Thoughts About Clayton Makepece. Direct Response Copywriting Email Archive. March 2020.

What You Can Learn from The Late Clayton Makepeace

I just got the news that Clayton Makepeace passed, apparently not related to Covid-19 but related to a lung issue. Very sad news ... I didn't actually know he was ill.

Clayton was the #1 practicing copywriter for many years. He wrote for Boardroom, and established some controls, plus he wrote extensively for Weiss Research and many other direct marketers. He used to live in the mountains of North Carolina and had a "farm" system for a while. A friend of mine was a copy cub. Another friend worked extensively with him.

I met Clayton at the AWAI bootcamp and also at The Titans Mastermind. He was extremely friendly and affable; he used to hold court at the bar in Delray Beach during bootcamp. His presentation was really the only "must not miss" presentation at bootcamp. Clayton loved direct marketing and he also loved life. A pretty strong combination.

What can you learn from Clayton?

A ton.

In fact, you should very closely study his work.

Why?

A lot of copywriters make crazy claims about being 'the best' and so on. But Clayton actually was the best in part because he knew the technical side of direct marketing and direct response copywriting backwards and forwards.

He could tell you the most effective font size for body copy in a print promotion … and why. He could tell you which fonts to use online … and why. He wrote sizzling bullets.

I spent a small fortune on his “Quick Start” copy system manual and it’s pure gold. I refer to this manual every week. It’s hard to find but one of the greatest direct response copywriting guides out there.

If you don’t want to spend the cash, then head to Clayton’s blog.

It’s here. Start with the 6-part interview with Gary Bencivenga.

That interview and the archive are choc-full of direct marketing gold ... and all for free.

I don’t want to write a long email about Clayton. You’ll find plenty of tributes and information on social media.

Here’s what I liked the most about Clayton. He was one of the good guys. He could get “loud” in his copy but he never made stuff up, unlike some of the so-called ‘legendary’ copywriters.

Clayton knew direct marketing backwards and forwards and he also did his homework. He found the truth and he told the truth. He helped his clients generate billions in revenue.

Who knows if the AWAI bootcamp will take place this May, given the current public health situation. If bootcamp goes ahead, they will sorely miss Clayton. I wish I had gotten to know him more in person. He was always gregarious, gentlemanly, and generous when I met him.

Thankfully, we have a lot of his wisdom.

Scott Martin