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How Much Should I Charge?
By Kelly Robbins
By Kelly Robbins
This is the question that I get asked the most from freelance copywriters. Putting a bid together can be challenging. You want to charge a fair price (and get as much as you're worth), but you don't want to over bid and miss out on a great project because you were greedy.
On the other hand, you don't want to price yourself too low. You are a talented copywriter and provide a good service and a deliver a valuable product.
Determining what price to charge for a project takes experience, confidence, and a little self-inflection.
Experience...to know how long it takes you to write this type of project. I've learned to listen to people during initial conversations and have developed a sense about how much they will talk, sometimes if they will be picking apart every sentence I write (certain industries in particular tend to do this), and if they will require tons of edits.
Confidence...that I know the right questions to ask to save both my client and myself time, that I know what is required to write for the particular medium I am writing for, and confidence that I can get to the point without re-writing the darn thing 100 times.
Self-inflection...What is my time worth? Are you new to the field and need the experience? Price yourself on the low end of the spectrum. Are you slow, busy? All of this affects the price you should quote your client.
With that said, the only advice I have for you is to bid by the project and not the hour. I say this for a couple reasons:
1. Many people will balk at paying $150 an hour, but not at $2500 for a sales letter.
2. It is in both your interests and your clients interests for you to complete the project as soon as you can. Pricing by the hour is inherently against that idea.
3. You should charge for the value you are providing, not the time you are giving. Your time is not your value, your results are.
It's my experience that some, maybe half, of my prospects ask how much I charge an hour. Some of these prospects are accustomed to working with ad agencies and that's how they work. These clients will usually agree to work on a per project basis with me, but sometimes demand a "back-up" hourly rate. It makes them feel better. Quoting a high hourly rate makes me look like I know what I'm doing. Like I'm an expert. So for these clients I always quote a high hourly rate, but on the project basis the price seems pretty fair.
About the author
Kelly Robbins, founder of The Copywriting Institute, is the author of Powerful Interviewing Techniques for Healthcare Marketers and The Healthcare Copywriters Toolkit. Kelly Robbins is an award winning healthcare copywriter and marketing coach/consultant. Publisher of "The Copywriting Connection", Kelly helps writers and marketers learn to write phenomenal copy. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, "Six things every copywriter MUST know to make high profits in copywriting fast!" at www.TheCopywritingInstitute.com or 303-460-0285. © 2007, The Copywriting Institute
On the other hand, you don't want to price yourself too low. You are a talented copywriter and provide a good service and a deliver a valuable product.
Determining what price to charge for a project takes experience, confidence, and a little self-inflection.
Experience...to know how long it takes you to write this type of project. I've learned to listen to people during initial conversations and have developed a sense about how much they will talk, sometimes if they will be picking apart every sentence I write (certain industries in particular tend to do this), and if they will require tons of edits.
Confidence...that I know the right questions to ask to save both my client and myself time, that I know what is required to write for the particular medium I am writing for, and confidence that I can get to the point without re-writing the darn thing 100 times.
Self-inflection...What is my time worth? Are you new to the field and need the experience? Price yourself on the low end of the spectrum. Are you slow, busy? All of this affects the price you should quote your client.
With that said, the only advice I have for you is to bid by the project and not the hour. I say this for a couple reasons:
1. Many people will balk at paying $150 an hour, but not at $2500 for a sales letter.
2. It is in both your interests and your clients interests for you to complete the project as soon as you can. Pricing by the hour is inherently against that idea.
3. You should charge for the value you are providing, not the time you are giving. Your time is not your value, your results are.
It's my experience that some, maybe half, of my prospects ask how much I charge an hour. Some of these prospects are accustomed to working with ad agencies and that's how they work. These clients will usually agree to work on a per project basis with me, but sometimes demand a "back-up" hourly rate. It makes them feel better. Quoting a high hourly rate makes me look like I know what I'm doing. Like I'm an expert. So for these clients I always quote a high hourly rate, but on the project basis the price seems pretty fair.
About the author
Kelly Robbins, founder of The Copywriting Institute, is the author of Powerful Interviewing Techniques for Healthcare Marketers and The Healthcare Copywriters Toolkit. Kelly Robbins is an award winning healthcare copywriter and marketing coach/consultant. Publisher of "The Copywriting Connection", Kelly helps writers and marketers learn to write phenomenal copy. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, "Six things every copywriter MUST know to make high profits in copywriting fast!" at www.TheCopywritingInstitute.com or 303-460-0285. © 2007, The Copywriting Institute
