31 cheyenne drive, montville, nj 07045 (973) 263-0562, fax ... · 0 31 cheyenne drive, montville,...
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31 Cheyenne Drive, Montville, NJ 07045
(973) 263-0562, Fax (973) 263-0613
e-mail: [email protected], web: www.bly.com
Table of Contents
1. How has the freelance copywriting business changed over the past five years? ............................................................................................................................8
2. Are there too many freelance copywriters out there today competing for clients?............................................................................................................................8
3. Has freelance copywriting become a commodity service? ..........................................9
4. What types of copywriting assignments pay best today and will in the future?............................................................................................................................9
5. Has the Internet helped or hurt writing as a profession?...........................................10
6. Where can I find a central listing online of today’s top freelance copywriters? ......................................................................................................................10
7. Does direct mail still work for generating sales leads for freelance copywriting assignments?...............................................................................................10
8. Can writing articles help position me as an expert copywriter and attract new clients? ...........................................................................................................11
9. What should I write about in my articles and where should I publish them? ..................................................................................................................................11
10. How much should I ask in payment when writing articles for trade publications? .....................................................................................................................12
11. How can I get publicity in the trade press if I cannot convince editors to run my articles? ............................................................................................................12
12. Where can I run ads to attract new copywriting clients? ...........................................13
13. What size ads work best and what should I say in my ads? .....................................13
14. Can I be a generalist or must I specialize? ....................................................................13
15. If I specialize, how many copywriting specialties can I work in?.............................14
16. What are the highest paying copywriting specialties? ...............................................14
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17. What copywriting specialties are the worst paying and should be avoided?........................................................................................................................15
18. What are the most and least lucrative online copywriting projects?........................15
19. How do I select a copywriting niche or specialty that’s right for me? .....................15
20. Do you recommend online job sites as a way to get copywriting clients? .........................................................................................................16
21. Is it easier or harder to make money as a freelance copywriter than 30 years ago? .....................................................................................................................16
22. How do I know whether a potential client can afford my services? ........................17
23. Are local small businesses good copywriting clients?................................................17
24. How can I get local small businesses to hire me to help with their marketing?................................................................................................................18
25. If small business owners don’t have big budgets for copy, why should I work with them? ............................................................................................................19
26. How can I convince companies that they should be hiring a professional copywriter like me? ...................................................................................19
27. Should I get an agent or writer’s rep to handle the selling of your services for me?.................................................................................................................20
28. Must I get a signed agreement or contract for every copywriting project and what should be in it? ...................................................................................20
29. Do I bill my clients upon completion of the work or get some or the entire fee up front? ...........................................................................................................21
30. Should I charge by the hour, by the day or by the project? .......................................21
31. How should I charge?......................................................................................................22
32. How do I figure out my hourly rate? ............................................................................22
33. When a copywriting client needs advice and not just copy, how do I get compensated for giving it? .......................................................................................23
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34. How soon can a new copywriter expect to make $50,000 a year from copywriting?............................................................................................................23
35. Is it realistic to hope to make $100,000 a year from copywriting? ............................23
36. Superstar copywriters claim to make up to a million dollars a year or more—is that really true?................................................................................................24
37. How much time does it take to write a one‐page magazine ad or sales letter? ........................................................................................................................24
38. What kind of turnaround time should I promise clients on copywriting projects?.......................................................................................................24
39. What kind of information do I need to get from the client to write strong copy for their product?........................................................................................25
40. For online copywriting of Web pages, how do I optimize my Web pages for search engines through SEO copywriting techniques? .............................26
41. How do I know what keyword phrases to optimize a Website for? ........................27
42. How much should I charge to write a Google AdWords campaign or a banner ad? ......................................................................................................................27
43. Do I write the copy only or do I also have to do the graphic design for banner ads, HTML e‐mail, or Websites?.......................................................................28
44. What happens if the client gets my copy and says they don’t like it?......................28
45. A client asks for endless revision after revision—can I tell them I have to charge more if they want to keep changing it?........................................................28
46. Can I subcontract some or all of the writing to other writers, pay them, put a big markup on their work, and resell it to my clients?..........................29
47. Are Internet marketers good clients for freelance copywriters? ...............................30
48. Should I work for ad agencies, PR firms, and marketing consultants or just with clients directly? ............................................................................................30
49. What computer system should I write on—a PC or a Macintosh—and what software should I use? ...........................................................................................30
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50. Is proofreading and catching typos and errors important, and if so, how can I proofread my own work accurately? ..........................................................31
51. I have heard that the FTC now requires marketers to substantiate all product performance claims…am I as the copywriter responsible for this?...............................................................................................................................31
52. When I write copy, how do I document my sources and proof in my copy manuscript? .............................................................................................................31
53. Do I hand over copies of my source documents and claims proof when I submit copy and how long must I maintain copies of this material? .....................................................................................................................32
54. Since I am a freelancer and my clients don’t withhold tax from the fees they pay me, do I have to make some sort of advance tax payments to the IRS?........................................................................................................32
55. If I get sick and cannot work, is there a clause I can put in my client agreements to hold me harmless in such situations?..................................................32
56. If I get sick and cannot work long term, do I need disability insurance to protect me?....................................................................................................................33
57. Do I have any liability if a consumer gets damaged by using a product I wrote the ad for and if so how do I protect myself? ..................................33
58. If I work at home are my rent, property taxes, mortgage payments, and utilities tax deductible? ............................................................................................33
59. Can I deduct my car expenses including gas and car insurance as business expenses if I use my car to visit clients or drive to an office? ....................33
60. Is it better to work at home or rent an outside office? ................................................34
61. Should I do my own tax returns or hire an accountant to prepare my tax returns? ........................................................................................................................35
62. What software should I use to keep my books, and should I do it myself or hire a bookkeeper?..........................................................................................35
63. If I send something to a client via FedEx, can I bill them for it or do I absorb the cost?.................................................................................................................35
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64. What is the best subject for an aspiring copywriter to take as a major in college—marketing or English? .................................................................................36
65. What is the most important online marketing skill or specialty for a freelance copywriter to master? .....................................................................................36
66. What is the first thing I should do when I go into business to market my freelance copywriting services?...............................................................................36
67. When I visit clients at their offices, how should I dress—must I wear a suit?..................................................................................................................................37
68. A potential client wants to meet with me to discuss a possible project—do I bill for this meeting? ................................................................................37
69. I am working on a project and the client keeps asking me to come to their office to discuss it or review copy—something I did not count on—can I charge them an extra fee for these meetings?.............................................38
70. I am consulting with an out of town client…do I charge them just for the time I am with them or also charge for my travel time and if so how much? ........................................................................................................................38
71. A client wants me to sign an agreement saying I won’t work for any other clients that compete with them—should I do it?...............................................39
72. I quote a fee for a project to a client and he says, “That’s expensive— I can get other copywriters to do it for half that price!” How should I respond? ..........................................................................................................................39
73. How can I know whether the fee I want to charge is within the client’s budget? .................................................................................................................40
74. I am afraid the fee I quote to a potential client will be too high for them and may shock them—any way to deal with this problem?............................40
75. A prospect and I talked about their copywriting needs and I sent some samples of my work but have heard nothing back—what should I do?.......................................................................................................................41
76. I have called a prospect to follow up on their inquiry about my services several times but she does not return my call—now what? .......................41
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77. I called a prospect to follow up an inquiry and she informed me that they chose another copywriter—how do I respond? ..................................................42
78. A prospect needs a brochure written in three days…should I charge them a higher “rush fee” to accommodate them? .......................................................43
79. A good client calls with a rush job but the deadline is too tight…can I say “no” to them without damaging our relationship?..............................................43
80. How do I overcome people’s perception that “anyone can write” and therefore writing is a service that anyone can perform, and therefore does not and should not command a high fee? ...........................................................44
81. A prospect calls and tells me right away “We are talking to many other copywriters.” What would be my response?.....................................................45
82. A prospect says “there are a lot of copywriters out there; why should I hire you?” How do you answer him? .........................................................................45
83. Do you agree with the belief some copywriters have that you should never, ever turn down a job? ..........................................................................................46
84. How do you take care of your business and your clients when you are away on vacation? ............................................................................................................47
85. How do you prevent constant phone calls from interrupting you when you are on a writing deadline?............................................................................47
86. What if you are working on a copywriting assignment and realize you badly underestimated your fee? Can you go back to the client and ask for more? .............................................................................................................47
87. What if a job takes you so little time that you feel your fee is too HIGH—do you reduce it when you bill the client and tell them why? ...................48
88. When do you bill the client—after submitting the first draft or after revising the copy?.............................................................................................................48
89. How long do you give the client to pay your invoice?...............................................49
90. A client has gotten an invoice, is late in paying it. What should you do?...............................................................................................................................49
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91. What if a client does not call or write or respond to you in any way? What do you do? Should you ever take a client to court for nonpayment for a project and if so when? ...................................................................50
92. Should you offer clients a kill fee and what should it be?..........................................51
93. The client complains that your ad or promotion did not generate good sales results—what should you do about it?......................................................51
94. The client complains that your ad or promotion did not generate good results and therefore does not want to pay your bill in full or at all—how do you respond? ..............................................................................................52
95. Are there any projects you won’t take on because of ethical considerations and if so should you let the client know that is the reason for your refusal?...................................................................................................52
96. Should you show the client a copy platform or rough outline or some creative concepts for approval before writing a complete first draft?......................53
97. Which is a better copywriting client—a retail store or a direct marketer?................................................................................................................53
98. A client needs a promotion for a technical product and you do not have a background in that technology—what do you tell them? .............................53
99. A potential client asks if you have written promotions for their type of product and you have not…is there a way you can still convince them to hire you?..............................................................................................................54
100. Is there an age at which one becomes too old to be a copywriter and should consider another line of work or retiring?.......................................................54
101. What if as you get older you don’t want to compete anymore? Is there another way to make money as a writer that doesn’t involve clients? ....................55
About the Authors........................................................................................................................57
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1. How has the freelance copywriting business changed over the past five years?
