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
All the lessons are great. One surprise, after only a few lessons in, I found that I was a lot less anxious and willing to write up replies, reviews, and documentation at work.
I liked it a lot
Sounds insane, right? Just last year I was stuck in a boring AF IT job, grinding through tickets and meetings I didn’t care about.
Fast forward to today:
I write for three different magazines, including my own newsletter—where every week, I get to interview some of the coolest, most badass people in the world of vintage + watches.
Like, how is this real life?
Sam — you're a legend. That course changed the game for me.
And if you're sitting on the fence thinking, “Should I do it?”
Stop overthinking. Just go. You won’t regret it
https://fullset.substack.com/
I was on the fence for a while but finally decided to take the course. Super helpful to get the fundamentals. I wish the annotations were a little more insightful but that’s ok… still amazing value.
Sam is the dude. I am a long time MFM fan, and it was time to improve my sales writing for my own entrepreneurial ventures. I knew who I trusted and I knew where to go. The copying by hand method works so well. Even just writing emails to prospects, I can tell how much I've internalized and retained. The most enjoyable part is the flow from lesson to lesson and how the lessons compound their guidelines with each other. Really enjoyed this, highly recommend.
