TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:10] Pricing copywriting services is more of an art than a science—there’s no exact formula that will work every time. Be wary of online tools and calculators for pricing as they are often unreliable and produce unrealistic figures (like the calculator that suggested Kate charge $13,800 for a homepage—good luck finding a client for that!)

[5:00] Every single client and project is different. As professionals, our strength lies in adapting to each project’s unique needs and tailoring solutions for our clients. Fixed pricing doesn’t allow us to be the partner that we should be for our clients.

[6:50] It’s important to understand the specifics before setting prices, especially since clients who aren’t copywriters may not know what questions to ask initially. Don’t feel pressured to provide a quote until you have a clear understanding of the project’s scope and requirements from the client’s perspective.

[12:10] Nicki and Kate discuss key factors to prioritize (and disregard) when establishing baseline prices and hourly rates, including project scope, rush time, previous pricing, and more.

[15:00] How do you know how long a project will take? Nicki and Kate discuss the importance of timing tasks like drafting emails accurately, and to consider factors such as revisions, client communication, and urgent project requests.

[17:37] Avoid providing a quote during a discovery call. Take into account all necessary elements before preparing and sending the quote to your client!

[22:44] There are a number of elements that you want to factor in as you’re coming up with your quote.  Kate and Nicki encourage us to work at a rate we are happy with instead of comparing your rates to other copywriters.

[28:50] Nicki and Kate touch on some of the other ways people charge, including by the word and hourly work. As a copywriter, you want to avoid clients that are asking to pay by the word!

Must-Hear Takeaways

“Part of what makes us valuable as professionals is that we go into each project fresh and build a solution for a client based on their individual needs and that individual project. So if we say, ‘This is the only thing we offer, and this is the only price for it,’ then we’re not being the partner that we should be for our clients and not offering them everything that they need in order to accomplish their goals.” – Nicki

“You can’t have templatized costs for things because it’s going to vary from client to client. And you can’t base your prices on what other people are quoting either. Sometimes in the group, our students will ask, ‘OK, guys, what are you guys quoting for this?’ And I completely understand that impulse because everybody wants to know, ‘Am I in the right area? Am I in the right ballpark?’ But it’s going to be so different from client to client and from project to project, and even the area that your client is based in.” – Nicki

“There are lots of questions you want to dig into before you even start working on the pricing. And bear in mind too that clients don’t know what to ask. They’re not professional copywriters. So the only thing they know to ask is, ‘Oh, are you a copywriter? Are you available? And how much does it cost?’ That’s the only thing they know how to ask. So instead of automatically going, ‘Oh, I have to figure out what to tell them my’, take a step back and you can say to them, ‘You know what, that’s a really great question, but I can’t really quote you a price until I have a better understanding of your project.'”

Related Links

• Why Most Advice About How to Price Your Services is Dead Wrong for You
• Copywriting is Only 1/3 Writing, Here’s Why That Affects How You Charge
• What Copywriters Charge for Content Writing
• When and How to Raise Your Copywriting Rates

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

The post Summer Rewind: Ep. 17 How to Set Your Copywriting Rates appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

As you dip your toes into copywriting, one of the first questions you might ask is: Can I really make that much money as a writer?

And it’s no wonder—frankly, we’ve stopped counting how many times we hear people say, “You can’t make good money as a writer.” 

*Aggressive eye roll*

Copywriting is by far the best way for a writer to earn a living. And the good news is, there has literally never been a better time to be one!

Listen on Apple podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Want to Book Nicki on Your Podcast?

Nicki is available for select speaking opportunities and podcast interviews. To request an interview, reach out to our team.

CONTACT US

The post Write Your Way To $2,000 A Month appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:44] Any money that you’re leaving on the table in your copywriting business undercuts the goal of having a free, exciting, and fulfilling life. When you’re pricing out projects for your clients, there are certain things you need to remember to factor in.

[2:51] If you are just factoring in meetings, writing time, and some editing, you’re overlooking many tasks that can end up taking a lot of time when you add them all together.

