Should Copywriters Only Be Paid a Commission?

While I'm taking on more and more commission-based projects myself, I'm also fully aware things won't always go as planned or I'll get ripped off, plain and simple.

As a copywriter it's damn near impossible to be in control of everything. Like the OP says, we can do our research, but online that doesn't guarantee the client can summon up enough traffic to make any money.

You can investigate and evaluate all you want but when it comes down to it, you're still relying on the client to hold up their end of the deal.

Heck... at the end of last year I worked with an experienced JV manager who managed to fumble a launch completely.

Point is, commission deals are a risk no matter how much you feel prepared. But when they DO work out, it's all worth it.

No.

There are many factors in your marketing--product, market, price, list, demand, consumer preferences, major events--that you cannot control. Therefore, while you can and do guarantee your clients satisfaction with the copy before they test it, you cannot promise and cannot guarantee specific results.

Your client is paying for the 'increased likelihood of conversion'. That's it. You also need to get paid for your time if you are dedicated to your craft.

Besides if they could write good copy themselves, they wouldn't have hired you anyway. I would include a few revisions too free of charge to sweeten the pot but that's it.

If every copywriter could guarantee results everyone would be billionaires and there would be no need for copywriters period. Clayton Makepeace is probably the highest paid copywriter in the world. He get's 3mil for short copy and he doesn't guarantee results, but apparently he makes enough for his clients to where they feel comfortable paying him those fees.

Remember: The client bears the risk, not you.

There is no magic bullet. If there was we'd all be retired right now eh?

Excellent response! Particularly the last couple of lines.

It's best to negotiate a percentage of gross sales, not net. In my agreement, I define gross sales as "sales minus returns minus payment processor fees".

Life always has risks.

For example, every time you drive a car, you take a risk. Of course you mitigate it to the highest degree possible with defensive driving and the safety features of the car. But risk is still present.

When working for a percentage, do your due diligence beforehand. I have a list of things I ask myself (about the person and the project) before agreeing to work with a new client.

Alex

OK, I'll chime back in before too many take the easy road of tossing out well-deserved lawyer jokes. But keep in mind many lawyers are only paid on results.

If I were to have posted - To have a more profitable 2011 copywriters should consider pricing their services like contingency attorneys - it may have been ignored, or my reasoning glossed over and then quickly forgotten.

Forgive me for taking a different approach, but hopefully it got your mental juices flowing about a number of issues.

When I take on a case I often end up knowing more about my client's business than they do. Background research on the judge, the opposing attorney, even my own client is vetted. I will know their industry lingo.

Graphic example: I've had cases about botched funeral services. So I'll watch cremations. Spend time in the blood splattered embalming room. Subscribe to funeral industry publications. Attend industry trade conferences, etc.

Why?

Because lawyers and copywriters are really in the same business.

The business of persuasion. A lawyer's goal is to convince a judge or jury to reach a certain decision. I've written a lot of "copy". They're called legal briefs and motions where you have 5 minutes of the judge's time and the issue at had could destroy your client's life or business.

The copywriter's goal is no different. We will both use any and every trick, technique, strategy, etc. imaginable to obtain our goal.

It's "my" case if I'm getting a contingency. So I'm not going to let someone screw it up. In fact, if they screw things up I have the contractual right to bail and I have the right to convert the contingency to an hourly arrangement to guarantee I'm paid for all of my time.


Here are my thoughts on how copywriters can make changes in their business and make more money in 2011:

- Instead of complaining about factors "not in your control", get them under your control and use that to justify taking a bigger reward.

Attorney's contingency fees can run up to 50 percent. If you can deliver results, don't you deserve a bigger reward?

Haven't you heard that the "new" thing is do it yourself services. Such as, don't teach someone how to market, do it for them and charge more.

Are you just a copywriter? Or are you a marketing expert providing services that include copywriting?

Why is it someone hires you? They want your persuasive skills to sell more product.

For something like a direct mail piece your persuasive skills obviously do not start and stop with words in the sales letter. Everything from the list selection to the envelope to the font to the address to the color to the stamp to the return address to the PS to the offer to the risk reversal is all part of the persuasion (and a lot lot more things as well).

Instead of "just" being a copywriter sell a marketing program.

- You will write the sales page for a website.

- You will have access to the owner's Aweber account and write emails to the owner's list over a period of 3 months.

