how much do freelance copywriters charge?

July 17th, 2008

This is a follow-up to my recent post about handling the money side of the business. I addressed how to charge (by the hour or project), when to charge (deposits, etc.) and other such things. I did not list any rates, but since that post, many inquiries have come in looking for the numbers.

I didn’t post them because I can’t accurately answer that question.

1. Different copywriters charge different amounts. I’ve heard tell that you can hire some people to do a website for $300 (oy vey) and there are some big wigs that charge $10-20K for one sales letter (kudos to you)…of course, you’ll also find everything in between (including me).

2. I could have posted my own rates, but that would have been a terrible idea. While I have basic roundabout averages for what I charge, no two projects are the same. Consequently, I study each project separately and carefully – making sure that each proposal is custom and meets the needs of every individual client. To say all websites are $xx would be to short-change some people and ‘long-change’ others. (yes, I made that word up)

3. Posting rates and fees on the Internet can cause you mucho trouble down the road. Because the search engines cache, or save pages, someone is liable to find your old fee page and expect you to write their website for $1500 when, in fact, you now charge $3000. As our business, clientele, experience, expertise and skill-level increases, so do our rates.

4. Initial meetings with me are free and so are proposals. I welcome you to contact me and tell me about your project so that I can give you an accurate and current project fee. I believe that this is true for most freelancers.

5. If you’re scoping out the life of a freelancer and don’t know what to charge, email or call me. I would be more than happy to help you develop a fee schedule appropriate to your clients, your skill level and your niche. And, if I don’t know the answers for your particular situation, I’ll help you find the person that does.

Happy invoicing.

Filed under Critical Copywriting, How To, The Business | Tags: cached pages, copywriter, copywriter rates, copywriting, fee schedule, freelance writer fees, Julie Roads, website content, Writing Roads | Comment (1)

does google know everything that i do online?

May 27th, 2008

Ummmm….Yes. Your internet participation is recorded in total for better or for worse: web pages, blogs, comments, emails (in some cases), reviews, social network pages, profiles…and on and on.

When people talk about you, it is duly noted and forever findable.
When you talk, it is duly noted and forever findable.

For Better.

1. This increases your site ranking, your visibility, your importance in the web world.

2. People can find you, in other words, your searchability also shoots up.

For Worse.

1. Everything is recorded – this means even emails in some cases – depending on the sort of server they exist on (for instance, some community servers are live, online and searchable).

2. People change, grow up, get smarter…but those old emails, web pages, blogs, comments are cached and keep hanging on.

What to do.

Well, you can erase cached pages, but I’ve heard it’s a pain. Better yet, look ahead. Be very mindful of your web presence. Think before you speak/write/post/share/comment. Without becoming a paranoid freak, try to remember that people will see what you do online…

Remember, web participation is vital to online marketing, so don’t stop…just interact responsibly.