Perhaps you already have a client interested in learning more about your freelance copywriting services. This is great!
However, you may be wondering…
How do I charge this client? And how much should I charge for professional copywriting services?
What about other writing services like content writing, translations, localization, and copy editing?
How about clients that have a high volume of copywriting work?
First, you need to understand the different types of services and how a proposal can be structured. As there are different writing services, you may choose whatever model fits you best.
We’ve outlined various charging models below: per-word pricing, fixed fee, result-based, hourly rate, revenue share, and retainer-based. Each model has its advantages and disadvantages, so keep reading below!
#1 Charge Per Word (e.g. $0.30 per word)
Charging per word usually works well with content writing since it involves longer-form written content. This type of service involves creating informative and engaging content like blog posts, articles, white papers, e-books, and web copy. The process traditionally requires a lot of research (being very time-consuming) since you must know everything about the brand, what message must be portrayed, and also look at what other competitors are doing and what’s happening in the industry you will write about.
Even though writing an article might just take 30 minutes to an hour, the whole process from start to finish of doing research -> writing -> editing might realistically take more than 3 hours to complete.
Nonetheless, charging per word is a really flexible way of charging a client since they can set a cap on how many words they want according to their budget. Moreover, charging per word is easy to track for invoicing as it is one of the most transparent ways. The client can easily count the words to double-check that they are being charged correctly.
The one disadvantage of this way of billing is that it is not directly proportional to the time you put in. This is a double-edged sword, as something can be super quick and you can make a lot of money from long texts, but it can also be super detrimental as a 1000-word article can take you 2–3 days to write, and the gains could be much less than if you had charged per hour.
Pros: transparent billing, flexible as one can handle the client budget by limiting the number of words.
#2 Fixed Fee ($150 per article within 500–1500 words)
This is significantly easier since less tracking is required for all the words. The advantages and disadvantages are the same as charging per word, but for some clients, this might be a more straightforward way. You can conveniently sell “packages” of work on your website, like an e-commerce site. For instance, you could sell a package of 5 newsletter emails for $400, 5 blog posts of 500 words for $500, and so on.
Pros: more scalable than charging per word since you can create packages of services on your website, effectively making it an e-commerce site.
#3 Result Based (50% upfront and 50% upon completion)
The way this model worlds is that you charge 50% upfront for the work and 50% upon completion if the client is happy with the work you’ve delivered.
This is a great way to bill your clients for initial projects when you start working together because the client can test your skills and mitigate the risk if the outcome is unexpected. It is also an excellent model to charge for short-term projects with very clear requirements (but make sure there will be no deviations from the original scope of work established with the client).
The one major disadvantage of this model is that it is tough to set the right expectation as to what “excellent” or “bad” work means to both you and the client, so there is a chance you may never get the other half of the payment for your services.
Pros: a risk-free way for your client to try out your services. An excellent option for one-off projects.
#4 Set an Hourly Rate (e.g. $55/hr)
This is very common in the service industry and a common practice in the world of copywriting. Some clients are used to hourly rates because this is how larger companies traditionally operate (timesheets and logs of hours).
One advantage of this model is that the hourly rate comprises other things (video calls with clients, sending emails and correspondence, consulting, etc) and can be applied to any kind of writing service (copy editing, content writing, copywriting, translations, etc). Moreover, you can set a fixed number of hours per week as a minimum to guarantee a certain income in case you have fixed costs and are looking for a more stable source of income.
On the downside, we believe this is not the most transparent model because one can simply log hours, and the client cannot verify if the work was effectively done during this time. Furthermore, your work is directly tied to your time instead of your value. This makes it less scalable as your time is limited, and you only have so much time to work in a day.
Pros: comprises multiple services equally and aligns well with larger companies.
#5 Revenue Share (e.g. 5% of every sale made through the sales page or landing page)
This billing model works well for copywriting work since it is more “measurable” than other forms of writing. Copywriters typically work on projects like ad campaigns, email marketing, sales pages, social media posts, and product descriptions directly linked to actions and results, such as landing page conversions, number of impressions, number of likes, website traffic, and other metrics.
Thus, this model is great for disassociating or separating your time from your value. It also helps to make money long-term without having to be constantly writing, as you now have “equity” in your client’s business.
Let’s imagine the following scenario:
You restructure an e-commerce website that has 0 traffic, create all of the copy, and their sales augment to $1M a month. If your copy successfully drove sales, you could easily make $50,000/mo without putting in any additional effort other than the original website rewriting.
The downside is that you won’t get paid if the website gets no traction. Additionally, it may be harder to convince a client to give up some of their sales equity.
Pros: unlimited income potential while it separates the value of your work from your time, so it is more scalable.
#6 Retainer-based (e.g. A minimum retainer of $1,500/mo)
This is a great way to ensure a stable monthly income while retaining your clients for a long time (thus being called a retainer). It also helps clients that expect high volumes of work, as retainers usually prioritize the client over other projects. Some clear advantages are:
Priority access: Clients on retainer are generally given priority access to the service provider’s time and resources. This ensures the client receives timely and dedicated attention to their projects, leading to better outcomes and improved client satisfaction.
Cost-effectiveness for clients: Retainer agreements often involve discounted rates compared to one-off or ad-hoc projects. This can be more cost-effective for clients, particularly if they require ongoing services or have multiple projects planned throughout the retainer period.
Reduced administrative tasks: With a retainer in place, the service provider and the client can save time and effort on invoicing, contract negotiations, and other administrative tasks, as the terms and conditions are agreed upon upfront.
The other significant benefit is that retainers can be combined with other billing models. For example, you can easily set a minimum monthly retainer of $1,500/mo + $0.30 per word if you expect a certain number of monthly requests, such as writing 8 blog posts per week.
The one caveat is that some clients may only want to pay for specific services and don’t have enough volume of work to justify a fixed monthly retainer since it may not be the ideal allocation of their budget.
Pros: the best option for long-term engagements with a high expected volume of work. It can also be combined with other billing models.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the key to success is finding a charging model that is transparent, fair, and mutually beneficial for both you and your clients. No matter which model you choose, always strive to deliver high-quality work and exceptional service to ensure ongoing satisfaction and foster lasting professional partnerships.
That being said, our team believes that a minimum retainer plus a cost per word is the most transparent and effective way of charging for your copywriting services to long-term clients.
Want to know how to find the best copywriting agency? Check out our blog!
