Yep, Constant Reader, I have a potpourri of profitability and productivity for you – with a Pug thrown in for free. Here is your week in review, with super-convenient links from the blog…

There is so much cheap (or free) stuff available, and lots of it is so good, I intend to make this a semi-regular feature (unless I get loads of reader feedback saying “no thanks”). Here are 5 cool tools that you can really use – and they’re all super-cheap… or free.

Here is your week in review, with super-convenient links from the blog…

Is Internet Marketing Weird?

Podcast Episode – “How To Think Bigger”

What You Really Get Paid For

Predators: You Are The Prey

Just Show Me How To Do It

Have a great weekend!

Featured Product:

Funny story.

Back in my radio days, one of the shows I was in charge of was a morning radio team.

And this particular morning team had a regular feature where a couple of psychotherapists woud come on each week.

When I say a “couple”, I mean it. They were actually a COUPLE, and they were both actually THERAPISTS (can you imagine the dinner table conversations?).

Anyhow, I knew this couple only as characters on this particular morning show. “Judith and Jim” was how I knew them. And I knew only their voices.

Fast forward a few years later.

I had left the radio business, and was at an Internet Marketing seminar.

During one of the presentations, I noticed this couple sitting near the front, and I noticed  they were asking lots of questions. And their voices sounded familiar. And their names were… Judith and Jim.

We connected for the first time in person, and we’ve been friends ever since. (Okay, so it was “funny” as in “coincidence” and not funny as in “LOL”).

To continue my story…

You might want to get this book ($15) by Michael Port.

I don’t make a dime for recommending it to you.

I just think this is a book worth reading. Brief story:

I read this book as a favor to a friend (the author).

I did it to be courteous.

Frankly, I was going to speed-read the book just so I honestly could say that I had read it. I am a busy guy, and I had a lot of other books that were higher on my “need to read” list.

I rapidly skimmed the first 5 pages or so.

Then I stopped.

I went back and starting reading more slowly.

If you want to get better results from your ad copy, there are some great books that can help you. These inexpensive books can teach you a great deal about writing copy and marketing. Some of the best books are on copywriting, though you may be surprised how much you can learn from books that are off-topic, too.

Great writers improve their writing by reading books. This is a great way to improve your skills in the copywriting field, too. Today, I’ll offer you a few suggestions for books that will quickly boost your copywriting results.

Here are three books on the subject of copywriting, and one is off the subject, that I have for you.

My first recommendation is The Robert Collier Letter Book, by Robert Collier. This book has become a classic in the copywriting and marketing industry. Collier himself wrote many of the ads in the book. While the language is somewhat antiquated, giving an old-fashioned feel, the basic principles of the book still stand the test of time.

Next on the list is Claude Hopkins’ seminal work, Scientific Advertising. Again, the language is quaint but the lessons are still valid.

Finally, John E. Kennedy’s Reason Why Advertising is a fantastic book you should have in your library.

And my fourth suggestion is my off-the-subject book. It is not a book about copywriting, but it IS about selling! This is a book that you will enjoy if you are a mouse, or if you live in a house; if you are a fox, or if you are in a box. That’s right… it’s Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

It may seem silly to read a children’s book to improve your business, but this book is all about persistence in making a sale. Dr. Seuss teaches us valuable marketing lessons which we can apply to our advertising strategy. Convert more clients into buyers – read Dr. Seuss!

As promised, I have a good resource for you, and here it is – hard to find marketing classics at TwiPress. This site is run by a friend of mine named Bret Ridgway of Speaker Fulfillment Services. He specializes in hard-to-find books on marketing and copywriting. It’s well worth taking a look there.

Buying good books on copywriting is a great investment in your business. The books I have recommended here will be valuable additions to your copywriting library. They don’t cost much, and you’ll get a great return on your investment. The lessons you learn will pay off in ways you can’t even imagine.