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Dan Kennedy Books: Which One to Read First, by Goal and Business Type
Free-book offers run while reserved copies last · Prices checked on October 21, 2026
Quick answer
Start with The Ultimate Sales Letter if you write copy or sell with words, with No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses if you run a local or offline business, and with Magnetic Marketing if you want the whole system. The first two come through official offers for a $9.95 shipping fee (checked October 21, 2026).
This guide puts Dan Kennedy's key books side by side: what each one teaches, who it suits, the order to read them in and the official way to get each copy. For the man behind the books and his Magnetic Marketing method, see our Dan Kennedy guide.
Highlights
- Books published by Simon & Schuster and Forbes Books
- A full No B.S. series covering marketing, sales, pricing, management and wealth
- The Ultimate Sales Letter in its 4th edition, with updated text, examples and new exercises
- Two books, The Ultimate Sales Letter and The Ultimate Marketing Plan, for one $9.95 shipping fee
- The newest edition of the Direct Marketing Book, released May 21, 2024
- Money-back guarantee on the book offers, as stated on each page
Dan Kennedy's key books at a glance
| Book | Edition | Publisher | Best for | How to get it (checked October 21, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ultimate Sales Letter | 4th edition, 2011 | Adams Media, part of Simon & Schuster | Writing ads, emails and sales letters | Free with The Ultimate Marketing Plan, $9.95 shipping |
| The Ultimate Marketing Plan | Companion book | Sold as a pair | Choosing audience, message and media | Same $9.95 offer |
| Magnetic Marketing | 2018 | Forbes Books | Understanding the whole system | Gift with the NO B.S. Letter 30-day trial ($29.95 shipping and printing) |
| No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses | Newest edition, May 21, 2024 | Entrepreneur Press | Local, professional and offline businesses | Free plus $9.95 shipping (US) or $19.95 (international) |
| Other No B.S. titles | Varies by title | Varies by title | One topic each: price, sales, management, wealth | Publishers and bookstores |
Which Dan Kennedy book should you read first?
Read the one that matches the job in front of you, since each Dan Kennedy book solves one business problem.
If you write ads, emails, landing pages or sales letters, start with The Ultimate Sales Letter, his most practical book. If you run a clinic, a firm, a shop or a service business and have never thought of yourself as a direct marketer, start with No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses, written for exactly that reader. If you want the full picture first, start with Magnetic Marketing, the 2018 book that gave the system its name. The table below matches each goal to a first book.
| Your goal | Start with | Why it fits | Button |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write ads, emails and sales letters | The Ultimate Sales Letter (4th edition) + The Ultimate Marketing Plan | Step-by-step copy system with headline formulas; both books for $9.95 shipping | Get both books |
| Run a local, professional or offline business | No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses | Written for owners new to direct marketing; comes with a toolkit, training and swipe file | Get the Direct Marketing Book |
| Understand the whole system | Magnetic Marketing (2018) | The system in one book; a gift with the NO B.S. Letter trial | Start the 30-day trial |
| Raise prices or sell to higher-income buyers | No B.S. Price Strategy or No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent | Price and premium clients | Publishers and bookstores |
| Lead a team | No B.S. Ruthless Management of People and Profits | Staff and profit | Publishers and bookstores |
| Prefer to hear the method before you read | The free Magnetic Marketing Challenge | A free live walkthrough of the system | Save my free seat |
What is The Ultimate Sales Letter, and is it still worth reading?
The Ultimate Sales Letter is Dan Kennedy's step-by-step guide to writing copy that gets a reader to act. The current version is the 4th edition, published in 2011 by Adams Media, part of Simon & Schuster. The publisher introduces Dan as the highest-paid direct response copywriter in the country, and the official offer page calls the book "The Marketing Bible."
Yes, it is still worth reading: it teaches the thinking behind a sales message, not a format tied to one channel, so the same steps work for an email, a landing page or a video script.
According to the official offer page, the book walks you through:
- What to prepare before you write.
- A three-step system for selling with a letter.
