How to Negotiate Rates with a Freelance Copywriting Expert
Author: Dina Giolitto
< P > L o t s o f p e o p l e w h o s e e k o u t m y c o p y w r i t i n g s e r v i c e s a r e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t m o n e y . R i g h t f u l l y s o . I m a s m a l l b u s i n e s s o w n e r t o o , a n d I k n o w w h a t i t i s t o h a v e t h a t d o - i t - y o u r s e l f m i n d s e t . ( I t s e x h a u s t i n g ! ) B u t e n t r e p r e n e u r s l i k e y o u a n d I o f t e n o v e r l o o k t h e v e r y r e a s o n t o c o n t r a c t a j o b o u t i n t h e f i r s t p l a c e . W h i c h i s : < I > t h e t e r m s o f t h e c o n t r a c t a n d t h e a m o u n t o f m o n e y s p e n t a r e t o t a l l y c o n t r o l l e d b y y o u ! < / I > < / P > < P > T h e c o n t r a c t e d p r o j e c t a f f o r d s a w i n - w i n s i t u a t i o n . T h i s i s n o t Y o u v s . a C o r p o r a t i o n ; t h i s i s j u s t a n i n d i v i d u a l w i t h a n e e d , a n d a s i n g l e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r w h o c a n a n s w e r t h a t n e e d . W h o w o u l d n t j u m p a t t h e c h a n c e t o n e g o t i a t e a t e r r i f i c d e a l o n a j o b t h a t s d o n e t o t h e i r e x a c t s p e c i f i c a t i o n s ? < / P > < P > M y g u e s s i s , t h e b i g g e s t r e a s o n p e o p l e s h y a w a y f r o m c o n t r a c t e d j o b s i s t h e s a m e r e a s o n p e o p l e d o n t d o a l o t o f t h i n g s : F e a r o f t h e U n f a m i l i a r . < I > A l l o w m e t o f a m i l i a r i z e y o u w i t h t h e w a y s o f t h e f r e e l a n c e w r i t i n g w o r l d . < / I > H e r e s h o w t o c u r b c o p y w r i t i n g c o s t s w h i l e g e t t i n g t h e m o s t b a n g f o r y o u r b u c k ! < / P > < P > < B > T h o r o u g h l y r e s e a r c h p r o s p e c t i v e c a n d i d a t e s f o r t h e j o b . < / B > S e e k o u t f o u r o r f i v e d i f f e r e n t w r i t e r s , c a r e f u l l y e x a m i n e t h e i r w o r k a n d a s k a b o u t t h e i r q u a l i f i c a t i o n s . R e q u e s t s a m p l e s f r o m e a c h w r i t e r . C h e c k f o r a c c u r a c y , l a n g u a g e m a s t e r y a n d a p p r o p r i a t e u s e o f t o n e . C o m p a r e r a t e s . Y o u m a y d i s c o v e r , t o y o u r d e l i g h t , t h a t t h e r e a r e s o m e r e a l l y t a l e n t e d n e w i s h w r i t e r s w h o w i l l o f f e r y o u a m u c h b e t t e r d e a l t h a n s o m e o l d v e t e r a n s o u t t h e r e ! < / P > < P > < B > C o n s i d e r h i r i n g s o m e o n e w h o h a s n e v e r w r i t t e n f o r y o u r f i e l d b e f o r e . < / B > Y e s , y o u h e a r d r i g h t . S o m a n y p e o p l e s h y a w a y f r o m a w r i t e r w h o h a s n t d o n e e x a c t l y w h a t t h e y r e l o o k i n g f o r . U n l e s s y o u r e i n a r e a l l y s p e c i a l i z e d a r e a , t h e r e i s n o r e a s o n w h y a w e l l - r o u n d e d w r i t e r c a n t e a s i l y a d o p t t o y o u r t o n e a n d s t y l e o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n . L e t s s a y y o u w e r e l o o k i n g f o r s o m e o n e t o w r i t e a m a n u a l o n " h o w t o g e t t h r o u g h y o u r f i r s t y e a r a s a c o r p o r a t e p r o f e s s i o n a l . " Y o u f i n d a w r i t e r w h o s w r i t t e n a s l e w o f g r e a t a r t i c l e s a n d a s m a t t e r i n g o f e - b o o k s , b u t n e v e r a n e x a c t m a t c h o f y o u r p r o j e c t . H e r e a r e t h r e e r e a s o n s t