Copywriting for a living 101

When a client get's in touch with a copywriter, generally one of the first questions that is asked is “how much will it cost?” It doesn't matter whether the project is writing content for a website, or writing a single press release, a customer will want to know that the price isn't outrageous before they think about using the services of a copywriter. This is perfectly fine, since most of the time the copywriter will also want to know what they are willing to pay.

The only issue is that the pricing isn't something that is easy to answer. Since all jobs for a copywriter are usually custom, the initially need to know what type of project they are doing along with all of the details of the project.

There are some copywriters that will charge by each hour which may consist anywhere from $1 to $50. On the other hand, most copywriters think charging by the hour is just more that they need to budget and think about. Instead they will quote a price by the project type which is what the clients are most pleased about hearing, since it is final.

In order to determine how much a project should cost, there are five factors that need to be determined, this could also work for hourly if you charge a specific price by the hour based on these following factors.

How Much Copy Do They Need? 

Most professional copywriters know that the quantity matters. Writing a brochure that only consists of four pages is going to take less time than a website that is requiring 20 pages of content.

How Difficult Is The Work?

There are some projects that might require you to take time and research the information, while there are others that you can get done within a matter of time with your own professional knowledge. It is much harder to write a review about a new product out on the market, rather than an older product that has been on the market for some time that you have used.

Do They Require A Lot Of Creativity?

Being creative all the time can be a little difficult. Generally creating a small advertisement will be much more difficult than a data sheet of full length, since each word within the advertisement will need to be considered carefully, as well as checked for plagiarism in the end.

What Is The Market Rate?

When you are a professional copywriter that has been working for quite some time, you don't want to find that you are charging the lowest rates in the industry. Although, there is competition needed so you will always want to make sure that your price is near that of others but make sure that you are making what you need to make per project.

How Fast Is Work Needed?

Generally, most copywriters will charge a little extra if they need the project to be done quickly. This means that the copywriters are giving up their normal off time that they could be spending with family, just to turn in your project early.

With these five tips, you should be able to figure out what you need to be charging if you are a copywriter, or what you should be expecting to pay when you are looking for a copywriter.