that would mean being accountable.

Find ‘Bencivenga Bullets’ which are free on the Internet. The author, Gary Bencivenga, was the world’s top direct response copywriter for about 20 years before he retired. Direct marketers were lining up to hire Gary and gleefully sent him multi-million dollar royalty checks based on the increase in revenue his copy generated. His writing generated billions in revenue for his clients.

If you really want to develop the skill of writing to motivate people to take a specific action, and it’s an extremely powerful and valuable skill, read the books written by direct response copywriters. I recommend the following.

Read ‘Scientific Advertising’ by Claude Hopkins. Read ‘Breakthrough Advertising’ by Eugene Schwartz. Read ‘Tested Advertising Methods’ by John Caples. Read the books they recommend. Look at the books and reviews on this page.

Pay attention to the direct response copy you see and hear and you’ll start to understand the fundamentals of ‘persuasive’ writing. You can take these techniques to your writing.

Buy this book if you’re interested in the inside operation of the op-ed department at ‘big newspaper’ and get it for pages 52-56. But you’re not getting “the definitive resource on the neglected art of persuasion.”

Building a StoryBrand. Donald Miller. 2017.

A curious book, for sure. I bought it for two reasons. First, the whole “story” approach is the current “big shiny thing” in marketing and I wanted to understand how and why this approach is so popular. Second, I’ve worked with some clients who like the approach.

Over the years, several copywriters and direct marketers have taken a fundamental of direct marketing and direct response copywriting, given this fundamental a trendy and clever name, and, hey presto, they have become a rock star in the marketing world. That’s the case here.

The StoryBrand thing is nothing new. It’s the hero’s journey approach. So I found myself in the bizarre situation of reading a marketing book and not learning anything but that’s because I’ve been writing direct response copy for 33 years. Someone who is new to copywriting and marketing will learn about … well … the hero’s journey approach to direct response copywriting.

It’s not a book about branding and that’s a good thing. It’s actually an introduction to direct response copywriting, without even mentioning direct response copywriting.

Did Gary Bencivenga and John Caples and Clayton Makepeace follow this “story” thing? Sometimes.

The book makes some huge assumptions. For example Miller writes that Apple really hit its stride once it went with the “story” approach. I’m confident there are many people in the technology business who would disagree.

There’s much more to direct marketing and direct response copywriting than the “story” approach.

The book, similar to most Dan Kennedy books, is primarily about promoting the company behind the book. Nothing wrong with that.

You’re better off reading the great books about direct marketing and direct response copywriting if you’re serious about your marketing. That’s because there are some glaring omissions. There’s very little about proof, writing headlines, bullets, fascinations, leads … you know … the real nuts and bolts of direct response copywriting. What about a USP?

The BrandScript method in this book is just another name for a research checklist.

Proof is given short shrift with 4 examples … I can come up with 50.

The CTA section is good.

There’s a huge mistake when it comes to Miller’s thoughts about the right length of copy. He says that people don’t read, so make your copy short. A direct quote from the book …

“The rule is this: the fewer words you use, the more likely it is that people will read them.”

This clunky sentence replete with redundancies is totally wrong. Here’s the truth …

THE MORE YOU TELL … THE MORE YOU SELL …

I like the fact that he’s mostly following the fundamentals of direct response copywriting but, instead of following this methodology, people who want to maximize their revenue should discover as much as possible about direct marketing and direct response copywriting.

The book then moves into corporate engagement. I’m familiar with this concept as I worked with a company that specializes in this. It’s not marketing.

There’s some excellent advice for successful email marketing.

Miller has built, and is building, an empire around the whole StoryBrand concept. Hopefully, despite the nomenclature, this moves his tribe away from branding and toward direct response copy. They will get much stronger results.

The book covers just one approach to direct marketing, which is welcome, but there’s so much more to this subject. I guess you have to become a member of his club or go to a conference or get in a mastermind group to find out more. A fee will be involved.

MANUALS

Quick-Start Copywriting System. Clayton Makepeace. There are lots of manuals and systems out there but this copywriting masterpiece is always on my desk. There are two big manuals with a total of around 1,000 pages. The manuals cover everything, including an introduction to direct marketing. I also love the synopsis of Breakthrough Advertising ... especially useful because Breakthrough Advertising is so insanely complex. I swipe from many of the examples. I use the headline templates. I use the bullet templates. And if I'm ever stuck for ideas, I instantly turn to this manual. It's extremely well-organized and presented. Every direct response copywriter should have this system. It used to be hard to find but it's now part of the AWAI catalog. Go here to find it.

EVENTS

Titans of Direct Marketing. This event took place in September, 2014. Fortunately, DVDs are available and I will share a link to these in a minute. Brian Kurtz, the organizer, put an all-star cast together including Dan Kennedy, Gary Bencivenga, Greg Renker, Jay Abraham, and Joe Sugarman ... plus a bunch of accomplished copywriters who wrote for Boardroom. The cost to attend was quite high and the room was packed with over 500 direct marketers so the networking was great. It was fun to meet many of the truly big names in direct marketing and I even bumped into Joe Sugarman, of BluBlocker fame, in the airport. The speeches were mostly superb ... especially from Greg Renker and Gary Bencivenga. Lunches and dinners were also fun as I got a chance to speak with a number of serious direct marketers. Most of the speakers presented original material. Brian put on a great event and I thoroughly recommend that everyone in direct marketing buy the DVDs ... especially direct response copywriters. Click here to get more information.