o h i r e h e r : 1 . S h e s a n e x c e l l e n t w r i t e r , 2 . I t s l i k e l y s h e s w o r k e d f o r a c o r p o r a t i o n a t o n e t i m e o r a n o t h e r , a n d 2 . S h e s p r o b a b l y w i l l i n g t o o f f e r a r e d u c e d r a t e b e c a u s e s h e d l o v e t o a d d t h i s p r o j e c t t o h e r r e p e t o i r e . < / P > < P > < B > F i l l i n a l l t h e d e t a i l s b e f o r e h a n d . < / B > G i v e t h e c o p y w r i t e r a p r o j e c t o v e r v i e w , s o m e b a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n y o u r b u s i n e s s , a n d e x a m p l e s o f p a s t p r o j e c t s o r a c o m p e t i t o r s w o r k t h a t y o u d l i k e t o e m u l a t e . M a k e s u r e y o u t h o r o u g h l y d e s c r i b e t h e h a b i t s a n d a t t i t u d e s o f y o u r t a r g e t a u d i e n c e . W h y d o t h i s ? I t s t h e q u i c k e s t w a y t o h e l p h e r u n d e r s t a n d w h a t y o u n e e d . . . a n d t h e q u i c k e r s h e g r a s p s w h a t y o u d l i k e t o h a v e h e r c r e a t e , t h e f a s t e r t h e j o b w i l l g e t d o n e t o y o u r s a t i s f a c t i o n . < I > T h e f a s t e r t h e j o b g e t s d o n e , t h e s o o n e r y o u r e o n y o u r w a y t o m a k i n g b i g m o n e y w i t h y o u r a d v e r t i s i n g e f f o r t ! < / I > < / P > < P > < B > E x p e c t t o h a g g l e . < / B > I ' m a s t o n i s h e d t h a t s o m a n y p e o p l e j u s t t u r n a w a y f r o m a p o t e n t i a l l y g r e a t w o r k i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p b e c a u s e t h e y r e a f r a i d t o m a k e t h e i r b u d g e t a r y n e e d s k n o w n . H e r e s a l i t t l e s e c r e t a b o u t i n d e p e n d e n t c o n t r a c t o r s : w e r e a l w a y s g o i n g t o t r y f o r t h e h i g h e s t g o i n g r a t e w e c a n g e t . W h y ? W e e x p e c t Y O U t o h a g g l e ! S h o p p i n g f o r f r e e l a n c e s e r v i c e s i s a l i t t l e l i k e g o i n g t o a p e d d l e r s m a r k e t . T h e r e s n o b i g s c a r y c o r p o r a t i o n t o c a l l t h e s h o t s a n d s e t t h e p r i c e s i n s t o n e . I t s j u s t y o u a n d m e p l a y i n g L e t s M a k e a D e a l . S o d o n t b e i n t i m i d a t e d b y a f r e e l a n c e r s a d v e r t i s e d r a t e s . Y o u r e a l w a y s w e l c o m e t o c o m e b a c k w i t h a c o u n t e r - o f f e r . T h a t s w h a t w e e x p e c t y o u t o d o ! < / P > < P > < B > I f y o u r e n o t s u r e o f a c o p y w r i t e r s a b i l i t i e s , g i v e h i m a f e w s m a l l j o b s t o s t a r t . < / B > T h i s i s o n e o f t h e g r e a t e s t a d v a n t a g e s o f h i r i n g a c o n t r a c t o r . Y o u c a n t e s t h i m o u t w i t h a f e w p r o j e c t s , a n d i f y o u l i k e h i s s t y l e , h i r e h i m b a c k t o d o m o r e w o r k . I f y o u d o n t c a r e f o r t h e w a y h e h a n d l e s y o u r p r o j e c t s , y o u r e f r e e t o s e e k h e l p e l s e w h e r e . W h a t a r e s o m e s m a l l j o b s y o u c a n o f f e r a s a t r i a l - r u n ? A p r e s s r e l e a s e , a c o m p a n y t a g l i n e , a c o r p o r a t e m i s s i o n s t a t e m e n t , a n e w s p a p e r a d , s o m e h e a d l i n e s f o r y o u r w e b s i t e . < / P > < P > < B > O f f e r y o u r w r i t e r a w e e k l y r a t e . < / B > A p r o j e c t h e r e , a p r o j e c t t h e r e . . . b o y , t h o s e h o u r l y f e e s a d d u p f a s t ! I f y o u k n o w t h e r e s a c r u n c h c o