Two important factors have changed it profoundly. First is the Internet, in both
positive and negative ways. Because of the Internet, there is much more work
than there ever was. Now clients need a landing page and a sales letter and a
thank you page and an autoresponder series, etc. The Internet has also
devalued copy and made life difficult for copywriters. Clients are not as willing
to pay as much for something intangible that can be changed easily. “Just slap
it up on the Web and we’ll change it later,” they seem to be saying. Also,
certain types of assignments, such as article writing and lower level Web pages
(not home pages or product pages) have become a commodity.
Secondly, it’s very recent that copywriting has become not only a career but
now almost a “business opportunity.” Twenty‐five years ago, there were no
courses on “how to be a copywriter.” So now there are so many copywriters
out there and it’s easier to find them, which means you have to work harder to
position yourself to get the work that’s out there.
2. Are there too many freelance copywriters out there today competing for clients?
No, there is still a large and growing demand and a huge volume of work.
However, there are too many beginning look‐alike generalists, which make up
most of those who have chosen copywriting as a business opportunity. They
haven’t made the effort to differentiate themselves from their colleagues (and
their competition). One way—and the best way—to set yourself apart is to be a
specialist. It’s old advice but has never been more relevant. There are tons of
copywriters who say they can write white papers, but the expert is the only one
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who can earn the big bucks. You must become a specialist in a specific niche to
stand apart from the competition, which takes time.
3. Has freelance copywriting become a commodity service?
Commodities are services that are either too general or not measurable or
can easily be outsourced overseas. One quality of most commodities is that
the quality of the work is very low. If you are just a general copywriter,
you’re competing with every other copywriter on the Internet, the good but
especially the mediocre. But if you specialize in something specific, you are
no longer a commodity. You rise above commodity status if you focus your
writing services on highly specialized subjects, such as technical or financial
services, or where ROI (return‐on‐investment) is measurable, such as direct
marketing.
4. What types of copywriting assignments pay best today and will in the future?
Any assignment where the copy you write will generate measurable sales and
revenue for the client. For example, long copy pages selling seminars,
newsletters and home‐study courses pay best. If you can double their sales,
you can double their revenue and your fee is a drop in the bucket.
Conversely, the worst are the ones that are easily outsourced overseas and
don’t have a measurable ROI, like articles, especially online articles. Anyone
can go on Elance.com and find people who will write a 300‐word article for $5.
The quality isn’t good but the client doesn’t care. You can’t compete with that.
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5. Has the Internet helped or hurt writing as a profession?
It has done both so it’s probably a wash. As mentioned, it has created an
explosion of more work. In the old days, you wrote a long sales letter and that
was it. Now, the client also needs a pay‐per‐click (PPC) campaign and banner
ads and an autoresponder series and a squeeze page and a thank you page. So
there’s more work, which is good.
The negative is that it has devalued writing. When a copywriter wrote a
printed brochure, the client would invest thousands to print it and it would be
around for a year or two and they took pains to make it good. Now, they use
the same content and post it on the Web, which they can change later, so it’s
not important to make it great.
6. Where can I find a central listing online of today’s top freelance copywriters?
www.freelancecopywriterdirectoryonline.com.
7. Does direct mail still work for generating sales leads for freelance copywriting assignments?
These things go in cycles. Gone are the days when you could rent a list of
1,000‐5,000 B2B companies, send out a letter and SASE (self‐addressed
stamped envelope) and get leads back in the mail. These days, clients aren’t
getting direct mail from copywriters. They are getting e‐mail and
downloadable white papers but not real mail, so if you send direct mail, it
would stand out from the clutter.
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However, response is not what it used to be. Not just because of the Internet
but because we are all bombarded by advertising. So yes, it can still work but
your list has to be very, very well targeted and the prospects well qualified as
buyers of freelance copywriting. You have to have realistic expectations and it
helps to follow up your direct mail with a phone call.
8. Can writing articles help position me as an expert copywriter and attract new clients?
Yes, writing articles can be an excellent marketing tool. It is not only a
demonstration of your talents and skills but it also serves to position you as an
authority on a topic. But “authority” is the operative word here. The key to
generating leads and eventually clients as a result of writing articles, however,
is to write articles based on your specialty and then make sure they are
published where those targeted prospects and clients will see them. And that
means you need to know what your prospects and clients are reading.
9. What should I write about in my articles and where should I publish them?
The best way to create content for your articles is to find out what questions
and problems your clients and prospects have, and then write articles that
answer those questions and/or solve the problems. The best articles are focused
and specific and provide how‐to advice that will address the issues you know
they are struggling with. You know this because you have contact with them
and understand how their needs are different from other markets. This is the
core of the material you work with and develop.
As for publishing your material, the best places are the media outlets,
whether online or off, that are read by those same clients and prospects. So,
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for example, if your target market is newsletter publishers, then your
articles should be published where they will see them. Where do newsletter
publishers go looking for information? What magazines do they read?
Which blogs do they read and comment on? Find them and get your
material in front of them there.
10. How much should I ask in payment when writing articles for trade publications?
Most trade publications (or trade Websites) either don’t pay or pay a small
honorarium to their writers. You can expect to be paid in the range of $250‐
$2,000 for an article of 500‐3,000 words. But you don’t do this for the money.
The value of the exposure and visibility you receive is of more value than what
they could pay you to write it. If it’s clear they don’t have a big budget for
articles, try negotiating a deal where you can get a combination of exposure
through additional advertising, ad placement on a Website, listing in their
directory, a booth at their trade show or anything else that will get you in front
of the people who are in a position to hire you.
11. How can I get publicity in the trade press if I cannot convince editors to run my articles?
It’s getting more difficult although they’ll still do it. These days, PR is less
about reaching journalists to spread the word about you and more about going
directly to consumers with your message. For example, to get on TV, you used
to have to go through a middleman who was putting the show on. Now you
can post videos on YouTube without having to go through anyone. Also,
online, you can get valuable exposure by leaving comments on actively read
marketing blogs and/or writing your own blog.
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For printed publications and magazine, one time‐tested technique is to write a
letter to the editor of any publication your clients and prospects read. It’s
quicker (and shorter) and is much more effective because many people read the
letters to the editor. Simply address your comments on a topic of interest that
demonstrates your expertise.
12. Where can I run ads to attract new copywriting clients?
What works when it comes to advertising is a series of regular, consistent ads
in those same trade publications your prospects and clients are reading. Most
publications have a “Marketplace” section in the back or a listing of vendors.
You can trade articles for one of these ads and get high quality of inquiries.
Also, ads on the Website of a trade association where they have a “Supplier” or
“Vendor” section can be very effective.
13. What size ads work best and what should I say in my ads?
Consistency is more important than size. Don’t pay for a large ad or you’ll have
to generate enough business to justify the expense. A small ad is plenty. The
key is to use it to generate a qualified lead, not a sale. It’s less likely that a
prospect will call from an ad to hire you. Instead get them to raise their hand
and express their general interest. The best way is to give something away, like
a white paper or a CD. You can even include an image of your giveaway in the
ad. Some copywriters offer a free critique, which can work well but is time
consuming. Be sure to make a very specific offer.
