Breakthrough Advertising: How to Write Ads That Shatter Traditions and Sales Records

by Eugene M. Schwartz

The classic by Eugene Schwartz. Not a pdf file. The real thing. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0932648541
• ISBN13: 9780932648549
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Boardroom Classics
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Every Serious Copywriter Should Own this Incredible Book

Eugene Schwartz was a great copywriter. He understood copywriting. He knew that it was salesmanship in print. In this book Schwartz gives us his method of constructing an ad (he calls all copy ads) and he explains who our market really is. He tells us that our ad is directed to a group of people who have one main desire or need. This is a great book. It's odd that many of the books that sold only a few thousand copies in their day, such as this one, now are in high demand. This is especially true of copywriting books. It seems that everyone thinks he or she can either become a copywriter or at the very least write copy for his own advertising by simply reading a book! I don't think so. Hey --- I've been at it 40 years and I'm still learning. This is not a book for the person looking for a quick fix. If you're not a serious copywriter, don't buy this book. Only a copywriter can really understand it. If you're an entrepreneur looking for some basic knowledge, buy Bob Bly's latest books. His are the books for the novice. They're good. They're easy to read. They're easy to understand. And Bob is a great copywriter. But if you are a copywriter and want to read a great book, you must buy this. Is it worth the money? Oh yes. If you're a copywriter it is. If you're not a copywriter, save your money. This book is not dated. In fact, one could almost feel he's reading a book written today. I applied some of what I read to one of my Web sites and it really works. Gene wrote long copy and many sites are nothing more than long copy. For those sites, this book is a find for the copywriter who writes them. Fact is, I prefer it to the books on the market directed to copywriters who write web copy. Some of the books we read today are nothing more than recycled stuff. Here we read the real thing. Some authors today will tell you that people are not motivated by the same things as before. Not so. Since the cave man and until the end of time people will be motivated by love, sex, hate, greed, envy, jealousy and all the other emotions that have held us hostage since the beginning of time. It may be true that people buy differently. It may be true that they don't respond exactly as they used to because of their multi-tasking and other things. But we sell to the same motivators that we've always sold to. This book will never go out of fashion. It will never be dated. This is a book you'll want to read once and then read again with a highlighter. You'll probably want to read it yearly. There are a number of old books that I read once a year and refer to often. There's a real market in everything old because, fact is, they had it right and it still applies today. Why fix it if it ain't broke? Buy the book. It will make you a better copywriter. Tell your prospective clients to buy it too. Why? Because when they get two or three chapters read they'll see how hard it is to be a copywriter and they'll hire you.

A classic for serious copywriters

This is a rock solid, if challenging, book about writing ad copy from one of the best copywriters who ever lived. It is NOT an easy read so if you're looking to be entertained by a 'personality,' look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you want to dig deep into the subject of copywriting and go beyond the 'paint-by-numbers,' training wheels approach that's so widely taught these days, this is a good book to work with. And 'work with' is the way to look at it. This book is so packed, one chapter could easily give you enough things to think about for a year. By the way, there is absolutely nothing dated in this book. Calling this book dated is like saying Claude Hopkins is dated because he used examples from the turn of the century or that John Caples is dated because he used example from the 30s and 40s. You don't buy books like these for their examples. You buy them for what a highly experienced and successful ad writer has to say about his craft. That being said, this book will probably be too much for readers who want everything 'quick and easy' and need to be entertained.

Black Book

The only black book I know of in any field is this one. Everything you discover in any other book on direct response advertising and coywriting is represented in this book. There are several decent books available - about seven in my view -on copywriting but this one is the dog's bollocks as we say down our way. Read Sugarman's first two books, Caples, John Carlton's expensive but illuminating and highly readable Kick-Ass manual, Robert Collier (for letters). Download Gary Halbert's letters. And maybe Schwab. That's all you need. This book genuinely must be read several times to be understood, which may put off some. Oh, and get hold of Schwartz's 1993 speech to Phillips Publishing. Try Michael Senoff's site - it's free from there. This speech is a fabulous adjunct to Breakthrough Advertising.

A MASTERPIECE THAT REQUIRES DEEP THINKING TO APPRECIATE

How many copywriters do you know whose copy sold an estimated 4 BILLION DOLLARS worth of products for their clients while working 4hours a day from home? Only one comes to mind for me, and that is Gene Schwartz. It took me years to see the brilliance in this book. At first, I did not appreciate it's value. Now I do. It is not a "paint by numbers" or "follow theses easy steps" book on how to write copy. But it will teach you how to think like a master copywriter. It will not provide you with 50 "fill in the blank" template headlines designed to turn your ad or sales letter into an instant control-beater. But it will reveal how to find the breakthrough headline that is right for your product. It will not guarantee to teach you how to take any product and make it into an instant, overnight success. But it will teach you how to evaluate whether or not your product has adequate market potential to make it worth your while...or if you need to find a new market or market segment to go after. It will not provide you with samples of contemporary controls. But it will give you insight into the control creation thought process used by one of the greatest copywriters of all time. This is a book you will come back to time and again, after you have spent hundreds, even thousands of dollars on other "instant success" copywriting courses. This is not a book for rookies. But it is a book for seasoned professionals who have been practicing for years and now want to go study with the Master. P.S. - This book provides half a dozen samples of ads written by Gene Schwartz. It is virtually impossible to find other classics he wrote. Here is a little-known resource that will show you how to find most of his famous ads: www.ultimate-online-swipe-file.com