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How Much to Charge for Freelance Copywriting Work

Trying to figure out how much to charge for freelance writing services? Remember, first, that anyone who hires you is doing so on a part-time, per-project basis. They're not paying for your healthcare insurance package. Nor are they paying for the times you get up for some coffee, accept a personal phone call, or run out to the parking lot to get something out of your car.

In addition, they won't cover your benefits such as sick pay or paid vacations, and they will not be deducting social security or income taxes from your paycheck. And think about this: who paid for your office space (you rent or own your own place, right?), your work area, your computer and the advertising expenses you incur to let people know you're available for work? Yes, YOU will be footing the bill for all of these expenses and more.

This actually saves the person who's hiring you quite a large sum of money (did I mention the utility bills?), as well as gives them the flexibility and freedom to choose exactly how many hours they wish to budget for freelance writing or copywriting support. It's a really great situation for them to be in. And it could be a good situation for you as well, as long as you understand that, if you're good at what you do, and if you've acquired professional experience writing or editing copy, then you deserve to receive a minimum of $50 per hour, hopefully double that if your credentials and talent reflect a more advanced level of expertise.

The best way to figure out how to configure your copywriting rate structure is to do what Bob Bly suggests: set a goal for the amount of money you'd like to pull in per month. Then, focus on bringing in a weekly amount that will get you to that goal, from your various sources of income. If you're concentrating on setting a goal like this, then you're less likely to fall into the bad trap of being paid low wages by people who undercut your talent and ability.

Finally, in order to get some control over how much money is coming in, you must get a feel for how many hours each type of project will take to create from start to finish. You might say something like, "I believe I'm worth about $70 per hour at a freelance pay structure. It takes me about 2 hours to create a high-quality web article from start to finish, including client review, edits and final proofing. Therefore, I'll typically be billing $140 for this particular project."

If you do this with all the different types of projects you offer, you can type out a menu of fees, then plan your weekly client scheduling based on this information. What I'm saying is: you'll get a better sense of which projects to take when, which ones to lower your fee a little to accommodate for the client's budget, and which to throw back for perhaps a less experienced copywriter to handle.

Wordfeeder is getting ready to release our no-nonsense guide for aspiring writers: The Nitty Gritty of How to Start Up a Writing or Editing Business on the Web. To be notified of when our e-guide is ready for public consumption, simply drop your information in the box below.

Wordfeeder.com is the home of Dina Giolitto's Copywriting, Copy Editing, Web and Print Marketing Services. Interesting in learning how to market your business successfully using the latest online and offline methods? Eager to master the art of writing copy that gets you more clients and sales? Then keep following along! We publish articles regularly and post them on our home page. Write to dina@wordfeeder.com with comments or for a project quote today.

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