14. Can I be a generalist or must I specialize?
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We live in the era of the specialist. Being a generalist—trying to be all things to
all people—doesn’t sustain long‐term business growth, because you never
create an identity for yourself and you never focus on a market that identifies
you as “their” expert. Instead, you remain a blur in the mind of your market.
Specializing, on the other hand, lets you dominate the market (and earn more
money).
Many copywriters believe that marketing the widest range of services to the
largest possible group is the path to success. You’d rather be a generalist
because you think you’ll get more business. And on one level, it makes sense:
The more opportunities you have to make a sale, the more sales you are likely
to make. But in reality, it doesn’t work that way. In fact, success comes to those
who focus on the smallest number of activities most likely to yield the quickest
and largest return.
15. If I specialize, how many copywriting specialties can I work in?
If you are nimble, you can actually be both a specialist and a generalist. You
focus your marketing on pursuing prospects within your specialty while you
will probably get inquiries over the transom outside your specialty, which of
course, you can take on if you choose. As for how many specialties, one or two
is ideal, three is possible but if you have four, five or six, you’re really just a
generalist. It’s best if your specialties are in related areas or overlapping
industries.
16. What are the highest paying copywriting specialties?
Financial services and pharmaceuticals pay the most because those industries
have a lot of money to spend. Beyond that, any kind of medical and healthcare
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focus tends to pay well. Even consider your local hospital, which is essentially
a big business that needs copy and generates significant revenues.
There are also types of writing that pay better than others, such as pay‐per‐
click (writing and managing the PPC campaigns), long copy landing pages and
highly specialized content like white papers for B2B corporations.
17. What copywriting specialties are the worst paying and should be avoided?
Some forms of online content don’t pay well, especially general content that
can be found anywhere, such as articles on gardening or macramé.
18. What are the most and least lucrative online copywriting projects?
For most lucrative, the rule of thumb is that longer copy pays better than short.
Offline, it’s magalogs and bookalogs, 12‐16‐page direct mail letters, text‐heavy
brochures and catalogs, annual reports and white papers. Online it’s long form
landing pages, multiple page Websites and campaigns that need many
different elements.
The least lucrative include the more popular online marketing tools that go
very light on the text, such as autodial phone messages with no more than 100‐
120 words or a Google AdWords campaign. Each one averages nine words;
you just can’t charge enough for so few words, despite the fact that it takes
more skill (and often time) to write less.
19. How do I select a copywriting niche or specialty that’s right for me?
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Focus on a special skill or talent that you have that fits a very specific need.
Identify your skills and talents, and then approach the prospects that may need
them. If you are good in your particular skill—for example, copywriting for the
Web or white paper writing—then take that as your specialty.
It means a lot if you can truthfully make this powerful statement: “I really
know your business.” Nothing has a stronger impact. Being an expert not only
in your business, but also in your client’s business becomes one of your most
important benefits to your clients. As you get to know them, as you watch their
industry grow and change, you can also evolve your services to change with
the industry, adding and subtracting services as needed. By letting the growth
flow from the needs of your clients, you grow your business organically.
20. Do you recommend online job sites as a way to get copywriting clients?
If you are already getting clients, don’t bother. Online job sites such as
Elance.com and Guru.com (there are plenty more), as well as the newer
“crowdsourcing” sites, like Crowdspring.com, are only worth spending time
on if you are a beginner and need to build your portfolio. They’re good for
quickly getting job offers but most are at the low end of the pay scale, so it’s not
a good long term strategy. You’ll always get higher quality projects directly
from clients.
21. Is it easier or harder to make money as a freelance copywriter than 30 years ago?
It’s definitely more challenging in 2010 than it was in 1980. There were fewer
copywriters and the marketing environment was less cluttered. A copywriter
could send out a mailing with an SASE (self‐addressed stamped envelope) to
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500 prospects and get back enough leads to keep his pipeline full for a year.
That doesn’t work anymore.
Plus, although the pool of prospects has grown, so has the pool of copywriters.
So getting the attention of your prospects, and then getting them to trust you
and give you a shot at a project (especially if you don’t come with a
recommendation) takes much, much more work. On a positive note, however,
most copywriters don’t want to do the work it takes to get the clients, so if you
do it, you’ll be ahead of them and more likely to get the work that’s out there.
22. How do I know whether a potential client can afford my services?
The best way is to weed out prospects who can’t afford you by using your
Website as a gate. On it, outline your minimum fees or ranges in which you
generally work. Those who can’t pay them won’t bother reaching out to you.
If you do hear from a prospect and you’re still not sure if they can afford you,
your best bet is to ask up front what their budget is for copywriting. If they
don’t have one, they may not be a serious prospect. If they can’t or don’t want
to tell you, float some numbers by them (starting with your minimum) and
see how they react. If you can hear them stop breathing, they probably can’t
afford you.
If you can agree to a range of fees (as opposed to a fixed fee) in your initial
conversation, chances are they can afford you. But don’t ever start an
assignment until you’ve had that conversation and received an advance or
deposit to get started, especially with a brand new client.
23. Are local small businesses good copywriting clients?
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It depends on what kind of business you want to run and what kind of people
you want to work with. If you like dealing with decision‐makers and hate red
tape, small business owners are probably good for you. If you like to help
people, you’ll do well with small business owners because they generally need
a lot of help.
However, that help often needs to be provided in the form of hand‐holding.
Most have never hired a copywriter before. In fact, most have no idea what a
copywriter is. They may think it’s related to legal copyright. So you may need
to spend some time educating them about the value of your services and
warning them about what can happen if they try to do it themselves. Plus, they
are usually paying out of their own pocket, especially when they’re just
starting out, don’t have a lot of money to spend and don’t have a clue about
how much things cost, so more education is in order on that topic too.
24. How can I get local small businesses to hire me to help with their marketing?
First you have to find them and luckily, small business owners are the easiest
prospects to find. Almost everywhere you look these days, there are small
business owners looking for ways to promote their own business. They attend
networking meetings, trade shows, local chamber events and more. Once you
find them, find out what kind of help they think they need, which is often
different from what they actually need. For example, they may think they need
a brochure, but haven’t thought through who their market is or researched the
best way to reach that market. Someone may have told them they need a
brochure, so that’s what they go looking for.
In fact, what small business owners usually need is a marketing consultant. If
you position yourself not simply as a copywriter but as someone who helps
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small business owners with their marketing (and especially if you can offer
consulting as well as copywriting), you’ll be in a good position to get them to
hire you. From there, it’s just a question of negotiating the right price.
25. If small business owners don’t have big budgets for copy, why should I work with them?
When you are starting out and building your own copywriting business,
working with small business owners is a good way to try out your skills, learn
how to master the customer service aspect of the business and make mistakes
you wouldn’t want to make or can’t afford to make when the stakes are higher.
There is very little competition for these prospects because most copywriters
prefer to work with big businesses that tend to pay more. So they aren’t trying
to take the business from you. You get to work directly with top decision‐
makers instead of working with layers of bureaucracy and committees who
often destroy your work, which means less good work to show in your
portfolio. Also, you can develop long‐term client relationships with these
people who tend to be more loyal, which means lucrative repeat business and
less time spent trying to find new clients.
26. How can I convince companies that they should be hiring a professional copywriter like me?
Don’t try to convince anyone or anything. Instead, use your marketing time to
go looking for the prospects who already know the value of a professional
copywriter and is just looking for the best one for their job.
Your marketing campaign should be used to educate your prospects and
clients about the value you can bring to their business. But because you don’t
have unlimited time, don’t waste it trying to convince anyone to hire you.
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27. Should I get an agent or writer’s rep to handle the selling of your services for me?
Many copywriters dream of letting someone else take care of the business side
for them. And it is possible to get help with the marketing, negotiating and
administrative details of running a business. But there aren’t many “agents”
who represent commercial copywriters. Beyond it being difficult to find one, it
can be a Catch‐22 situation. Agents look for talent that not only has potential
but already has a strong reputation. Agents bring their connections and
relationships to the talent but they rarely contract with someone who’s new or
just starting out.
In other words, you need an agent when you don’t have work but it’s not until
you have plenty of work that the agents will want you. Also, even if you do
find an agent or rep to promote your services, it’s not a good idea to wash your
hands of the entire process. Because you are one of many people they promote,
you must stay involved and not only oversee what they’re doing, but also
make it easy for them by giving them material with which to promote you.
28. Must I get a signed agreement or contract for every copywriting project and what should be in it?
You must have an agreement with every client for every project. Getting it
signed isn’t as important as agreeing to the terms, which they can do by simply
e‐mailing you an “ok” in response to your e‐mailed terms.
For each project, you should agree on: time frame/deadline, price, what’s
included for that price (number of meetings, if any, number of revisions) and
what the fee is for anything beyond the scope of the project.