[4:37] If you can do something special for a client like delivering a project early, let them know that it’s something special. Otherwise, you’re just breaking your boundaries and letting them think that’s normal. 

[5:38] It takes the human brain a little bit of time to transition into different projects so it’s important to factor in time for task switching.

[7:58] It can take a bit of time to get your brain in the right space for writing copy. As this is part of the process, it’s something that you should be charging for.

[9:30] Definitely factor in the discovery call (and the prep work you did!) when charging your client. You might also think about factoring in a small portion of other discovery calls that you’ve had that have increased your skills, experience, and abilities.

[11:28] Estimate the time you spent creating and sending your quote, as well as the time for any research you had to do for that input call and the time you spent consolidating your notes from the call.

[13:57] You shouldn’t have that many unbillable hours when doing work for your copywriting business. Project management systems like Asana can help account for time spent on tasks for specific projects.

[17:08] Don’t forget to factor in the creative review meeting, as well as a couple of rounds of edits. Even if you do a great job first time round, they end up getting the final copy faster, which is a benefit to them. 

[19:20] Your client is paying for the end result, not the individual hours to get there. They only need to know the deliverables they’re getting rather than an hourly breakdown of your time.

[23:30] If you are outsourcing admin tasks or elements of copywriting projects, make sure you know exactly what kind of profit you want to make. Dig into the numbers and factor in all the time it will take to get them up to speed to avoid losing money on the project.

[25:37] Invoicing is still part of the project and this time should be accounted for.

[27:46] When you work with a client and they drag their feet or make things a bit more difficult, consider charging what Nicki calls a PIA (pain in the…rear end) tax!

[29:39] Kate reminds us that if your client uses a payment software with a fee attached, make sure to include it in your project price as it is a convenience for your clients that you’re offering.

[32:59] It can be frustrating that there is no perfect formula for knowing exactly how much to charge your clients. The problem with calculators is that every project is different, every client is different, and every experience is going to be different. But with each project, you will learn.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“Considering that all of us got into copywriting to start a career, we all get into it to make money as a business, to support ourselves. Any money that we’re leaving on the table or we are forgetting to factor in, or missed opportunities…that just undercuts our goal of having a free, exciting, fulfilling life.” – Nicki

“As a freelancer, as a writer, sometimes we get caught up in our emotion and fear and self-doubt, and all that kind of thing. But as business owners we have to step back from that, put on the CFO hat and look at our actual numbers and make sure that we are getting paid for all of the work that we’re doing. Because a business is not going to succeed and thrive if it’s not getting paid for all of the work that it’s doing.” – Nicki

“I think we underestimate just how much time effective, good communication takes. And so you want to build in and bill for all of those hours because it does add up to hours of your time.” – Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• The Right Way to Raise Copywriting Rates
• Increase Your Copywriting Pricing Without Burning Bridges

Related Links

• How to Set Your Copywriting Rates
• Why Most Advice About How to Price Your Services is Dead Wrong for You
• Copywriting Is Only 1/3 Writing—Here’s Why That Affects How You Charge

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 162: #1 Secret for Copywriting Success

The post Episode 163: Are Your Copywriting Prices Leaving Money on the Table? appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:44] The 2023 Summer Freelance Summit was a three day event (free for CCA students!) with expert speakers talking about different ways to optimize your freelance business. This episode brings you a sprinkling of some of the key highlights from the presenters!

[4:00] It’s important to calculate prices based on your own numbers, rather than looking at competitors. Cost is made up of three factors: material costs, labor costs, and your time. It’s wise to track your time on every project for the first six months and see how your cost compares.

[8:36] Getting help by outsourcing admin tasks and things that aren’t in your “zone of genius” means you can conserve your energy and focus on money maker tasks like discovery calls, client work, and client meetings. 

[10:55] Using quizzes can help to increase your leads in a more automated way, while still building a really positive, genuine connection with potential clients.

[14:05] To combat procrastination, try breaking down daunting tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and scheduling them on your calendar.

