Charging your clients an hourly rate as a copywriter only keeps you stuck – energetically and financially!
When it comes to copywriting projects – like crafting website copy for a new brand, writing an ebook or creating a batch of social media captions – charging by the hour is NOT the way to go.
WHY?
Here are 3 reasons why I never charge by the hour for client projects as a professional copywriter:
1. It doesn’t reward you for being skilled, experienced, brilliant and FAST!
The more experience and skill you have, the more you should be compensated for your work. But when you charge by the hour, your clients end up paying you LESS year on year, even though your expertise increases.
That’s why I always quote a complete project price or package for my copywriting work that includes the cost of one or two round of edits (depending on the type of writing project) as well as research time and client calls.
2. Your energy becomes focused on the amount of time you’re spending on a project rather than allowing a natural flow of work.
It’s like when you’re driving through towns where the speed limit keeps changing and you have to keep looking at the speedometer to check you’re within the limit. That constant checking takes away your attention from what’s happening on the road around you and leads to lapses in concentration and could result in an accident.
As a copywriter, and a professional who values the quality of your work, you want to feel free to take as much or as little time as needed to get the work finished to your own high standards. And sometimes that might include going off on a tangent to research, listen to a podcast, create an inspirational vision board on Pinterest or even going for a walk in nature or taking a Pilates class – all of which support you to work to your highest potential but aren’t chargeable time, per se.
3. It keeps you playing small.
If you’re always charging by the hour then you’re always focused on the TIME = MONEY equation instead of realising the TRUE VALUE you bring to your clients.
When you start creating package prices, the energy instantly shifts towards the TRANSFORMATION for the client and their business.
Here is where you will truly start to see a difference in the quality of your clients (the ones that show up, provide you everything you need, are excited to work with you and pay on time!) and your own quality of life.
Instead of feeling like you have to work more hours and feeling stuck in a never ending cycle of ‘just enough’, you get to take on the projects that most light you up, at a timescale that best suits your energy and time available, and start to create your dream lifestyle.
Are you a professional service provider stuck in an hourly rate framework?
Only you can change your business model. So why not start today?
Rip up the rule book and start doing things your way!
I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Lorraine xx
Ps. If you enjoyed this blog, you might love Ten Big-Hearted Dreams for the Next Ten Years