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29. Do I bill my clients upon completion of the work or get some or the entire fee up front?
No matter how you approach your payment terms, you should always require
a deposit to start the work. If a client is hesitant about a deposit, consider it a
red flag and, if you choose to proceed, be especially clear about your payment
terms. You can negotiate details of the deposit—being able to take a credit card
comes in handy here—but don’t forego the deposit. If you do, you have no
leverage if something changes or goes wrong during the project. There is no
shortage of horror stories about situations that were initially friendly then
turned disagreeable. Don’t learn the hard way.
30. Should I charge by the hour, by the day or by the project?
You shouldn’t charge an hourly rate but many copywriters do, and for all the
wrong reasons—mostly because it’s easy and it doesn’t require much math. But
it’s not to your benefit, especially in the long run. First of all, if you sell your
time, you devalue your expertise and experience. What you are selling is the
effort you’ve expended developing your skills and talents, your experience and
your resulting expertise. What you are selling is your brain. This is highly
subjective, which makes it challenging to quantify. Plus, copywriting is a
creative process. Not only is there no rule about how long it should take; there
is a certain amount of inspiration involved. You probably don’t how long it
will take for your best ideas to come. They could come right away, or they
could take a while. Should you really be paid based on how long it takes for
your ideas to come together?
Second, you will get better—sometimes a lot better—with time. But if you
charge by the hour, as you get better, you also get quicker. The less time it
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takes, the less you bill, the less you earn. So if you charge by the hour, you
inevitably earn less. Is that what you want?
31. How should I charge?
Charging by the project is the most effective way for a copywriter. However, in
order to run a healthy and profitable business, you must know what your
hourly rate is and you must know how long it takes you to do various tasks
and projects. But your hourly rate should not be your price. It is only one of the
building blocks of your price, and should only be used for estimating purposes.
In other words, use your hourly rate to determine how much time a project
should take (based on past experience with similar projects).
Then, to arrive at a project fee, initiate a conversation with your prospect about
their budget. From there, you can agree on the price for the project somewhere
between what you must charge and what they can afford to pay. And,
whenever possible, quote a range instead of a fixed fee so you have some
wiggle room to allow for anything unexpected, especially with a new client.
32. How do I figure out my hourly rate?
If you already have an hourly rate, where did it come from? Did you pull it out
of thin air? Adapt it from an industry guide? Did you get it from a client or,
worse, from your competition? Is it a number you chose because it’s
comfortable for you and no one complains about it? (By the way, if no one is
complaining and you’re getting every job you bid on, you’re probably not
charging enough.)
Or did you take the time to sit down and figure out how much you need to
earn in order to maintain your chosen lifestyle and then do the math to
determine your hourly rate from there?
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Most people have not made that effort. But if you don’t figure out what your
hourly rate must be in order to cover your expenses (and any profit you want
to make), how will you know if you’re charging enough?
33. When a copywriting client needs advice and not just copy, how do I get compensated for giving it?
Many clients don’t understand the distinctions you make between doing the
work and advising on aspects of the work. All they know is that they need
help. It’s your job to define the parameters of the help you can offer and then
provide options they can choose from.
If a client starts asking questions that go beyond the scope of your services as
a copywriter and cross over into the “consultant” realm, you must also point
that out right away. For example, you can say, “What you’re asking about
now goes beyond the scope of my services as a copywriter, but I’d be happy
to do a consultation with you to advise you on these other issues. The fee for
that is $XXX.”
34. How soon can a new copywriter expect to make $50,000 a year from copywriting?
The average American in 2009 earned approximately $44,000/year, so $50,000
isn’t the hefty salary it used to be. If you work at building your copywriting
business full time (that is, 40+ hours per week), you can make $50,000‐60,000 in
the first year. These days, that’s realistic. Building on that success, you can
realistically make $80,000 in your second year.
35. Is it realistic to hope to make $100,000 a year from copywriting?
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Yes, building steadily and marketing your services diligently and consistently
within a viable market niche, you can earn $100,000 within two to three years.
36. Superstar copywriters claim to make up to a million dollars a year or more—is that really true?
We can never actually know if their claims are true but you can go by this rule
of thumb about overhyped claims: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably
is. The only numbers you can believe are your own. But it certainly doesn’t
hurt to have goals to strive for, and if a million dollars will get you moving in
that direction, use it.
37. How much time does it take to write a one‐page magazine ad or sales letter?
There is no formula (X words = X hours) for how long it takes to write but in
general, a simple ad to generate leads or build brand awareness, which could
be a few hundred words, should take no more than 8‐10 hours. Mail order ads,
which are longer and more complex, and could be up to 1200 words, take
longer. You should allow one to two days to write them.
38. What kind of turnaround time should I promise clients on copywriting projects?
The length of the final piece is only one factor and often, how long it actually
takes you to write isn’t that closely related to turnaround time. More than
anything, it’s based on the degree of complexity of what needs to be written.
More complex concepts take longer to explain and therefore to write. In
addition, information overload accounts for much time on a project. It used to
be the opposite but now, with the Internet, the client is likely to give you more
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information than you need and it’s your job to go through it all to see what’s
there and pull out what you need. (Super productivity for writers offers
various assignments and how long they should take.)
But what most affects turnaround time is the time in between your writing
sessions. Putting the project away and then coming back to any written piece
afresh improves it immeasurably. So if you only give yourself three days to
write, that doesn’t leave much time to put it away and come back.
That’s why you should always ask for as much time as you can get; start by
asking for three or four weeks. The more time you have, the better the writing
will be, and you can explain that to your impatient client especially.
39. What kind of information do I need to get from the client to write strong copy for their product?
An experienced client will know what you to give you; an inexperienced client
will appreciate a list of requested materials, which should include all
previously published material on the product, such as:
• Tear‐sheets of previous ads
• Brochures
• Catalogs
• Article reprints
• Technical papers
• Copies of speeches
• Audio‐visual scripts
• Press kits
• Swipe files of competitors’ ads and literature
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By studying this material, you should have 80 percent of the information you
need to write the copy. You can get the other 20 percent by picking up the
phone and asking questions. You may also need access to a subject matter
expert within the company.
And don’t forget about the client’s prospects and customers. Often your client
will provide lots of information on the product but won’t bother to research
their prospects and that’s essentially more important than the product facts.
You will do your best writing when you can tap into the core problems their
prospects are dealing with. You can also ask to talk to some of the
users/members/customers. Most won’t be that articulate but you will find out
what they’re interested in a way that no one else can usually tell you better.
(More about this here:
www.bly.com/newsite/Pages/method/BBDMcopymethodology%5B1%5D.htm)
40. For online copywriting of Web pages, how do I optimize my Web pages for search engines through SEO copywriting techniques?
Keyword meta tags used to be the key to top rankings, but keywords
themselves are still one of the most important aspects of good SEO. It’s simply
their application that has changed. Instead of stuffing a hundred keywords into
your meta tags and your copy to get high rankings, the current trend is toward
uncovering the keywords that make the most sense for your business and
using them in a way that drives targeted, qualified traffic to your site.
So you must know your best keywords, which are the building blocks of search
engine optimization. Finding them is called keyword research and it’s more
involved than it sounds. It’s a strategic exercise that enables you to determine
which queries your site is most relevant for and for which you can expect a
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return. Then you optimize your site accordingly. It involves an often
painstaking discovery process to determine exactly which terms the people
who are looking for you are typing into the search field of their favorite search
engine, how often, and which other sites appear for those terms.
41. How do I know what keyword phrases to optimize a Website for?
There are a couple of ways. First, brainstorm what words you think prospects
would be looking for. Enter your guesses into online tools such as
Wordtracker.com. These tools will tell you how many people actually searched
those specific terms. Keyword research tools are essential for seeing what users
truly search for. These tools generally have data on search engine queries that
have been conducted over at least the past month, more often over the past
year. Often, if you enter one term, you’ll get back related terms, including
synonyms, variations, plurals, and misspellings.
Many of these tools will also give you an idea of the number of search engine
results for each term, which tells you how much competition there is for that
keyword or keyword phrase. All things being equal, the lower the competition
for a given keyword, the better your chances are of getting a good ranking.
42. How much should I charge to write a Google AdWords campaign or a banner ad?
It’s not worth your time to sell them as single ads because they’re so short.
Offer instead a campaign as a package. For $200‐500 you can provide three to
four ads. You’ll find that once you write the first one, the rest come easily by
combining words and sentences.
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43. Do I write the copy only or do I also have to do the graphic design for banner ads, HTML e‐mail, or Websites?
