Freelance Copywriter FAQs

Some will tell you it’s an art. Some say it’s a science. Others will tell you it’s a mix of both. My children tell me that I write words and push them about a bit. I prefer to think of copywriting as finding the optimum words to promote a business, product, service, person or idea – carefully selecting, constructing and editing them to persuade the reader or listener to think, feel or do something. From engaging customers to enhancing a brand, a good copywriter needs to understand the business and its objectives, distil what matters and communicate it to the audience in a way that gets a response. Sometimes you can hammer out a page of copy first time in a couple of hours. At others, you can spend days agonising over a single tagline. Creativity doesn’t come on tap or drop off the end of a production line. There’s no substitute for the knowledge and judgement that come with experience.

Over the years, I’ve refined my copywriting services to those I enjoy most and do best. They include websites, advertising, brochures and flyers, annual reports, executive biographies, product descriptions, press releases and case studies, branding, white papers, ESG reports, blog articles, thought leadership, video scripts and packaging. You can see the full list on my Copywriting Services page.

Everyone can write to some extent, but there’s a difference between being able to put one word in front of another and writing copy that gets to the point and does what it’s supposed to do. It’s a bit like doing your own decorating. You could do it yourself and, at first glance, it might look fine. Then you start noticing the poor cutting in and the bits flaking off. It’s much the same with copywriting. You can write it yourself, but will it be as good as it could be? And by the time you’ve written, rewritten and refined it, how much time have you actually saved? More importantly, what might ineffective copy be costing you?

To be honest, I don’t have one. When I’m writing for myself, I tend to adopt a conversational style, sometimes with a satirical edge. But when I’m writing for somebody else, it isn’t my job to impose my style on them. I have to be versatile and adopt the style and tone that best suit the client, audience and objective. On any one day, I can assume several guises, depending on what I’m writing about, who I’m writing for and where the words are going to be read.

I’ve written for a huge and diverse range of sectors, industries and subjects – from deep-sea pipelines to gourmet cuisine, luxury private jets to cannabis treatment, AI to diarrhoea tablets, and just about everything in between. I know some sectors better than others. But industry knowledge, while useful, isn’t always necessary. Sometimes a fresh perspective means asking different questions and finding a better way to explain something. As Cato put it: ‘Grasp the subject. The words will follow.’ You can see more on my Sectors page.

Yes. SEO matters, but there’s little point getting someone to a page if the writing makes them want to leave it. I can work with keyword research and SEO briefs, incorporate search terms naturally and structure copy around what people are actually looking for. Where appropriate, I can also advise on headings, page structure and internal links. The priority is copy that works for search engines without sounding as though it was written for one.

No. The copy you commission from me is written by me. I may use AI occasionally as a research, brainstorming or thinking tool, just as I use search engines and other resources. But I don’t ask it to write your copy and then charge you for putting my name on it. If you’re hiring me, you’re hiring me.

Absolutely. Not every job needs to start with a blank page. I can edit, rewrite, restructure, shorten or polish existing copy, depending on what it needs. Sometimes that means adding words. Quite often it means getting rid of them.

Until you’ve spoken to me, you don’t. Not every copywriter is right for every client or every project. An initial conversation gives us both a chance to discuss what you need, your objectives, timescale and expectations, and decide whether I’m the right person for the job. If I don’t think I am, I’ll tell you.

Absolutely. There’s a selection in my Portfolio. Not everything I write can be shown publicly, particularly work covered by confidentiality agreements or produced on behalf of agencies. If you’re looking for something in a particular sector or format and can’t find it, get in touch. I may have something relevant I can share.

I haven’t. But then I’ve never paid to enter any competitions. I don’t do awards or self-indulgence. I object to paying a fortune for a crap dinner at a second-rate hotel and being judged by committee according to whatever happens to be fashionable. By its nature, originality can’t be fashionable. It’s yet to receive the approval of a committee. So no, I don’t have a cabinet full of trophies. It’s the client’s job to stand in the spotlight and mine to put them there.

I like to keep things simple. We start by talking about what you need, who you need to communicate with, what you want to achieve and when you need it. I’ll ask questions, look at whatever existing material is useful and carry out any research or interviews the project requires. Then I write. You review the first draft, tell me what you think and I make any agreed revisions. Once everyone is happy, I supply the final copy. No account managers, no unnecessary layers and nobody translating your brief before it reaches the person actually writing the words. You deal directly with me throughout.

