| Author |
Topic |
BJ Min |
 Posted - 07/13/2007 : 09:37:15
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hey guys,
there are SO MANY copyrighting books (eBooks) on the net...what is your
FAVORITE? what is ONE eBook (on copyrighting) you recommend and why?
BJ |
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June Campbell |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 09:39:45
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| I'm a huge fan of Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale. |
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Rod Cortez |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 10:05:46
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Make Your Words Sell! by Joe Robson at http://myws.sitesell.com/ (not an aff link) is one of the best primers I've ever read because it emphasizes the fundamentals. I recommend it to anyone who's just starting out / wanting to increase their conversions/ avid student of copy writing / etc.
He gives you an excellent, step-by-step outline to follow, and he has one very simple, but powerful technique that always provides extra punch to all my copy efforts.
Rod "Coffee-And-Menudo-For-The-Hangover" Cortez
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lassitermarketing |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 10:33:56
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Dan Kennedy's The Ultimate Sales Letter.
I also use this great little software program called the AdCopy Creator to generate ideas for headlines, etc. |
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MikeHumphreys |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 12:25:28
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I second Rod's vote for "Make Your Words Sell". It's the best ebook on copywriting I have read to date.
Physical books...well, there's a bunch of those...best to start that as another thread if people want those.
Mike
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NoBoss |
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Bruce Wedding |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 13:52:01
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I really liked "Confessions of a Website Copywriter"
You can get it all over for $27 just by googling that phrase. I'm not going to post a link so as to not show preferences. It is broken into "47 Secrets" so it's easy to read. And I know that Michel Fortin recommended it also.
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Daniel E Taylor |
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Richard Odell |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 13:53:21
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Don't bother with ebooks, spend some time reading the letters on Gary Halberts web site http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/">.
Its free and the best education you will ever get.
Sit at he feet of the master, its all there on one website, no need to go else where! |
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Rod Cortez |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 14:17:56
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quote :
Aha! Another on my "to-read" list for the fall!
Rod "Never-Ending-Studying-Of-Copy-From-Studs-Like-Eric" Cortez
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BJ Min |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 15:53:23
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| how is ad influence DIFFERRENT than all the other copywriting eBooks? |
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jimbob |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 16:02:22
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| The Robert Collier Letter Book. Terrific book. |
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Pete Egeler |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 16:09:44
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The FIRST thing you need to understand, is the difference between "Copy Writing" and "copyrighting".
Copy Writing is the art of writing copy, the written word.
Copyrighting is the means by which you legally protect something that you have produced. (The written word, music, photos, etc.)
That's like these.. "I'm going to sale this." You are going to SELL this. Once it is sold, you've made a sale!
Pete |
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Cherilyn Lester |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 16:19:57
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To get a good grasp on copywriting, I wouldn't rely on ebooks... I'd rely on two things.
1. A real sales job. Seriously - sell in person first. You'll have body language to help you understand prospect reactions better. Having a sales job first is probably the ONLY reason I'm a half-decent copywriter.
2. Experience. Wing it! Write some sales letters for affiliate products, drive some traffic, watch your conversion. Experiment. See what brings conversion up and down. Learn through experience.
You can't learn to ride a bike, drive a car, fly a plane, or even write in simple english just from reading a book. You need to DO something to learn. Copywriting is no different, IMHO.
Just don't DO something on a paying client right away. Get some other experience first. :)
- Cherilyn
Edited - Ooops! I wrote "can" instead of "can't". Haha, please - nobody try to fly a plane (or write copy) just from reading a book. LOL |
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otherjohn |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 16:25:26
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This isnt a copywriting ebook but I highly recommend reading his stuff. Its www.copyblogger.com
John |
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KarlWarren |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 17:19:35
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quote : Edited - Ooops! I wrote "can" instead of "can't". Haha, please - nobody try to fly a plane (or write copy) just from reading a book. LOL
Now you tell me... I'll send you the bill, just as soon as I can prize
myself out from the wreckage. |
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zapseo |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 17:35:02
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My copywriting coach is probably going to kill me, LOL (he's had his run-ins with AWAI...)
I'm a fan of AWAI's Accelerated Course for Six Figure Copy.
Weakness -- oriented to direct mail, as in MAIL, not websites.
Principles within are still excellent, though, and it's strength is
that it's well-grounded in fundamentals.