- Ten questions that profile your customer.
- Fill-in-the-blank headline templates.
- The problem, agitation and solution structure.
- Guarantees that make an offer stronger.
- Six ways to ask for the order.
- Testing a letter, and when to hire a copywriter.
The 4th edition brings fully updated text and examples, new exercises and guidance on using graphics. The official offer, presented by Russell Brunson, ships the book together with The Ultimate Marketing Plan for a one-time $9.95 shipping and printing fee, with a money-back guarantee, as stated on the page.
What is The Ultimate Marketing Plan?
The Ultimate Marketing Plan is the companion to The Ultimate Sales Letter, and the official offer sends both books together. Its subtitle sums up the job: Target Your Audience! Get Out Your Message! Build Your Brand!
Where The Ultimate Sales Letter teaches you to write one strong piece of copy, The Ultimate Marketing Plan helps you decide what it should say, who it should reach and where it should run. The official books page describes it as a direct guide to getting the word out about your product, creating buzz and earning more from your marketing.
Together, the two books cover the plan and the execution.
What is Dan Kennedy's Magnetic Marketing book?
Magnetic Marketing is the 2018 book that gave Dan Kennedy's system its name. Its full title is Magnetic Marketing: How to Attract a Flood of New Customers That Pay, Stay, and Refer, and it was published by Forbes Books (ISBN 9781946633743).
The publisher describes it as a system for attracting customers rather than chasing them, built on strategies proven in real businesses since the turn of the century instead of academic theory. Forbes Books adds that the method has established itself in more than 136 niches, business categories, industries and professions.
The promise sits in the subtitle: customers who pay, stay and refer. Forbes Books also publishes a version for one profession, Magnetic Marketing for Dentists, and another Dan Kennedy title, Almost Alchemy.
The official way to get a printed copy is the NO B.S. Letter, Dan Kennedy's monthly printed newsletter: its 30-day trial costs a one-time $29.95 shipping and printing fee, and the book is among the welcome gifts. You choose your membership plan on the next step of the order, and the public terms promise a notice 7 days before a trial is charged.
What is No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses?
It is Dan Kennedy's book for owners who have never thought of themselves as direct marketers: local shops, clinics, professional practices and service companies. It shows how to bring the tools of direct response, such as a specific offer, a deadline, a clear call to action and tracking, into an ordinary business.
The newest edition was released on May 21, 2024, according to the official book page, which names Entrepreneur Press as the publisher. The long subtitle tells you the tone: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses.
The official offer adds three bonuses to the book:
- Direct Marketing Toolkit: six resources, including the 10 No B.S. Rules of Direct Marketing.
- A 4-hour training with 21 marketing experts.
- A 568-page swipe file of examples to study and adapt.
The book is free; you pay a one-time $9.95 shipping fee in the US or $19.95 internationally (checked October 21, 2026), with a money-back guarantee, as stated on the page. The offer runs while reserved copies last.
What are the other No B.S. books?
The No B.S. series is Dan Kennedy's line of business books, each on one topic and in the same blunt style. The official catalog lists dozens of his books; these are its No B.S. titles, grouped by the problem they solve:
Marketing and attracting customers
- No B.S. Direct Marketing (volumes 1 and 2): the core rules of direct response.
- No B.S. Grassroots Marketing: winning customers in your own area.
- No B.S. Trust-Based Marketing: earning the buyer's trust.
- No B.S. Guide to Brand-Building by Direct Response: a brand built with ads that sell.
- No B.S. Guide to Direct Response Social Media Marketing: direct response on social platforms.
- No B.S. Guide to Maximum Referrals and Customer Retention: more referrals and loyal customers.
- No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent (4th edition, with Martin J. Fischer): selling to higher-income buyers.
- No B.S. Guide to Marketing to Leading Edge Boomers & Seniors: reaching older customers.
Sales and price
- No B.S. Sales Success in the New Economy: selling in today's economy.
- No B.S. Price Strategy: setting and raising prices with confidence.
