Is Chris Marlow's " The Marlow Marketing Method Home Study Course" worth the $600?

[moxiezbug]

I am a beginning copywriter wanting to launch my freelance career in copywriting. Is Chris Marlow's Marlow Marketing Method Home Study Course worth the $600 or would I get better value out of a bunch of books/other materials? If so, what are the other resources I could use? Thanks!

[Rockwell]

Hi Moxiezbug:

I am sure that it is a great program, but $600 is a lot of money. If you have a lot of money, go for it! If not, get a book. There are many suggestions on this forum. Good luck!

Lutzi

[moxiezbug]

Which books would you recommend?

[Mark Andrews]

Top Copywriting Books... Ever

[oscarb]

It really depends upon your goals. If you want to learn from one of the top copywriters in the U.S., her program is worthwhile but why stop at the $600 program? You could be penny-wise and pound foolish by always thinking in terms of going cheap. My experience is that I get a lot more mileage out of 1 on 1 coaching. Is it more expensive? Yes. But what's the return on that investment, marked out over a 5 year period? You tell me. Is $600 "expensive?" Not if you go on to bank $3,000 because of what you learn from that investment. Is a coaching program expensive? Not if you get a 1,000 percent return on your investment. In the end, it comes down to you: your focus, your attitude, your passion, your interests, your commitment, your drive and your talent and willingness to take risks and ask for support when needed.
Or you could just buy a book by Bob Bly or someone else for $15 and go it alone.
Your choice.

[Mr. Subtle]

There are too many great books on copywriting that can be purchased (used) for under ten bucks to even give a thought to a $600 course.

Since you seem you have access to a little bit of money then consider these:



For $200 you'll get 10 times the value of the $600 course.

[marciayudkin]

Books are not always a substitute for a course. Here are several things you *may* get from a course that you can't get from a book.

1. Feedback on assignments from an expert instructor. Some copywriting courses include this, others don't. When it's included, it's worth every penny. I can't tell you how many times I've seen very smart people read how-to material and try it out, only to miss the important points completely when they tried to apply what they read. A teacher/mentor/coach/instructor can show you where you are going wrong - and going right - in yoru application.

2. A framework for study. All the masters on people's reading lists don't completely agree with each other. A teacher/guide gives you one framework for understanding what you're learning and relating the various points to each other.

3. Discipline. If it's a course with scheduled meetings, you're more likely to keep up with assignments than when you are slogging along on your own.

4. Answers to questions. There are sure to be some points you don't understand. A mentor/coach/teacher/expert provides answers.

Books take you only so far. If you want the above advantages, save up for a copywriting course that includes interaction with someone who knows what they're doing and enjoys passing that along to others.

Marcia Yudkin

[alfid]

With $600 you can buy many high quality books.
Just a few of them:
* 100 Greatest Sales Letters - Dick Hodgson
* Million Dollar Mailings - Denny Hatch
* Worlds Greatest Direct Sales Letters - Herschell Gordon Lewis

[Steve Hill]

Originally Posted by moxiezbug

I am a beginning copywriter wanting to launch my freelance career in copywriting. Is Chris Marlow's Marlow Marketing Method Home Study Course worth the $600 or would I get better value out of a bunch of books/other materials? If so, what are the other resources I could use? Thanks!

That's a classic question in instructional theory.

It depends in part on how self-motivated you are. Some people need a classroom setting to force themselves to learn - but this profile would likely not do well in copywriting.

I'd agree with Marcia that in the long run, a *good* course with a qualified instructor has many benefits that are not available by reading books alone.

Timely feedback and professional assessment can accelerate learning speed by ensuring a solid foundation for more advanced learning. A key principle missed early on can lead to problems later, and a good instructor can help spot weaknesses in order to avoid that.

If this wasn't true, mentors and interactive skills seminars would not be as effective as they are.

