Your copywriters list

[keirsmith]

I'm looking to see which copywriters, both old and new - had the most effect on you and your writing.

I've personally found most of the copywriting greats to have influenced me more than the copywriters of this day and age.

With an exception to Gary Halbert...R.I.P

Some of my favorites are:

Eugene Schwartz
Robert Collier
E Haldemen Julius
John Caples
Victor Schwartz
Bruce Barton
Claude Hopkins

[Kyle Tully]

Oldies:

Eugene Schwartz
Robert Collier
Claude Hopkins

Newies:

Gary Halbert
Shaune Clarke
Joe Vitale
Dan Kennedy

[Jacob Bear]

Thanks for posting this, Kyle. I would add 3 more, although the first two might not strictly be copywriting models:

1. Robert Cialdini (not a copywriter, but his book, Influence, is important
2. Chris Marlow (her Writer's Compensation Survey will leave you shocked at how much you're undercharging)
3. our good friend Jack Forde (This isn't mere flattery. If you know of any copywriting newsletter that's better than the Roundtable, I want to subscribe!)

[jackforde]

Hey Jacob,

Thanks!

Jack

[jackforde]

These guys are all great. And worth studying. Gary, too, has had an influence (I've used "hang on there, Cupcake" in my own copy more than once).

But there are some other contemporaries, at least in the info publishing area, worth studying too.

For instance, I was lucky enough to work directly with two of the best -- Michael Masterson and Bill Bonner -- in an office, day to day, for about four years running. There are a couple copywriters I've worked with, too, that you're not going to know. Guys like Paul Hollingshead and Don Mahoney. Both have a style I've learned from, even as we worked on projects side by side.

I studied promos by Clayton Makepeace and Gary Bencievenga long before I got good enough myself to swap emails with them personally. There's also someone named Lee Euler whose copywriting style is generally brilliant.

Who else? I'm sure there are others. What occurs to me from the list, though, is that I learned from these guys not so much in their guru roles... but by studying the actual sales letters they had produced, over other people's signatures.

I guess what I'm saying is, there's a case to be made for learning not just from studying theory (which is very important), but also by studying application (just as critical).

[keirsmith]

Hey Jack..

Sorry about not putting your name in there...

I might have been suffering from copy on the brain when I wrote that post.

And you're right.

Masterson and Bonner are great copywriters as well.

I took the AWAI courses.

Mastersons accelerated six figure course was a great cousre for learning the process of becoming a copywriter.

It answered a lot of questions that I had that just aren't really covered in any one book.

Bill Bonner..I studied his ads and writing style...he's had some influence on me as well.

Paul Hollingshead and Don Mahoney also are good copywriters.

Haven't been able to get many ads from the two of them though.

Clayton Makepeace is on my radar and has been for the past year.

And last but not least..

Gary Bencievenga...(glad you knew how to spell his last name..I sometiimes forget)

Like you I studied his promos as well.

Before I read Gary's stuff..I usually put my wallet under lock and key for fear of the impulse to buy whatever he's selling.

Great post.

[Nancy Wells]

I'll approach this from a slightly different angle and go with what web sites I go to for inspiration.

www.theadfeed.com gives me great links to advertising and marketing campaigns (Ad Rants, Ad Freak)
www.adsoftheworld.com shows me hot new ads
www.mcsweeneys.net is just good writing!
http://thebrandbuilder.blogspot.com/ is all about brand buzz, what works, what doesn't
http://www.thirdwayblog.com/ is also a good brand buzz spot
Seth Godin and Tom Peters blogs are inspirational
/www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/

I also subscribe to a few e-newsletters that help me stay fresh. And get a TON of magazines including Interview, oprah, Fortune, Forbes, Conde Nast Traveler, Maxim, Detail, Men's Health, Rolling Stones, Inc., Entreprenreur, Kiplingers, Family Circle (they have great headlines I can 'repurpose', believe it or not), Communication Arts, Wired, More, Real SImple--holy smoke. I get a lot. Even more than this, though I can't think of all of them. When I'm done I pass them along to the designers in my area and they're all snapped up in MINUTES. Everyone here has a tickler file/wonder drawer of ideas full of magazine tear sheets.