[20:42] If you’re not already capturing your visitors’ emails, consider adding an opt-in incentive to your website. This means you can follow up with them, continue connecting with them, and nurture them into becoming paying customers.

[22:22] When you create your pricing for a particular offer for a specific client, make sure you are accounting for the time and energy you spend on client work outside of the actual project itself (e.g. email/Slack communication, creating proposals and invoices, client calls etc.).

[28:39] Having awareness of money blocks is crucial, as it enables you to recognize and overcome your resistance to financial success.

[34:06] Holistic health practitioner Tara Bianca walks us through a breathing exercise which we can apply during our workday to help calm the nervous system and calm the mind.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“When we understand why we’re charging what we are, it’s so much easier to say that’s what the price is. If we need to lower the budget, let’s take some stuff away. It’s so hard to figure out how to price yourself and as a service-based provider, where your time is mostly what your service is made up of, it’s even harder. The worst advice out there right now is ‘charge what you’re worth’.” – Shanna Skidmore

“You need to be hiring when you start dropping balls, when things aren’t getting done. When you can feel that shame, like when you’re late on a deadline, and when you know that you’re kind of running out of time here, when you’re doing tasks that just are in your drudgery zone, you start dragging your feet on it. When they keep getting put at the bottom of the pile and you’re not ever getting to it, those are good tasks to start outsourcing, to make sure that they get done.” – Emily Reagan

“The first tool is learning how to take those scary or daunting tasks and actually break them down into much smaller, meaningful, less scary bite-sized chunks to get done.” – Megan Sumrell

“Capturing email addresses from your website visitors also means you can follow up with them, continue connecting with them and nurturing them into becoming paying customers. Because stats show that 97% of website visitors aren’t ready to buy, and 33% will leave a website to research competitors. So if you’re not already capturing your visitors’ emails, then now’s the time to start adding an opt-in into your website. It doesn’t have to be crazy hard either. All you’ll need is a CRM or email marketing platform like ConvertKit or Drip.” – Emma Kate Barker

Related Links

• Master Your Money Mindset – With Brie Sodano
• How to Calm Your Nerves for Meetings with Copywriting Clients
• How to Set Your Copywriting Rates
• Business Builder or Time Waster?

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 158: Set Your Future Self Up for Success Right Now

The post Episode 159: 8 Tips You Can Use Right Now to Step Up Your Freelance Copywriting Game appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

The vast majority of copywriting projects do not need to get completed in a rush. As we like to say, there’s no such thing as a copywriting emergency.

However, occasionally clients will have a copywriting need that they need done fast. And in these cases, you will likely want to bump up your rates and charge a copywriting rush fee. By “rush” we mean scenarios like a client reaching out to you on a Friday and needing copy by Monday.

Often this is a result of the client not having a project manager or someone staying on top of the tasks that need to get done for the project. But, should you want to take on the quick turnaround, there are a few things to consider.

What is the Definition of “Rush Job?”

Everyone’s definition of “rush” may vary. It’s your business so you get to decide! Typically, a rush job would be something within 48 hours. You may decide that’s 48 hours excluding weekends and that anything that needs to happen over a weekend is a rush job.

However, be careful you’re not tacking on rush fees due to your own schedule mismanagement. If you and a client kicked off a project and you told them you’d have the copy to them by a certain date, but waited until the last minute to get additional information you needed, that’s on you.

You may decide that within 24 hours you charge a higher rush fee than something within 48 hours. Again, it’s up to you, but it’s best to implement parameters for yourself so you know exactly what to do each time you’re faced with calculating a rush fee.

Calculating Your Copywriting Rush Fee

Once you have your parameters for what constitutes a “rush” job, it’s time to calculate the cost. There are several ways you can calculate a copywriting rush fee.

Percentage-Based Rush Fees

One of the most common ways to charge a rush rate is to charge based on a percentage of the project. It’s like the time-and-a-half overtime rates that some employers use for employees working holidays, for example.

