UK freelance copywriter rates: How to charge clients
Charging the correct freelance copywriter rates can be tricky.
Many writers set their prices based on market activity and to be appropriate for the county they are working in.
With many writers being based in large countries like the USA, pricing is often presented in dollars. But what about freelance copywriter rates for writers in the UK?
There are thousands of UK writers and freelance workers up and down the length of Britain, and if you are one of them you may be wondering how best to present your own freelance copywriter rates.
How to set freelance copywriter rates
Planning and setting freelance copywriter rates can be made easier by doing some research.
Checking out the competition to see what they charge can help you build an impression of what the market commands. This can provide a baseline to work from when determining what your own freelance copywriting rates should be.
It is wise to take the rates of other freelance copywriters into account, but not be swayed too much by them.
Ultimately, you will need to set your own freelance copywriter rates and be confident about the prices you are changing.
With so many copywriters out there, you don’t need to be swayed by low-level writers, or by content creators that work for extremely low rates.
Charging low rates can often mean that the work provided is low quality, and you will want to se yourself apart from writers of this kind, especially if the goal is to make a viable freelance copywriting business or make a living as an independent writer.
Freelance copywriter rates for new writers
The hardest time to set freelance rates is when you are starting out as a brand new copywriter. With limited experience, and not much work or reviews to show, pitching for work can be challenging.
One of the best things you can do is to build a portfolio and gain a couple of reviews or testimonials, even if it means working for free.
For a little bit of time spent crafting articles, you can trade your work for positive reviews and gain more business faster.
It also means that you will have some evidence that supports the quality of your work, useful when you do set your new freelance copywriter rates.
Freelance rates for specialized writers
Fees for writing can be varied, the amount a freelance writer charges for services can be dependent on things like :
- Expertise
- Quality
- Specialization
- Turnaround time
- Topic
- Wordcount
Professional writers typically have a skill mix that impacts how much they can charge for their services. Some well-established agencies charge extremely high amounts for a single piece of content. Others charge nominal rates.
You will need to carefully assess the skills and talents you bring, the kind of specialities, you offer and any unique expertise you possess to determine your own freelance copywriter rates.
Writing rates for web content and blogs
Some writers can command higher rates by tailoring their content to a specific service. This could include writing services that fall into specific categories of writing such as:
- Social media captions
- Web content
- Landing page copy
- Article and blogs
The last item of ‘articles and blogs’ is a service that most writers find themselves offering at one time or another. Most businesses have an online presence, that usually includes a blog to share engaging content with their audience to answer user questions.
Freelance copywriting rates charged to prepare this type of content can cover a broad range. Well-established writers can spend a large amount of time researching and asking clients deep, searching questions to prepare the best piece of content possible.
On the other end of the scale, generic work can be churned out by services which prepare content quickly and in high volume, often known as ‘content mills’.
You will need to understand where you fall between the two ends of the scale to figure out how to set your own freelance copywriter rates.
Writing rates by the day, hour, or word
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the amount of money you charge for services, or indeed, HOW you charge.
You may be the kind of writer who is more comfortable setting their freelance copywriter rates as a per-day fee. Or you may prefer to charge by the hour or by word.
As with most things in a freelance business, the way you charge clients for provided services is up to the individual writer.
Whatever works best for your business model, and your peace of mind should be the option you choose.
Where to find work as a freelance copywriter
Once you have settled on your billing method and are comfortable with your freelance copywriter rates, you will need to find paid work.
Again, this is where UK freelancers have a challenge as many online job sites and marketplaces cater to an American or a broader European market,
However there are some sites that focus on providing jobs specifically for writers based in the UK, try some of these places for paid gigs.
- Freelancer UK
- People per Hour
- Guru UK
- GigLeads UK – jobs for UK writers
Final words
Setting the correct rates as a freelance copywriter can seem vague or confusing, but much of it comes down to confidence in your own abilities. A good rule of thumb is to start with a couple of clients and then increase your rates by 10-20% as you take on more work.
This ensures that you don’t get stuck with stagnant rates and are always growing your revenue.
