Copywriting - How To Negotiate Rates With A Freelance Copywriting Expert

How To Negotiate Rates With A Freelance Copywriting Expert

Lots of people who seek out my copywriting services are concerned about money. Rightfully so. I'm a small business owner too, and I know what it is to have that do-it-yourself mindset. (It's exhausting!) But entrepreneurs like you and I often overlook the very reason to contract a job out in the first place. Which is: the terms of the contract and the amount of money spent are totally controlled by you!

The contracted project affords a win-win situation. This is not You vs. a Corporation; this is just an individual with a need, and a single service provider who can answer that need. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to negotiate a terrific deal on a job that's done to their exact specifications?

My guess is, the biggest reason people shy away from contracted jobs is the same reason people don't do a lot of things: Fear of the Unfamiliar. Allow me to familiarize you with the ways of the freelance writing world. Here's how to curb copywriting costs while getting the most bang for your buck!

Thoroughly research prospective candidates for the job. Seek out four or five different writers, carefully examine their work and ask about their qualifications. Request samples from each writer. Check for accuracy, language mastery and appropriate use of tone. Compare rates. You may discover, to your delight, that there are some really talented "newish writers" who will offer you a much better deal than some old veterans out there!

Consider hiring someone who has never written for your field before. Yes, you heard right. So many people shy away from a writer who hasn't done exactly what they're looking for. Unless you're in a really specialized area, there is no reason why a well-rounded writer can't easily adopt to your tone and style of communication. Let's say you were looking for someone to write a manual on "how to get through your first year as a corporate professional." You find a writer who's written a slew of great articles and a smattering of e-books, but never an exact match of your project. Here are three reasons to hire her: 1. She's an excellent writer, 2. It's likely she's worked for a corporation at one time or another, and 2. She's probably willing to offer a reduced rate because she'd love to add this project to her repetoire.

Fill in all the details beforehand. Give the copywriter a project overview, some background information on your business, and examples of past projects or a competitor's work that you'd like to emulate. Make sure you thoroughly describe the habits and attitudes of your target audience. Why do this? It's the quickest way to help her understand what you need... and the quicker she grasps what you'd like to have her create, the faster the job will get done to your satisfaction. The faster the job gets done, the sooner you're on your way to making big money with your advertising effort!

Expect to haggle. I'm astonished that so many people just turn away from a potentially great working relationship because they're afraid to make their budgetary needs known. Here's a little secret about independent contractors: we're always going to try for the highest going rate we can get. Why? We expect YOU to haggle! Shopping for freelance services is a little like going to a peddler's market. There's no big scary corporation to call the shots and set the prices in stone. It's just you and me playing Let's Make a Deal. So don't be intimidated by a freelancer's "advertised rates." You're always welcome to come back with a counter-offer. That's what we expect you to do!

If you're not sure of a copywriter's abilities, give him a few small jobs to start. This is one of the greatest advantages of hiring a contractor. You can test him out with a few projects, and if you like his style, hire him back to do more work. If you don't care for the way he handles your projects, you're free to seek help elsewhere. What are some small jobs you can offer as a trial-run? A press release, a company tagline, a corporate mission statement, a newspaper ad, some headlines for your website.

Offer your writer a weekly rate. A project here, a project there... boy, those hourly fees add up fast! If you know there's a crunch coming up and you have a trusted writer in mind, contract the job out "by the week." Ask the writer if she's willing to devote 40 hours a week to researching and writing marketing materials for your company. Define her expected responsibilities ahead of time, agree on a set fee for five consecutive days of work, and make sure she's easily accessible by phone and email. Most freelancers are willing to accept a much lower rate of pay if they know they're guaranteed a steady gig. Get it in writing, and bam, you've hired your first temp and saved a ton of money in the process!

Hire someone to "clean up" your written materials. Don't have the money to spend on a full-scale ad campaign? Do the work yourself, but have a seasoned writer critique it for you. Ask the copywriter what his proofreading rates are, and then send a few drafts his way for a quick revamp. You won't believe how much better your ads can look when you spend just a few dollars on an expert proofreader.

Ask the copywriter if she'll give you a reduced rate for just one written draft. Lots of writers factor multiple draft revisions into their fees. But what if they knew going in that they only had to write one draft? The price would likely be considerably lower because of significantly less time spent on the work. When it comes to copy, do you like to "have it your way," same as your Burger King? Then a single-draft copywriter might be the way to go. You'll save a ton of money on copy revisions, and you can use what the writer creates and "make it your own."

Get a written estimation of the time it will take to complete a project. What's your biggest fear about copywriting jobs that are charged by the hour? That the writer will spend hours longer than you expected on it, and as a result, charge you an arm and a leg. Eliminate that fear by asking for an estimated project time up-front. The more clarification, the better. Don't just say, "I need 4 pages of website copy written" and expect her to know how long it will take. Instead, map out the work plan. Will she be responsible for research? Project outlines? Phone interviews? Multiple draft revisions? Knowing the process will help her figure out a fair price for the work. In the end, you'll both feel more comfortable settling on a price.

