It's hard enough to get started in copywriting without making one of these huge mistakes. And when I say huge, I mean huge: Any one of these is enough to delay your success, if not bring your career to a grinding halt. And what's worse, the vast majority of copywriters will make at least one of these mistakes, if not more. So read on to find out what these mistakes are, … [Read more...]
How I Lost a Ton of Money (and You Can, Too!)
Step right up and learn from the master! When I was first starting out, I made a ton of mistakes and lost out on an awful lot of money. Want to know how? There’s nothing that I necessarily regret. It was all valuable learning for me, and it lets me pass on that learning to you so you can avoid making the same mistakes. But did I do stupid stuff? Absolutely! Did I miss … [Read more...]
The Right Way to Barter Your Copywriting Services
Bartering, or trading, your copywriting services can be a great way to acquire things you need (design, website development) without having to lay out any cash. But just as with anything else, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Ready for the right way? First of all, whether or not it's okay to barter your copywriting services is completely up to you. No one … [Read more...]
How to Price Copywriting Services: By the Minute? The Hour? The Word?
Discussing rates or salaries is uncomfortable for most people. Of course, how to price copywriting services has another layer of discomfort because you can charge for copy projects in a couple of ways. Do you charge by the word? By the minute? Something else? (Spoiler: It's something else. Copywriters charge by the project.) In fact, charging by the word will mark you as a … [Read more...]
How to Negotiate Your Copywriting Rate
"Negotiation" is a big, intimidating topic. Entire business school classes are dedicated to it. Many people get deeply uncomfortable when it comes time to discuss their salary with their potential employer. Then, add in the stressful factor of your own (and maybe your family's) livelihood and no wonder most people cringe at the idea of negotiating their salaries. But it's … [Read more...]
How Much Do Copywriters Actually Make?
If we can, we get into certain lines of work to pursue our passions. But, of course, with those pesky costs for housing, food, and other necessities, we also work to pay our bills. So, one of the first questions you may ask as you dip your toes into copywriting is, "how much do freelance copywriters make?" When it comes to how much money you can make in any profession, … [Read more...]
What Do You Bill For? (And What Don’t You?)
Many of us copywriters, even the Filthy Rich ones, have a hard time figuring out how to charge for our services. When you're working with a client who has an office that's far away from you—and they expect you to occasionally come in for meetings—do you charge them? Do you charge for meetings in general? Do you line-item revisions? As a sought-after professional … [Read more...]
What Does It Mean for Copywriters to Write on Spec? And Should You?
When you're looking for work, you may find some prospective clients or employers wondering if you're willing to write "on spec." If you've created spec work for your portfolio, this may sound confusing. Read on to find out what they mean and if you should ever write on spec. Writing "On Spec" vs. Creating Spec Work Writing "on spec" essentially means writing for free to … [Read more...]