| Over 90% of copywriting books suck. I’ve barely read any, but I’m going by Sturgeon’s Law. Here, I’ll save you a Google search: In 1951, a science fiction author by the name of Theodore Sturgeon gave a talk at New York University. After he finished, some twerp student jumped up and declared … “90% of science fiction is crud.” To which Sturgeon paused … and replied … “90% of everything is crud.” Although it’s not crystal-clear if that’s the true origin story, it captures the spirit. Either way, Sturgeon’s Law was born. Cite it wisely. Anyway, I’ve glanced through enough copywriting material to see it’s either a waste of time or flat-out dangerous. It might fill your head with flaccid ideas that limpify everything you put to pen. I’ve been asked what copywriting books I recommend, and my answer has always been something along the lines of “None.” I learned from The Gary Halbert Letter—which I consider a treasure—but not a book. Recently, I read two books that changed my stance. They are not directly related to copywriting, but you should read them anyway. Push them straight to the top of your reading list. In fact, after I’m finished, you should drive to the nearest bookstore, find them, … ... plop your butt down, read them right in the store, … … and then purchase them. Here’s why: If you’re a copywriter and you take advantage of the information in these two books, you won’t have to worry about money. You will rocket-launch past the competition from your fellow copywriters. After you produce a few pieces and the results come in, word will spread. Clients will approach you. You’ll be able to work with the best people. You can travel for fun, and work on copy while you do it. You can provide for your family in just the way you’ve been dreaming. You can prove to your friends—and enemies—that you truly are successful. Debt? Vanished. Bills? A mere trifle. Oh, and when you implement what you’ll discover, you can get these results while working a part-time schedule. That should suffice as a preamble. Here’s the first book: "The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. It’s as if Gary and Jay woke up one day and decided to write a guidebook for how a copywriter should think about his or her craft. This book will show you how to harness your peak performance to produce copywriting magic. It will teach you how to position your writing time within your workday. It will show you how to balance time dedicated to your craft with the rest of your work life. (That part will definitely surprise you.) Read on at earlytorise.com: The 2 books copywriters must read before they take on clients...
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