I only know of Collier that he is responsible for the Robert Collier Letter Book, a legendary
collection of classic sales letters.
The Robert Collier letters were successful because he merged with his readers. Robert Collier began his letters from THE READER'S VIEWPOINT!! Although Robert Collier wanted folks to oreder products, his letters were friendly and personal and began by meeting the reader right where his mind was.
Biography of Robert Collier
Robert "Bob" Collier was born April 19, 1885, in St. Louis, son of Mary Ferguson and John
Collier. His mother died when he and his older brother were not yet teenagers. His father
traveled widely as a foreign correspondent for Collier's Magazine (founded and published by
his uncle, Peter F. Collier). Robert was educated in a church seminar school and was expected
to become a priest, but before taking his vows, he decided against the life of a clergyman and
headed for West Virginia to seek his fortune.
There he worked as a mining engineer and learned first-hand to deal with life and humanity.
He was a prolific reader and the books in the mining company's office, which included
applied business correspondence and books on advertising, gave him the basics of the writing
that became his career.
After eight years in West Virginia, he went to New York City and worked in the advertising
department of the P.F. Collier Publishing Company. With the help and guidance of such
experts as Bruce Barton and Fred Stone, he developed ideas in sales copy, persuading the top
men to test them in new circulars he wrote. The results were fantastic. He sold many
thousands of the Harvard Classics-a five-foot shelf of books by Dr. Elliott, and his circulars
on the O. Henry stories brought orders for over two million dollars, followed by orders for
over 70,000 books on "The History of the World War."
Because of an earlier, seemingly undiagnosable illness, finally cured through Christian
Science, Bob became interested in health products and felt that 98% of our illnesses came
from chemically treated, denatured foods. From this illness came the desire to investigate how
the Mind could so quickly and surely cure a trouble that doctors had been working on for
months-that there must be powers in the Mind he had never even suspected; and if it had
dominion over his physical self, why could it not cure business problems too? Why could it
not correct any financial lack? Why could it not bring him anything of good that he might
wish?
He decided that it could-and proceeded to find the way. For long months, he studied hundreds
of books and courses on everything relating to metaphysics, occult, and success. Whole
religions seemed to be built on it. He delved into the deepest mysteries of the Masters. It was
a long time before he began to find parts that were really workable in everyday life, a long
time before he realized tangible results from his efforts, but when results began, they came
quickly.
Robert Collier had the idea for a long time for a set of books on practical psychology. He put
this idea into action, working night and day writing the books. Within six months after the
books were published, he received more than one million dollars-worth of orders for them.
The books were entitled, The Secret of the Ages. He sold over 300,000 sets of them. The
books really worked. He received thousands of letters telling of results obtained from reading
these books.
Robert Collier wrote four more courses, which he sold separately as, The God in You, The
Secret Power, The Magic Word, and The Law of the Higher Potential. He later combined this
excellent material into one book and named it, The Law of the Higher Potential. It has since
been renamed, Riches Within Your Reach. He also condensed the seven volumes of The
Secret of the Ages into one book, which has proven to be a best seller for many, many years.
It has been translated into German, Italian, French, and Spanish, and sold all over the world.
Robert Collier was a devoted husband and the father of six children. He died of cancer in 1950, but his books endure. Robert Collier Publications, Inc., still exists through the efforts of
his widow and now his children and grandchildren. The messages remain -- still relevant --
still needed.
Robert Collier's inspirational books have changed the lives of thousands. One of America's
original self-help authors, Robert Collier was a prolific writer and progressive publisher who
strongly believed that happiness and abundance were within easy reach.
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