For PPC (pay‐per‐click), because they are text ads, you write copy only. There
is no need for graphics. For banner ads, find out the size of the ad. It will
probably help your client if you provide a rough sketch of how you envision
the text within the ad. But you’re not expected to be a designer.
44. What happens if the client gets my copy and says they don’t like it?
You want your client to be happy, especially if you plan to work with them in
the future. So if your client doesn’t like the work you’ve done, your first step is
to find out why. If they have a legitimate objection (they’ve tested it and it
doesn’t work) then it’s always a good idea to offer to revise it or improve it
until they are happy with it (within reason, of course). On the other hand, the
client doesn’t always know what works. Ideally you are a copywriter who also
understands how marketing works, and even more ideally, you have expertise
in the market or industry of your client. In that case, your client may not “like”
the copy but it still may be effective, which they wouldn’t know unless they
test it. So you must first determine whether they don’t “like” it because there’s
something wrong with the copy or because they’re something wrong with their
expectations.
45. A client asks for endless revision after revision—can I tell them I have to charge more if they want to keep changing it?
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This should not be a problem if you have outlined in your initial contract or
agreement how many revisions you provide at the price and how much each
revision after that costs. So yes, when a project goes beyond the “scope” of
your proposal (which is commonly referred to as “scope creep”) you must let
the client know as soon as you know. Try saying something like, “Just wanted
to remind you that I allow for X number of revisions in the agreement and
this is your last one. If we go beyond this and need to revise some more, the
fee will be X.”
The trick, though, is to bring it up as soon as you see the scope starting to
creep. If you wait, it may feel like itʹs too late and you end up losing time and
money, and maybe resenting your client.
So do yourself a favor and donʹt ignore that pivotal moment.
46. Can I subcontract some or all of the writing to other writers, pay them, put a big markup on their work, and resell it to my clients?
You can, of course, do that but you must ensure that you have excellent
subcontracted writers and that you have a strong system for managing the
projects and conveying to your freelancers what the client is looking for. If
you’re doing it so you can get paid without doing the work, you are less likely
to pay the kind of attention that will generate strong, ongoing client
relationships. But if you are a better salesperson than copywriter, there’s no
reason why you can’t bring the work in and have someone else do it. It’s best,
in that case, to make it clear to the clients that you are not doing the writing.
You wouldn’t want them to feel deceived or betrayed if they find out some
other way.
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47. Are Internet marketers good clients for freelance copywriters?
They can be, but you have to be careful. More and more people are trying to
make their fortune on the Internet and only a very few are actually doing so.
The client you don’t want is an Internet marketer who is just starting out.
One successful model is the Agora Model, which uses an e‐mail list of opt‐in
prospects to sell products. Find out if your prospect is using that model and, if
so, how many names on they are e‐mailing to? The smaller the list, the less
likely they are to be successful. Ten thousand is a relatively small list and
therefore the profit potential is also small. So they most likely can’t afford to
spend what’s necessary. But if they are e‐mailing a list of 50,000 to 100,000, they
are a more serious player and can afford the fees you will want to charge.
48. Should I work for ad agencies, PR firms, and marketing consultants or just with clients directly?
Ad agencies, PR firms and marketing consultants can be ideal to work with
since they can help add a steady flow of prospects into your pipeline. Working
with clients directly is a good idea as well, but keep in mind that while a direct
client may need your services once or twice a year, an ad agency, PR firm or
marketing consultant may utilize your services many times a year.
On the other hand, you probably won’t earn as much money working through
agencies as they will be marking up your work, so if you’re in it to make
money, you are best served pursuing the clients directly.
49. What computer system should I write on—a PC or a Macintosh—and what software should I use?
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If most of your clients and prospects work with PCs, you probably should too,
to avoid issues of incompatibility. If, however, you work through a lot of
designers and other creative agencies, many of whom are Mac‐based, you
might want to choose Mac platform to be compatible with them. But for the
most part it doesn’t matter as the two platforms are becoming more and more
compatible with each other.
50. Is proofreading and catching typos and errors important, and if so, how can I proofread my own work accurately?
Yes, it is very important. Submit work to your clients that is as close to perfect
as possible. Mistakes are often interpreted as a lack of professionalism so it’s
best to go out of your way to avoid any mistakes at all, especially those related
to the actual writing. You should always have someone proofread your work,
whether you pay an actual proofreader or give it to someone you know, but
that person should be detail‐oriented and should know what to look for.
51. I have heard that the FTC now requires marketers to substantiate all product performance claims…am I as the copywriter responsible for this?
Yes, you are responsible. If you are making product claims in your copy, you
need to cite the source. You have to have proof for every claim and every fact
you cite, unless it’s general knowledge.
52. When I write copy, how do I document my sources and proof in my copy manuscript?
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Make a “legend” at the top so people can find the reference if they need to
(although most clients don’t ask for it). Whenever possible, use online sources,
so they can find it themselves if you give them the URL.
53. Do I hand over copies of my source documents and claims proof when I submit copy and how long must I maintain copies of this material?
You don’t need to hand over actual source documents but they need to be
accessible, if there are questions. That’s why it’s best to source as much as
possible on the Internet. As for your own documents, it’s best to keep them at
least a year, ideally two years.
54. Since I am a freelancer and my clients don’t withhold tax from the fees they pay me, do I have to make some sort of advance tax payments to the IRS?
Yes, as an independent contractor in the U.S. (and since an employer is not
deducting taxes from your regular paycheck), you are required to make
quarterly estimated payments to the IRS based on your previous year’s income.
55. If I get sick and cannot work, is there a clause I can put in my client agreements to hold me harmless in such situations?
Yes, you can and should. You can’t predict what happens in life, especially if
you are working solo. You might fall ill and be in the hospital for three days
and as a result miss your deadline. In your letter of agreement, give the
deadline, and then simply insert the phrase: “barring accident, unforeseen
illness or acts of God.” This will protect you with all reasonable clients.
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56. If I get sick and cannot work long term, do I need disability insurance to protect me?
You will sleep much easier if you have disability insurance. This will protect
you in case you become unable to work for an extended period of time and
have no way to continue generating income. Disability insurance is generally
not very expensive and can pay you up to six months worth of income.
57. Do I have any liability if a consumer gets damaged by using a product I wrote the ad for and if so how do I protect myself?
No, you are not liable but your client is, so make sure your client approves
everything you write. To be safe, you can include a clause in your contract or
agreement that absolves you of any responsibility also.
58. If I work at home are my rent, property taxes, mortgage payments, and utilities tax deductible?
You can deduct a percentage of your rent, taxes, mortgage and utilities
according to the percentage of space allocated exclusively for work purposes.
But even if you sometimes work with your laptop at the kitchen table or on the
living room sofa, you can’t deduct any portion of that space because it is used
for other purposes as well.
59. Can I deduct my car expenses including gas and car insurance as business expenses if I use my car to visit clients or drive to an office?
According to June Walker, author of Self‐Employed Tax Solutions, “You may
deduct as a business expense the cost of going from one work location to
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another. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t have a home office, then you may
not deduct going from home to the bank or to your studio in town or to your
client’s office. You may deduct the cost of going from the bank to your studio
or to your client’s office.”
You may also deduct expenses for your car, including:
• Gas & oil
• Repairs & maintenance
• Tires
• Insurance (Remember AAA or other road service coverage, too.)
• Registration & license
• Car wash
• Garage rental
• Loan interest
• Lease costs
Parking tickets, speeding tickets and fines are not deductible business expenses.
60. Is it better to work at home or rent an outside office?
It depends on your work habits and what else is happening at your home.
More and more these days, freelance copywriters work from home in an effort
to avoid paying additional overhead, especially when they’re just starting out.
But some people just don’t have the discipline and/or a home environment that
is conducive to working and they need an alternative. One current trend
involves “co‐working spaces” where you can rent a desk in an office
environment with other similar freelancers for a very low fee. A by‐product
and benefit of this can be the camaraderie of other workers compared to the
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isolation of working from home, which becomes a problem for many
independents.
61. Should I do my own tax returns or hire an accountant to prepare my tax returns?
It’s best to hire an accountant to do them for you. Accountants are familiar with
the changing rules for the self employed and can help you maximize the
benefits and deductions you can take. Definitely worth the fee they charge in
what they potentially save you.
62. What software should I use to keep my books, and should I do it myself or hire a bookkeeper?
To start out, you will probably need to do your own bookkeeping, which is
very easy now with software such as Quicken or QuickBooks. But eventually,
as your business grows, it pays to have a bookkeeper come in once a month or
every two weeks to pay bills, reconcile your bank account and run reports on
your financial situation so you stay abreast of where you are compared to your
annual and/or monthly goals. Don’t, however, lose touch with the financial
side of your business by handing those responsibilities over to someone else.
