Well, let’s hope you pay your copywriter.
But what exactly are you paying for?
It is the job of a freelance copywriter to write things, of course, and only natural to assume that the fee relates to the words. But why, then, do so few professional copywriters get into messy ‘per page’ or ‘per word’ discussions?
Over at the Professional Copywriters’ Network, members continue to discuss how much different types of work should cost. What are people charging for website copywriting? What is the going rate for a single page sales letter?
But if you’re looking for a copywriter and wondering how much you should pay, think less about the words and more about their purpose.
Words Aren’t The Expensive Part of a Copywriter’s Fee
Anybody can write. There, I’ve said it.
When it comes to stringing words together and making a sentence, there are no barriers to entry. That’s why the business is flooded with would-be copywriters who think that because they can write, they can write great copy.
But writing is really just one part of what makes copywriting work.
You see, a copywriter is using words to sell. And just writing aimlessly, without purpose, isn’t going to sell much of anything.
Most of the time, I have completed the most specialised part of a project before I have written any copy. I have consulted on the purpose of the copy and the strategy for creating it.
When a client comes to me and says ‘I need help with my blog’, for example, it takes a discerning eye to tell them:
- What’s wrong with their existing blog
- What they should be doing
- How they can achieve it
When you pay a copywriter, you are paying for his expertise.
You are paying for something more overall than just the writing. You are paying for experience working with copy, conveying messages, and selling ideas. You are paying for how a capable eye could help you find what your copy needs.
Cheap Copywriting. After You Pay For The Standard.
The first cut is the deepest, and the first page of any copywriting project is the hardest. It establishes a direction, a suitable voice, and the core themes that will run through every page. The first page defines the message.
Before you pay anybody to write, you need to pay for that. It’s not cheap.
But if you come to me and say I have 10 pages, but later realise you have 15, fear not. You’ve already paid for the most expensive part of the task.
As you look for a copywriter and begin discussing rates, always remember the importance of consultation and pay fairly for it.
Your copywriter will be fair with the rest.