That means if you calculate the project price at $1,000 for a “normal” timeframe, you’ll add a percentage fee on top of this. So, if you were using the time-and-a-half method, it’d be $1,500 for the rush version of the $1,000 project.

The percentage you use is up to you and you may determine that you charge 25% for certain scenarios, 50% for others, and perhaps even more!

Come up with a framework for these scenarios, adding it to the criteria you determined above for what is a “rush.” So, perhaps you charge 25% more if it’s within 48 hours, 50% within 24, 100% if it will involve giving up your weekend.

You may add criteria for the complexity of a project, too. So, one email may be a 25% increase while five webpages may be a 100% up charge.

A Note on Flat Rush Rates

You may decide that you have a flat $100 rush fee for any project that fits your criteria for rush. However, this flat fee doesn’t give you as much wiggle room. A flat $100 fee on a $1,000 project that eats away at your nights and weekends is only a 10% bump.

That 10% may be fine if you can complete your work in normal business hours. But that bump may not feel adequate to you if you’re burning the candle at both ends to get the work done.

Do You Need to Tell Your Client About Your Rush Fee?

No one likes to feel nickled and dimed. When you’re quoting a project rate, incorporate your rush fee into your project quote. You do not need to break it on its own line.

However, you may call it out to your client that the project quote includes the time to tackle this project faster than you would a regular project. Basically, you want to make it clear this is not a normal timeline and you’re helping them out.

Most clients understand this is simply a fact of doing business. So, rather than worry that you’ll lose a client by charging a higher rate (chances are, you won’t!), respect your time and value!

The best scenario is that you disclose your rush rates to your clients before you have to use them. You want clients who plan and respect your time. And you want to equip them with as much information as possible upfront.

If you work with a client on an hourly basis, then you will inevitably need to discuss a rush rate. This is where a time-and-a-half scenario can come into play, too.

When to Waive Your Rush Fee

Sometimes, it may make sense to waive your rush fee. If you have a client that you work with on a consistent basis that simply needs to check “accept changes” on the edits they’ve added to your piece or wants one or two headline options for a landing page you wrote, you may consider waiving the rush fee.

These small asks, particularly with a client you enjoy working with (and want to continue working with), may not be worth tacking on additional costs. Consider it the cost of being a good business partner to them.

Again, it’s your business so you may decide you never waive rush fees, and that’s fine, too!

When to Say No to a Copywriting Rush Job

We almost started the post with this section. That’s because sometimes it may make sense to turn down the job. If your schedule is jam-packed with copywriting projects and squeezing this client in to the front of the line means jeopardizing any of the other projects you already agreed to, then you may want to turn the work down.

A rush job may mean a bigger payout for you, but that doesn’t mean you should risk delivering sub-par work to clients who followed the proper project process.

Rush jobs should be jobs you take on because you have the time.

The other thing you need to consider is whether you can deliver good work within the timeframe! If a client wants a series of 10 emails turned around in 24 hours, that may not be a project you want to take on or even feasible! The stress of delivering your best work in a tight timeframe may not be worth it to you (or your reputation).

Helping out a long-term client who is in a pitch may be the type of rush project that works for you because you already know the brand and voice and have a good working relationship. (Taking on a rush job as your first project with a client is not a recipe for success!)

But, if you have time in your schedule or, for example, you’re willing to give up days you had planned to take off, then you’ll need to determine your rush fee.

If you DO say no to a rush job, but you find yourself with some time say a week or so later, check back in. You may find they haven’t even started that “rush” job!

No matter what you decide when it comes to rush rates, make sure you’re respecting your own time! If you do fast work for clients all the time without adding a fee, the only person you’re hurting is yourself.

Your Turn! Have you ever charged a rush fee and, if so, how did you calculate your fee?

The post Copywriting Rush Fees: When and How to Charge Them appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[1:40] Nicki asks the all important question, should you put copywriting rates on your website? Kate notes that you shouldn’t and gives you a few answers as to why.

