Smart move.
"Write out successful copy and I'll become a better writer? Is it really that simple?"
Yeah, it is.
I know. Surprising.
See, up until the mid 1900's, copywork (that's what we call copying other people's writing) was how we taught kids to write.
Copywork taught kids proper grammar, punctuation, and syntax. And more importantly, how to have flow, voice, and rhythm.
But for some reason copywork became a fad. Maybe because it's boring. Or because it requires work. I don't really know.
But what I do know is that it works.
Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) were famous for using copywork to learn how to write fiction.
Ben Franklin spent years using copywork to learn newspaper writing and letters to persuade people. Now you understand why his picture's all over this site?
Hunter S. Thompson said rewriting The Great Gatsby gave him his foundation for his voice.
Funny man Judd Apatow (Knocked Up + dozen more movies) said using SNL scripts for copywork taught him what a good joke was.
A young Hunter S. Thompson at his typewriter. I don't know if he's doing copywork in this picture...but for the sake of this sales page, lets assume yes :).
In 2013 I spent an hour every day for 6 months (called copyhour) rewriting the best sales pages of all time.
I wasn't a great writer before starting that. But after, I learned how to effectively use the written word to sell products. And it worked.
I started a newsletter business (The Hustle) and sold it for tens of millions of dollars. And copywork was huge to that outcome.
Even now, before I write a blog, an important email, this sales page - I do copywork.
So...interested in trying copywork?
Join the CopyThat Challenge.
After this 14 day challenge, your sales copy will improve significantly.
Sales copy on websites. Marketing emails. Cold emails. Hell, even your Tinder messages (seriously).
All will improve.
At the end of the challenge, you'll know the recipe for persuasive copy.
IMPORTANT
You can read all the reviews of CopyThat below. I do not edit any review.
After a student takes the course, I ask them for a review and each review is automatically posted. Nearly all are amazing, a couple are bad, but they are all real.
Fun thing to notice: most of the reviews are fun and interesting to read. See, this stuff works!
CopyThat Challenge
BEST SELLER
BEST SELLER
The CopyThat Challenge lasts 10 week days. Monday through Friday for 2 weeks.
Each day you'll receive via email:
- An email with a copywriting lesson and explanation on how to use that lesson right away.
- A sales letter to copy. We've spent thousands of hours finding the most unique and effective sales copy in the world.
- Each sales letter will have detailed annotations on the sales letter that explains why different sentences work and what you can learn.
Note: Soon we'll do CopyThat for blog posts, internal memos, and more.
But this current version of CopyThat is for sales copy. We're all selling something. Pitching a business, selling a product, getting others to believe an idea, meeting a spouse!
CopyThat will make your persuasive copy irresistible.
Your Price:
The CopyThat Challenge lasts 10 week days. Monday through Friday for 2 weeks.
Each day you'll receive via email:
- An email with a copywriting lesson and explanation on how to use that lesson right away.
- A sales letter to copy. We've spent thousands of hours finding the most unique and effective sales copy in the world.
- Each sales letter will have detailed annotations on the sales letter that explains why different sentences work and what you can learn.
Note: Soon we'll do CopyThat for blog posts, internal memos, and more.
But this current version of CopyThat is for sales copy. We're all selling something. Pitching a business, selling a product, getting others to believe an idea, meeting a spouse!
CopyThat will make your persuasive copy irresistible.
You can read all the reviews of CopyThat below. I do not edit any review.
After a student takes the course, I ask them for a review and each review is automatically posted. Nearly all are amazing, a couple are bad, but they are all real.
Fun thing to notice: most of the reviews are fun and interesting to read. See, this stuff works!
Customer Reviews
Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Great copy is everywhere and within reach. But it's hidden from so many - until now. Refreshing my copy skills from Sam has me see the hidden structure of PERSUASION inside of copy...but also in great movies, great books, and yes, even compelling text messages. When you do this course, you will FEEL your income start to rise.
For years I've thought about the impact that regularly putting out content (Newsletter, LinkedIn, IG, X, etc) could have in building my personal brand and my businesses. But I didn't know where to start. CopyThat is a perfect way to jump into copywriting and understanding what makes good copy. I'm taking inspiration from each lesson, then writing my own post. In the first week I was able to generate 5,000 impressions on my LinkedIN account that I hadn't posted on in 3 years. Just pull the trigger.
I’m new to copywriting and this course has worked wonders. I feel like I’m speed running a college writing course.
This is the "persuasive writing" course in college that I never took (and then some). Everyone needs to “sell” someone on something. CopyThat teaches you how to excite people about your ideas. And not put them to sleep like I used to. Each lesson is concise and challenges your current writing approach. The value gained exceeds the price. Don’t be a cheapskate.
It was exciting to look forward to an email from Sam + Sara every weekday morning. I wish there was an “Extra Credit” bank with more exercises to do on the weekends to stay consistent with the daily habit of Copy Work.
If you made it to this CopyThat review page, you’re probably familiar with Sam’s companies or content. You’ve likely heard him mention how copywriting is a high ROI skill to master. But it’s unlikely you’ve filled up an 80-page notebook in 2 weeks handwriting great copy examples across the history/internet.
I would have done Copy Work without the course. But I wouldn’t have built a consistent habit of doing Copy Work, or have been exposed to Sam’s curated copy archives with his annotations on each pdf.
If you’re interested enough to read this far, you should dive headfirst into the course.
Want more? Subscribe to Harry Dry’s newsletter and listen/watch to David Perell’s How I Write.
