Most aspiring copywriters practice wrong. They read books, watch courses, collect swipe files—and never improve. Here's what the legends actually did.
How most people practice
Reading copywriting books without practicing
Watching courses but never writing
Studying swipe files passively
Waiting for client work to practice
Passive learning doesn't build skills
How pros actually practice
Typing great copy by hand (copywork)
Daily short practice sessions
Focused drills on specific techniques
Measuring and tracking improvement
Active practice builds muscle memory
Copywork is simple: you take great writing and copy it by hand (or keyboard). Word for word. No skimming, no summarizing—full reproduction.
Benjamin Franklin taught himself to write by copying essays. Hunter S. Thompson typed out The Great Gatsby to feel what it was like to write a masterpiece.
Gary Halbert, one of the greatest copywriters ever, made his students copy sales letters by hand. He called it "the fastest way to become a great copywriter."
"The first thing you need to do is get your hands on some of the best sales letters ever written... and copy them out by hand."
— Gary Halbert, The Boron Letters
"I took some of the papers, and making short hints of the sentiment in each sentence, laid them by a few days, and then tried to complete the papers again."
— Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography
Engages motor memory
Typing engages different brain pathways than reading. You're physically encoding patterns.
Forces attention
You can skim a swipe file. You can't skim when typing every word.
Builds instinct
After typing thousands of words, patterns become automatic. You just write better.
Choose proven copy to practice
Use sales letters and passages that have actually converted. CopyCraft provides a curated library.
Practice daily (15 minutes is enough)
Consistency beats intensity. 15 minutes daily for 30 days transforms your writing.
Track your progress
Measurement accelerates improvement. Track WPM, accuracy, streak days.
Progress through structured levels
Start with rhythm and clarity. Move to hooks and emotion. Advance to persuasion and conversion.
CopyCraft makes copywork easy. Curated passages, real-time feedback, progress tracking. First 2 chapters free.
Start your first sessionCopyCraft
© 2026 CopyCraft