Offshoot from the $3000 thread-reasonable price for new copywriter

One good rule of thumb is to charge what you're worth.

However, that's for the market to decide. So if you're looking for a specific amount, you won't get one here... Well you might, but it'll probably be wrong.

Colm

Deanna, you charge what you need to make/what your market will bear.

For example, local copywriters in New York or LA get paid a slightly higher rate than a local copywriter in, say, rural New Jersey. Depending on where you are, what's "reasonable" in one part of the country may seem "underpriced" or "outrageous" in another.

And, at the entry level end of the scale, you're going to be competing against outsourcers and part-time dabblers who just want to make enough each week to afford a babysitter for date night.

So, trying to price yourself against anyone else is pointless. You have no idea of their skill level, their motivation, their drive, or their expertise.

You do, however, know these things about yourself. And that is where you should start. Figure out what YOU want/need to make per annum, and do the math backwards from there.

As far as an actual $$-figure - it's all over the map. I've seen people in my local market advertising themselves as a "copywriter" and charging as little as $12/hr. Unfortunately, the quality of their "copywriting" reflects their price point. There are also a couple of copywriters in my local market charging - and getting - $500/hr for a consultation.

If you're in a market that understands the value of a copywriter (or even understands what copywriting is) you'll have less trouble getting started. Assuming you can show some chops.

Portfolio is also less of an issue in a local market. If you know your stuff and can talk intelligently about marketing and selling, you simply need to start networking and selling your services.

Getting a portfolio together is less of a barrier to entry that most people think it is. Pick a few businesses you geniunely think you could do a good job for, and offer to work for free. Do what advertising students do, and put together a spec portfolio. Pick a product from Clickbank and rewrite the letter. Put up a website that sells something and write your own copy. There are lots of ways to get it done.

Focus less on the wall, and more about the different ways you can get to the other side of it.

Now, I'm assuming that when you say "copywriter", you mean "writer of words that convince buyers and generate sales". So... If you're trying to strike out as a copywriter, your first client is YOU.

Treat your business as you would a client's business. If someone came to you with your problem, how would you advise them? What solutions would you suggest to help them attract attention, get clients, increase revenue, and reduce their advertising costs?

If you can do this for YOU, you can do it for someone else.

If you can't then, frankly - you're not a copywriter.

You may be a content writer, a technical writer, an SEO writer, a features writer, an e-book writer, or some other kind of "copy" writer. You may even be a writer who "writes copy", as in "content for websites" copy.

Believe me when I say that there are thousands of copy writers who are making a very good living writing stuff that isn't "sales" copy. Technical writers, for example get paid EXTREMELY well to take complex stuff and make it understandable for John Q. Public.

And there are hundreds of very competent copywriters who began as generalists, learning the nuts and bolts of marketing, sales, and the craft of writing sales copy over the years, before they decided they were "copywriters". And got paid accordingly.

Hope this helps.

Deanna,

Think in terms of value.

In any given situation, communicate to the potential client how much value you bring to the table. And set your fee accordingly.

This strategy doesn't work with price shoppers. It only works with clients who appreciate value.

Alex

It's not about a "large" portfolio, but more about what's in it. No one wants to see a portfolio with irrelevant work piled up one after another making it a bulky one, but one which has relevant samples of work that will interest the buyer. Once you have convinced the client with your work example, then you can demand what your time is worth. Always account how much happiness it would bring you than how much x or y is charging for that work. Remember, the first one who charged for the work didn't have an example or a ball park figure. He should have figured it through two factors:

1. What would be his Quality output.
2. What's his time worth.

Cheers!

Aravind

You need to start with the end number first. How many jobs can you do per month? How much is your goal per month? Take those two numbers, and you got your answer.

If you charge too little, you will have to sell much more of your services. If you charge too much, you will have trouble justifying your fees to your clients with no experience.

The more you charge, the fewer customers you need to reach your goal.

I just wanted to stop in and thank everyone for their useful comments. You've given me something to seriously think about and put into action.