You could do worse than a copywriting course from a company who is related to "Big Msiler" Agora (one of 5). They just *might* have a clue. :)
As I was writing this, I realize I have a couple of copies, with full "rights", for sale, just as if you bought it directly from AWAI.
(In fact, it comes directly from AWAI.) But it hadn't occurred to me when I started writing it.
Other than that, I'd definitely agree with The Gary Halbert Letter.
Oh wait, sorry. I got distracted. You said what 1 *ebook*. You could easily do a lot worse than our own Paul Myer's Million Dollar Copy.
Live JoyFully!
Judy
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Steven Wagenheim |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 17:44:09
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quote : Originally posted by Rod CortezMake Your Words Sell! by Joe Robson at http://myws.sitesell.com/ (not an aff link) is one of the best primers I've ever read because it emphasizes the fundamentals. I recommend it to anyone who's just starting out / wanting to increase their conversions/ avid student of copy writing / etc. He gives you an excellent, step-by-step outline to follow, and he has one very simple, but powerful technique that always provides extra punch to all my copy efforts. Rod "Coffee-And-Menudo-For-The-Hangover" Cortez
Rod, thank you. I am about 40 pages through the main book
now and so far I have to say that this thing really picks
apart the process.
When I am done with it, I will come back here and give my
opinion on the whole thing.
I have little doubt that this just may be the best book on
the subject I will ever read. |
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Steven Wagenheim |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 17:51:27
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quote : Originally posted by Cherilyn Lester
To get a good grasp on copywriting, I wouldn't rely on ebooks... I'd rely on two things.
1. A real sales job. Seriously - sell in person first. You'll have body language to help you understand prospect reactions better. Having a sales job first is probably the ONLY reason I'm a half-decent copywriter.
2. Experience. Wing it! Write some sales letters for affiliate products, drive some traffic, watch your conversion. Experiment. See what brings conversion up and down. Learn through experience.
You can't learn to ride a bike, drive a car, fly a plane, or even write in simple english just from reading a book. You need to DO something to learn. Copywriting is no different, IMHO.
Just don't DO something on a paying client right away. Get some other experience first. :)
- Cherilyn
Edited - Ooops! I wrote "can" instead of "can't". Haha, please - nobody try to fly a plane (or write copy) just from reading a book. LOL
Cherilyn, I agree with you to a certain extent. I too came
from a sales background in the auto industry for 10 years.
And there is no substitute for experience.
But, if you're not trained; if you don't have a solid
foundation, you're going to make mistakes that you wouldn't
have normally made.
I think reading and doing are equally as important,
especially if you're just starting out.
Now, I've written my own sales copy for my own sites for 2
years now and they convert decently. But I know that with
some solid instruction, which I am getting, I will tighten
up some of the areas that are a little weak and improve my
copy in that way.
Let's take something else that I am knowledgeable on.
Advertising.
I know a lot about it, but every once in a while I'll read
something just to see if I can learn a new technique or
slant and when I do, because of the knowledge I have already,
I'll know EXACTLY how to apply the new technique I just
learned.
The truth is, the more you know, and I've said this before
in another thread, the more you can learn by reading.
At least it works for me. |
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Josh Anderson |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 17:58:32
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"The Robert Collier Letter Book"
I purchased a 1951 edition in a thrift store for $1
Joe Vitale cites that book as one of the most influential on him.
Also
Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins.
That one is in the public domain another must read. |
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JasonFladlien |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 18:04:04
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Actually, the best copywriting resources ARE free.
The Gary Halbert Newsletter and the archives of Clayton Makepeace's newsletter.
Seriously, just read through those, and then after getting an idea of the fundamentals, start writing. Once you have a basic understanding of the fundamentals, your real learning will take place from experience. |
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Daniel E Taylor |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 18:09:46
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quote : Originally posted by JasonFladlien
Actually, the best copywriting resources ARE free.
The Gary Halbert Newsletter and the archives of Clayton Makepeace's newsletter.
Seriously, just read through those, and then after getting an idea of the fundamentals, start writing. Once you have a basic understanding of the fundamentals, your real learning will take place from experience.
Horrible Advice in my opinion.
Just reading someone elses copy and writing your own will not give you the fundamentals to make you a great copywriter. You have to know WHY your writing certain things. You need to know how the psychological mind works. How to tinkle with peoples subconscious. Along with on the surface fundamentals like, how to build value and create want.
