When I first started The Writer’s Coin, I had two goals: to get my fiction published and to get a job in advertising. That’s why I had a section called Ad Friday, where I posted new ads (this one is still my favorite) I was making for my portfolio.

One of the coolest things about advertising is that it’s all about your portfolio. Nobody really cares about your GPA or which school you went to as long as the folder of work you show has quality ads inside.

It’s not easy, but it’s a really fun process. But before you go out and start trying to make some ads all willy nilly, you should go out and read the very best books out there aimed at beginners. I’ve read all of these books and I like to think of them as my portfolio school since most of the stuff I know/learned about advertising, I learned from these books.

And now that I finally have a job where I’m doing a lot of this stuff, I’m thankful I didn’t get the job until I had read these books. Without them I’d be totally lost.

So without further ado:

Hey Whipple, Squeeze This

Talk to anyone in the biz and ask them to name one book—I’ll bet you this is the book. I’ve read it three times and own two copies (they came out with a new edition recently). Luke Sullivan tells you what you need to know to get in the door and how to survive without becoming a hack once you’re inside.

Not only that, he’s funny and tells good stories along the way. This is a definite must for anyone wanting to work (or currently working) in advertising. It has tons of awesome tips to get in and stay in, all while making great work.

Picke Me: Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There

Much more practical than Whipple but still very entertaining, especially since the authors know a bunch of top ad people and they get their input for the book.

This is another book I’ve reread (which is rare) twice and it never gets old. It’s almost like a handbook, you can flip through it at any time, in any order, and you’ll keep finding useful ideas and helpful hints.

How to Put Your Book Together and Get a Job in Advertising

This one is the most practical of all of them. If you’re a total newbie and don’t even know what a “book” is in the ad world, this is the book for you. It goes through what should be in and what you should cut out.

DON’T start your book until you’ve read this one.

Ogilvy On Advertising

Probably the first book on advertising I ever read. Back in the day, it was revolutionary because Ogilvy is all about the Bernbach method of creating ads: you can sell and be creative at the same time.

The book is old, sure, but you can’t go wrong here. Plus, it’ll give you a good bit of history on the biz and how we got here.

Truth, Lies, and Advertising

Advertising isn’t as simple as sitting down in a room and creating great work. You have to know what the client wants, what your agency is capable of doing, and what the budget is. The list goes on and on, and that’s why there’s a thing called “account planning.”

Sound boring? It kind of is, but this book does a good job of giving you an inside look at how important it is without putting you to sleep. It taught me that without account planning, things can get pretty chaotic pretty quickly.

Where the Suckers Moon: The Life and Death of an Advertising Campaign

This one is kind of specific: it’s a sort of case study for Subaru and their struggle to work with a cool, hip agency to create some great ads. This book takes you behind the scenes, to the shoots and boardrooms. There are frustrations, egos, and some great ideas too. Reading this book made me feel like I was a high-level ad guy with access to all the meetings.

It also taught me about the weird relationship between car makers and car dealerships. I had no idea how important they were to each other and now I have a better understanding. This one is dated and a little long, but I highly recommend it if you want to get a sort of novelization of what it’s like (or was like) in the ad biz.

Then We Came to the End

I’m a writer, so of course I want to throw in a novel on my list. This book takes place in a Chicago ad agency at the end of the dot-com boom. It’s hilarious, well written, and actually reflects what agency life is like (according to what I’ve heard).

My favorite thing about it is the characters. There are some weirdos in there, but they’re all quirky and funny and that makes it a great read. This one was a blast.

More?

Am I missing any other book here? If so, let me know in the comments so we can all bask in your wisdom. Oh and if you want more ad goodness, check out Mad Men. I only saw the pilot, but tons of people love that show.

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