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Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples - better to get 4th edition & earlier or not?

by jchengery
8 replies
Hello everyone,

Looking up The Robert Collier Letter Book at Amazon.com (as suggested by Chris Elliott - thanks Chris!), they presented "Tested Advertising Methods" by John Caples as another book I might be interested in, and that happened to be another book recommended by the Internet marketer I mentioned in the Robert Collier Letter Book thread in his 2009 Resource list. He suggests getting the 4th edition or earlier and not the current version, but didn't say specifically why.

For those that have "Tested Advertising Methods," could you please comment on whether you think it's a book worth getting, as well as any differences you know exist between the editions? As well, what edition would you recommend getting? I know the one listed on Amazon.com is the 5th edition. Reading a review at Amazon.comAmazon.com seems that from the 5th edition onward, there is less of Caples' original writing in it (perhaps that is why the marketer suggested getting earlier than the 5th edition) and that the 5th edition is a "dry" read.

If the 4th edition or earlier is the preferred one to get, any ideas on how to go about getting it (preferably at a reasonable price)? Or will the 5th edition serve me just as well? Any and all advice would be welcome - thank you.

Please take care and have a great day!

Sincerely,

Joe Chengery III
#4th #advertising #caples #copywriting #direct marketing #earlier #edition #john #john caples #john caples' book #methods #tested #tested adv. methods
  • Profile picture of the author Ken Strong
    The fifth edition was put out after Caples died, and somebody else revised it and added their input, so that's why some people prefer the fourth edition -- it's "pure" Caples.

    Looks like it's kind of hard to find the fourth edition, though, and it's pretty expensive. It's hard to tell because a lot of the listings on Amazon don't specify the edition, so you'd have to contact each seller individually and ask them what edition they're selling.

    I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about it -- if you don't have the bucks to spare for one of the expensive fourths being sold, just read the fifth for now.
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  • Profile picture of the author jchengery
    Hello Ken,

    Thank you for letting me know - greatly appreciated!

    From what I have read and researched online, it sounds like the 4th edition was published circa 1980 or so (maybe 1974, according to one listing? Not sure), whereas the 5th edition was published circa 1998. Does that sound correct?

    Again, I appreciate the advice and clarification - thank you.

    Please take care, keep up the great work, and have a good day!

    Sincerely,

    Joe Chengery III
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  • Profile picture of the author snyd
    Thanks for the info on the 5th edition.

    I didn't know that it came out after Caples died.

    That's good to know.

    Thanks
    Rod
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  • Profile picture of the author Dainis
    Is there a legit PDF eBook download of this book (any version)?
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  • Profile picture of the author Rezbi
    You can get the 4th edition from Alibris: Used Books, Used Textbooks, Rare & Out-of-Print Books which is where I got mine.

    I have the 5th edition as well and there is a difference between the two. I won't go into it here but I'm certain you'll prefer the 4th. I do.

    Oh, and it's not expensive at all. Just make sure you check out all the prices and conditions of each book being offered. The copy I have cost me around $18 from the US to the UK and it's in very good condition.
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  • Profile picture of the author Johnny12345
    Originally Posted by jchengery View Post

    For those that have "Tested Advertising Methods," could you please comment on whether you think it's a book worth getting, as well as any differences you know exist between the editions?
    I think it's one of the best books ever written about copywriting (the best one ever written is Victor O. Schwab's book). I wouldn't worry too much about the edition. I bought my copy over 20 years ago, but I'm sure the newest edition is substantially the same.

    Johnny
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