At the end of my copywriting courses, the keenest of beans will ask me what reading they should be doing. I could point them to any or all of these excellent books:

• Ogilvy on Advertising, by David Ogilvy– on getting into people’s heads
• Hey Whipple Squeeze This, by Luke Sullivan and Edward Boches – for creativity in advertising
• Cashvertising, by Drew Eric Whitman – on what actually drives conversions  
• The Persuasion Code, by Christophe Morin and Patrick Renvoisé – on stories that work way better than the Hero’s Journey
• The Adweek Copywriters Handbook, by Joseph Sugarman – to make your copy easy to read
• Eats Shoots and Leaves, by Lynne Truss – a snarky guide to punctuation

But I know these books are most likely to become permanent additions to the bedside reading stack. So instead, I recommend just one thing to continue their learning: Whatever they are already reading.

Anything: the Onion’s latest article, your auntie’s slightly racist Facebook post, that billboard you drive past, the plumber’s website (because your toilet’s blocked) and yes, my articles about copywriting.

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Read anything, deliberately

But – and this is key – you have to read them deliberately. Notice how the writing makes you feel and what you’re compelled to do next. Are you vaguely annoyed or having to concentrate hard? Ask yourself why. Did you just click on an ad without thinking about it? Go back and look at it – what got you to do that? Did you snigger, send something to a friend or save it for later? Again, why?

The first step to improve your writing is to start noticing. What unconscious habits are cluttering up your text? What choices can you see other writers making – and are they the right ones? What would you change about a billboard or article headline?

That awareness means that everything you read – everything –becomes a chance to deepen your understanding of what great copy looks like indifferent places. You’ll also get clearer on what makes for terrible reading, and what you want your writing to be more like.

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Build your own holiday reading list

So here is my gift to you these holidays: no reading list.

With my blessing, go and read Harry Potter to your kids, grab a Woman’s Weekly or scroll through TikTok. It’s all reading, and it’s all an excellent way to progress as a writer.

Happy holidays!