m i n g u p a n d y o u h a v e a t r u s t e d w r i t e r i n m i n d , c o n t r a c t t h e j o b o u t " b y t h e w e e k . " A s k t h e w r i t e r i f s h e s w i l l i n g t o d e v o t e 4 0 h o u r s a w e e k t o r e s e a r c h i n g a n d w r i t i n g m a r k e t i n g m a t e r i a l s f o r y o u r c o m p a n y . D e f i n e h e r e x p e c t e d r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s a h e a d o f t i m e , a g r e e o n a s e t f e e f o r f i v e c o n s e c u t i v e d a y s o f w o r k , a n d m a k e s u r e s h e s e a s i l y a c c e s s i b l e b y p h o n e a n d e m a i l . M o s t f r e e l a n c e r s a r e w i l l i n g t o a c c e p t a m u c h l o w e r r a t e o f p a y i f t h e y k n o w t h e y ' r e g u a r a n t e e d a s t e a d y g i g . G e t i t i n w r i t i n g , a n d b a m , y o u v e h i r e d y o u r f i r s t t e m p a n d s a v e d a t o n o f m o n e y i n t h e p r o c e s s ! < / P > < P > < B > H i r e s o m e o n e t o c l e a n u p y o u r w r i t t e n m a t e r i a l s . < / B > D o n t h a v e t h e m o n e y t o s p e n d o n a f u l l - s c a l e a d c a m p a i g n ? D o t h e w o r k y o u r s e l f , b u t h a v e a s e a s o n e d w r i t e r c r i t i q u e i t f o r y o u . A s k t h e c o p y w r i t e r w h a t h i s p r o o f r e a d i n g r a t e s a r e , a n d t h e n s e n d a f e w d r a f t s h i s w a y f o r a q u i c k r e v a m p . Y o u w o n ' t b e l i e v e h o w m u c h b e t t e r y o u r a d s c a n l o o k w h e n y o u s p e n d j u s t a f e w d o l l a r s o n a n e x p e r t p r o o f r e a d e r . < / P > < P > < B > A s k t h e c o p y w r i t e r i f s h e l l g i v e y o u a r e d u c e d r a t e f o r j u s t o n e w r i t t e n d r a f t . < / B > L o t s o f w r i t e r s f a c t o r m u l t i p l e d r a f t r e v i s i o n s i n t o t h e i r f e e s . B u t w h a t i f t h e y k n e w g o i n g i n t h a t t h e y o n l y h a d t o w r i t e o n e d r a f t ? T h e p r i c e w o u l d l i k e l y b e c o n s i d e r a b l y l o w e r b e c a u s e o f s i g n i f i c a n t l y l e s s t i m e s p e n t o n t h e w o r k . W h e n i t c o m e s t o c o p y , d o y o u l i k e t o h a v e i t y o u r w a y , s a m e a s y o u r B u r g e r K i n g ? T h e n a s i n g l e - d r a f t c o p y w r i t e r m i g h t b e t h e w a y t o g o . Y o u l l s a v e a t o n o f m o n e y o n c o p y r e v i s i o n s , a n d y o u c a n u s e w h a t t h e w r i t e r c r e a t e s a n d " m a k e i t y o u r o w n . " < / P > < P > < B > G e t a w r i t t e n e s t i m a t i o n o f t h e t i m e i t w i l l t a k e t o c o m p l e t e a p r o j e c t . < / B > W h a t s y o u r b i g g e s t f e a r a b o u t c o p y w r i t i n g j o b s t h a t a r e c h a r g e d b y t h e h o u r ? T h a t t h e w r i t e r w i l l s p e n d h o u r s l o n g e r t h a n y o u e x p e c t e d o n i t , a n d a s a r e s u l t , c h a r g e y o u a n a r m a n d a l e g . E l i m i n a t e t h a t f e a r b y a s k i n g f o r a n e s t i m a t e d p r o j e c t t i m e u p - f r o n t . T h e m o r e c l a r i f i c a t i o n , t h e b e t t e r . D o n t j u s t s a y , I n e e d 4 p a g e s o f w e b s i t e c o p y w r i t t e n a n d e x p e c t h e r t o k n o w h o w l o n g i t w i l l t a k e . I n s t e a d , m a p o u t t h e w o r k p l a n . W i l l s h e b e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r r e s e a r c h ? P r o j e c t o u t l i n e s ? P h o n e i n t e r v i e w s ? M u l t i p l e d r a f t r e v i s i o n s ? K n o w i n g t h e