It’s important to keep your hand in it but let someone else do the nitty gritty.
63. If I send something to a client via FedEx, can I bill them for it or do I absorb the cost?
As long as you indicate in your agreement or let them know verbally that
miscellaneous expenses, such as FedEx, are not included in your fee and will be
billed separately, you are well within your rights to do so. This type of thing
only causes problems when the client is surprised by the expenses billed when
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they get your invoice. And this type of surprise can be disproportionately
detrimental to a working relationship. So the rule is, “Don’t surprise your
client.” If you haven’t discussed it, don’t bill for it until you have.
64. What is the best subject for an aspiring copywriter to take as a major in college—marketing or English?
Neither. Don’t take communications, marketing or English literature. Instead,
study a topic that will lead you to become a subject matter expert in a
particular specialty. For example, if you want to be a health copywriter, study
biology. If you want to work in the financial services industry or write about
mining stocks (that’s big in the newsletter industry), you would be well‐served
to get a geology degree. If you want to write for the high tech industry,
computer science and engineering will be useful to you.
65. What is the most important online marketing skill or specialty for a freelance copywriter to master?
You don’t have to be a techie and you don’t need major computer skills. All
you need are two things: the ability to do online research, a proficiency in the
use of Google and other search engines so you can find facts easily (i.e. without
wasting too much time) with reputable sources to back it up. Also, it’s
important to be comfortable with different file formats. You must know how to
open anything someone wants to send you: Word, PowerPoint, Adobe
Acrobat, etc.
66. What is the first thing I should do when I go into business to market my freelance copywriting services?
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To be legitimate in business these days, all you need is a business card, a
Website and a way to keep in touch with prospects, such as an e‐mail
newsletter. That’s it.
All are relatively simple to create. Vistaprint.com and Moo Cards (us.moo.com)
offer very inexpensive business cards. There are many simple (and often free)
Website services that will allow you to do it yourself and get a Website posted
in just a few minutes. (Check out yourwebdepartment.com and
wordpress.com) You could even use a free blog site such as www.blogspot.com
to create an online presence in five minutes. And for e‐mail newsletters, there
are many services, such as myemma.com, ConstantContact.com and
Mailchimp.com
67. When I visit clients at their offices, how should I dress—must I wear a suit?
It depends on what type of business theirs is. But in general you should err on
the side of more professional than less. First impressions count and although it
is not usually necessary, it will never hurt to dress up. As long as you are
dressed professionally, well kempt and come across as serious, you’ll create a
strong first impression that conveys authority and trust.
68. A potential client wants to meet with me to discuss a possible project—do I bill for this meeting?
You certainly can. It all depends on how you position the meeting. If all you are
doing is showing examples of your work and talking about yourself and your
services, the client is not usually willing to pay for that. There is a general
expectation that this is what you must do in order to get the work. But if you
position it as a “working” meeting, out of which the client will get ideas they
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can use, whether they decide to go further with you or not, then you can charge
for it. You can even offer to deduct the meeting fee from the project fee if they
do decide to proceed.
69. I am working on a project and the client keeps asking me to come to their office to discuss it or review copy—something I did not count on—can I charge them an extra fee for these meetings?
It’s part of your job as a business person to train your clients about how you
work. So every time they ask for something, you go into training mode.
Address as many issues as you can before they come up. The number of
meetings is a perfect example of this. If they ask for a meeting, you let them
know how meetings work for you. How many are included with each project
or with the fee you quoted for a project.
If you haven’t addressed it and you find yourself in an awkward situation, you
can apologize for not letting them know sooner but meetings are an additional
fee (tell them how much) then let them decide if they want to pay it. If you
sense it’s going to be a problem, waive the fee for this particular time and let
that stand for next time, lesson learned (for both of you).
70. I am consulting with an out of town client…do I charge them just for the time I am with them or also charge for my travel time and if so how much?
You should definitely charge for travel time but again, you must let them know
that’s an additional fee over and above the project fee. Standard travel fees can
be charged at a day rate or on an hourly basis.
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71. A client wants me to sign an agreement saying I won’t work for any other clients that compete with them—should I do it?
The only time it is lucrative and worth your while to sign such an agreement is
when the client is paying you enough money (ideally on a retainer basis) to
make up for the loss of not being able to pursue additional prospects in that
market. If it’s a one‐off project for a small client, don’t sign anything like that.
If you are considering signing it, ask questions to define who they consider the
competition. If there are one or two companies that they are particularly
sensitive about, it may be worthwhile to agree to stay away from them. In
general, open communication is the key here. If there’s a question, always
address it with your client. You don’t want to jeopardize that relationship by
having them find out from someone else what you are doing.
72. I quote a fee for a project to a client and he says, “That’s expensive—I can get other copywriters to do it for half that price!” How should I respond?
One response is to simply say, “Then go ahead.”
But if you want (or need) this project, there are steps you can take. Avoid the
temptation to simply lower your price. This puts you in a position of weakness
with your client. Instead, get into the specifics with them. You can adjust your
offering—providing fewer rounds of revisions, fewer concepts up front, taking
more time, whatever variables you have at your disposal—thereby adjusting
your price.
Or you can try breaking the project down into phases, each of which has a
separate (and lower) price attached. This is sometimes perceived as less
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expensive, even though it’s not. It’s actually more like an a la carte menu for
them to choose from.
73. How can I know whether the fee I want to charge is within the client’s budget?
It can be as simple as asking, “What’s your budget?” And sometimes they will
just tell you. Other times you may have to be more creative. If you are having a
hard time determining your prospects’ budget, try this: “I just want to make
sure we’re on the same page financially, so it would help to know your budget
or at least the range of what you’re thinking of spending on this project.”
If they don’t have a budget or, for whatever reason, don’t want to tell you what
it is, that is also a good time to propose a range. You are simply throwing
numbers around to determine whether it’s worth continuing the conversation,
for both of you. You can even use that language to address the issue: “Let’s
throw out some numbers to make sure we’re in the same ballpark. Copy for a
simple brochure usually runs around $3,000, while a more complex one could
be as high as $10,000. How does that fit into your budget?” If $3,000 is within
their range, they’ll say so. But if what they had in mind (and may not have
known it) was $500, you’ll be able to tell right away, and that may end the
conversation right there.
As you can see, it’s of the utmost importance to get a feel for your prospects’
budget before you get involved in a proposal, because by doing so, you will
save yourself a lot of time and energy by not pursuing a non‐project.
74. I am afraid the fee I quote to a potential client will be too high for them and may shock them—any way to deal with this problem?
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This is exactly the situation that you don’t want to find yourself in. If you have
quoted a job without having a conversation with your prospect about their
budget—this is very well what could happen. This is why it’s so important to
get a feeling for their budget in the initial contact with the prospect.
If your prospects are focused on their needs, asking you all sorts of questions
about everything but money, then it’s your responsibility to bring it up. It may
feel strange or unnecessary to address the issue of money so early in the
relationship, but you need to make sure you’re on the same page.
75. A prospect and I talked about their copywriting needs and I sent some samples of my work but have heard nothing back—what should I do?
Often, the only step missing is following up. Make sure to follow up with this
prospect to outline the next step. Say, “What did you think of my samples? Can
I answer any questions?” Then, tell them the next step in the process. Suggest
scheduling a working meeting or a conversation to get the details you need for
the proposal. Then, continue to follow up.
76. I have called a prospect to follow up on their inquiry about my services several times but she does not return my call—now what?
People are so busy that they rarely take the time to let you know what
happened with a project you didn’t get. It’s not courteous, it’s not professional,
but it’s becoming the norm.
There may have been a shift in priorities, or they awarded the project to
someone else. You may never find out what happened, and sometimes you
have to accept that fact.
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However, don’t disappear into that black hole yourself. Stay in the game. Here
are three ways to do just that:
1. Leave a final message. If it’s clear that the project is not going to happen
in the way and within the time frame you’d anticipated, don’t just slink
away. Put some closure to the process by leaving a final voice mail
message along these lines: “I haven’t heard back from you, so I don’t
know what happened with the project we discussed, but it looks like it’s
not going to happen within the time frame we discussed. So I just
wanted to let you know that we’re still interested in pursuing this if and
when you are. I will touch base again in a month.” Then send that same
message via e‐mail, so they have it in writing (and because they just may
respond to this).
2. Check in to see how it’s going. Let some time go by, and then call to see
how it’s going. They may have chosen the low bidder and are paying for
it now with low‐quality work. If you happen to call and things aren’t
going well, you might be just the solution to their problems.
