Entrepreneurs Ask... What Can I Expect To Pay For Expert Copywriting?

The Answer: It depends. There's no specific answer because there are too many variables.

Craigslist.com has copywriter postings for $10/hour. Top copywriters command upwards of $750/hour. So, you can expect to pay between $10 and $750 per hour. Averaged, that is $370 per hour.

I know. It's not much of an answer.

Hiring a copywriter sounds like an easy task. Then you begin researching the possibilities and quickly enter the abyss of frustration and overwhelm. There are no easy "apples-to-apples, oranges-to-oranges" comparisons because pricing depends on:

• Years of experience
• Target market
• Knowledge/expertise in a specific industry
• A proven track record of results
• Investment in ongoing training and learning about industry trends from national experts
• What the current market will pay

Most copywriters don't charge by the hour, but provide a bid or proposal instead based on the specifics of your unique project. This is the most professional and effective method of charging you fairly... again because there are so many variables.

Generally, there are 4 ways copywriters charge for services:

1. Per word (copy suitable for newsletters, Web sites, brochures, business cards and blogs)
2. Per page (Web site copywriting)
3. Per project (based on a review of your materials and a formal written proposal)
4. Per package (a specific number of copywriting hours per month, pre-paid in full)

The best method of comparing copywriters is:

1. Ask for referrals from fellow colleagues/entrepreneurs you trust.
2. Review Web sites for all referrals to determine if the copywriter is a good fit for you based on experience, knowledge of your industry, specific expertise and a personal vibe.
3. Read the policies/procedures and pricing pages, if posted, to determine how projects are priced.
4. Submit a request for proposal via email, submit a "Request for Proposal" form or schedule an appointment to discuss the project parameters. Your final decision is often based on how you connect with the copywriter.

Compare proposals not only for pricing, but items included at no additional charge. Typically, the following additional services are included:

• Review of client materials
• First draft
• Two rounds of client revisions (additional revisions charged hourly rate)

REMEMBER: The old adage You Get What You Pay For definitely applies to hiring a copywriter.

With a quick internet search, you can find services offering copywriting for $10/page. That sounds good at first... until you realize the work is actually performed in India (or Pakistan or China) by non-native English speakers.

You don't think that will cost you later in grief, time AND money?

Sure it will, but by the time you realize your lapse in judgment to get the best deal, it's too late. Your Agreement has been signed, you paid a deposit, your credit card number is on file to pay the balance due, and what you get back after waiting weeks or months cannot even be used, the quality is so poor. So, the search begins all over again and the saga continues.

In conclusion, what you can expect to pay for professional copywriting comes down to the investment you make to find a good fit financially, energetically and professionally.

Don't choose the cheapest bid simply because it's the lowest. Pros charge professional rates because they can and do deliver. That's the whole point in hiring them in the first place. You pay a rate that ensures professional results.

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It's Not About You!

I noticed something.

So often, we put the actions, words, and aspects of others' lives in terms of our own experience.

Here's an example: I have a friend who's taking a 3-week motorcycle journey across the U.S. Before his departure, I made a mini-scrapbook to commemorate the journey. This is the content:

This journey is the only one of its kind.

This time,
this experience,
this exploration,
can never be recaptured
in the same way again... ever.
It can only be maximized by fully
enjoying - and being present in -
every moment.

Whatever those moments contain,
they exist solely for you... to breathe,
to laugh, to learn, to enjoy, to grow,
to change. They are opportunities
to see all of life from a new perspective.

Soon enough this will be a memory...
an experience to enhance the richness
of your life without the ability to recall
any but the most memorable aspects
and influences.

I wish you every colorful, enchanting, diverse,
stimulating, energizing, thought-provoking,
and life-altering experience on your journey.

Abundant travel blessings,


Back to my observation:

What I noticed is that it takes a special--and important--awareness to see the actions, words and aspects of others' lives as having nothing at all to do with us.

Using my friend's journey as an example, it has nothing to do with me. Instead of sharing what I wished for his experience, I could have made it about me; how I might miss him, what his experience would mean to my life and me, how his exploration would provide insight into our connection. No, no, and no. It is for him... exclusively. To make it about me indicates I am so focused on myself that I cannot step out and away from me to see the greater picture... that all of life is not about me!

We can become so over sensitized that we completely lose perspective. We walk around with a false sense that everything circulates in relation to us. When you think about it, making everything about us is a form of arrogance. We cannot afford to take things personally and we cannot make the lives of others about us.

So rarely does what people say, think or do have anything to do with us. It has everything to do with their individual and solitary path and how they perceive the world through their chosen filter.

When you see an opportunity, make the circumstance in front of you about the other person. Focus on them. Provide support. If inspired, lend a helping hand or word of support. And release yourself from the idea that it has anything to do with you. It probably doesn't!

Free yourself. The life you have is your own. Place the bulk of your energies there and you'll find plenty of work! Allow others their own experience... for that is their sacred journey.

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