This is a great book if you write ad copy for a website selling products. sometimes it's very hard to break a mental block while trying to describe a product to a customer you have never seen. Crack this book open at times like that and your block will be resolved!

I've seen a 100% improvement in response to adcopy we have written with the assistance of this book.

A book from a person who has been there, done that, very little theory. Almost all his ideas can be transfered to today's electronic media.
He engages you with experience not B*** S***. I would recomend this book to anyone who is looking for ideas, structure or good solid guidance.
ALB.

Although I have not had time to delve deeply into the book, I have been pleasantly surprised. The author is articulate, professional and uses stories to make his points. He is clear and and imparts the principles of marketing in such a way that the message is timeless. I am very glad I bought the book and look forward to doing an in-depth analysis of its contents. I will certainly put into practice the tips he gives.

Pound for Pound, this is the one. Wanted to buy "Advertising Secrets for the Written Word", but it slipped away. At $14, Sugarman's Ad Week Handbook is a terrific summary and you won't beat it. You need it in your copywriter's library, even if you never read it. The dust on it will help you write better copy. If you do read it...and you will, your writing will improve, you'll cover the cost of the book, grow hair on your chest and make big bucks in your spare time, raising bullfrogs in your backyard. Not for the faint at heart.

I feel like I've written another book just from the notes I've taken from Sugarman's work.

If you are involved in the marketing industry where the pen is your tool, you are way behind if you don't have this book.

If I lost this book I would panic. I feel that this could've been one of those $60 marketing reference books you see on the bookshelfs.

Great Work

I went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and I studied under the best. Joseph Sugarman's 338-page book will teach you much more about effective marketing than any class at Business School. Sugarman's book is a must read for anyone who wants to make money with his words.

Andrew Nissenbaum

Mr. Sugarman's book is excellent for what it is. He speaks well on the key human behavioral touchpoints for communicating verbally, but his experience seems mostly focused on catalogue sales and off-beat products. As a writer of copy for major brands I found the book useful but not overly so. He doesn't discuss branding and how copy undergirds that kind of work. If you're an agency writer, this might not be the best book for you. But, it couldn't hurt to read it.

Joe Sugarman has a profound sense of humor, and this is reflected in his copywriting approach. Joe also is an expert in Space Ads, and using "Off-The-Wall" incentives to entice you to read his ads. An example would be using "scrambled eggs" in the headline, when the ad has nothing to do with the headline. But he became a millionaire from his company, and his copywriting expertise. What I especially found humorous is his story of the seductive and pretty blond, who wanted him to write copy for her, in exchange for - well, you get the picture. This book is well worth the price.
Randy Kemp
www.randykempcopywriting.com

Seldom does a how-to book so thoroughly accomplish its goal. Read this text and you'll learn how to compose great copy. Information in: skill out. Copywriter extraordinaire Joseph Sugarman explains what it takes to write copy that sells as he covers the basic elements of a print ad. He then delves into the writing process by revealing his methods, such as letting your thoughts flow unhindered onto the paper and giving your ideas time to incubate. Then he switches his focus to explaining which emotions motivate people to make purchases and how to incorporate these "psychological triggers" into your advertising. Although Sugarman confesses up front that his lessons focus primarily on print mail-order advertising, he provides a chapter on copywriting for various media. However, it is obvious that his strength lies in mail order. The emphasis on print ads notwithstanding, getAbstract urges anyone who wants to communicate effectively to pick up this thorough, lively copywriting guide.

This book is Truly Amazing. I'm not a copywriter. Never intend to be one. I'm in the speaking/training business, and I needed some material that would teach me how to write successful copy. Since I have to do my own marketing, I needed something that would help me right away. Plus, I didn't want to lose any more money buying books to teach me about copy writing that simply DID NOT WORK. I have bought a couple that were a total loss of my money. I won't mention the names of the books because I don't want to offend anyone. But I will say this about this book (and by the way, this is my FIRST review for any book I've bought), if you're looking for a method that is VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND, FOLLOWS A LOGICAL PROCESS THAT WORKS, and is GUARANTEED TO GET YOU RESULTS, then you owe it to yourself to BUY THIS BOOK.

