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Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber:
Subscriber SK asks:
"Is there a way that you can recommend to us to determine how long any given project will take to complete?"
Yes.
When you are just starting out, you really don't know.
So just take your best guess -- which will invariably be too low -- and double it.
Once you've been at it awhile, you will know how long different projects (e.g., emails, blog posts) take you, and can from that point forward estimate with better accuracy.
My best advice is to charge a flat project fee and not by the hour.
That way, the client knows exactly what the copy is costing him -- no surprises.
(Clients hate surprises.)
You can use the flat fees charged by other copywriters as a starting point.
These fees are easy to find out.
Many copywriters post them on their websites.
Others email a PDF fee schedule to almost anyone who asks.
Nothing wrong with researching prices online; big companies track their competitors' prices all the time.
Consider the fees charged by copywriters with experience, skills, and a track record similar to yours.
Your project fees should probably be somewhere in the same price range.
Unless there is something that makes you worth more, such as a long string of controls or deep knowledge of your niche.
And again, I say project fees: flat, agreed-upon fee for a well-defined project -- with client approval of your quotation and payment of your retainer (typically half the total fee) in hand.
Sincerely,
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Bob Bly Copywriter / Consultant 31 Cheyenne Dr. Montville, NJ 07045 Phone 973-263-0562 Fax 973-263-0613 www.bly.com
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Please let me know at: rwbly@bly.com
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www.bly.com/KindleCowboy
Disclaimer: The Direct Response Letter only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. For doing so, we sometimes receive a sales commission.
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