However, if just starting out, there is a very basic foundation of copywriting that can be readily learned from books. Learning those basic rules ahead of time would enable a student to make the best use of any instructor-led course.

The sticky list of copywriting books at top of the forum should help, as can Gary Halbert's letter on getting started in 30 days.

Depending on learning style and abilities, one possible benefit of a course is that study is along a linear and logical path of progression, so a good comprehensive overview can be presented. Sometimes newer students find themselves bouncing along from one component to another, but never really getting any solid comprehensive traction. A progressive course with good exercises and feedback can help avoid that.

Which course you'd take depends to some extent on what area you want to specialize in, and what you need the most help with. Every instructor has their area of expertise, preferred writing style, and preferred motivational style.

Once a solid general foundation is in place, then selected books for advanced self-study will be very useful to build expertise in specific areas.

Some people can do very well studying on their own, but few can truly excel without advanced guidance at some point, whether that's from an instructor or from a more experienced person in the field.

Just another two cents from someone involved with education for many years.

[Raydal]

Originally Posted by marciayudkin

Books are not always a substitute for a course. Here are several things you *may* get from a course that you can't get from a book.

1. Feedback on assignments from an expert instructor. Some copywriting courses include this, others don't. When it's included, it's worth every penny. I can't tell you how many times I've seen very smart people read how-to material and try it out, only to miss the important points completely when they tried to apply what they read. A teacher/mentor/coach/instructor can show you where you are going wrong - and going right - in yoru application.

Marcia Yudkin

My view might be totally biased because I offer copywriting training
but I've had several students who read all the books and finally
"got it" after interaction with my coaching program. Feedback
is important if not just for the affirmation that you "got it".

The cheaper way of just studying the books also takes a lot
of discipline since you are on your own and don't have much
to lose. When you pay good money for instructions you are
more likely to make use of it.

In the final analysis you must decide how you learn best.

I taught myself how to read music, play the piano, computer
repair, electronic repair (TV, radio, CD Player, VCR, Microwave
Ovens, Video Cameras etc.) ... so I'm not against the self-taught
route by any stretch of the imagination. I also paid for three
college degrees when I could have just "read the books".

-Ray Edwards

[Christopher Fox]

I would hit your local library. Spend that $600 on marketing yourself by placing ads or in some other fashion that helps you get exposure to clients. I have not done any copywriting, however I feel there is a certain element of 'you either have it or you don't' when it comes to effective writing of any type. Whether it be fiction novels or sales copy.

No offense to those offering courses as I believe it is a skill that can be taught, learned and cultivated to some extent, but there will always be the element of the innate, natural ability of being a wordsmith and the top writers in any field share this natural talent/skill first and foremost.

If a successful author like Stephen King offered a fiction novel writing course, I have no doubt it would be a course packed with useful information that could be digested, learned and applied by a 'student'. But, in the end, your chances of being as successful a writer as Stephen King are slim.

To use a real world offline example, look at the ad campaign put out by the dairy industry:

Got Milk?

Two simple words. An incomplete sentence. More properly worded: 'Do you have any milk?' How many others have made money off of those two simple words. T-shirts with 'Got (fill in the blank)?' on them that people have spent money on, etc.

That cannot be taught, IMO. Professionals of all types benefit from coaching, to be sure, but in the end, if the innate ability is not there, it cannot be learned. Think professional athletes. They are surrounded by coaches, from which they definitely benefit, but the coach does not instil the ability in them, merely helps the athlete develop it and bring its full potential to the surface.

Copywriting appears to be a very lucrative market. That alone should point out to you that there is a huge component of unteachable natural talent involved.

If you are bound and determined to spend money with a copywriting coach, see if you can get it tailored for your purposes rather than boiler plate stuff thrown together in a course (e.g. find a successful copy writer coach and have them help you, not with the craft, but rather how to effectively market your craft in a competitive market to help get you noticed by potential clients).

Obviously my opinion. Far from humble and not always correct. Your mileage may vary ...