Money matters can be a delicate topic of conversation, so in an effort to avoid that awkwardness, here’s some transparency in terms of what I charge and why.
Over the years, I have experimented with various pricing structures and ways of charging for my work, eventually settling on my current preference of charging by the hour.
My current rate: £25/hr
Charged in 15-minute increments
Charging hourly allows me to deliver quality work that is properly researched and considered, every time, with clients enjoying the transparency of a time sheet of tracked hours charged in 15-minute increments, submitted monthly along with their invoice.
Bear in mind, a good copywriter charges for what they can do, but a great copywriter charges for what they know. With two decades of experience copywriting for the online gambling industry, I can assure you, the quality of work you will receive is of far greater value than my rate.
Example production times
The length of time it takes to produce a piece of copy varies depending on several factors including the complexity of the subject matter, the medium, the desired message, and how much research is required.
Having said that, here is a rough estimation of how long it takes to produce the most commonly requested pieces:
| Copy | Estimated production time | Price @ £25/hr |
| 15 minutes to 1 hour+ | £6.25 – £25+ | |
| Promo page | 30 minutes to 2 hours+ | £12.50 – £50+ |
| SEO article | 1 – 3 hours+ | £25 – £75+ |
| Game description | 15 minutes to 1 hour+ | £6.25 – £25+ |
| Press release | 1 – 2 hours+ | £25 – £50+ |
| Social media post | 15 minutes to 1 hour+ | £6.25 – £25+ |
The more work you request, the more familiar with your business I’ll become and the more efficiently I’ll be able to produce your copy. Request work on an on-going basis and you’ll also benefit from a reduced hourly rate.
Why not per word?
The problem with charging on a per word basis is the emphasis is automatically shifted to the quantity of the work. From the copywriter’s perspective, the more they write, the more they earn, with quality often taking a back seat as a result. Not good news for the client.
Similarly, the client who pays on a per word basis is more likely to want fewer words but still delivering the same result. This is not always possible and again, with the focus on quantity, the quality often suffers, with essential elements at risk of being skipped just to stay within the word limit.
Having said that, a rough idea of my per word rate would be min. £0.06/wd, depending on the work required.
Why not per project?
Charging on a per project basis brings its own collection of issues for both copywriter and client. For the copywriter, projects have a habit of being unpredictable in terms of what’s required and how much research will be necessary. Unavoidable delays can mean project work is drawn out far longer than it needs to be, making for a very inefficient way of working, often resulting in ineffective copy.
On the client side, costs can spiral out of control due to unavoidable delays as many copywriters charge extra fees for project work that exceeds their predefined limits. By the time the project finally nears completion, you’re more likely to end up with copy that reflects the frustrations of its creator!
If you would still like to work on a per project basis, please get in touch and we can discuss your options.
Why not on a retainer basis?
I’ve never worked on a retainer basis as I find it somewhat presumptuous and self-indulgent! Copywriters working on retainer charge a set fee, often monthly, for clients to retain their services on an on-going basis.
I can see the appeal from the copywriter’s point of view, wanting more income stability, but this method of charging is also open to potential issues. Online gambling business needs vary from week to week and season to season, so why should you pay for a service when you’re not using it? There’s also the danger of the guaranteed income leading to a more lackadaisical approach to producing copy, rushing to complete and not giving tasks the professional attention they deserve. On top of that, when working for the same client, copywriters become more efficient at completing the same tasks, but the client doesn’t benefit from that increased efficiency on a retainer basis like they would on an hourly basis.
Feel free to browse through my Portfolio to see examples of my work.
When you’re ready for quality copywriting for your next online gambling project, get in touch.
Sarah McIver Copy 