- No B.S. Guide to Powerful Presentations: speaking and presenting to sell.
Management and time
- No B.S. Ruthless Management of People and Profits (volumes 1 and 2): staff and profit.
- No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs: your time and focus.
Wealth and business success
- No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs and No B.S. Wealth Attraction in the New Economy: mindset on money and business.
- No B.S. Business Success and No B.S. Business Success in the New Economy: the habits behind a successful business.
- The Best of No B.S.: a selection from across the series.
The catalog also lists classics such as Almost Alchemy, Speak to Sell and Why Advertising Fails.
In what order should you read Dan Kennedy's books?
There is no official reading order, since each book stands on its own. Here is our suggested order, in three tracks of three steps.
Track 1: you write copy or sell with words
- The Ultimate Sales Letter, to learn how a selling message is built.
- The Ultimate Marketing Plan, which comes in the same offer, to choose who the message is for.
- The free Write Like Dan Challenge, covered in our Dan Kennedy guide, to practice story selling.
Track 2: you run a local, professional or offline business
- No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses, to fit direct response to your business.
- The Ultimate Marketing Plan, to set your audience, message and media.
- The Ultimate Sales Letter, to write the ads and emails that carry your offer.
Track 3: you want the whole system
- Magnetic Marketing, for the complete method in one book.
- The Ultimate Marketing Plan, to turn the method into your plan.
- No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses, for the toolkit and swipe file.
After any track, pick a No B.S. title for your next problem, such as Price Strategy before you raise prices.
How do you get Dan Kennedy's books?
There are three official routes (prices checked October 21, 2026):
- The book offers: The Ultimate Sales Letter with The Ultimate Marketing Plan, or the Direct Marketing Book, each for a $9.95 shipping fee in the US, with a money-back guarantee, as stated on each page.
- The NO B.S. Letter trial: $29.95 for 30 days, with Magnetic Marketing among the welcome gifts.
- Publishers and bookstores: the rest of the series and the classics.
If you are choosing only one, the two-book offer is the lowest cost per book.
Are Dan Kennedy's books still relevant for online business?
Yes. Every sales funnel, email sequence and landing page is direct response on a screen: a specific offer to a specific group, one clear action and numbers that show what worked.
The tools change; the principles do not. Know who you are talking to, give them a reason to act now, make the next step obvious and measure the response. Those are the decisions a funnel builder makes on any platform, which is why Russell Brunson, co-founder of ClickFunnels, presents The Ultimate Sales Letter offer himself.
AI can draft a headline in seconds. It still needs someone to choose the market, shape the offer and judge which version works. These books train that judgment, and results depend on how consistently you apply them. For the method and what comes after the books, see our Dan Kennedy guide.
Pros and cons of Dan Kennedy's books
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Two of his best-known books cost a single $9.95 shipping fee | The style is direct and blunt, made for readers who like straight talk |
| Published by Simon & Schuster and Forbes Books | They ask for action: the ideas pay off when you apply them |
| Updated editions: the 4th edition of The Ultimate Sales Letter and a 2024 Direct Marketing Book | Free-book offers run while reserved copies last, so order soon |
| A method applied in more than 136 niches, online and offline | Each title focuses on one topic, so pick by your goal |
| Bonuses on the official offers, from a toolkit to a 568-page swipe file | Editions and offers get updated, so check the official page for current details |
Ideal for you if
- You write ads, emails or sales pages and want the classic playbook behind them.
- You own a local or professional business and want marketing you can measure.
- You build funnels and want the direct response principles underneath them.
- You like practical books with checklists and examples you can use the same week.
- You prefer to start with a book for a shipping fee before you invest in anything bigger.
Prefer to start with a free live event? See our Dan Kennedy guide.
Frequently asked questions
In what order should I read Dan Kennedy's books?
There is no official order, so follow your goal. For copy, read The Ultimate Sales Letter, then The Ultimate Marketing Plan. For a local business, start with No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses. For the whole system, start with Magnetic Marketing.
