How Long Should It Take You to Write Copy?

Time can fly when you’re working on a copy project. So much so, in fact, that you can look up and realize a few hours have passed. But is that a good thing? A bad thing? Just how long should it take you to write, anyway?

When you’re first starting out, it will never feel like you have enough time. A client could give you a month for a paragraph of copy, and you’d still agonize over it. The good news is that this will, eventually, go away with the more practice you get.

But it is true that you can’t take forever to write a piece of copy. After all, your design partner has to have time to add it into the layout and the two of you have to have time to tweak and revise it before your first creative review. (And if you want to tick off a designer reeeeally fast, try not leaving them enough time to add copy to their design.)

The one exception is if you plan to show your design layout to the client with “Greek” copy—that is, a placeholder. Learn more about when and why you need to “Greek” it here >>

Determine Your Deadline

So, first, you need to agree with your designer about when you’ll deliver the copy. That will give you your hard deadline. But I know that there could be days in between when you brainstorm and when you need to deliver that copy and you want to know how many of those hours is the right amount to spend on the project.

Well, as you could probably guess, there’s no clear answer to this question. I’d never be able to say “two and a half hours, no more, no less” since every project is different and some are easier or more challenging than others. In fact, I’m going to challenge you to shift your way of thinking, though, and consider the question less in terms of amount of time and more in terms of when you’ve solved the problem.

You need to be thinking (and worrying) less about the time you put into a project and more about the quality of the copy solution you provide. Presumably, you and your design partner will have spent time together to concept the project and come up with an idea that meets the needs of the creative brief.

Review Your Writing

But after that, when you’re back on your own, it’s up to you to organize the messaging. And, again, that creative brief is going to be your best friend—be sure to check back regularly to make sure you’re meeting the objectives and conveying all of the important points.

As you craft your copy, you need to make sure you:

• Communicate the key messages
• Write the benefits clearly and effectively
• Evaluate the messaging hierarchy to make sure it makes sense
• Take a look at the copy from a brand perspective to make sure it’s in the right voice
• Take a look at the copy from a reader perspective to make sure it resonates with them
• Craft a strong and clear call to action
• Check that it meets the business objectives
• Craft copy that it has a fresh, original feel to it

Not easy, right? But that’s why you’re a pro.

It’s only when you’ve done all these things that you’re done with your copy. That might take you 20  minutes or it might take you two hours. But you can’t cheat the process; if you’re missing any of these elements, your copy just won’t be very good. (And if you’re having a hard time staying motivated over the duration of the project, check out this technique.)

As you progress in your career, you’ll find that you’re able to hit on all these points a little quicker. But don’t misunderstand me: Speed isn’t a goal or even necessarily an expected outcome from experience. Some projects need time to be puzzled through—even top copywriting professionals get challenging projects and need lots of time to solve them.

The most important thing is that you respect this writing time and don’t start beating yourself up for what you perceive as “taking too long.” (That’s probably only going to make you take longer, anyway.) Don’t focus on getting it done in the “right amount of time,” instead, focus on the project and writing it to the very best of your ability.

Your Turn!

Has fear of taking too long on a project plagued you? Let us know in the comments below!

Last Updated on November 20, 2023