A Claude Skill that writes full long-form copy drafts in the distinct style of seven of history's greatest direct-response copywriters.
Instead of producing generic AI copy, this skill applies the specific structure, voice, and technique of a chosen writer — producing output that reads like a deliberate stylistic choice, not a committee decision.
Given a product, audience, and desired action, the skill:
- Recommends the right copywriter style based on your product and audience
- Applies that writer's structural template, sentence patterns, and signature techniques
- Delivers a full draft with notes on which elements came from the chosen style
- Offers iteration — rewrite in a different style, sharpen a section, or adjust the approach
| Copywriter | Era | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Eugene Schwartz | 1950s–80s | Mass-market products; audiences unaware a solution exists |
| Gary Halbert | 1970s–2000s | Info products, newsletters, personality-driven brands |
| David Ogilvy | 1950s–80s | Premium/aspirational products; sophisticated buyers |
| Claude Hopkins | 1900s–30s | Products with provable claims; skeptical audiences |
| John Caples | 1920s–80s | Self-improvement, courses, transformation-focused copy |
| Joe Sugarman | 1970s–90s | Gadgets, novelty products, curiosity-driven buyers |
| Gary Bencivenga | 1970s–2000s | Health, finance, high-ticket; proof-demanding audiences |
The same product brief — a hand-forged chef's knife — written in each of the seven styles, compared against generic AI output.
Generic AI copy:
Experience the difference that true craftsmanship makes in your kitchen. The Forge & Field No. 7 is a premium hand-forged chef's knife crafted from high-carbon steel for exceptional performance and durability... Order yours today and take your cooking to the next level.
Gary Halbert style:
I want to tell you about the most embarrassing thing that happened to me at a dinner party.
It was three years ago. Eight people at my table, a beautiful pork loin resting on the cutting board, and a $140 knife I'd bought six months earlier from a kitchen store that was supposed to be "the good one."
I started to carve. The knife dragged. It tore. My brother-in-law — who says nothing, ever — looked at my hands and then looked away...
David Ogilvy style:
The Forge & Field No. 7 is hand-forged from a single billet of 1084 high-carbon steel in Columbus, Ohio. It takes Marcus Trell three days to make one.
Most knives sold in America are stamped from sheet metal in under four minutes.
The difference is not merely one of time. It is one of molecular structure...
Gary Bencivenga style:
Independent Bladesmiths Association, 2023 Craft Award Winner: "Best Production Chef's Knife Under $400"
If you've spent $100, $150, even $200 on a kitchen knife and found yourself disappointed — not in a dramatic way, just in the quiet, daily way of a tool that doesn't quite do what you needed — I want you to know something: You weren't wrong to expect more...
See examples/before-after-samples.md for all seven complete
drafts side by side.
Note: All people, products, and brand names in the sample outputs are fictional and created for demonstration purposes only.
- Download
longform-copywriter.skill - In Claude, go to Settings → Skills
- Upload the
.skillfile - The skill activates automatically — no invocation command needed
The skill triggers automatically when you describe a copy task. Examples:
- "Write a sales letter for my online course on personal finance"
- "I need landing page copy for a new running shoe targeting ultramarathon runners"
- "Write this in a Gary Halbert style for my newsletter"
- "Write copy that actually converts for my supplement brand"
To specify a style, name the copywriter directly:
"Write this in a Bencivenga style" or "Use the Sugarman approach"
To let the skill recommend a style, just describe the product and audience. Claude will consult the selection matrix and explain its reasoning before drafting.
See example-brief.md for the full input template.
Use eval-rubric.md to assess whether a draft genuinely matches the target
style. The rubric provides a checklist for each of the seven writers covering structure, voice,
sentence patterns, and common failure modes.
longform-copywriter/
├── README.md — This file
├── LICENSE — MIT License
├── SKILL.md — Core skill instructions (loaded by Claude)
├── example-brief.md — Input template for users
├── eval-rubric.md — Style evaluation checklist
├── longform-copywriter.skill — Installable skill package
├── references/
│ └── style-guide.md — Full profiles for all seven copywriters
└── examples/
└── before-after-samples.md — Before/after drafts for all seven styles
Not sure which style to use? Start here:
Match to skepticism level first. High skepticism (health, finance, anything "too good to be true") → Hopkins or Bencivenga. Low skepticism, high curiosity → Sugarman or Schwartz.
Then match to product type:
| If you're selling... | Use |
|---|---|
| A supplement, financial advisory, or high-ticket offer | Bencivenga |
| A personal brand, newsletter, or coaching program | Halbert |
| A luxury or aspirational product | Ogilvy |
| A course or program that promises transformation | Caples |
| A gadget or tech product with interesting specs | Sugarman |
| Something with provable, demonstrable claims | Hopkins |
| Something the market doesn't know exists yet | Schwartz |
MIT. See LICENSE.