Copywriting FAQs
My copywriting FAQs will answer some of your burning questions, from what a copywriter can do for your business, to specifics about my own copywriting services, and what you can expect when you work with me.
General questions about copywriting
Why do I need a copywriter?
If you run a business, you need a copywriter. Whether you hire someone full or part-time to work in house, or nab the mad skillz of a freelance copywriter on a project by project basis, depends on the volume of copy that your business needs to generate (from website copywriting and those blog posts you know you should be putting out regularly, to your mission statement, and that landing page to pull in shiny new clients, it’s all copy, and someone needs to write it).
Why hire a freelance copywriter?
You may be confident in your own copywriting skills, or have someone on your team who can turn their hand to a good quality blog post. But let’s be frank – using an experienced professional copywriter who does this stuff on a daily basis is always going to be cost effective. We do this stuff better than you do, we do it super fast, and we relieve the stress of worrying about when, and how, you’re going to get it all done. Outsourcing to a trusted freelance copywriter is never a bad idea. and always a great investment.
While I don’t believe in ‘rules’ when it comes to writing, there are ways and means of presenting information that help the reader out, rather than helping them find the door, and leg it. A good freelance copywriter will help you find the right words to represent your business with clarity and confidence, present a professional front, and articulately explain your offer. Isn’t your company worth the investment?
With over a decade of professional writing experience, I can (kindly) critique existing copy, edit text that’s no longer doing its job, or start from scratch with original content that puts you head, shoulders, knees, and toes above the competition.
We seek out skilled professionals to cut our hair, fix our cars, diagnose our illnesses, and yank out our damaged teeth. Why put the copy that represents your business in the hands of anyone other than an expert?
How can a freelance copywriter help my business?
The smartest brands know that working with a freelance copywriter means you’ll always have the best writing chops on your side when you need them, without having to put a new team member on your payroll (with all the associated costs, and headaches).
If you’re not sure about the quality of your existing copy, or need to identify your copywriting needs, and rank them in order of importance, I can help you put together a strategy that’s right for your business, and your budget. I can help with one-off copy projects, a series of tasks, or act as your long term advisor, and collaborator.
If you want to find out how your business, specifically, could benefit from the skill and experience of a freelance copywriter, get in touch for a chat.
When to hire a copywriter for websites?
Most business owners understand the value of hiring a web designer, but it baffles me how many wait to hire their website copywriter until the last minute or not at all, shock, horror.
They then go on to stuff a shiny new website with hastily penned ‘filler’ web copy that doesn’t speak directly to their target audience, lacks a distinct tone of voice to represent their brand personality, is filled with jargon that confuses and alienates the reader, and takes way too long to get to the point (or fails to get to the point at all).
In my extensive experience (now, listen to Grandma), web copy should never be an after thought, stuffed into a beautifully designed, and expensive website, like cheap stuffing up a frozen turkey’s…ahem. Ideally, a website copywriter should be brought on board alongside the design stage of your site, or even before this kicks off, to help you establish the right tone of voice for your web copy – words matter just as much as design (more, in my opinion, but words pay my gas bill, so I would say that).
Copywriting rates
If you have questions about my copywriting rates, you’ll find most of the answers you need here.
What are your copywriting rates?
Every project is different, and the needs of every client are unique. While this is what I love about freelance copywriting, it’s also what makes it difficult for me to give an immediate and accurate response when people ask me for ‘my copywriting rates’. Nor can I simply slip you a ‘rate’ card, which details set prices for different services, as the scope of each job can vary wildly.
What I can tell you, is that I usually price each copywriting project with a fair, fixed fee that takes into account the time and effort I’ll put into a project – rather than charging an hourly, or daily rate. This means there are never any nasty surprises when I send my final invoice, and you’ll never wonder if I’m s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g out a project to earn a higher fee (not that I’d ever do something so underhand, but you hear of unscrupulous copywriters…) A fixed price also helps you budget for the copywriting work you need, so if you’d like to get a quote in advance, or a ballpark figure for a project, get in touch with some basic details. Quotes are good for 28 days.
The price I quote depends on a number of factors, which vary from job to job. These might include:
- The type of copy required (web, print, landing page, blog post, etc.)
- Whether you need original copy, or whether I’m editing or rewriting existing text (sometimes it’s harder to edit than to start from scratch).
- How complex / difficult the work is, and how familiar I am with the subject matter.
- How clear and detailed your copywriting brief is.
- How long the work will take.
- Whether the work is needed urgently.
- Whether you simply need some copy, or you require support with brand copywriting / tone of voice / positioning, etc.
Quotes for my copywriting services are valid for 28 days, and include all research and consultation required for your project, any conversations or meetings we have together during the project, a first draft, and up to two rounds of editing, based on your feedback. Once we’ve signed off on your copy, I’ll also give it a final proofread, so that it’s polished like a bald man’s head, and ready to publish or print.
Do you have any guide prices for your copywriting rates?
Sometimes it’s helpful for me to provide guide prices for different types of freelance copywriting work, so that you can weigh up whether it’s worth asking for a more detailed quote, based on what you have to spend, or so that you can start saving your pennies to pay for a specific copywriting project (some people who ask for a quote come back to me weeks, months, or even years later, when they’ve saved up to pay for a project – yep, I’m that good).
My guide prices are just that – a helpful guide that will need to be firmed up when I have full details about the work that you need. If you want a quote, but need help putting a brief together, just ask. I can provide a simple set of questions that give me all the info I need to price your work, if you don’t have your own brief sorted just yet.
