[Updated] 35+ Books and Blogs All Web Writers Should Read
Starting your SEO copywriting career? Check out these great resources!
Want to brush up on your online copywriting skills?
Recently, someone asked if I could send them some “must read” Web writing resources. By the time I was done, I had a very long list (27 to be exact.)
That was back in 2012.
Since then, I’ve stumbled across some great new resources. Many of them were suggested in the LinkedIn SEO Copywriting group and on Twitter (thank you!)
If you’re in the copywriting business – or just want to learn more about the wild world of copywriting, SEO/social and inbound marketing – enjoy! These books and blogs will keep you busy for a long, long time…
Copywriting, content marketing and strategy:
The Copywriter’s Handbook, by Bob Bly ***This is a must read book for all copywriters. If you’ve never read it, buy it today!
Confessions Of An Advertising Man, by David Ogilvy.
Optimize, by Lee Odden
Content Rules, by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman
Everybody Writes, by Ann Handley
Why people buy (consumer psychology and neuromarketing)
Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini
Buyology, Truth and Lies About Why We Buy, by Martin Lindstrom
Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Customers With Neuromarketing, by Roger Dooley
Switch: How To Change Things When Change is Hard, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Calls to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results, by Bryan Eisenberg, Jeffrey Eisenberg and Lisa T. Davis
Roger Dooley’s blog
General SEO, Internet marketing and usability
Internet Marketing In An Hour A Day, by Matt Bailey
Search Engine Marketing, Inc, by Bill Hunt and Mike Moran <—-This book has been recently updated.
Don’t Make Me Think: A Common-Sense Guide to Web Usability, by Steve Krug
The Last Original Idea: A Cynic’s View of Internet Marketing, by Alan K’necht and Geri Rockstein
The Best Damn Web Marketing Checklist, by Stoney deGeyter
QuickSprout (SEO information plus so much more!).
Style and grammar guides
The Yahoo! Style Guide: The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing and Creating Content for the Digital World, editor, Chris Barr
Elements of Grammar, by Margaret Shertzer
The Little, Brown Handbook, by Fowler and Aaron
Oxford Guide to Plain English, by Martin Cutts
General writing suggestions
Stephen King’s On Writing
Individual blog posts
The Big List of 189 Blog Posts That Convert (Thank you, @MichelleDLowery).
How to Start a Blog:The Beginner’s Guide to Successful Blogging
More than Keywords: 7 Concepts of Advanced On-Page SEO
What must-read resource (blog or book) did I leave out? Please add your favorites in the comments below! And check out the LinkedIn SEO Copywriting group for more suggestions.
Photo gratitude: Joe.Ross
Very useful – I was looking for this kind of information a few years ago. I’ve only read a few of those though, so it looks like the Kindle account’s going to get a battering over Christmas.
Great list and just in time for Christmas shopping for all my writer friends!! Thanks for sharing SuccessWorks team.
Heather,
I’d also like to add KISSmetrics, http://blog.kissmetrics.com, as another SEO resource to my earlier list of suggestions.
This is more advice-based than news-based, which makes it another good site for newcomers.
BTW many thanks for the mention. Much appreciated.
Michel Fortin puts out a lot of regular, high quality content on copywriting too.
Oh, and Drayton Bird – someone who has been in marketing/advertising for many many years and worked with all the greats. Still going strong and putting out daily content in his 80s.
Hi Heather:
How about:
Bob Bly’s “Secrets of a Freelance Writer”
and
Peter Bowerman’s “The Well Fed Writer”
or
George Orwell’s essay “Politics and The English Language” from his book “Why I Write”
Tom McCauley
I love “copy.righter” by Ian Atkinson – a very accessible guide to basic copywriting strategies and techniques,
Sue Neal
Thanks, Sue! I appreciate the addition! :)
Stephen King’s “On Writing” is indispensable, no matter what kind of writing you do. Also, all those search engine blogs you mention are top-notch resources. There’s a few things on here I haven’t read though–updating my reading list tonight :)
“Think Like A Copywriter” by Alastaire Allday. I’ve read many books, articles, and even took a copywriting course, but I didn’t “feel” like a copywriter until I read this book. It’s entertaining to read too!
Great help.