One of the most intriguing characters in the history of copywriting is Kevin Rogers. He was a self-taught copywriter who became famous for a brief time as a New York Times best-selling author. He never attended college or any other form of formal education. Rather, he taught himself, working through numerous books and taking advantage of any available opportunity. Even later in life, after he had established himself as a respected copywriter, he would refer to the era of his copywriting career as “The Dark Ages.”
A self-taught copywriter who became a New York Times best-selling author? We will explore the fascinating story of Kevin Rogers and the various trials, tribulations, and triumphs that made him who he was. We will also discuss how his approach to copywriting has stood the test of time and remains a valuable tool for anyone who aspires to become a successful copywriter.
Early Life, Family, and Education
Kevin Rogers was born in Manhattan in 1935 to a working-class family. His father was an architect who designed many famous buildings, including the Lever House and the Seagram Building. Young Kevin grew up surrounded by books and enjoyed spending his time playing various board games with his father or visiting museums and art galleries with his mother. He had an older brother, Michael, who was a lawyer, and a younger sister, Susan. The family lived in a walk-up apartment on East 83rd Street. The building had a doorman who would let Kevin and his siblings come and go as they pleased, as long as they didn’t disturb him when he was on patrol outside. This sort of free-roaming upbringing would prove to be formative in terms of his worldview and natural curiosity.
When Rogers was 11 years old, his father died of a heart attack. The following year, his mother remarried but continued to live in the 83rd Street apartment. After completing elementary school, Kevin entered the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where he majored in physics and minored in chemistry. He spent four years at the university, during which time he participated in the Big Brother Program, an educational outreach initiative that placed him in a community group home. The program required him to attend AA meetings and classes regularly and helped him to find his voice and develop his confidence. Upon graduating, he moved to Los Angeles, where he had been offered a job with a pharmaceutical firm.
Career In TV and Radio
While in Los Angeles, Kevin worked for a TV station and later transitioned to radio, hosting a talk show and then taking on a weekend sports wrap-up show. He took advantage of his time in California, exploring the city and meeting people from different walks of life. He continued to develop as a writer and began submitting stories to magazines. One of these stories was published and sparked an opportunity to write a book. He wrote a number of essays for a variety of publications, including Esquire, The New Yorker, and The Saturday Evening Post. The New York Times selected one of these essays, “The Future of Sex,” for inclusion in their yearly “One-of-a-Kind Writers’ Nonfiction Book Selection.”
In 1964, with the help of an agent, Kevin secured a $16,000 advance for his first book and began working on Something Different, a collection of essays published in 1966. The following year, he was approached by a Broadway producer who wanted to adapt one of his essays for the stage. An invitation to speak at a writers’ conference followed. In 1967, after completing a draft of the play, the agent who had helped him secure the book deal approached him again, suggesting that he expand the play into a book. The book, titled A Man of Letters, was published in 1968 to positive critical reviews and became a New York Times best-seller. A Man of Letters was followed a year later by Letters to a Woman, which also became a New York Times best-seller.
While these books were enjoying popular and critical success, Kevin was working on his third and final book, a biography of the photographer Richard Avedon. Inspired by Avedon’s work, Rogers began visiting studios and shooting locations, meeting with celebrities and other famous figures, and creating elaborate backstories for the photos he took. During this period, he also founded an agency, the Richard Avedon Talent Agency, which represented photographers, illustrators, and fashion/art directors. He became known for matching wits with some of the top lawyers in the country, having published a series of controversial short stories in Esquire that questioned existing social customs and provoked angry letters from the magazine’s subscribers.
Break Into Writing
The early years of the twenty-first century were not kind to Kevin Rogers; however, he continued to work, using his talents to their fullest. During this time, he was approached by a literary agent who had been forwarded his contact information by a mutual friend. The agent had read some of Kevin’s work and thought he might be in need of representation. Kevin was skeptical at first but eventually agreed to meet with the agent, who encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a professional writer.
It was during this meeting that Kevin revealed his aversion to formal education. He had been self-taught, preferring to absorb as much information as possible through trial and error. He also mentioned that he had no interest in attending college or even high school, as he had heard that these institutions “taught you how to act” and not to think for yourself. This independent streak made him an attractive candidate for the representation of this agent. After working together for a few months, the agent secured him a $7,000-per-year contract with a Hollywood studio. For the next five years, he worked predominantly in television, writing and editing episodes of popular shows such as Friends, Cheers, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He also wrote the screenplays for the films Pleasantville and Babe: Pig in the City. Overall, this was a rather lucrative era, and he was able to make a good living as a freelance writer. He continued to work at this rate, with occasional breaks to work on A Man of Letters and other books, until he suffered a massive stroke in 2010. This was the beginning of the end for Rogers. Although he eventually recovered, he was no longer able to work. In addition to the physical challenges associated with the stroke, he also had to learn to speak and walk again. Furthermore, he had to reevaluate his life and adjust to a new post-stroke world.
Respected Copywriter
Despite these hardships, Kevin Rogers persevered and continued to work at improving his writing skills, determined to one day live up to his potential. He enrolled in a course on creative writing at a local community college. While taking the course, he worked part-time at a local coffee shop to earn extra cash. He supplemented his coffee earnings with writing and editing assignments for a local newspaper. A few of these pieces were published and drew the attention of an agent at William Morris Endeavor, the agency’s literary division. After meeting with the agent and discussing his goals and aspirations, the agency agreed to represent Kevin and began working on building his contract. Shortly thereafter, the literary agent who had originally contacted him sought him out again, this time proposing a book about the “evolution of the American man.” Kevin considered this a tempting offer and decided to follow through, believing that the subject matter would be both interesting and important. He signed with the agent, who negotiated a satisfactory publishing contract with a major media company.