Which Dan Kennedy book is best for beginners?
The Ultimate Sales Letter is the easiest place to start: practical, step by step and full of exercises. It ships with The Ultimate Marketing Plan for one $9.95 fee (checked October 21, 2026).
What is Dan Kennedy known for?
Dan S. Kennedy is known for direct response marketing and copywriting. He wrote The Ultimate Sales Letter and the No B.S. series and founded Magnetic Marketing, a system for attracting customers who pay, stay and refer. See our Dan Kennedy guide.
Is The Ultimate Sales Letter still worth reading?
Yes. The 4th edition, published in 2011, has fully updated text, examples and new exercises. It teaches how a selling message is built, which applies to emails, landing pages and video scripts as much as to printed letters.
What is The Ultimate Marketing Plan, and do I need both books?
The Ultimate Marketing Plan helps you choose your audience, message and media before you write; The Ultimate Sales Letter turns that plan into copy. They work best as a pair, and the official offer sends both for one $9.95 shipping fee.
What is the Magnetic Marketing book about, and where do I get a copy?
Magnetic Marketing (Forbes Books, 2018) explains Dan Kennedy's system for attracting customers who pay, stay and refer. A physical copy is a welcome gift with the NO B.S. Letter 30-day trial, a one-time $29.95 shipping and printing fee (checked October 21, 2026).
Is the No B.S. Direct Marketing book really free?
Yes. The book is free and you pay only shipping: $9.95 in the US or $19.95 internationally (checked October 21, 2026). The offer adds a toolkit, a 4-hour training with 21 experts and a 568-page swipe file.
What are the No B.S. books?
The No B.S. books are Dan Kennedy's series of business books, each on one topic: direct marketing, sales, price strategy, affluent buyers, referrals, management, time and wealth. They share a blunt, practical style.
Are Dan Kennedy's books available as audiobooks?
Some are, including Magnetic Marketing, through the major audiobook stores. The official offers ship printed paperbacks with their bonuses, such as the second book in the Ultimate Sales Letter offer.
How many Dan Kennedy books should I buy at once?
Start with one that fits your goal and apply it before buying the next. If you write copy, the two-book offer is the simplest start: The Ultimate Sales Letter and The Ultimate Marketing Plan for a single $9.95 shipping fee (checked October 21, 2026).
Start with the book that made Dan Kennedy's name
The Ultimate Sales Letter and The Ultimate Marketing Plan, together for one $9.95 shipping fee in the US, with a money-back guarantee, as stated on the page. Checked on October 21, 2026.
Sources
Prices, editions and offer details were read on the official pages and publisher pages on October 21, 2026. Offers can change, so confirm them on the page before you order.
- Magnetic Marketing, "Best Selling Direct Marketing Books" catalog: magneticmarketing.com/books
- Magnetic Marketing, Terms of Use: magneticmarketing.com/terms
- Simon & Schuster, Dan S. Kennedy, The Ultimate Sales Letter, 4th Edition, Adams Media, 2011 (ISBN 9781440511417)
- Simon & Schuster, author page for Dan S. Kennedy: simonandschuster.com/authors/Dan-S-Kennedy/264550355
- Dan S. Kennedy, Magnetic Marketing: How to Attract a Flood of New Customers That Pay, Stay, and Refer, Forbes Books, 2018 (ISBN 9781946633743)
- Forbes Books, author page for Dan Kennedy: books.forbes.com/authors/dan-kennedy
- Official offer pages read on October 21, 2026: The Ultimate Sales Letter, The Direct Marketing Book and the NO B.S. Letter
Updated on October 21, 2026.
This is an independent guide. It is not the official Magnetic Marketing website and it is not operated by, affiliated with or endorsed by Dan Kennedy, Magnetic Marketing, ClickFunnels or Russell Brunson. Magnetic Marketing™, No B.S.™ and the other product names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. We may earn a commission from registrations and purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices, dates and offer details were checked on the official pages on October 21, 2026 and can change at any time: confirm them on the page before you buy or register.
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