3. Stay in touch. Obviously, you shouldn’t stalk your prospects, but you
also must not drop out of sight. Let you marketing kick in by keeping in
touch via your e‐mail newsletter or other ongoing tools.
77. I called a prospect to follow up an inquiry and she informed me that they chose another copywriter—how do I respond?
Don’t take it personally. In fact, be grateful she called to let you know. Most
don’t bother to do so. So thank her for that. Then, take the opportunity to find
out why.
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Don’t ask, “Why didn’t you choose me?” Instead, ask, “I’m curious about the
decision you made. Why did you choose the copywriter you chose?” (An
alternative is to ask, “What were you looking for and what did you find?”)
Then, stay on her radar. This initial proposal process—even though you didn’t
“get it”—could be a strong foundation for the next project that comes along,
when you just may be right for the job, especially if you made a strong and
professional first impression.
78. A prospect needs a brochure written in three days…should I charge them a higher “rush fee” to accommodate them?
Absolutely. But make it clear what you’re doing. Explain what range your
normal fee and time frame, then what the additional charges are for the three‐
day turnaround. If you just quote a fee without the explanation, they may
expect quick turnaround next time and not realize there are rush fees involved.
It’s always best to be as clear as possible, especially when it comes to talking
about money.
79. A good client calls with a rush job but the deadline is too tight…can I say “no” to them without damaging our relationship?
Of course you can. A strong relationship with a client is based on mutual
respect and clear communication. You are not obligated to take every little
thing that comes along, just to please or keep the client. And any client who
bullies you with that threat is not worth having.
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If this situation comes up, respond right away and let the client know that
the deadline is too short and that you couldn’t do the job justice within that
time frame.
The point to make is that quality work requires time and thought. If you don’t
have enough time, you won’t do your best and your policy is to only submit
your best work (that should be your policy, even if it isn’t already).
If the client has no other options and really needs you to do it, you can offer to
do it for a higher fee—a rush fee—in which case you will need to set aside
other client projects and make theirs a priority, explaining there is a price to
pay for that. You don’t want to set the precedent that you will drop everything
for every project they have.
80. How do I overcome people’s perception that “anyone can write” and therefore writing is a service that anyone can perform, and therefore does not and should not command a high fee?
It’s true that “anyone can write” but very few people can write well. That’s a
fact. However, not all clients will care, so you may not be able to overcome that
perception and you shouldn’t waste your time trying.
But you can educate those who simply don’t know the difference. And you can
do that through your ongoing marketing campaign. Use an e‐mail newsletter,
articles, blog, video or whatever the latest marketing tool is to educate
prospects and clients about what constitutes quality writing (and the results
that can be expected from it). Teach them to recognize low quality writing. You
can write articles about this and post them on your Website then refer these
skeptical clients to those articles if they don’t understand the value you bring.
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You can also explain that your services include not only the writing but also
the thinking behind it and the experience and knowledge that backs it up, all of
which can also be demonstrated and reinforced through your marketing.
81. A prospect calls and tells me right away “We are talking to many other copywriters.” What would be my response?
If one of the first things they tell you is that you will have a lot of competition,
consider it a red flag. There’s nothing wrong with the client getting a few
options to compare and contrast, but the fact that they’re advertising it and
highlighting it is suspicious.
If you really want (or need) the work, the first question you can ask is, “What
are you looking for in the copywriter you will ultimately hire?” Finding out
their priorities will help you decide right then and there whether it’s worth
continuing the conversation. If they won’t (or can’t) answer that question, it’s
probably not worth pursuing.
You can also ask who else they’re talking to. They may not tell you but you
should always ask. And if they do tell you, that will also give you a lot of
information about whether to pursue it. If you’ll be up against big names, that
may mean they have a good budget to work with.
82. A prospect says “there are a lot of copywriters out there; why should I hire you?” How do you answer him?
Don’t be intimidated or put off by this question. It may seem confrontational
but it’s not always. This could just be the prospect’s way of saying, “Sell
yourself to me.” And if that’s what they want, then you should.
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You should always be ready with an answer to a question like this and the
answer will probably be different for every prospect who asks it. That’s why
it’s essential to ask your questions about them and their project before pitching
your own services.
Emphasize first your experience and background, especially anything relevant
to them and their project. Then outline your business processes and customer
service priorities that will make working with you the best choice they could
make. Sometimes, a client is more interested in their project going smoothly
than the quality of the writing and it helps to figure out what’s important to
them before launching into a prepared pitch.
If it does seem confrontational, however, try this alternative: “If there are so
many copywriters, why are you talking to me?” That is a way of essentially
saying, “If other copywriters could solve the problem, you wouldn’t have called.
Whatever copy you bought isn’t working so that’s why you’ve called me.”
83. Do you agree with the belief some copywriters have that you should never, ever turn down a job?
No, in fact, you should be turning down half of the jobs that come your way so
you can make sure that you are taking only the best work you can get. Also,
turning work away positions you as a copywriter who is in high demand and
many people like that. In fact, you can often train your clients to book you in
advance by turning work away due to short deadlines.
You can also train clients to only bring you lucrative work by turning away
projects with budgets that are too small. It may feel risky but if you have a
strong marketing campaign in place, then your pipeline is generally full and
you can practice these techniques to figure out what works best for you.
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84. How do you take care of your business and your clients when you are away on vacation?
Most important is to give them enough warning about your plans and ask
them directly if they have anything they will need during the time you are
away. You should also have in place a backup person available to respond to
any urgent e‐mail messages and phone calls that arise. You may miss a project
while you’re gone but as long as you prepare well enough in advance and
communicate clearly with your clients, your business will certainly not be hurt
by it.
85. How do you prevent constant phone calls from interrupting you when you are on a writing deadline?
This is also a question of training your prospects and clients. And it’s less about
telling them your policy and more about practicing it. So don’t answer the
phone unless you are available to talk. When you do pick up the phone, let the
caller know how much time you have and if they need more of your time,
suggest scheduling a call for another time when you have more availability.
Create an autoresponder for your e‐mail messages that indicates when you are
working on a deadline and when you will be available.
86. What if you are working on a copywriting assignment and realize you badly underestimated your fee? Can you go back to the client and ask for more?
It depends on how badly you underestimated, but in general you should chalk
these experiences up as lessons for you to learn as a copywriter and business
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person. The main lesson is always to give yourself enough cushion, especially
when working with a new client, in case you do underestimate.
If, however, the job took you twice as long as you anticipated and you are
losing a lot of time and money on it, you can approach the client to gauge their
openness to helping you out. Do not demand that they pay more.
Acknowledge that you made a mistake and give them details about how much
time you are not being compensated for. Then ask if they’d be willing to help
you out. There are many options here: they can pay more for this assignment—
maybe you split the difference. Or they can make it up to you on the next one,
if there is no more money in the budget for the project at hand. Be creative and
honest and, if the client is a keeper, you will be able to work it out.
87. What if a job takes you so little time that you feel your fee is too HIGH—do you reduce it when you bill the client and tell them why?
Again, it depends on your relationship with the client but in general, if your fee
is not based on time but on your expertise and experience and the thinking
process that goes into a project, then how long it takes is irrelevant. So no, there
is no reason to change the original agreement.
88. When do you bill the client—after submitting the first draft or after revising the copy?
This is something you should establish up front and advise your client of,
whether verbally or in writing as part of the agreement. You want your client
to be satisfied when they pay you so it’s best to wait until you have completed
the job to bill for it. However, a project can sometimes drag out due to no fault
of your own. They may be waiting for approval or feedback from other people
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involved. When this happens, you can suggest billing before completion
(especially if you don’t know when it will be complete because of factors
beyond your control), get your client’s okay to bill, and then send it along. It
always helps to have the client’s approval, instead of surprising them with a
bill they weren’t expecting.
89. How long do you give the client to pay your invoice?
First of all, you should have a policy (or terms) about how you want to be paid.
You are the boss so you decide if you want to be paid upon receipt of the
invoice, at 30 days, 60 days, etc. Most copywriters use payment terms of 30‐45
days but some extend it to 60 days (or more) if the client’s accounting
department can’t pay that quickly.
You should also always require a deposit or advance to start work on the
project, especially with new clients. You can ask for as much as 50% up front or
as little as one third up front. Or you can ask for a flat fee—say $1,000—to get
started. Either way, this will protect you somewhat against clients who don’t
pay. And if they don’t agree to pay anything up front, it also gives you a clue to
how they will be as a client.
Let your clients know what your terms are, both verbally when you agree to
the project and then state them in your agreement and on your invoice.
Being able to accept credit cards is a bonus here. That way, you can get your
money more quickly and they may get a few “miles” on their credit card—a
win‐win for everyone.
