
That White Paper Guy’s list of recommended books on writing white papers (and everything else)
Writers buy a lot of books.
That makes sense, right?
My favorite books on copywriting, content marketing, and B2B marketing have taught me a lot.
They’re a quick reference while I work. And they give me a shot of inspiration when I need one.
I keep all the titles listed below on my bookshelves within easy reach. And I do reach for them!
I’ve written reviews of a few of my favorites, as linked below.
And I’ve included an Amazon link to every book where you can click to see more or buy that item.
Yes, I get a few pennies per book from those affiliate links. I use that trickle of credit to buy more books!
[Tweet "Need a shot of inspiration for your copywriting? Read these books."]
Happy reading… and happy writing too!
B2B Content
- Cashing In With Content
by David Meerman Scott
- Content is Cash
by Wendy Montes de Oca
- Content Rules
by Ann Handley
- Stories That Sell
by Casey Hibbard. This is the only book I know that’s all about case studies, and it’s excellent. See more on it in my article here.
B2B Marketing
- Crossing the Chasm
by Geoffrey A. Moore
The seminal work on how to avoid getting stuck in the vast chasm between startup and Main Street. Updated in 2014. - No Time Marketing
by Alyssa S. Dver
A great little guide that makes planning your small biz marketing quick and painless. Click here for my review. - The Marketing Gurus
by Chris Murray
Quick summaries of 17 classic marketing books. There’s something for everyone here. And what a time-saver, compared to reading 17 books! - The Marketing Playbook
by John Zagula and Richard Tong
These guys worked at Microsoft, back in the day, and they have some very sharp suggestions on how to go to market. - Marketing Warfare
by Al Ries and Jack Trout
An absolute classic that taught me the four basic types of marketing campaigns: offensive, defensive, flanking (my fav!) and guerilla. Mainly about B2C, but totally applicable to B2B.
Personal Effectiveness
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey
Here’s why this book is perfect for white paper writers.
And why it’s great for white paper marketers, too. - How to Win Friends & Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
The original, the one and only. Still amazingly relevant to today’s business world. Break these principles at your own peril.
Style Guides
- Associated Press Stylebook
This is the style guide used by most American newspapers and the one I most often follow for white papers. Gives you a clear set of rules, even if you’re going to break them. - The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr and E. B. White
Every writer should have a copy of this right beside their screen. Read my love letter to this little book here. - Letting Go of the Words
by Janice Redish
Aimed at web writers, the advice here applies to any B2B content. Know your audience, keep it simple, use good titles and clear headings, and break it up into bite-sized pieces. - Microsoft Manual of Style
by Microsoft Corporation
If you’re searching for the right name to call something you see on a screen, it’s probably in here. Along with many other tips. - Phrases That Sell by Edward Werz
Sort of a companion to the following two books, by a different person. - Words that Sell
+ More Words That Sell
, both by Richard Bayan
You can actually flip through these books and pull out the perfect little gem to drop into your copy. And it’s fun too. - The Yahoo! Style Guide
by Yahoo!
This 512-page sourcebook is packed with useful tips and best practices. Here, I take a look at how this material applies to white paper writers.
White Papers
- Crafting White Paper 2.0
by Jonathan Kantor
This book looks at how white papers can be improved by the careful use of design and content. - The White Paper Marketing Handbook
by Bob Bly
Here’s my review, including Bly’s excellent list of ways to prove the assertions in a white paper. - White Papers for Dummies
by Gordon Graham
Have you heard of this one? Here’s a sample of what people have been saying about it. Or you can scroll down this page to see more. - Writing White Papers
by Michael Stelzner
The first commercial book about white papers, this title takes a practical approach with lots of proven techniques. Here’s my review from a few years ago when this first appeared.
Winning Presentations
- Beyond Bullet Points
by Cliff Atkinson
Brilliant advice on how to create lovely slide decks that keep people awake. Tip: Use one (relevant) photo and one heading per slide. Then assemble your slides as a 3-act story. - The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint
by Edward R. Tufte
I had to include this, the most classy anti-PowerPoint rant ever. A powerful diatribe that sent me searching for the other titles on how to do better slide decks. - How to Lie with Statistics
by Darrell Huff
A great little book that all marketers should read. And all designers, too. Example: Here’s how NOT to resize infographics if you want them to stay accurate. - Marketer’s Visual Tool Kit
by Terry Richey
Out of print, but if you can find one, get it. Lots of great ideas for graphics here. - Presenting to Win
by Jerry Weissman
You get 4 bullets per slide and 4 words per bullet. That’s it, that’s all. From a former TV producer turned PowerPoint drill-master to the stars of Silicon Valley roadshows.
Writing as a Business
- The Everything Guide To Writing Copy
by Steve Slaunwhite
A personal friend, Steve put together an excellent guide to the business of writing copy, filled with lots of tips and tricks. - The Wealthy Freelancer
by Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage, and Ed Gandia
I recommend this book to every freelancer I know. Tons of pragmatic advice on how to launch or pump up a freelance business. Get your buzz piece ready. - The Well-Fed Writer
by Peter Bowerman
Another friend and colleague. My copy has post-its, dog ears, and highlights throughout… the sure sign of a useful read.
About my own book, White Papers For Dummies
I recently had the pleasure to write a book about white papers myself. I tried to pack in everything I learned in 15 years working on these challenging documents.
And I’m delighted that White Papers for Dummies
has been very well-received by the copywriting community.
It continues to earn 5-star ratings on Amazon.
It’s available in print and as an e-book for all the most popular e-readers. (I like having an e-book version, so I can quickly search through the whole text.)
And for about $20, most people say it’s a great deal.
Whether you’re a marketing manager seeking to use white papers to promote your company, or a copywriter looking to break into this well-paying field, White Papers for Dummies offers tons of practical, step-by-step advice on how to plan, create, and promote great white papers.
Why not give it a peek?
Do you have any favorite books on copywriting, B2B marketing, or successful freelancing you’d like to recommend? Please leave your Comments below.
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Thank you so much sir for creating such a platform to know about white papers.This will help us who want to be a white paper writer a lot…
very useful round up, and your other content is great too (I’m about to write my first whitepaper)