So you’re a freelance copywriter and you’ve got an important pitch to make. You’re probably bursting with ideas, passionate about your chosen topic and ready to throw down some killer copy.
But what do you charge for your copywriting services? How about a per-word rate? What about a per-paragraph rate? How about a lump sum or is there some other way you’ll charge your clients?
This is a question we get asked a lot. Truth be told, we weren’t exactly sure how to answer it ourselves so we did some digging.
The Short Answer
Depending on your audience and what they’re looking for, you can generally charge anywhere from £25 to £75 per writing project (or per piece).
Our advice? Instead of rushing into pricing, take your time looking for a balance between profit and value. You want to make sure you’re not only providing a good value, but that your fees reflect that. Remember: you don’t get paid for what you write, you get paid for what your client says about you. So the better your value, the more they’ll talk about you. Win-win!
Keep in mind: this is just a rough guide. It’s not meant to replace professional advice nor does it come with any kind of guarantee. You should always consult with a professional, independent finance advisor before making any financial decisions.
The Longer Answer
It’s a question that seems simple but is actually a little more complicated. First off, how do you value your time? Is a couple of hours worth £25? Or, is an entire day worth that? What about a few days? A week? Months?
Secondly, how do you value your client’s project? Is it worth just a few hours of your time? A couple of days? A week? Or maybe more?
Thirdly, how much do you need to make? Before you can answer these questions you need to consider several other things:
The Rate You Can Expect To Earner
This is, in all honesty, the most important question. After all, you need to make sure you’re not only providing value, but that you’re also profiting from it. Remember: you’re a freelancer so you’re in full control of how much you want to charge. However, don’t be too greedy. You don’t want to undervalue yourself nor do you want to ask for more than you’re worth.
You also need to consider what your competitors are charging for similar services. Hiring a freelance copywriter is, in many cases, a lot easier than hiring a in-house copyeditor. You’ll have the advantage of working with someone who is already skilled in the area and can get the job done quickly.
It’s also important to consider what opportunities are out there for a freelance copywriter. What kinds of jobs are available? What are clients looking for? Keep your eyes open for new projects and opportunities. If you want to be able to charge what you’re worth, you’ll need to be working on a variety of projects to be able to make that happen.
Production
This is the phase where a lot of freelancers go wrong. They think that just because they’ve written some content that it will automatically be well-written and polished. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You’re a content creator so you know exactly what I’m talking about. Most of us, as content creators, are used to getting our hands dirty with the content itself. However, that doesn’t mean that marketing, editing and formatting are easy tasks. If you want to look like a pro, you’ll need to make sure that all of the content you produce is of a certain quality. That means you’ll need to do a bit of research and learn a few things about editing, marketing and formatting.
These tasks aren’t difficult, but they aren’t something that comes naturally to everyone. For that reason, if you want to make sure you’re charging what you’re actually worth, you’ll need to spend at least a little bit of time learning how to do them efficiently and quickly. Good luck out there.
Outsourcing
This one may surprise you. A lot of freelancers decide to outsource certain parts of the process to save time and to make sure they can focus on what’s important to them. While it’s not necessarily a bad idea, you need to make sure that you’re getting the right person for the job. Are they talented enough? Can they do the task? Are they efficient? Can they communicate well with your team? These are all important questions to ask before you commit to any kind of outsourcing. If you decide to outsource, make sure that you work with someone who is experienced and can deliver on what they promise. Without proper planning and research, it’s easy for something to go wrong. So, as much as possible, you want to avoid this at all costs. Outsourcing is great if it works but it can also be difficult to manage if it doesn’t work out the way you expect it to. Try to plan everything out and think things through thoroughly so that you can avoid any unexpected headaches down the line.
The Final Step
Once you’ve gotten the questions answered and you feel that you have a clear idea of how much you should be charging and for what, the last step is to actually go for it. Get to work!
You wrote the pitch, you researched the client’s needs and you know exactly what you’re supposed to offer. It’s now just a matter of getting the words on paper and turning them into a finished product. For some freelancers, this can be difficult. After all, you’re not the only one with bills to pay. But, if you want to be able to charge what you’re worth, you’ll need to be able to take on as much work as you can. Working hard and smart will get you there.