Overcoming objection in your sales letters.
I mean honestly to learn all these things your going to have to read. Period. I learned most of it from my extensive sales background, which I then applied to online copy. But if you don't have a sales background then you need a way to learn the fundamentals and all the other stuff I listed.
Just my 2 cents (Cheap Bastard)
Daniel Taylor |
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digitalize |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 18:15:03
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John Carlton's Kick Ass Copywriting Secrets.
Do yourself a favor, go and read the testimonials that this work receives.. |
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Lucy Weber |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 18:21:00
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quote : Originally posted by June Campbell
I'm a huge fan of Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale.
I agree with this one. I've read several, and this is my favorite. |
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zapseo |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 18:32:30
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Ah...and it occurs to me.
Not only experience -- stick some testing software on that copy.
Mike Humphreys' WSO for his Easy MultiTester (?) is a heckuva deal.
Only good for a few more days.
(No, I don't get anything for saying this. No, I don't have a
relationship with Mike outside this forum -- except for
copywritersboard ,)
Reading copy (and writing it out) only works if you do it with
copy that sells -- but it is an excellent exercise. |
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emini_guy |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 19:21:03
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quote : Originally posted by June Campbell
I'm a huge fan of Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale.
I kinda liked it when I saw it several days ago in my local bookstore. I have been reading "The Attractor Factor" by him for the last few days which is a very good book or at least I am finding many things in it that resonate well with me. I hope I won't change my opinion about it when I am finished reading it.
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MikeHumphreys |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 23:16:52
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quote : Originally posted by JasonFladlien
Actually, the best copywriting resources ARE free.
The Gary Halbert Newsletter and the archives of Clayton Makepeace's newsletter.
Seriously, just read through those, and then after getting an idea of the fundamentals, start writing. Once you have a basic understanding of the fundamentals, your real learning will take place from experience.
BZZZTTT! Wrong! Free doesn't pay the author's mortgage or put food on their families table.
I like Clayton's free newsletter alot... but it doesn't hold a candle to his paid newsletter EasyWriter Marketing Club. He could charge 10X it's current price and it would still be worth it IMHO.
I've heard similar feedback about Halbert materials... I just haven't gotten around to buying anything of his yet. If you saw the STACK of to be read books in my office, you'd understand why.
My wife is threatening to put police tape across my office door and call it a crime scene. LOL
The two print copywriting books I most often recommend are Dan Kennedy's Ultimate Sales Letter and John Caples Tested Advertising Methods.
Judy, thank you for your recommendation. I appreciate the positive feedback.
Mike
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Peter Yoon |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 23:29:42
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| I also have to go with John Carlton's Kick-Ass Copywriting Course, and also his swipe files. |
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Craig Desorcy |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 23:33:19
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Not a book but videos...
http://www.thecopydoctor.com/
Unreal! Micheal not only is a top gun copy writer
but really understands how to sell on the internet.
The videos of him doing rewrites are priceless.
Craig
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Lucy Weber |
Posted - 07/13/2007 : 23:37:16
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I have Dan Kennedy's Ultimate Sale Letter, but like MikeHumphreys, I have a BIG collection of "to be read" books. Unfortunately, this book is one of them. I've thumbed through it and it seems pretty good, but I haven't yet had a chance to read through it properly.
I also have "Web Copy That Sells" by Maria Veloso, who was a classic copyrighter (offline) for many years before being trained to write web copy by Mark Joyner (who wrote the forward to her book.) I have read a fair portion of it, and I have enjoyed what I've read so far. I need to finish it soon. It has some pretty good reviews at Amazon.
Still, I really loved "Hypnotic Writing". I know it must be one of the best. It was REALLY good. :)
As far as ebooks, I don't buy that many of them. I prefer having something that I can easily take with me to appointments and such, since that is the biggest time I have to read in my busy schedule. I'm not big on printing stuff out to read it. I only buy ebooks when they are something that is either quick to read (i.e. under 20 pages and on a very specific subject) or something I can't get in standard book format (like when someone has some ground-breaking information that you can't get in a book store.) For example, I bought a WSO recently on eBay that had information specific to selling info products on eBay. I've never seen a book that really talked about that before. I'll also occasionally buy an ebook if I want something urgently and don't want to wait for shipping. I'm extremely impatient. But I really do prefer standard books. |
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n/a |
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JasonKing |
Posted - 07/14/2007 : 01:11:39
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quote : Originally posted by Josh Anderson
"The Robert Collier Letter Book"
I purchased a 1951 edition in a thrift store for $1
Joe Vitale cites that book as one of the most influential on him.
