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What kind of deadlines can you meet?

by marciayudkin
8 replies
I don't know what's going on, but suddenly I am inundated with copywriting requests in connection with upcoming events that have what seem to me to be completely unrealistic deadlines. (There's an epidemic of last-minute-itis out there??)

That is, I don't think it would be possible for any copywriter for hire who wasn't already familiar with the project to write decent copy given their timelines.

But I might be wrong.

Imagine that you happened to have a completely empty schedule. What is the very fastest you could turn around the following with copy that was up to your usual standards?

Project consists of:
* A sales page for a six-week teleseminar series
* Email announcement for the free preview call for the above
* Landing page for signing up for the free preview call

Source material for the project is very skimpy and you might need to spend a lot of time on the phone dragging out the content from the client.

Would love to hear what's reasonable and what's humanly doable as some sort of rush job.

Thanks,
Marcia Yudkin
#deadlines #kind #meet #realistic #unrealistic
  • Profile picture of the author MontelloMarketing
    Month... minimum.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    I think most project launches think of the copywriting at
    the last stages and that's why you get those rush
    requests.

    If it's in a market I've written for before then I can get
    copy out within 2 weeks for a "rush job" which also
    includes a 50% 'rush fee'. But I wouldn't be pressured
    into another marketer's schedule. I'll just ask them to
    try another copywriter.

    But this is not the worst problem to have.

    -Ray Edwards
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    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      Thanks, guys!

      Let me just make it clear that I am NOT looking to subcontract these projects out. (I received a call offering to take on these projects.)

      Rather, I am asking in order to test my own sense of reality against the client's.

      Marcia
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      Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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      • Profile picture of the author Raydal
        Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

        Thanks, guys!

        Let me just make it clear that I am NOT looking to subcontract these projects out. (I received a call offering to take on these projects.)

        Rather, I am asking in order to test my own sense of reality against the client's.

        Marcia
        I was wondering why I didn't hear back from you. I thought you were
        looking for help with the overflow. I misunderstood.

        Just kidding folks ...

        -Ray Edwards
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        The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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      • Profile picture of the author MontelloMarketing
        Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

        Rather, I am asking in order to test my own sense of reality against the client's.

        Marcia
        Well... what is your sense saying? Month? 2 weeks? more? Less?
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        • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
          Well... what is your sense saying? Month? 2 weeks? more? Less?
          My sense says I don't believe any human being could do a decent job in less than two weeks.

          Marcia Yudkin
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          Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Scott
    As a rush job? *Maybe* a couple of weeks... if I worked some pretty crazy hours.

    But that's assuming the client gave me the info I needed.

    So I guess it'd depend on how long I had to spend doing the back and forth to drag the required info out of them.

    -Dan
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    Always looking for badass direct-response copywriters. PM me if we don't know each other and you're looking for work.

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    • Profile picture of the author dorothydot
      I agree with those who say a month. Doesn't matter what deadlines the client has - if client can't think of copywriting when the project is being pulled together, that's the client's fault.

      Early on, I'd make an honest-best-estimate of how long it'd take to complete the project... and double it. That proved reasonable! And if I delivered the completed project earlier, well, all the better, right?

      And if the client insists on expedited delivery, I either turn it down and send client elsewhere - or I double/triple my fee. You want me to pull late-nighters and early-mornings? You pay for that, big-time.

      I'm a confirmed believer in always delivering the absolutely best quality work I'm capable of. That's what my clients pay me for. That's exactly what they deserve!

      And I refuse to deliver less than my best.

      And I refuse to deliver late unless there is absolutely no choice... in which case I'll notify the client asap. That's called being professional.

      Dot
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      "Sell the Magic of A Dream"
      www.DP-Copywriting-Service.com

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