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Copywriting clients no one wants

December 25th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

You want copywriting clients, right?

Sometimes you don’t.

In “Seven reasons to say no to new business” Debbie Bermont gives you seven reasons you should turn away copywriting clients.

My favorite is: #3, The customer expects you to invest time and resources into pursuing their business without any financial commitment on their end.

Anyone who is just shopping around and is looking for free advice is not going to be a good customer. You should determine how much time and energy you are willing to spend for free before you ask the prospect to make a commitment.

Requests for free advice can come in many ways. Of course, the prospect always has good reasons for asking.

The prickliest one is when he just wants some “advice”. Yeah, right. He wants to pick your brain. In this instance, the answer is a consulting fee (you do have one, don’t you?)- never give out free advice, or write specs.

As Debbie says: “Giving away products or services for free before the prospect makes any financial commitment diminishes the value of your company. It also raises the level of what they expect you to deliver beyond what you would normally offer for a specific price because they have already received something from you for free.”

Get Copywriting Clients In Seven Days

You can earn $250 an hour as an in-demand copywriter…

My ebook/ course “Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success” has been taking the mystery out of copywriting for new copywriters for five years.

I love it when writers call me and say “I got a client!” or “I’m booked solid for three months” – I expect that, so  it’s very satisfying.

The fact is – if you can write copy, you can write your own ticket. You WILL get clients, you WILL make as much money as you want to make. Copywriting is a necessity for every business. In just a week, your life can change.

“Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success” is your key a great lifestyle and security for you and your family.

How much can you charge as a copywriter?

December 13th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

I’ve received a batch of questions this week about copywriting fees… everyone wants to know “HOW MUCH do I charge?”

Copywriting fees have gone up considerably in the past 12 months. I used to recommend that my students start at $80, but that’s much too low now.

There’s a huge demand for skilled copywriters on the Web, and you need to start at $150 an hour, and progress to $250 an hour as your portfolio grows.

You’ll discover how to set your rates and more in my Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success, new 2007 edition.

As it says on the site, you’ll make the money you pay for the course back with your first client.

(BTW - the cost of the course will be rising in 2008.)

Getting paid for your copywriting services - payment in advance

October 31st, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

New copywriters always want to know “how much should I charge?”

I’ve answered that question many times on this site and on my other sites, but essentially your fees are set by YOU, not by the client.

You should also set your fees without regard to what other copywriters charge - there are no “standard” rates, and what you charge will depend on how much you bring to the table in expertise and experience.

Regarding “standard” fees, clients will try to negotiate your fees down; this is common business practice. However, I recommend that you set your fees and stick to them. You know what your time and energy are worth.

Payment on retainer, and in advance

I always charge a retainer. Time is money when you’re writing copy, and there are only so many hours in the day. This means that you can only afford to work with genuine clients - your retainer is vital - it’s a good faith payment.

However, this year I’ve been changing to a payment in advance system as have many online professionals. While most clients are great about paying on time, I’ve been burned by clients who needed too much chasing up.

In “Charging for SEO Services” Jill Whalen somments:

You’ll notice that we charge for everything in advance and this is for a very good reason — basically, we’ve been burned when we didn’t do this!  No matter how big a company is, nor how much you trust them, and even if you have an airtight contract — stuff happens and sometimes they simply don’t pay.

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Credits: Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success | Matteo Turchetto | Andreas Viklund