Is this copywriting course worth $500?

Well here is my unbiased opinion.

I have the course and it is one of the best there is.

It's jam packed full of proven "how to" copy techniques.

But you do need to be "serious" about being a copywriter. It's designed for people who want to make their living writing copy.


Steve

Thank you guys, I will check out his blog first

Clayton is -- without question -- one of the best copywriters in the world.

However, I still wouldn't pay $500 for his 1,000-page course.

To see why, go to Amazon and look at how many GREAT copywriting books you could buy for that same amount of money.

There are TONS of amazing books on the topic -- Schwab, Caples, Sugarman, Hopkins, Whitman, Lewis and MANY more. IMHO, these books are a FAR better value.

John

I've gone through dozens of copywriting books, courses, training videos, etc and hands-down... Clayton's course is the best I've ever seen for anyone who wants to get really good at copywriting. By a country mile.

I bought my copy several years from Clayton's site and I still refer to my copy with every project I work on. I can't say enough great things about it.

I was already a 7-figure producing copywriter when I bought it and my copy has gotten even better since I got Clayton's course and went through it more than once.

Hope that helps,

Mike

Hi All,

I agree with Mike Humphreys.

I own many of the 'old copywriting master books' copywriting manuals and old swipe files... They are irreplaceable for background knowledge of copywriting. The old classics are especially helpful in understandiing all the 'little known methods' behind the master copywriter's mindset and how they created their sales letters with 'sizzle' using their age old marketing expertise...

But...
If a new copywriter would ask me for the name of the 'one course' to buy -- it would be Clayton's Desktop Copy Coach (two binder set.) I paid $1,195 (or so) for it about 6 years ago. I would not hestitate to buy it again (even for $1,195) especially if I was a new copywriter and wanted to make writing copy my career.

It is that good.

If you could nab a copy (even a used copy) for $500 -- it's a STEAL!

In my opinion, if you want to 'kick start your copywriting career in high gear -- and do it fast', this is the BEST copywriting course you can buy for the money.

Yes, $500 is a large investment for a new copywriter. (Even at the used price.)

But when you think about the 'net profits' you will easily make when you are paid for writing your first sales letter (even at beginning copywriter rates) -- IT WILL EASILY PAY FOR ITSELF WITH YOUR FIRST PAID PROJECT.

Your return on investment will be so fast it will make your head spin!

Then, I am sure you agree, the purchase is simply -- a 'no-brainer'!

The Desktop Copy Coach is the most complete copywriting course (in 1,000+ pages) I have ever seen and have had the pleasure to own. And I have purchased many copywriting courses, memberships, DVDs and templates -- over a dozen or more in the last 16 years...

Clayton's Desktop Copy Coach is a two binder copywriting coaching series ( it is no longer available from the website, so you can only buy used copies as far as I know.) You get in depth coaching about everything you need to know on how to writing killer copy. What I liked the most is, the binders take you through writing your own sales letter from start to finish -- step by step.

The binders walk you through each step from: how to write pre-heads, rock-solid headlines, deck copy, bullets, proof elements, guarantees, copy for taking care of objections and even how to write a hard hitting close that sells. You get the works -- all the way down to how to write the P.S.

The binders include every step for writing a high converting sales letter but more importantly -- WHY you do what you DO!

I would never sell my copy.

Like Mike Humphreys, my binders are on my copywriting desk too.

I refer to them with every sales letter I write... Why?

For inspiration and ideas for headlines, proof statements and innovative ways to add some of that 'Clayton style sparkle and polish' to my copy!

I have spent thousands on copywriting courses over the years, including John Carlton's membership course, Harlan Kilsten's NLP courses, David Garfinkel's templates and Effortless Influence, Six Figure Copywriting with Masterson, and Dan Kennedy's and many other courses from top copywriters.

Every one has helped me become a better writer.

FYI: I am taking Robert Stover's Copywriting Master Formula course online now. (I'll let you know how it goes...)

