Comments on: 21 Secrets of Freelance Copywriting Success

By: Gayer

Gayer — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:12:48 +0000

To my mind it does work perfect! You are a skillful copywriter indeed.

By: Juri Saragih

Juri Saragih — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:43:13 +0000

Nice tricks.

It’s help me to get a clue in the “jungle” copywriting world.

Thank you Mr. Bly.

Regards,

Juri Saragih

By: Water Filter Reviews

Water Filter Reviews — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:40:16 +0000

I’ve been writing for myself for a long time. Not that I think I’m the best writer in the world but because I feel that nobody can write with the passion about MY products and/or services that I can. Not that I don’t ask for help because I do all the time.

I say all that because it’s posts like this that help make me an even better writer. Well that and Bobs books! lol

By: Russell Cavanagh

Russell Cavanagh — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:01:34 +0000

Fantastic advice. I had a prospect come back to me after I’d politely bounced her for the derisory amount she offered. It helped that I’d given her a few free and useful suggestions in the initial conversation. Just shows that you never know!

Happy New Year when it comes.

Russell (in the UK)

By: Ken Norkin - freelance copywriter

Ken Norkin - freelance copywriter — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:38:05 +0000

Great list of common-sense rules.

Three that I’d add:

A - Do not be afraid to turn down work that doesn’t meet your standards for pay, content, schedule and quality of client. If anything about the job raises red flags or makes you uncomfortable, walk away. Have the confidence to believe that it is not the last assignment you will ever get.

B - As a corollary to #6 and Henry’s post just above: learn what hourly rate you really need to earn to hit your income goal, track your time to learn how many hours different types of projects actually take you to complete, then charge flat project fees calculated to compensate you at or above your hourly rate. Charge by the project as often as possible. Recognize hourly billing for what it is: a cap on your income.

C - If a client tells you your price is too high, do not respond by immediately dropping your price. That’s negotiating against yourself. If you’ve quoted a price that the client doesn’t want to pay, the next move is his. Ask him why he thinks the price is too high and — more importantly — what price (or range) he had in mind. If you still want the work and can live with his price, still don’t immediately accept it; that just says your first price was in fact too high. Instead, redefine the scope of work so that you are doing something different (presumably less) for the lower price. If the client/prospect won’t tell you why he thinks your price is too high or what price he had in mind, refer to rule “A” above.

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:11:06 +0000

Keep track of the time spent on each project. Even if your clients never know how fast or slow you write, if you know, it will help you with your own efficiency.

Also, be a stickler for correct usage and grammar, which should go without saying.

By: Simple Delights

Simple Delights — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:36:49 +0000

wonderful ideas! this will help me as i’m still looking for freelancing jobs. thanks again and more power!

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:20:08 +0000

I have a question related to No. 6. When I first started consulting, I used a pricing philosophy that assumed you kept your fees low at the beginning, and then gradually increased them as you gained experience. Ten years later, I heard something completely the opposite: That you should set your fees high and lower them only gradually and rarely (if at all), because people use price as a shortcut for measuring quality before they hire. If you have a low fee, they will assume unconsciously that you are a low quality consultant, and tend to look more critically at your work. On the other hand, if you keep your price high, the clients that do hire you will be predisposed to finding your work of high quality (because they don’t want to think they made a mistake), and you will probably produce better work because you have that great feeling of getting paid a good consulting rate. In other words, the price primes the perception of the client.

I have to say that after being a consultant in various forms and shapes for nearly twenty years, I fully subscribe to the latter philosophy, and would be interested to hear your thoughts and the thoughts of your readers on these contrasting pricing philosophies.

By: Becky

Becky — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:54:57 +0000

This list is great. I particularly like number 13. I recently starting getting a lot of copywriting work through oDesk and if it weren’t for my sister, who is an aspiring novelist, I’m sure more than a few mistakes might have slipped through.

By: Simple Delights

Simple Delights — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:54:13 +0000

i’ll take these things to mind! thanks a lot