p r o c e s s w i l l h e l p h e r f i g u r e o u t a f a i r p r i c e f o r t h e w o r k . I n t h e e n d , y o u l l b o t h f e e l m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e s e t t l i n g o n a p r i c e . < / P > < P > I f t h e r e e v e r w a s a d o u b t i n y o u r m i n d a b o u t h i r i n g a f r e e l a n c e c o p y w r i t e r , h o p e f u l l y t h i s a r t i c l e w i l l a l l a y y o u r f e a r s ! C o n t r a c t i n g w o r k o u t t o a s p e c i a l i s t i s o n e o f t h e b e s t t h i n g s y o u c a n d o f o r y o u r b u s i n e s s a n d f o r y o u r s a n i t y . < I > N e g o t i a t i n g w i t h a n o t h e r s o l e p r o p r i e t o r i s a c t u a l l y q u i t e e a s y , a n d a f f o r d s y o u t h e g r e a t e s t c o n t r o l o v e r p r o j e c t t e r m s a n d s p e n d i n g . < / I > M o r e o f t e n t h a n n o t , o t h e r e n t r e p r e n e u r s a r e l o o k i n g f o r t h e s a m e t h i n g s y o u a r e : i n t e l l i g e n t , h o n e s t p e o p l e w i l l i n g t o c o l l a b o r a t e t a l e n t . S o , w h a t a r e y o u w a i t i n g f o r ? < I > H i r e a w r i t e r w h o c a n h e l p y o u g r o w y o u r b u s i n e s s ! < / I > < / P > < P > C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 5 D i n a G i o l i t t o . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d . < / P >
Author Bio:
Dina Giolitto
Dina Giolitto provides exceptional copywriting direction, creation, support and implementation for a host of corporate and small business clients throughout the country. She is the author of "ARTICLE POWER: Create Dynamite Articles and Watch Your Sales Explode," now available for download at Article-Power.com.
Visit the home for Dina's online copywriting and marketing services, Wordfeeder.com.
Do you aspire to launch your own copywriting business on the internet or write your own web marketing materials? If so, the Wordfeeder.com ezine may be just the motivation you need to get started writing great copy that converts readers to paying customers and trips the search engines for better rank and a steady stream of targeted visitors.
Corporate clients and work-at-home business owners alike will appreciate the generous amount of free information, resources, tips and tools we offer with "Word Food: The Copywriting and Marketing Ezine" from Wordfeeder.com.
To sign up and receive your first free ezine copy instantly, click BUSINESS URL #2 above, or visit:
Wordfeeder.com/kickstart-signup-priority-1.htm
You can search for this article using: editing service, editing services, resume writing service, writing services, editing services online
Special thanks to Flying Hands
Thousands of tracks, search, preview and download online. MP3 and audio CDs for broadcast, media professionals, video enthusiasts, and more.
GeraldCrabb.net
Singing News Top 5 Songwriter of the Year Nominee for 8 consecutive years.
Krug Photography
Professional Wedding and Portrait Photography by Christian owned and operated husband/wife team serving the MD/DC/Southern PA Areas.
Landscape Photography
The founder of the graphic design firm Fiorentino Associates, Lou Fiorentino has made available his landscape photography as stock or as signed original prints.This site contains beautiful photographs and images of landscapes from all over the world.
Light and Shadow Nature, Landscape and Macro Photography
Light and Shadow is a photography related resource for articles, tips, tutorials and reviews on photography and digital imaging. Photo galleries of nature and landscape images are also included.