But the one copywriting course I would never part with is my Desktop Copy Coach.

If you get it, once you open it and see the shear volume of step by step writing tasks you do -- you will know what I say is the truth. The course takes you through writing your first sales letter from scratch. From concept to headline to writing the final P.S.

It is an invaluable resource.

Good luck with your copywriting business,

Jennie Heckel
Sales Letter Copywriter

Hi Jennie,

I get your point. And I understand that opinions vary. However, in my view, referring to the classics as "old" does them a disservice.

*Beginning copywriters* are likely to assume that "old" translates into "out of date." Which, of course, is not the case.

That's because the underlying needs, wants, and desires that drive human beings today are the same as they were many years ago. The concepts haven't changed -- humans are simple creatures.

That said, I AM a Clayton fan. I've read tons of articles by him.

But, for the money, I'll take a HUGE STACK of books from Amazon over Clayton's single course any day of the week.

And, furthermore, it's not just about "the classics." Modern books such as Drew Eric Whitman's CA$HVERTISING are an absolute goldmine... for a measly $10.

John

Personally, I've never bought a copywriting "course". I know, in our online world, we're trained to think of buying courses online but in this instance, I think it's much too expensive and unnecessary.

I'm a fan of Mr. Subtle's book list, found here:
http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...s-ever.html#41

Read and grok these books, for under $200, and you'll have copywriting knowledge sufficient for any task.

I'm sure Gary Halbert died last year, but I've just checked to see if his site is still up and you're in luck.

Halbert Newsletter Archives

It's worth a look at because it will help you decide whether you are looking at the correct type of copy career. Much of Abraham and Halbert's work was based on direct sales, if you are thinking of digital copywriting in the modern age, much of your work will be passive content content production rather than active sale letters.

Just my thoughts...There will no doubt be people here who argue that the lessons in the book are timeless and they will be correct to a degree, because the sales tactics still work on certain people - making the prophecy self-fulfilling.

In my opinion, anything by Abraham and Halbert is gold dust - when used correctly. If you have clients or products that need that sort of copy then buy it. If not, save yourself a few bucks.

I'll agree with Mike and Jennie that Clayton's Quick-Start Copywriting System is an excellent resource. Mine sits on the bookshelf just two feet away, and is referred to constantly.

It's a steal at $500, but it looks like it has already been sold. $500 might seem like a lot of money, but as Jennie points out, that investment is recovered with the very first job.

It's a valid point that you could buy a lot of other books for less money, many of which are also excellent resources. However, Clayton's course is a comprehensive single resource that goes into deep detail, so it is very useful in that respect.

No single program or book will be the Rosetta Stone of copywriting, but I've found Clayton's course to be a very worthwhile investment (even at nearly 3 times the price when the last of them were released last year).

That depends, how much value do you plan on squeezing out of it?

Personally, I wouldn't invest $500 into anything until I'd worn out all the less expensive training tools available from the same author. When I invest 100% of my energy and attention into something, its value increases exponentially.

Once I've squeezed all the juice out of it, I move on to devouring something else. Case in point, I've got a handful of copywriting and persuasion books that I've been reading and copying (long hand) for years.

Why?

Because I keep discovering new things, or my understanding of something is still deepening. It's the good old "Acres of Diamonds" mindset (another great read BTW, there's a free download at the end of this post).

It's easy to fall into the consumer or collector mindset with training courses. You read something, grab a few nuggets out, set it on the shelf and maybe pick it back up when you're in a pickle or need a fresh idea.

Hell, I've coached people who have read all Stephen Covey's stuff but couldn't live by it if you put a gun to their head (although I haven't tried that yet ).

Anyway, that's my two cents. Maybe before buying it, you could dust off one of your "old" gems, go back through it and write the entire book out long handed. Bet you a dollar you'll learn something new.

Free "Acres of Diamonds" download