[2:30] Kate explains that if you put a price or price range on the site, you’re anchoring your clients to that price point, making it more difficult to negotiate. You can possibly lose a ton of potential clients because they may see a rate and thing it’s too high or too low, but it’s not even based on their specific projects and needs.

[7:10] You may be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars of work over time because someone wants to find the right fit. Clients won’t throw their biggest project at you right out the gate, because they’ve never worked with you before. But maybe they have a $100 project that will take you 30 minutes, and that leads to bigger projects down the line.

[8:36] The scope in any kind of project is so broad, you can’t possibly know the pricing for the project without knowing all that it entails. By putting a price on your website, even if it is a range, you’re still quoting a price before you know any details about the actual project. Maybe it’s a project that’s a lot more than your typical range!

[10:20] Kate mentions that looking at clients as an opportunity to receive the highest price point can turn you away from the core of what you should be doing, which is being a service provider. It can be stressful to constantly chase the big ticket projects rather than possibly having consistent work with clients with those big projects every now and then.

[12:00] Nicki notes that it’s not about you, it’s about what you can do for your target audience. Yes, you are looking for the right fit, but to find that fit you talk to that client about the project. This gives you the room to figure out if that’s something you even want to work on or someone you want to work with.

[15:48] Nicki dives into how trying to force fit a potential client into a price or a template of a project can make a relationship with that client end up badly. Every client and project that you deal with is different. The focus shouldn’t be on you selling those packages, but it should be on what the client actually needs.

[19:40] You may get clients that want to see your rates, but that’s when you tell them no and have that conversation as to why that is. If clients don’t want to work with you after that, then that shouldn’t be your ideal client.

[20:25] Nicki notes that most clients will start out by asking what your rates are, because clients don’t know what else to ask. They’re not professional clients. That shouldn’t throw you, instead you should make sure you understand more about the project and then give them a price after you know the work you need to do.

[22:28] Nicki and Kate wrap up this episode by noting the importance of doing the work. Any time your instinct is to save time, ask yourself if this is actually saving you time and benefitting your client and project? If the answer isn’t yes to both questions, then reconsider rethinking your strategy. It needs to benefit your clients as much as it benefits you.

Related Links

• What Copywriters Charge for Content Writing
• How to Price Copywriting Project Rates: By the Minute? The Hour? The Word?

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 49: How to Build Your Own Benefits as a Freelancer

The post Ep. 50: Should I Put Copywriting Rates on My Website? appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Both new and seasoned copywriters face this question at some point in their careers: should you be combining copywriting and graphic design services to be a one-stop creative shop for your clients?

The answer isn’t black and white, as this is YOUR business, so the decision will always come down to what you want for your career. However, for most copywriters tacking on graphic design services does not make sense.

Here are four things to consider before deciding to offer multiple creative services.

1. Graphic Design and Copywriting Are Different Specialities

As our Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students know, copywriting takes training. Just like someone shouldn’t hop into a pilot seat with 0 flight training, copywriters shouldn’t offer copywriting services until they’ve received proper training.

The same is true for graphic design. Graphic designers know how to work within a client’s brand guidelines, knowing what colors and fonts to apply to a design and what to stay away from.

They also know how to create balance within designs (how the text, images, and other design elements work together in a layout); align design elements in a way that makes sense for the medium; establish hierarchy so a user knows what to read first, second, third and so on; use white space; create movement; and more.

These terms are barely scratching the surface and each takes practice and skill to use in a way that creates an effective design.

2. Ask Yourself: Is This Resistance Rearing Its Head?

Resistance can come in many forms. Hopping into Canva and designing a logo, business card, or any other fun, but unnecessary, project for your business is one of the most common forms of resistance.

Often this comes up when copywriters are creating spec ads. It takes time and energy to find a designer to work with, so why not just create the ads yourself?

It’s fun to flex a different part of our brain. But that doesn’t mean we should go all-in on becoming a designer, too. Your lack of design training will show.