Website copywriting services
Website copywriting
Whether I’m writing original copy, or completely rewriting existing text, my prices for web copy are usually very similar. For a simple site, with up to ten pages, I usually charge between £1500, and £3000, plus VAT. For individual pages, for instance your ‘about us’ page, prices start from £350. Generally speaking, the bigger and more complex your site, the more you’ll pay. For occasional pages of web copy, such as a landing page, prices are bespoke. Get in touch for details.
Web copy review
To critique your existing copy, and make suggestions for improving it, I charge a fixed fee that varies depending on the size and complexity of your website. Prices start from £600, plus VAT, for a small, simple site. You’ll receive a written report which details the changes required to significantly improve the performance of your website. If you’d like me to go on to do that work, I’m happy to provide a quote.
Content writing and article writing
My price for one single blog post or article is likely to be much higher than if you are able to order several posts at the same time.
For an article of around 500 words or less, prices start from £250.
For an article of around 1000 words, prices start from £350
For an article of around 2000 words, prices start from £500.
All plus VAT.
It really does depend on the subject matter, the level of research required, and the information you’re able to provide me as a brief, so please do get in touch with your requests for blog post / article writing, and I’ll ask a few questions to get to grips with your project and provide a detailed quote. If it’s a quick and easy post, costs could be lower than detailed.
Brand copywriting
LinkedIn bios
I write a lot of LinkedIn bios, and love capturing the essence of an individual or business within a limited word count. People rant and rave like lunatics about my LI bios, and I charge a fixed fee of £450 plus VAT for each one. I offer discounts for two or more LinkedIn bios booked and paid for at the same time, so get in touch if you’d like to treat your whole team to a brilliant new bio. If you’re a member of the site, hook up with me, and read my recommendations – they simply cannot get enough.
Freelance copywriting for agencies
Please get in touch to discuss day or hourly rates for agency work. This is very much a price on demand service that depends on a range of factors.
General questions about my copywriting services
If you have any other questions about my copywriting services, you’ll find the answers here.
What are your payment terms?
Generally, for jobs under £500 in value, I ask for payment upfront, and for jobs over £500 in value, a 50% deposit is required before any work takes place. The remainder of the fee will be payable either in instalments if it’s a big project, or in one final lump sum, after the work is completed. I ask for payment of all final invoices within 7 days.
Occasionally, I’m able to flex these terms if the project depends on it – please get in touch if you want to discuss different ways or working – I’m open to discussion.
Do you have any terms and conditions?
Yes! A copy of my terms and conditions will be supplied to all new clients, who will be asked to read and agree to these by return email before work begins.
How can I pay for my copywriting project?
I accept payment by bank transfer from clients based in the UK. For clients based anywhere else, I’m happy to discuss payment options. PayPal and Stripe are both possibilities. Please note, as the client, you will be responsible for any fees incurred by using international payment methods.
Do you do free copywriting work?
If you don’t have a copywriting budget, please don’t offer to pay me with equity in your company / when you make it big / magic beans. The only payment I accept for my professional copywriting services is cold, hard cash, or a quality time with Ryan Gosling.
If you’re a small charity, or not-for-profit organization, I may be able to offer a discount on my usual fees. Let me know what you need, and we’ll discuss.
Startups do not qualify as charities, so don’t even go there. That said, I’m able to vary my copywriting rates depending on the level of interest and enthusiasm for the work, so don’t be afraid to ask what I can achieve within your budget if you’re a company starting out. I may be able to accommodate a lower than usual rate, and I’m a sucker for single parents.
If you’re looking for free advice on copywriting and freelancing, why not connect with me on LinkedIn? I’m forever dishing out unsolicited advice and generally havin’ a good, old-fashioned rant on the platform. Some people enjoy it. One described my content as ‘value bombs’.
If you have a small budget, there is no harm in getting in touch, and I’ll gladly help you spend it (mwa ha ha ha). You may not be able to afford a full website rewrite, but you could use what funds you have to review your existing web copy, and get feedback on how it might be improved – for instance.
How long will it take you to write my copy?
This varies, depending on the type of copywriting, the research required, the proposed word count, and the level of difficulty. Big, beastly jobs will take a long time. Small, easy jobs will take a few hours.
Along with my quote for your project, I’ll give you a good idea of how long it will take – though I prefer not to stick to rigid deadlines, as the quality of the work is so much more important than a quick turnaround.
That said, I’m a pretty speedy copywriter, and am happy to take a look at urgent projects, and let you know what I can achieve in the time you have.
You’ll need to be available during the copywriting process to answer questions and provide feedback or approve drafts. The quicker you come back to me with feedback, the quicker I can continue working on your copy.
I’m not based in Leeds, can you work with me?
Of course. You could be in Yorkshire, Manchester, Sheffield, London, or even further afield. As a freelance copywriter, most of my work is done remotely, so please don’t worry about distance. Many of my clients aren’t UK-based, and we do just fine and dandy.
Do you write for clients in one particular industry?
As a nicheless (not a real word), renegade, rebel copywriter. I’ve written for a wide range of clients, from raw dog food manufacturers, to millionaire life coaches. I refuse to stick to writing for clients in one industry, as I enjoy the variety of my nicheless (not a real word) career, and can help my clients establish the right tone of voice for the business regardless of what it does, or sells.
Still have questions about my copywriting services?
Then don’t be shy – just get in touch. Either by email (click the button below), or pick up the phone and let’s chinwag. I don’t bite. I do advise, inform, and generally answer questions, sensible and silly.