“How much should I charge per word?” is one of the scariest, most misguided questions a copywriter can ask. And I don’t really blame new copywriters who ask that question, since there are plenty of “work farming” companies that happily advertise their “copywriters’” price per word. So, let me make one thing very, very clear: Professional copywriters do not charge by the … [Read more...]
Why Do Some Copywriters Work for Content Mills (and for Peanuts)?
Start a Google search for copywriting jobs, and it won’t be long before you uncover copywriters willing to work for bargain basement rates. Many of them are writing for content mills (more on the difference between copy and content here) and some well... just don't know what they're doing. But instead of letting that discourage you, it should encourage you—and help you realize … [Read more...]
Why Copywriting Discounts Don’t Work
There are certain times of year (Black Friday, in particular!) where it can feel like every business is running discounts. But does that mean you should be discounting your copywriting services? Let’s dig into exactly what discounting copywriting services means for building your business. It’s true that many (if not most) businesses run some kind of sale on Black Friday, … [Read more...]
Copywriting Job Sites Will Cost You BIG Time
We’ve talked before about how copywriting job sites—sites where you post a profile and bid for work—are trouble. But today I want to show you just how much you could be losing. Our team receives a lot of questions about copywriting job sites or freelance job listing sites in general. They seem like a great deal: You create a profile, then people who are looking for … [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 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...]