I just wish I knew about this book BEFORE I wasted my money on the other books I bought. Joseph's methods are so POWERFUL, I even use them when I'm speaking. I keep my audiences SPELLBOUND. They hang to EVERY WORD I say. Now, just imagine... if people give me their attention to a 45-60 minute speech, can you see what it will do for your copy? People respond the way I want them to respond as a result of the methods I'm using from Joseph Sugarman.

I'm VERY GRATEFUL I bought this book. You'll be GRATEFUL too. Buy it!

I was highly disappointed. I must say I was also put off by the author's gigantic ego and near constant self promotion.

I have read about one-third of the book. This was done mainly flipping around trying to find some useful advice, especially for creating magazine print ads and radio ads. I found near nada.

If you are a copywriter assigned to creating direct mail pieces or sensational advertorials you will probably find this book useful. But these of course are slim slices of the kind of work most copywriters do today.

Oh ... and the "Ginger" part (you'll know if you read the book) was the last straw. I dug out my receipt and will be returning this book to Borders. This, even though I did not spend a dime of my own money on the book. I do not wish to leave it in my company's library or give it to a thrift store. It is a matter of principle.

I never realised how much science is involved in selling products through writing. This book demonstrates some amazing techniques and is well worth reading.

I'm a dentist, but I'm confident that ANY business owner would benefit tremendously from this book. Joe Sugarman's writing style is easy to understand and very instructive at the same time.

The hardest thing about reading this book was SITTING STILL. Every few pages, I HAD to get up and jot down some ideas or edit the copy on my website!

This book carries my highest recommendation!

Absolutely the best book I've read on copywriting to date. Joe Sugarman presents the information in a thorough, yet exciting way that will keep you reading from beginning to end. Every chapter contains another nugget of gold that will help you master the skill of copywriting and get bigger results from your advertising. This book is a must have for business owners and anyone wishing to improve their copywriting skills.

This book is for DIRECT RESPONSE, not general advertising. Basically, if you're a budding copywriter looking to get into a top general agency, this book will not help you much. You'd do better with a copy of "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This" or "Cutting Edge Advertising."

Otherwise, if you're wanting to learn how to make coupon-clipper ads selling ionic air purifiers, this is your book.

Joe Sugarman did an excellent job in this book. I've read over a dozen other books on copywriting, and believe that this is the best of the bunch. The others also have value, but Sugarman explains key psychological principles that make all of the difference. I wish I had read this book first so that the other books would have been more valuable to me.

I first brought this book two years ago. I thought it was great then, now I think It is without a doubt the best book on copywriting I have ever read.
It is full of money making wisdom, written by one of the worlds greatest copywriters.
it is a complete course on how to turn words into money, and it is easy to read.
This book is worth ten stars.

This book is phenomenal. If you read it and put Joe's techniques to work you'll be a step ahead of 99% of the Ad Agency's out there that charge an arm and a leg for what you can do on your own. It takes some practice and note taking but, if you listen to what Joe says you'll be handsomely rewarded. Even if you're not selling anything, you will still enjoy reading this book.

This is the single best book I have read on how to right effective advertising copy.

Every business has to advertise in some way, shape or form if it is to survive. Writing effective copy can be the difference between succesful advertising and a big waste of money.

If you have an agency who does your advertising, you really need to read this book. Once you read and understand the concepts that Sugarman discusses, you will be much better prepared to direct your agency on what you want in your ad that will really make it effective. You will definitely know more than most advertising 'specialists.'

If you create your own ads, buy this book, read it, and do what it says. The effectiveness of your advertising will increase dramatically and you will separate your company from all the 'look-alikes' who do advertising in the same old, ineffective way.

This book is a fantastic learning tool for any copywriter. Although it does focus on writing space ads specifically, the Principles can be used in all types of copy with minor adjustments.

Very easy to read as well, with a great summary of lessons and study guide in the appendix.

Great book

I usually write reviews only for books to which I can give a positive recommendation. However, because this book carries the Adweek imprimateur, prospective readers may assume that it presents better, broader, and more editorially vetted content than is the case.

