How To Become A Copywriter - How Freelance Copywriters Should Charge Their Clients

By W Allen

There are two ways in which to charge a client for your freelance copywriting services:

1. Flat rate

2. By the hour

I recommend that you do a flat rate. This prevents anyone from second guessing how long a project will take. If you do decide to charge by the hour then you must decide what your hourly rate will be. The range for copywriters varies from $50 an hour all the way up to $125 an hour. I wouldn’t recommend that a beginning copywriter charge $125 an hour, but it’s entirely up to you. Some businesses may not flinch if you charge a high amount. Some may head for the hills. I recommend that you get a feeling for how much they are willing to spend. You can also ask what the budget is on that particular project and this will give you an idea of how much they can afford. Also, when you are beginning, I recommend that you keep your rates negotiable. You may have to take a fee cut, but when you are first starting out any work you can get will benefit you with experience and give you a great sample to enter into your portfolio.

Flat rates are much simpler. It’s a standard fee that you charge for any particular service. If you write a brochure you can charge a flat rate fee based on the length and complexity of the brochure. If it’s a simple 3 page brochure you can charge anywhere from $100 to $400 dollars. If it’s a more complicated 7 to 10 page brochure then you can charge anywhere from $500 to $1000 dollars. And again this is based on how much you think they are willing to pay and what their budget can afford. You can always negotiate if they are unwilling to pay a higher fee. Once you get more established and have steady work coming in you can pass on projects altogether if the prospect can’t meet your fee. Just a side note here: When you do land a project and complete it, ask them if it would be ok if you could have a sample of the work when it is fully completed. That way you can use it in your portfolio (include a stipulation in your copy contract that allows you to use any work you do for a client in your portfolio).

Also ask your client for a testimonial. This is where the client writes a short sentence or two about the job you did for them and how it helped meet their communication needs. Most people will oblige you and write something complimentary about you and your work. Put it on your website and let it work for you because nothing sells quite as well as a customer testimonial. It shows others who are looking to hire a freelancer that you can fulfill a client’s requests.

Receiving Payment

To keep track of your clients and payments owed I suggest you use a simple computer program. I use QuickBooks to handle all of my invoices and balances due, overdue, and paid. It even has a feature that allows me to send an email invoice directly to my client’s email address.

There are many other options available to you if you decide against a software program. If you have a really tight budget and don’t want to spend money on a computer program you can simply use paper and manila folders or a program like Excel. But just make sure you use a program. You want to be able to keep track of who owes you and when it.s due.

Also, I advise that you develop some sort of system to keep track of your projects. I recommend you use a folder/file based method. You can use simple, labeled manila folders filed in a filing cabinet or in a cardboard box or anything else that allows you to keep your work organized when handling multiple projects. This is a great way to prevent any deadlines from being missed.

For more information about copywriting fees and receiving payment visit http://www.become-a-copywriter-today.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W_Allen

The Write Stuff - Home Office Supplies For Freelance Copywriters

By W Allen

There are certain things you need to have to be able to effectively do your work as a professional freelance copywriter. Now, some of this stuff is expensive, so if you’re running on a tight budget then it would make sense for you to try and buy some of these items used. As long as it is functional then you’re alright. Once you begin to pull in more clients you’ll be able to afford an upgrade.

As a Freelance Copywriter You’re going to need:

1. A Computer. You can buy a laptop or a PC. These days you can find a pretty reliable laptop for cheap. Most places even offer some sort of monthly payment plan. I know my first laptop cost over $1,000 but I only ended up making monthly payments of about $27. PCs are no different. The big retail electronic chain stores have reliable PCs for less than $500. And I’m sure they also offer payment plans. The computer is your life in this business. Without my laptop I’d probably just waste away. It is the core. And always make sure to back up your information. I had a computer crash on me and I lost about 7 months worth of work because I hadn’t backed it up. So make sure you back it up.

2. The Internet. I prefer high speed internet access because I do a lot of my research online and with anything less I feel I wouldn’t be able to be as productive. However as budget allows, you may not be able to afford it at first. Some cable providers have specials where you can sign up for so many moths at a discounted rate. I suggest you check and see. DSL is also an option. It’s cheaper than cable (in most areas) and is more widely available. Faster internet access is great for my business but it’s not a necessity. Once again if you are running under a tight budget then you can go with less expensive options. There are many dial up services that cost less than 20 dollars and some that are free. The main problem with the free services is that they tend to run constant advertising messages across your screen while you are connected. This could be very distracting.

3. A Telephone. You need a phone to make and accept calls to and from your clients. I think that’s fairly obvious. I have two phones--a cell phone and a home phone. I use the home phone when I’m doing business from my home office and when I’m out during business hours (at a coffee shop or library) I have my calls forwarded to my cell phone. That way I don’t miss any important calls.

4. A Fax Machine. A fax machine is optional. But if you decide to purchase one it can help you be more productive. If you plan on using a copywriter’s contract (discussed later in the manual) that you want signed by the client then it really helps to have a fax machine to send and receive it. Plus some clients haven’t fully grasped attaching documents to emails so they insist on sending them via fax instead. If you have a document store nearby you can always use their fax

machine, but it is a slight hassle to have to go there. It takes away from time you could use to be more productive.

5. Various office supplies:
• Desk
• Paper
• Pens
• File Cabinet
• Folders
• Envelopes
• Pads of paper (I like to use legal pads to take notes while on the phone with a client. Also when doing research)
• Comfortable chair
• A motivational poster or two (to keep the spirit up and focus on the task at hand)

For more information on freelance copywriting home office supplies or the business of freelance copywriting in general visit http://www.become-a-copywriter-today.com/page/page/4298993.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W_Allen