If you are just digging into copywriting, learning the ins and outs of graphic design while simultaneously building your copywriting skills is a good way to spread yourself too thin and burn out. Keeping your focus on one speciality will get you to landing consistent work a lot faster than if you split your time and energy into learning two skills.

3. Plenty of Clients Will Hire You for Copywriting

Some copywriters think that by being a one-stop-shop they can attract more clients. This isn’t necessarily true.

There are plenty of clients who will hire you to write copy and will not expect you to design, too.

In fact, some clients may see it as a red flag that you do it all, especially if they’re savvy enough to know that these are two different areas of expertise.

And, many clients may already have a designer. Seeing that you position yourself as a design and copy shop, they may pass on your services since they don’t need both.

If you do come across a client who needs a designer, what’s when having a network of designers is handy. You can refer clients to those experts when and if they need them.

As someone who has hit six figures year-over-year just writing copy, I can assure you that adding design services isn’t necessary to hitting a financial goal.

4. If You Offer Copywriting AND Design, Master Both (and Charge Accordingly)

If you do decide to combine copywriting and graphic design services, you need to master both skills. Clients can tell when something is designed by an amateur (just like they can tell when copy is written by someone who doesn’t understand features versus benefits).

If you’ve been copywriting for a while, you may already know that you can make a great living as a copywriter, without adding design services. However, you may be exploring ways to grow your business. If that’s the case, you still need to master graphic design.

You may find you can offer clients a high level of copywriting, but a more basic level of design services. This may cause more of a split focus in your client base than you want as you develop the design skills needed to match your copy expertise.

Remember: as copywriters, we are charging for writing copy only. If you’re offering design and copy services, you’re going to need to make sure your rates reflect the work for both services.

The truth is, very few people are great at graphic design and great at writing copy.

And that’s OK! That’s why graphic designers design and copywriters write.

Your Turn! Have you decided to stick with copywriting or have you merged copy and design services? Tell us why in the comments.

The post Should I Combine Copywriting and Graphic Design Services? appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:00] Jack is the first student for this laser coaching call. He is looking for tips and tricks to move forward with beginning his business.

[4:30] Kate discusses pushing yourself over the peak of resistance and working through fear when you are almost there. She gives actionable tips to build up your business and get the work done.

[7:45] Nicki and Kate suggest to Jack that he figure out what time of day he works best and has the most focus, and to use that time to be productive and keep from getting overwhelmed.

[11:00] A tip Nicki and Kate give Jack is to break projects down in to tiny steps. Doing this keeps tasks from feeling insurmountable and helps with the feelings of accomplishment, which can propel us forward in our work.

[12:15] The next student is Blessilda. She shares about her first pitches and discovery calls, and the absolute excitement of getting responses to pitches!

[15:00] Nicki and Kate advise that before you quote a project it’s really important to have a complete understanding of what the project entails.

[23:30] The final student is Chris. He wants to gain insight into what is the best way to communicate with clients and to ask for more information when needed.

[26:15] Nicki and Kate address how key it is to schedule enough time during calls with clients to learn the subect matter you’re working with and to ask plenty of questions (and don’t forget to record your calls)!

[29:20] Nicki highlights that while most clients don’t know what they want to say, they do know what they want the end results to be, so it’s up to the copywriter to gather the information to make that happen.

Related Links

• How NOT to Pitch Potential Copywriting Clients
• Copywriting Q&A: What to Charge for Content Work
• Fight These 10 Fears with a Systematic Process

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 30: Do Copywriters Need Business Insurance?

The post Laser Copy Coaching: Getting Information From Clients, When to Price Your Services, and Boosting Confidence appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[2:30] Pricing your services isn’t an exact science. Nicki and Kate discuss all that goes into calculating your project price – and why you can’t just use a calculator.

[5:00] The importance of individualized solutions for clients is a key element in any and all discussions on pricing for a project. No two projects are the same.

[6:37] Clients are not professional copywriters. There will be a lot of questions back and forth because you cannot price a project without knowing the scope of what the client wants.

[13:07] Nicki and Kate outline what to consider (and what to ignore) when determining a baseline price and hourly rates such as project scope, rush time, previous prices, and more.