Be aware that this book focuses on only two things: 1) text-heavy ads for direct marketing of consumer products and 2) long-winded, boastful stories about the author's direct marketing success. It is definitely not a complete guide to copywriting for other types of advertising or marketing materials.

You may find this book interesting if you are one of the author's reported many fans, or if you write ads in this one specific style. But if you want a good copywriting book that addresses a broad range of advertising and promotional methods, look elsewhere.

Why am I giving Sugarman's book only 1 star? Read on.

I am very, very unhappy that "The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters" was published.

As another reviewer stated, it's an exact word-for-word copy of another of Sugarman's books, "Advertising Secrets of the Written Word".

"Advertising Secrets of the Written Word" is probably the greatest book ever written on advertising copywriting. I WORSHIP THIS BOOK. Every time I start a new copywriting project I re-read it and gain powerful new copywriting ideas and insights.

"Advertising Secrets of the Written Word" was out of print for a long time. That's what made them SECRETS!

Now with the publication of "The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters", the SECRETS ARE OUT!

My edge is gone. Now everyone can learn the most powerful copywriting "SECRETS" ever devised.

Top copywriters all over the world are in jeopardy of loosing their edge, now that this Sugarman "reprint" is available.

My 1 star and "negative" review got you to read this, right?

Thanks Joe.

... the money out of customers, via amazing copy!

Seriously... You can never go wrong reading sugarman. If you're looking to explode your sales, read this book.

Sure, many copywriters will tell you to read Scientific Advertising and other such 100 year old books. And that's all well and good. If you want to learn copy, you read as much as you can...

But I've found Joe's stuff to not only be on par with those classics, but much more relevant to today's copy.

Get this book.

If you are interested in learning copywriting, I would only say do one thing before reading this book; read it only AFTER you have read something else to get you started. Either Bowerman's "Well-fed Writer", Bly's "Secrets of a Freelance Writer" Slaunwhite's "Start and Run a Copywriting Business" or Meanwell's "The Wealthy Writer." Any one of these books will give you a solid foundation to build upon.

THE ADWEEK COPYWRITING BOOK by Joe Sugarman is a "must read". I believe, however, you will gain more value from this incredible book if you use this as somewhat of a "second phase" of your copywriting education. That's not to say Sugarman's book is difficult to understand. It's not. There are just some other things you need to learn and understand first.

This book is brilliantly laid out in a step-by-step, easy to follow format with wide margins for lots of notes. Sugarman takes you through the process of actually writing copy from beginning to end. The emphasis here is on print advertising, but the relation and application to any other form of copywriting is easily discernable. The brief final section of the book even covers writing for other types of media.

Sugarman is a great teacher. This book pulls largely from the training seminar Sugarman taught for many years. Only you get the $2,000 seminar for the price of a book. What a deal!

The only reason I gave this book 4 stars is because it is the first book on copywriting I've read, so I couldn't justify 5 stars without comparing it to others. Clear, concise, without a wasted word; full of hints, insights and valuable information. Worth every penny.

Sugarman shares the secrets that made him one of the top copyrighters ever! This is a great book for the newbie, and the seasoned copywriter alike.

Glad I went with the softcover and saved 25 dollars. Its still a good quality softcover.

Great content!

Joe Sugarman is a living legend when it comes to copywriting and direct response ad copy. This is the essence of his wisdom. I'd get every book by him, and every recorded talk by him, but if you only wanted one book to read, enjoy and study, it would be this one. It's a masterpiece. Even though I wrote books on copywriting, too - such as Hypnotic Writing and Buying Trances -- the living master at copy that sells is Joe Sugarman. His writing is a breeze to read and his lessons are worth gold. Get this one.

This is word for word the same book as another of sugarmans books: Advertising secrets of the written word. That book is an excellent book on copywriting and marketing. Buy this book save a ton of money to aquire the same info.

This is one of the best books on copywriting I've read in a very long time. As someone with four decades of copywriting experience I can tell you with full confidence that if you're interested in copywriting on any level, you need this book.

I don't need to say more. Just buy this book. You won't be sorry. In fact, read it and look to it often. It is money in your pocket.