90. A client has gotten an invoice, is late in paying it. What should you do?
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If a client does not abide by your terms, the first step is to call and find out
what’s going on. Don’t jump to any conclusions. Don’t take it personally. Be
curious and pick up the phone to see what’s going on. More and more invoices
are submitted electronically these days, which means some of them get waylaid
and therefore go unpaid. Find out if that’s the case with yours.
If not, it could be that your client is in the midst of a cash crunch, in which case
you may need to be flexible and negotiate new terms, which they will
appreciate. What’s important is both understanding their situation and making
sure you get a new agreement on when you will be paid, whether it’s a
payment plan or a “by‐when” date. Follow this up in writing as well, to avoid
any miscommunication or misunderstanding.
Then, if that date passes and you still haven’t been paid, you can use the
written agreement to continue the conversation. The main idea here is that the
squeaky wheel gets the grease, so don’t give up. Keep calling—with your
“accounts receivable department” hat on—until you get paid.
91. What if a client does not call or write or respond to you in any way? What do you do? Should you ever take a client to court for nonpayment for a project and if so when?
If you’ve been the squeaky wheel and get no response at all, go to the next step,
which is to send collection letters, ideally from your lawyer, so they know you
mean business and aren’t planning to drop it.
If it belongs in small claims court, you can. It’s usually a ʺlose‐loseʺ situation
but it’s your decision to be made. If someone owes you money, they should
live up to the contract if you did. Small claims court is a last resort. But one
way to weed out someone like this is to absolutely not start any work until you
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get your contract back signed and money in advance. That’s the best way to
separate the frivolous from the unethical.
92. Should you offer clients a kill fee and what should it be?
The purpose of a kill fee is to ensure that you get paid for any work done for a
client in the event that a project is cancelled. There are lots of reasons for
cancellation, most of which have nothing to do with the copywriter. They could
decide not to do the project at all, or to postpone it or to shift the focus, all of
which may result in cancelling the job after it is assigned.
The kill fee ensures that you are paid for the time you have put in up to that
point and it’s your responsibility to have a kill fee schedule to determine how
much.
Standard kill fee policy says:
• 25% of the full fee is required if the project is cancelled or put on hold
before any copy is submitted.
• 50% is due after the first draft is submitted.
• 100% is due after second draft is submitted.
93. The client complains that your ad or promotion did not generate good sales results—what should you do about it?
First of all, you need to have a policy in place before this ever happens and
include it in your agreement. Don’t assume it will never happen to you.
It is an effective marketing strategy to offer a guarantee with your services, that
you will revise the copy until your client is happy with it. If you are looking at
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the big picture of your client relationship, you want your client to be happy.
And they won’t be happy (or hire you again) if you say, “Sorry, that’s not my
problem.” So one way to respond is to offer to brainstorm and analyze with
them what could have gone wrong. You don’t charge them for this time, which
could be done on a phone call. Out of that conversation could easily come
another project to try again using a different strategy. And if you really want to
generate goodwill with the client, you can offer to do this on the house or for a
discount. It all depends on how strong the relationship is.
Offer to rewrite it within 30 days of submission for no extra fee. It is customary
to do that twice. If they’re still not happy and you can’t get it after two drafts, it
either means the writer is incompetent or the client can’t make up their mind.
Either way, it’s probably best to part ways.
94. The client complains that your ad or promotion did not generate good results and therefore does not want to pay your bill in full or at all—how do you respond?
Guaranteeing your services is not the same as guaranteeing results, which you
cannot do because there are many elements over which you, the copywriter,
don’t have control and therefore can’t be responsible for. If they don’t want to
pay you, point out the terms in your contract that they agreed to and don’t
back down. You may have to use some of the same techniques for following up
invoices, including a collection letter.
95. Are there any projects you won’t take on because of ethical considerations and if so should you let the client know that is the reason for your refusal?
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Everyone’s ethics are different and therefore if there are projects you prefer not
to work on for your own personal and ethical reasons, you should definitely
not accept them, even if you need the money, because you will not do the best
job you can for them. But you should not tell the client why you are declining.
It’s not relevant and none of their business. The personal reasons should stay
out of the conversation. A standard and acceptable response to this type of
situation (and others as well) is to simply say, “This is not a good fit for me.”
96. Should you show the client a copy platform or rough outline or some creative concepts for approval before writing a complete first draft?
It is always a good idea to keep the client involved and in the loop on the
direction you’re taking with the copy. In fact, that should be an integral part of
your copywriting process. The only time this is not necessary and can be
skipped is when you know the client really well, you know what they’re
looking for; therefore you don’t need their input before you invest the time in a
full draft. But until that time, it never hurts (and usually always helps) to show
them a platform or outline, as well as some creative concepts.
97. Which is a better copywriting client—a retail store or a direct marketer?
A direct marketer, by far. They can generally pay more and have more
interesting projects than retailers, who can’t do much more than try to get
customers to a store or Website.
98. A client needs a promotion for a technical product and you do not have a background in that technology—what do you tell them?
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You know your own comfort level and shouldn’t take on a project that is
beyond your area of expertise. However, there are many ways to overcome the
lack of your own technical knowledge. For example, you can keep asking
questions until you understand. In fact, often your “ignorant” perspective is
useful to the process because it allows you to approach the project from the
customer or buyer’s point of view and make sure everything is clear.
You can also find a glossary or even a children’s book on the topic. They
explain everything clearly and easily. If you’re in a new field where you don’t
understand the jargon, a basic glossary will help you understand the terms
being used.
99. A potential client asks if you have written promotions for their type of product and you have not…is there a way you can still convince them to hire you?
Often, clients are very narrow‐minded. It seems they want you to have already
done exactly what they need you to do before they’ll be comfortable giving you
the job. If you haven’t (which is especially common when you’re just starting
out), there are ways to get around that.
One especially effective technique is to offer a risk‐free trial whereby you give
the project a try, take a first stab at the copy and if they don’t like what they
see, they are not obligated to pay. But if they do, you go ahead with the project.
100. Is there an age at which one becomes too old to be a copywriter and should consider another line of work or retiring?
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The beauty of being a writer is that you don’t ever have to retire. If you love to
write and to think, you can write until the day you die. However, what you
write and how you promote your services is likely to change.
If you’re tired of taking orders from others, your copywriting career may be
limited because your client is essentially the “boss,” telling you what to do. If
you don’t mind that, there’s no age limit.
Ideally, you shouldn’t be doing the same thing 10 years from now that you’re
doing today. So you must always be looking for the next way to expand your
business or your services. One way for writers to do that, if they can’t compete
with younger writers who charge less for what can be perceived as the same
services is to emphasize not only the years of experience but the strategic
thinking that comes along with that experience. In other words, as you get
older, you can position yourself as a writer who has been there and knows how
these things work and whose value is more in the way you think strategically
about the problems your clients have, rather than simply focusing on the actual
writing they need done. You position yourself, essentially, as a consultant.
101. What if as you get older you don’t want to compete anymore? Is there another way to make money as a writer that doesn’t involve clients?
Yes, more and more opportunities are opening up for writers to put their
writing skills to use selling their own products, especially information products
because of the low startup costs. If you can write persuasive sales copy, you
can make money selling online, as long as you sell what people want to buy.
Once you’ve chosen your product category, you can do the writing yourself for
these information products or hire someone to actually write them. Either way
is fine. The key to success when it comes to selling these products is in the
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promotional copy. And if you already know how to write that, you’re halfway
home. So there is certainly a future for copywriters to make money selling
online that others who don’t know how to write can’t achieve unless they pay
for it.
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About the Authors
Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 75 books
including The Copywriter’s Handbook (Henry Holt). McGraw‐Hill calls Bob
“America’s top copywriter,” and he was named the American Writers and
Artists, Inc. (AWAI) Copywriter of the Year in 2007. His main Website is
www.bly.com.
Ilise Benun is a national speaker and co‐founder of Marketing Mentor and the
Creative Freelancer Conference (with HOW Magazine). She works closely with
creative professionals who are serious about growing their business. She is also
the author of several books including, “The Designer’s Guide to Marketing and
Pricing” (HOW Design Books, 2008), “Stop Pushing Me Around: A Workplace
Guide for the Timid, Shy and Less Assertive” (Career Press, 2006), ʺPublic
Relations for Dummies (2nd Edition)ʺ (Wiley, 2006) and “The Art of Self
Promotion. She has been featured in national media outlets such as
BusinessWeek.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian (UK),
Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada), Inc. Magazine, Essence, Working Woman and
many more. More info here: www.marketing‐mentor.com or sign up for her
free Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor: www.marketing‐mentortips.com.