- You will do the mailing.

- You will direct the demographic/selection criteria used for the mailing.

- You will use your association of friends on the Warrior forum with lists to send out more emails.

A note here: How much more powerful would your sales message be (i.e., why should someone hire you) if you could promote your copywriting skills PLUS access to a list of buyers already proven responsive to your writing?

- You will receive and prepare the follow-ups to anyone asking questions from a website question form.

Mike, I'm really glad you joined the thread:

"You could write a direct mail salesletter for your client and they decide to save a few bucks and put in photocopies of the dollar bill your salesletter mentions in the first paragraph instead of the actual thing."

Mike, why are you giving up control of the mailing? There's money to be made so don't let some cheap bonehead product owner screw it all up.

You're the persuasion expert. The product creator is not.

Let them focus on the product. You focus on the selling.

If you charge $X for a letter charge $X + Y plus costs up front for the marketing plan.


If you are just writing a letter, emailing your Word document to the buyer and leaving everything else up to another person, then yes, just get your fee. But I think you're leaving a lot of money on the table doing that.


- How creative are you in your fees?

Just an up-front fee?

Just a commission?

What about for free in exchange for a testimonial, right to use the client's name, marketing results, etc.?

What about a combination if you're not confident enough to go all commission? Such as an up-front fee of $3000 applied to a 10 percent commission of gross sales.

* Note gross sales. I agree there are ways to reduce the amount of net sales that everyone then has to argue about.

What about costs up front (since you're going to be taking charge of factors 'out of your control')?

What about stock ownership?

What about a guarantee? If you are writing copy that includes a guarantee as a means of getting a sale, it is, frankly, contradictory to try and sell your services as a copywriter and to also not have a guarantee. Are you an exception to the rule about increasing sales? I think not.

What about 'change orders'? Take a lesson from construction industry. If the owner wants to change your work, add something to a project, stop using their guarantee, change the sales process, etc., then you need to be appropriately paid because it can affect you.



- Are you an expert in a particular niche?

For example, maybe you know the IM niche and how to write ads that sell PPC services. Does that mean you can effectively write an ad for a funeral home? Maybe. Maybe not. But instead of marketing yourself as a copywriter, market yourself on the Warrior Forum as an Expert IM Marketer.



- Are you branding yourself?

It is interesting to see online sales pages where the graphics creator puts their name right in the footer graphic - telling all that they designed it.

What recognition do you get?

Have you ever considered putting your name in the sales letter, with the ultimate goal that when people in an industry see your name they become more inclined to purchase the product?

Then it's self-fulfilling. You do the letter and create sales as a result.




- Are your copywriting contracts worth sh*t?

I saw this in the thread. Everyone is sorry this happened, but it could happen whether you have a contingency or fixed fee arrangement for any amount not paid up front:

"He refused to pay any commissions owed as previously agreed in writing. I was forced into a corner. He negotiated on his terms only. I came out of it with less than $3,000 as a lump payment for my copywriting."

You know whose fault this is? It's your fault. This is what should have happened:

"He refused to pay any commissions owed as previously agreed in writing. I pointed to various provisions in the contract and forced him into a corner. I gave him 48 hours to pay before having my attorney publicly sue him for the fee, lost commissions, and outrageous attorney's fees. I was paid within 24 hours."

- Do you ever tell a client no?

This goes full circle back to my original post. If you can properly evaluate whether a product with a marketing plan is going to be gold versus a brick, then I think you can bring home a lot more money this year, even after factoring the projects that go south.

Gary Halbert wasn't a "Guru", he was thee alpha sh!tweasel -- a gurus guru.

Where a lot of newbees make a mistake is by thinking...

...if they have a tiny budget for copywriting, that some how they will get the same sales if they hired a competent copywriter.

Or they want a competent copywriter to somehow deliver top notch work for a tiny budget.

Many newbees simply don't have a business... but hope a good copywriter will give them one so they don't have to take any marketing risk.

Top notch pros work off fees + commission.

And some work in joint ventures... placing their marketing talents into the ring with an investor's money.

Imagine if you had a tooth that needed to be extracted... and you rode around town asking dentists to give you a deal and then foolishly think you can get the same service from someone holding a sign on the corner.

Quick couple of corrections to the above so it makes sense Ray.