Today, I’m going to be answering the question:
‘How much do copywriters charge’,
and on the flip side, how much should you charge for your copywriting work if you are a copywriter.
The price a copywriter charges depends hugely on the country in which you live and where you get your copy from. On sites like Fiverr and Upwork, it’s easy to get a 500-word article, for example, for as little as $10 or $20, but of course the quality varies too. Often you’ll find these articles are written by people who have English as a second language, and sometimes the copy has been duplicated from a previous article or from somewhere else on the internet, so it’s always a good idea to check the copy that you get from sites like this using a tool like Copyscape.
Watch the video:
The price a copywriter charges will also be influenced by a number of other factors. These include location, so metro copywriters seem to charge a bit more than those in rural areas, and obviously experience level: a brand new copywriter is going to charge a lot less than a copywriter with five to 10 years’ experience. Also, some copywriters charge less for working with start-ups and offer discounts for charities as well. The type of copy you want written will also be a factor: annual reports can be kind of expensive, blog posts, not so much. Another factor to consider is demand: a copywriter who has a long waiting list and lots of eager clients might charge a little bit more than somebody who has no waiting list at all.
Another factor is turnaround time, so if you need your copy in a hurry you may find that your copywriter charges a rush rate which is often around 25% of the overall project fee, that’s why it’s better to brief in your copy as early as possible.
Unlike journalists, most copywriters don’t charge by the word, instead they use an hourly rate through which to calculate a fixed price. They’ll generally ask you to complete a brief that outlines what the project is going to involve, the number of pages and exactly what you’re after. They’ll use that to put together a fixed price quote that will include a set amount of amends, discussion time and proofreading. Fixed price quotes tend to work better for clients because they know exactly what they are in for, for the whole project.
Most copywriters in Australia will also charge a 50% deposit: this is to split the risk, so you’re trusting them to write the copy for you and they’re trusting that you’ll pay them at the end of project. Also, most copywriters in Australia will be charging you GST on top of the price.
In terms of hourly rate, at the time of making this video, which is June 2016, the rates in Australia are something like this: for a newbie copywriter you’re looking at anything from around $50-$80 an hour; a mid-level copywriter, probably around $100 to $130 an hour; and the super experienced copywriter with years under their belt can charge anything from $150 an hour upwards. There are many copywriters who charge thousands of dollars to write you a Sales page or a Home page, and that’s because, obviously, if it converts, your return on investment is going to be huge.
If you’re a copywriter watching this video, you can head to The Clever Copywriting School website and check out the Recommended Rates page where I’ve detailed all this information for you. You can also download our rate card which is a really great way of helping clients understand what you charge for different types of projects, press releases, blogs, websites – you name it, they’re all on that rate card.
If you are a client watching this, then I highly recommend you head over to The Clever Copywriting School website directory page where you’ll find over 50 Australian copywriters ready to do your work for you, at all different price points.
My recommendation is this: if you are a client, make sure you get at least three quotes for your copywriting project, and ask for recommendations from other small business people who’ve had a good experience with that copywriter.
Generally, when it comes to copy, you do get what you pay for but you don’t have to pay the Earth.
