What's Inside the Blog
I’m a big believer in full transparency when it comes to talking money.
As a business owner, I know that even if money isn’t everything, it is what makes the world go ‘round. But as a freelance writer who contracts with clients, I also know that getting paid for my time and expertise is a priority.
Coming at it from both ends of the spectrum gives me (what I consider) a pretty interesting perspective on how to talk about pricing. The best results I’ve ever seen have happened when I’ve taken a blunt and respectful approach–both when sharing my own rates and asking other freelancers for theirs.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said this to a client,
“Let’s just chat openly and honestly about your ideal budget, and we’ll make it work together.”
Here’s the fact of the matter–money needs to be exchanged for high-quality services. As a business owner, marketing director, or HR hiring pro, you know this.
And your copywriter knows it, too. The second you both can come to terms with the fact that money happens, the faster the track to a transparent and fair conversation.
When I mentor other copywriters who are just starting out, they’re usually nervous about talking money with potential clients.
What if they pitch too high? What if they don’t get paid enough? What if a client turns them down and doesn’t want to pay the rate they’re worth?
What they don’t know is that, in most cases, the client hiring them is just as nervous to talk rates, too. For small to mid-sized businesses, hiring a freelance copywriter is a big deal. They don’t have a ton of time, manpower, or financial freedom to make hiring mistakes, and further, they don’t always know how to budget for these kinds of services.
Above all, though, one of the biggest disconnects for clients hiring freelance copywriters is not understanding what a writer’s rate includes, what it doesn’t, and what they’re going to get out of the deal. That’s why it’s crucial to take an open, honest, and direct approach when talking about money.
Not sure how to address these types of topics with your freelance writer? That’s why I’m here. If you’re wondering things like:
- How to talk about money with freelancers
- How to make sure you’re getting bang for your buck
- How to tell if a freelance writer’s rate aligns with your budget
…then this blog is definitely for you.
What to Ask a Copywriter About Their Rates
I want to start this conversation by saying that freelance copywriters rarely go into the rate conversation blind.
In most cases, they’re charging what they deserve to be paid because what they do takes a lot of talent, tons of trial and error, massive creative effort, strategic knowledge, and plenty of customer service skills.
I also want to point out that, as a freelance writer myself, I believe the onus is definitely on me (and other writers) to be open and upfront about what we charge and why we charge. Relying on a client–especially one new to hiring copywriters or content writers–to be fully educated isn’t fair, and it isn’t realistic.
That said, customers shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, either.
When you go into a rate conversation with a freelance writer, it’s important not to jump head-first into an interrogation-style line of questioning. It’s always fair to talk openly with copywriters about their rates. What’s not fair is going into the conversation thinking they’re trying to snow you.
Freelance copywriters deserve to be paid fairly for their work.
Sometimes, in order for that to happen, there needs to be a healthy dose of education for the clients who hire them.
These questions are must-asks for the writer you potentially want to work with. Remember, you’re entitled to ask them these questions, and it’s important to respect their answers–even if they don’t align with your budget or your needs.
How Do Edits & Revisions Work?
No matter how amazing a writer’s work is, there are inevitably going to be edits or changes needed. Whether it’s a quick typo, a change of marketing direction, a miscommunication, or they somehow missed the mark, the need for edits happens–especially early on in a client-writer relationship.
Don’t be afraid to ask your potential freelancer how the editing and revision process works. And further, don’t feel weird asking them about how their rates work for this, too. Some writers (myself included) have prices with edit fees built-in so that customers don’t need to stress about extra payments if revisions are needed. Some writers prefer to offer per-project edit rates.
Whatever that writer does is up to them, but this is something you should understand before you decide to work with a copywriter or a content writer.
What's Included in the Rate?
When a writer shares their rate with you, it’s important to fully understand what’s included in that rate.
- Is it a base rate just for writing?
- Will the writer format your posts or content for you?
- Will they SEO optimize your content?
- Do they plan to source images and optimize those appropriately?
- Will they include reputable outbound links?
- Do they plan to charge extra for research hours?
- Will they charge an additional rate for phone calls or emails?
What's Their Preferred Payment Structure?
There are so many different kinds of rate structures out there.
You’ll find that, ultimately, every writer is going to have their own preferences, but they’re likely to work with you in a format that’s comfortable for both of you.
- Flat-rate projects–They’ll give you a one-time, flat fee quote for a specific project. This should include all the work associated with that project (research, writing, revisions, optimization, etc.)
- Per-word rates –They’ll have a pre-determined rate for their content based on word count; this means you’ll either give them freedom with word count or ask them to stick to a specific limit so you know what to expect.
- Hourly–You’ll pay your freelance writer by the hour for their work. You’ll need to come up with a clear system for tracking time.
- Retainers– These are (often monthly) agreements between a client and a freelancer for a specific amount of money and a specific amount of work. Often, that retainer is paid even if the client doesn’t meet the agreed-upon amount of work for that month.
- A blend–Some freelancers (myself included) have a unique mixture of these pricing structures. For example, I have a few clients I’ve worked with for years on monthly retainers, but I also charge per word for blogs for new clients. Any time I plan to be on a strategy or branding call with a client, I’ll charge hourly.
Do They Update Their Rates Every Year?
Like most professionals, writers update their rates every year (or every few months).
While a writer doesn’t need to know what they’ll charge you two years from now (that’s impossible), it is important to know ahead of time if you can anticipate that your rate will change regularly as they become more experienced, the costs of living change, and the economy fluctuates.
How Do You Pay Them?
If it’s your first time working with an experienced writer, it’s OK to let them take the lead. It’s likely that a writer who’s been doing this for even a small amount of time has worked out a relatively streamlined system for invoicing clients and getting paid.
That being said, your company might have a policy in place about how to pay and work with independent contractors. If that’s the case, make sure you’re open with the copywriter or content writer about how that process happens. Provide them with the appropriate point of contact they can chat with to ensure payment is smooth and seamless.
Here are a few questions you might want to ask your freelance writer about the payment process:
- Do they have a preferred way to receive payment?
- Do they work with invoicing software that allows you to pay them with your company card?
- Are you able to directly deposit money into their business bank account?
- Will they work with your company’s payment policies?
- How many days post-project is payment expected?
- Will they ask for a deposit upfront and the remainder paid after delivery?
Covering those bases can help eliminate confusion later on, after the work is done, and ensure your copywriter feels valued and will want to work with you again!
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