[14:00] How do you know how long a project will take? Nicki and Kate discuss how to account for various time inconsistencies between clients.

[16:30] You should not quote on a discovery call. Factor in all the elements needed to come up with the quote and then you can send it to your client!

[23:00] Ask yourself “Will I be happy working at this rate?” Kate and Nicki explain how to push past comparing your own copywriting business (and rates!) to others.

[27:45] Nicki and Kate discuss various pricing outlines such as paying by the word and hourly work.

Related Links

• Why Most Advice About How to Price Your Services is Dead Wrong for You
• Copywriting is Only 1/3 Writing, Here’s Why That Affects How You Charge
• What Copywriters Charge for Content Writing
• When and How to Raise Your Copywriting Rates

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

About the Build Your Business Podcast

Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?

Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.

Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.

See Previous Episode

Ep. 16: Freelancer to Full-Time Remote Copywriter: Karisa’s Story

The post Ep. 17: How to Set Your Copywriting Rates appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

The rates you charge when you first get started as a copywriter will not—and should not—stay the same throughout your career.

Remember that copywriting is a merit-based career. Regardless of your background, your age, your gender, your race, any demographic difference, if you can write great copy, people will hire you.

And since it’s a merit-based career, that means your compensation is also merit-based. Basically, the better you get at writing copy, the more you can charge.

But rates aren’t quite that cut and dry. You can also charge more if the demand for your services is high. You can charge more if the client wants an especially fast turnaround. And you can charge more if the company is a giant corporation and, frankly, has a bigger budget.

So, there are a lot of factors that come into play, but here we keep the scope narrow: when you should increase your copywriting rates and how you should do it.

When You Should Raise Your Copywriting Rates

So, when do you know that it’s time to increase your rates? Well, to start off, if you’re getting signals from clients that your rates are low, you need to think about increasing them now. And not just one or two clients since some people’s perceptions are skewed—but if the vast majority of your clients are bowled over by how little you charge, it’s time to up that rate.

Beyond that, though, we recommend a yearly check-in and self-evaluation.

Kate, our Head Coach, shared these questions that she asks herself:

• What have I learned this year that allows me to deliver more value to my clients?
• What have I already delivered this past year to my clients that goes above and beyond my rates?
• Am I being extra flexible for a client or offering additional services?

“One ongoing client gave me a company email address,” she explains. “So, naturally, I had to manage that inbox in addition to my regular business email. That ate up additional time and I was delivering a level of convenience for them by using their email, fielding more emails than on a normal project, and delivering emails with a ton of strategy-related questions they hadn’t thought through. Extra convenience equals higher fees.”

So, each year, evaluate how you’ve grown and developed as a copywriter.

How to Raise Copywriting Project Rates

Though I say “hourly,” know that we’re not just talking about by-the-hour projects. You’ll use your hourly rate to estimate the time it will take you to complete a project, so your hourly rate also affects your project rates. (As you know, project rates are the best way to charge for copywriting projects.)

But you don’t need to announce an increase in your rates if you work with clients on a project basis since your rates are baked into your project prices and they never actually KNOW what your hourly rates are.

Here’s what I mean: You may have done a project for a client and priced it out with a $50/hour rate, but what they saw was a quote for $700. They don’t KNOW that your rate was $50. So when you price out projects in the future with a $55 or $60 an hour rate, they won’t know that there’s a difference since each project is unique anyway.

How to Increase Hourly Rate

Bear in mind that you’re only going to need to increase a price announcement if you’re working with a client on a regular basis and you are billing hourly. These are clients who are used to paying you a certain amount and now you’re going to increase that amount.

Most copywriters tend to overthink this, but it can be a simple email. See the template below.

Get Your Mindset Right

Before you hit send on the email, you need to get in the right mindset. Too many copywriters build this moment up to the point they’re ready to adjust their rate increase so it doesn’t “seem” so high or, worse, back down from increasing rates all together.

