How to choose the right copywriter
Time was when all freelance copywriters came from an advertising and / or direct marketing background. But since the advent of the Net a host of other 'copywriters' have arrived on the scene.
Journalists, editors, novelists, marketing personnel, even people with 'A' levels or degrees in English... it's so easy to set yourself up on the Net as a freelance copywriter. Worse, many new 'copywriters' see copywriting as the road to riches and charge high fees.
I've been stunned at the rates some new 'copywriters' are charging. I've found completely inexperienced copywriters with zero advertising or direct marketing experience charging TWICE what I charge - and I have 19 years experience.
So (a) it's important to check credentials. Check the copywriter has genuine copywriting experience - not just as an internet-based freelancer but within a real advertising and / or direct marketing agency.
Check (b) they were employed as a full-time copywriter in that advertising or direct marketing agency. Some new 'copywriters' have worked in advertising, but not as a copywriter.
Next (c), if you want a sales letter then a strong direct marketing background is essential. Copywriters skilled in TV commercials don't necessarily write great sales letters - just like I don't write great TV commercials. That's because I'm a specialist direct marketing copywriter.
Finally (d) check the copywriter's rates. High rates don't necessarily get you experience and a good result!
Oh, and if you're still unsure, ask the copywriter to send you samples of their work plus response statistics. 'Clever' flowery words that get zero response are worse than useless.
What do copywriters charge?
I recently read a report on copywriting rates and they vary massively from £25 per hour through to £100 per hour or even more. I also 'mystery shop' now and again to see what fees other copywriters are charging. (Although, as you've probably found, most copywriters are reluctant to reveal their fees on their websites.)
It's natural to assume that with charges like these copywriters must make a small fortune. Times their hourly rate by the hours in the week and, phew, they must be millionaires!
But what most people don't realise is that only a very small proportion of the work we do for the client is actually chargeable. All the telephone conversations, all the emails, all the advice, all the free tweaks and changes... Sometimes when I add up how much is actually CHARGEABLE, I think I'd earn more as a cleaner.
How much do I charge? I charge below the average - purely because I feel that good copywriting should be accessible and affordable to businesses of all sizes, not just large corporations.
Why the mystery? Why don't I just go ahead and say I charge £XX per hour? Because I usually charge per project rather than strictly per hour, as you'll see on the right. What I will say, though, is that with me you always get incredible value for money.
By the hour or by the project?
Copywriters tend to charge both ways. However the difference is that an experienced copywriter can easily judge how long a project is going to take so there are no nasty surprises when it comes to the bill.
Some products or services are easier to write about than others, too, which means your project may cost less. Likewise, some clients' briefs are better than others - a good brief makes for a faster, better and often cheaper sales letter. But a good copywriter should instinctively know what to ask for when asking you to provide information.
Just make sure you agree in advance what's included in the price. How many revisions you get? What happens if you change the brief - will you be charged extra? Does your copywriter expect to be paid in advance, or half at the start and half at the finish - or will they invoice you for the whole project at the end? Is VAT added on top?
If you agree an hourly rate, it's important to agree a maximum. You don't know how slowly they write, or how honest they're being with you, and you'll have the equivalent of a taxi meter ticking away in the background if you're not careful.
I write quickly, for example. Not just because I'm an experienced copywriter but because I did a speed typing / secretarial course back in the early 1980s and used to be an executive-level PA before becoming a copywriter. I actually type as fast as I think, faster than I write by hand.
And I'm always clear about how much a job is going to cost, making it easier for you to budget.
Pay in advance or at the end?
Don't be put off by copywriters that charge a deposit or in advance - they've probably been 'stung' by unscrupulous businesses in the past who've taken the finished project and run!
I did three projects in a row, for example, for a 'delighted client' who promptly liquidised his business and set himself up again, in exactly the same field, using exactly the same copy, but under a totally different name - laughing all the way to the bank no doubt. I got nothing. So it's not that your copywriter doesn't trust you; it's simply a case of 'once bitten'.