Declan Morton, Copywriter

Pricing

How much does copywriting cost?

Well... it depends... It's a function of the size and complexity of the job, the time required to complete it, and the experience of the copywriter. The amount of research needed and how prepared you are already can also affect what you pay.

My prices definitely won't be the cheapest but nor will they be the most expensive. You'll get excellent value for money for first rate copy and content.

Importantly, although my charge-out rates are described in terms of hours or days, the reality is that they represent value - the value I bring to you, based on my experience and expertise. Days and hours are a convenient way of modelling a charging structure, but my price is never simply about how long the job takes.

My costs are tailored to your specific project, so you won't be stung by a 'one size fits all' approach and I prefer to agree a fixed price for each commission. The framework within which I work is set out below.

Pricing Structure

Costs vary depending on the nature and complexity of the work. My starting point is a daily rate of £400. This is about average for the sector, and it really is a starting point only. There are many variables in each commission, so it's best to talk through what you have in mind.

For the occasional project that takes less than a day, I charge £60 an hour. If I think a piece of work will take six and a half or seven hours I'll charge for a whole day, as this gives you better value that the hourly rate.

A down payment of 25% or £100 (whichever is the greater) is required before I start research and writing. For long commissions, installments may be appropriate and we can agree the details during our discussions. Clients based outside the UK pay 100% of the agreed price at the start of the project.

Commitments to produce regular and scheduled material (which necessarily means turning down work from other clients) may require a modest monthly retainer in addition to the usual fee.

Websites and eBooks

£400 / day for copywriting and content writing, including content research, key word research and, (if requested and at extra charge for the time and expertise), advice on Alt Text and meta page titles & meta page descriptions. One day can be enough to produce the content for a website of 3-5 pages, depending on complexity and the amount of research required.

Ghost Writing

This is for projects like short stories, novels, autobiographies or longer articles for print magazines which are charged on a different basis to websites and the like. I can charge by final word count or by the day, but so much depends on the scope and scale of the work that it makes little sense to generalise. Get in touch to tell me what you have in mind.

Blogs

£200 for anything up to 1000 words, scaled up thereafter at £50 per 500 words. Thus a piece of 750 words will cost £200, and 1500 words I will charge at £250. 2000 words will cost £300, and so on. Naturally, you decide the word count for the published version.

This is a service for clients with something worth saying. I usually write these blogs on a monthly basis, or perhaps fortnightly; I'll happily write on a one-off basis if my diary is free.

I’m not in the market for producing high frequency social media postings – these have an important place in digital marketing but it is not a service I provide.

Press Releases, Brochures, Leaflets, Case Studies and White Papers

This work and similar commissions is priced according to my day rate. The determining factors are often the amount of research required, and the length of the piece or pieces.

I tend not to price by word count for this sort of work; short texts can often require more time than a longer text with the same message. In the words of Mark Twain, "I apologize for such a long letter - I didn't have time to write a short one.”

Copy Editing and Proofreading

Consistent with guidelines suggested by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (ciep), I charge as follows

Copy Editing including proofreading, £36 an hour
Proofreading without copy editing, £30 an hour

In the past some of my clients have preferred a charge per word, although these often come out at a total similar to an hourly rate. If you call, we can look at the alternatives that suit you best.

These rates are for the work without substantial re-formatting or project management and are also subject to my having seen a sample of the text in question - some manuscripts need lots of work, some not so much.

What does the price include?

For the agreed price you will get

engaging copy to support your commercial or other imperatives
an excellent service with the agreed work delivered on time
the first draft of each document and up to two rounds of revisions if required
for online material, research for key words for SEO, including competitor analysis, and
content / subject matter research.

The practical bits

I prefer to work on a fixed price for a job. I work on the basis of an initial down payment (see above), with the balance paid on completion. Large and/or long term commissions may be agreed differently and can include staged payments if appropriate.

Working under a non-disclosure agreement (an NDA) may carry a modest surcharge to compensate for my not being able to use your project as an example of my work.

I take each commission seriously, regardless of its size or value. I expect my clients to do the same, and in particular to provide feedback reasonably promptly. I am not registered for UK VAT, so the agreed price is the price you pay. Like most freelancers, I do pursue all unpaid debts.