Stick With Your Rate

You’re raising rates for a reason. Often, copywriters aren’t accounting for all the time they’re spending and they wonder why they’re not hitting six figures. If that sounds like you, know you need to move forward with the increase. It’s not serving you to work for less than your value.

Plus, you have no idea how your client will react. We build up worst case scenarios, when all too often clients say, “OK!” We’ve then spent days or even weeks worrying about a rate increase for nothing. Remember: if you’re providing great copy and they like working with you, they do not want to go through the trouble of finding someone new!

Negotiate or Walk Away

Very occasionally, a client may say something like, “We just can’t make that work with our budget.” At this point you have a choice.

One of the business rules you need to create for yourself—if you haven’t already—is your “no lower than rate. This allows you to walk away from clients who simply can’t meet your “no lower than rate.” Now, you may decide that you don’t want to go lower than your rate ever—that’s totally fine! Time to find a new client!

But sometimes, you may love a client, or really want a piece for your portfolio, or really want to crack into an industry. In these cases, you want to have flexibility, but you also want to maintain a boundary. Set your no lower than rate and see if your client is willing to meet you there. If not, walk away.

Set those boundaries now so they’re ready to go when the time comes. (Otherwise, you’ll find yourself saying “yes” to rates that are way too low.)

Make Room for Clients Who Can Pay Your Rate

There are so many more opportunities than you realize. Remember that there are clients willing to pay your rate. And if you take on clients who can’t pay your full rate, you’re not giving yourself the time and space to find clients who will pay your full rate.

A Note on Justifying Your Rates

When it comes to raising your rates with regular clients, here’s something I want you to remember: You NEVER have to justify raising your rates. Your rates are your rates and you have the right to charge whatever you want to charge. You don’t have to justify (to them) that now you have more experience, or you’ve been taking more classes, or whatever. It doesn’t matter. If YOU feel that it’s time for a rate increase, it’s time.

Before you send an email to let your clients know that you’re raising your rates, check any contracts you’ve signed. If you’re in the middle of contract work with a client and the rate is in that contract, you’re going to have to wait until that contract is over. But if you’re doing more ad hoc work with a client, you can just send a simple email.

Email Template for Raising Hourly Copywriting Rates

SUBJECT LINE
A quick update about rates

BODY
Hi, [NAME],
I just wanted to send you a note to let you know that my rate will be increasing to $XX/hour as of [DATE]. Please let me know if you have any questions.

I’ve really enjoyed working together and I look forward to our future projects.

Thanks!
[YOUR NAME]

Easy, right? And the only thing to keep in mind is that your client also needs to email you back and acknowledge this rate increase; you can’t just email them and increase it.

How Much Do You Increase Copywriting Rates?

A few more things to bear in mind: When increasing your rates, you’re most likely not going to want to think in terms of huge jumps ($50 to $100 an hour) but more along the lines of increasing $5 or maybe $10 per hour. (If that sounds little, remember that $10 an hour over the course of a year is $20K+.)

You also don’t NEED to raise your rates every year, we just recommend a yearly check-in. You won’t be able to raise your rates indefinitely. Three hundred dollars an hour may put stars in your eyes, but clients are going to balk if they ask you to write a simple welcome email and you quote them $700 for that email.

As we’ve said before (and will continue to say a million times after this) pricing and rates aren’t an exact science. But if you take a look at the work you’ve done and the amount you’ve learned and improved your skill, and it’s not reflected in what you’re charging your clients…it’s definitely time to think about increasing your rates.

Watch More

On episode 109 of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Nicki and Kate discuss the right way to raise your copywriting rates, including making sure you’re valuing your time and knowing when it’s time to raise your rates.

Want More Career Advice?

If you’re looking for more advice for a successful copywriter career, we’ve got it! Here’s how to get a promotion, when to make a change, and other tips. 

Your Turn

When will you plan to evaluate and raise your copywriting rates? Have you raised your rates recently and, if so, what happened? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Increase Your Copywriting Pricing Without Burning Bridges appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.