If there ever was a doubt in your mind about hiring a freelance copywriter, hopefully this article will allay your fears! Contracting work out to a specialist is one of the best things you can do for your business and for your sanity. Negotiating with another sole proprietor is actually quite easy, and affords you the greatest control over project terms and spending. More often than not, other entrepreneurs are looking for the same things you are: intelligent, honest people willing to collaborate talent. So, what are you waiting for? Hire a writer who can help you grow your business!

Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine years' industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.

Created & Maintained by Empower! CMS Web Sites

Host2Sell Web Hosting | Emarketing Workshops | Site SEO Review | FREE Newsletter

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

How Ghost Writing Articles And Booklets Can Earn You Big Money!
Do you want to make $5000, $10,000 or more every month as a freelancer? Does your current published materials earn you that much or are you still struggling ...(related: Copywriting)

A Quick Free N Easy Content Writing Course
I do not pretend that a one-stop shop solution to content writing exists, but my experience has taught me, that working toward a 100% effective writing formula isn't a complete waste of time.At my firm (a content writing business), we find it partic...(related: Copywriting)

Quotations As Expressions In Life
Quotations are expressions, usually in the spoken form or in literature, which are referenced to by others. Usually, quotations are written within quotation marks, as a verbum dicendi, to indicate that it was an ex...(related: Copywriting)

Writing Tips For Your Website
Now that your website is up and running, it's time to add content. Fresh content will make your site interesting and keep people (and search engine crawlers) coming back. In order to achieve optimal web success, your site must be informative, relevant and written the way that people read the web. Here's a few tips to get you started.Get to the point--FAST. Just ask internet usability consultant Jakob Nielsen. People don't read the web, they scan. It's not like print, where you can meander your way to the point. Onlin...(related: Copywriting)

Five Sections Of Your Copy Guaranteed To Get Read
Only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned. I'm sure you've heard the statistic before. It's ...(related: Copywriting)

Cleaning Up Your Copy
When you are beginning to write, you gather as much data as you can. You continually add allied thoughts. . You use your right brain, the creative side.So when you have an idea and your min...(related: Copywriting)

Copywriter Trick Unveiled: How To Write Better Copy Faster
"Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book." Ralph Waldo Emerson's GoetheI'm going to share with you a method guaranteed to get your copy razor sharp in a hurry. It's an old trick I learned in journalism school, and it works great to get those creative juices flowing. Since I've been using it regularly again, I write circles around my former output times. The words are just at my fingertips.How did I do it? (More importantly, how can you do it too?) Well, you probably already know you must have curiosity to become a good writer...(related: Copywriting)

Common Mistakes That Can Kill Your Web Copy
Sometimes learning what not to do is as important as learning what to do. Copywriting is no exception. I oftentimes see copy that is well written, but ...(related: Copywriting)

Four Simple Steps To Improve Your Sales Copy
You know what it's like, you're reading the sales material about a product you're considering buying, but, as you read, all these questions seem to pop into your mind, but there's no-one there to answer them, so you shelve your plans to purchase.If it happens to you, you can guarantee it also happens to your customers when they read your sales copy. So, what's the answer?You don't have to practise mind-reading, just good-old fas...(related: Copywriting)

7 Steps You Must Take Before Writing A Word Of Copy!
Copywriting ChecklistOkay, you know you have your product (or service) in front of you. Now it's time to get the word out with an attention-grabbing sales letter. But where do you begin? Whether you hire someone to write your copy, pass it off to a staff member or learn to write it yourself, you need this checklist.The Critical Steps to Take Before Writing Your Sales LetterOne of the biggest misconceptions new clients have when they come to me is I can whip out a sales letter in a few days. Wrong, wrong and wrong. A lot of preparation goes into writing copy. I spend on average 50% - 70% of my time PREPARING to write copy. If you don't do your homework, the chances go up exponentially that your copy ...(related: Copywriting)

The Second Most Important Element Of Your Ad... After The Headline
Hi {FIRSTNAME Friend},Next time you're flicking through your local newspaper, take a good hard look at the ads. And notice how many of them give you a compelling reason to pick up the phone and get in touch with them now. You'll need to look closely because?FINDING AN AD WITH A POWERFUL, KNOCK-EM DEAD OFFER IS LIKE LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACKBut why is a powerful offer so...(related: Copywriting)

10 Tips For Aspiring Freelance Copywriters
Every week I receive a couple of emails from people seeking advice on how to get into freelance copywriting. While there's no simple answer, and no answer which applies to everyone, there are a few tips which I believe will help most people make the move into freelance copywriting, and survive the first few months at least.1) Invest in a websiteThe best place for any freelance advertising copywriter or website copywriter to start is to fork out for a website. A website is invaluable because when you cold call and email prospects, you'll need to direct them somewhere that gives them more information. Keep your website simple, include a portfolio page, add any samples of any sort of copywriting you've done, talk about the places you've worked,...(related: Copywriting)

What A Ghostwriter Needs To Do To Earn Top Dollar
The huge demand for writers online is really for ghostwriters. A vast majority of the available online writing jobs for an online writer are for ghost writing projects.When a website or blog requires content, they will want a ghostwriter to churn out the content for them. In fact the demand for good ghostwriters online is so huge that it is unlikely to be met any time soon.Note that the huge demand is for good ghostwriters, not...(related: Copywriting)