Second Josh's recommendation.
I had to have this shipped over here.
Wasn't what I expected at all, but very profound.
-JasonKing |
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JasonKing |
Posted - 07/14/2007 : 01:12:09
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quote : Originally posted by JasonKingquote : Originally posted by Josh Anderson
"The Robert Collier Letter Book"
I purchased a 1951 edition in a thrift store for $1
Joe Vitale cites that book as one of the most influential on him.
Second Josh's recommendation. I had to have this shipped over here. Wasn't what I expected at all at first, but very profound. -JasonKing |
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alanfukuda |
Posted - 07/14/2007 : 01:32:31
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Not an ebook, but Mario Veloso's "Web Copy That Sells". http://webcopywritinguniversity.com One of Mark Joyner's copywriters when he wasn't umm... retired.
Alan |
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Fabian Tan |
Posted - 07/14/2007 : 01:51:13
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I like Maria Veloso's book as well - gets the basics down pat. For more advanced stuff, Dan Lok's advice is useful.
Fabian |
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Cherilyn Lester |
Posted - 07/14/2007 : 01:56:21
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I LOVE Dan Lok. I've been reading his stuff for a long time. Hope to meet him one day!
- Cherilyn |
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Amsterdam |
Posted - 07/14/2007 : 03:17:01
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Some great recommendations here. I will be working my way through quite a few of them 
However, I would just like to make one small but I feel very important point:-
Get somebody to proofread your copy before publishing!
Now, I may be a pedant but it really puts me off any thoughts of buying the moment I arrive at spelling mistakes and poor childlike grammar. So by all means learn the secrets of the pros, but please get the basics right.
Just my tuppence (British for two cents  )
T
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Rod Cortez |
Posted - 07/14/2007 : 13:46:37
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quote : Originally posted by Steven Wagenheimquote : Originally posted by Rod CortezMake Your Words Sell! by Joe Robson at http://myws.sitesell.com/ (not an aff link) is one of the best primers I've ever read because it emphasizes the fundamentals. I recommend it to anyone who's just starting out / wanting to increase their conversions/ avid student of copy writing / etc. He gives you an excellent, step-by-step outline to follow, and he has one very simple, but powerful technique that always provides extra punch to all my copy efforts. Rod "Coffee-And-Menudo-For-The-Hangover" Cortez Rod, thank you. I am about 40 pages through the main book now and so far I have to say that this thing really picks apart the process. When I am done with it, I will come back here and give my opinion on the whole thing. I have little doubt that this just may be the best book on the subject I will ever read.
You're most welcome. That's my favorite part of the ebook, how he breaks it down.
I agree that you can't learn copywriting effectively unless you actually write copy, test conversions, and continue testing. As for going into sales it's a great suggestion, but I disagree that it's something you have to do. Besides, not everyone wants to learn copy at the same level. Some people only want to improve their conversions by a few percentage points and they're happy with it.
Not everyone wants to immerse themselves in the study of copy writing, though I do believe that every marketer should learn the fundamentals. My most influential mentor constantly told me "the fundamentals will make you rich, happy, and successful beyond your wildest dreams" and so far he's been right.
Rod "It's-Noon-And-No-Coffee-Yet-What's-Wrong-With-Me?" Cortez
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Shakil |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 16:03:30
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| I love Hypnotic Writing myself by Joe Vitale. Great, practical advice. |
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Pat Blank |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 16:41:21
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Are you missing out on untold internet wealth because your copy leaves customers unmoved? Do you know that there is one big secret to sales copy that makes people throw money at you? These people all know the secret . . . now you can too! But first, listen to how all these people know something that you don't! Now you too can join the secret club! Think how your spouse will respond when you suddenly have more money than you ever had before! What will you do with all of your new wealth? Move to Cancun? Count your C-Notes? Cure Cancer? Think of the possibilities!
The secret is . . .
Oops, got carried away there. The one book that popped into my mind is Dan Kennedy Ultimate Sales Letter. Though I've learned something from all the books I've read, and I've read a lot.
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| Topic |
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what is ONE copyrighting eBook you recommend?