Enough to understand what you need, why you need it, who it’s for and what you want it to achieve.

A detailed written brief is useful, but it isn’t compulsory. Existing copy, research, brand or tone-of-voice guidelines, competitor information and examples of things you like or dislike can all help.

And if all you have is a collection of half-formed thoughts, don’t worry. Part of my job is asking the questions that turn them into a workable brief.

Yes, where they’re needed. That might mean desk research, reading technical material, reviewing existing communications, looking at competitors or interviewing people who know the subject inside out. I started my career as a journalist, so asking questions and turning the answers into something useful has been part of my job for a very long time.

Absolutely. I regularly collaborate with designers, creative directors, marketing teams and agencies.

I can be involved from the beginning while ideas are still taking shape, work within an established creative concept or join the project at the point when somebody notices that all those beautifully designed empty boxes still need words in them.

Yes, where the project needs it. Good copywriting often starts before anyone writes a word. I can help clarify audiences, messages, tone of voice, content priorities and how the various pieces of communication fit together before moving on to the writing itself. How much strategy is needed depends entirely on the job. I’m not going to sell you a workshop and a 60-page strategy document if all you need is a brochure.

These days, I work remotely. With email, phone and video calls, that rarely causes a problem. I work with clients and agencies across the UK and internationally without either of us having to spend half the day on a train.

Tell me. Two rounds of reasonable revisions are included as standard. If something isn’t right, tell me what isn’t working and why, and I’ll address it. Fortunately, major problems are rare. A thorough brief and a good conversation before I start usually mean we’re heading in the same direction from the outset. If the brief itself changes substantially, that’s different. We’ll agree any additional work and cost before I continue.

The short answer is: it depends on the brief. Every project is different, so I quote each one individually. The price depends on factors such as complexity, research, interviews, length, timescale and what the copy needs to achieve. I’m not the cheapest freelance copywriter, and certainly not the most expensive. Rest assured, you won’t be subsidising plush offices, a fast car or a champagne lifestyle. Once I understand what you need, I’ll give you a clear price before I start.

Quite simply, because some words are worth more than others. Words should be weighed, not counted. Sometimes I can hammer out a page of copy in a couple of hours. At other times, I can spend days agonising over a single strapline. If you employed a builder, would you ask whether they charged by the brick? Charging by the word also rewards the wrong thing. The aim should be to use as many words as the job needs, not as many as I can persuade you to pay for.

Unless we agree otherwise, my fee covers the consultation and briefing, agreed research and reading, writing the copy and two rounds of reasonable revisions. Anything outside the agreed scope – substantial changes to the brief, additional deliverables or extensive further revisions, for example – may cost extra. If that happens, I’ll tell you before doing the additional work. There shouldn’t be any nasty surprises when the invoice arrives.

If we haven’t worked together before, I normally ask for a 50% deposit before starting the first project. For larger or longer projects, we may agree staged payments instead. The payment arrangements will be clear in my quotation before work begins.

It depends on how long your piece of string is. By which I mean the scope of the project. A straightforward blog article or sales page might take a couple of days. A complete website could take several weeks. Larger projects involving substantial research, interviews or multiple stakeholders will take longer. The timescale also depends on how quickly information and feedback are supplied and what else I have booked in. Whatever the project, we’ll agree a deadline before I start.

Quite possibly. I normally have several projects running at once, and because their timings tend to move around, I can often accommodate new work, including smaller jobs at relatively short notice.

If you have a deadline, tell me when you get in touch and I’ll tell you honestly whether I can meet it.

If something is genuinely urgent, I may be able to prioritise it for an additional rush fee.

Free samples are for supermarkets. If you’re asking me to spend time throwing together a few hundred words without a proper brief, research or payment as an audition for the possibility of paid work, then probably not. It wouldn’t be representative of my work anyway. Good copy depends on understanding the subject, audience and objective before writing. Like other professionals, I’d rather potential clients judge me on my portfolio, experience, reputation and the conversation we have about their project. After all these years, I like to think there’s enough evidence to establish whether I can write.

I provide a copy of my terms and conditions with every quotation, so you know what we’ve both agreed before work starts. They cover the practical details of the project, including fees, payment, revisions and other terms.

Copyright arrangements are set out in my terms and conditions and agreed before the project begins. For most projects, the rights in the final approved copy are transferred or licensed to the client as agreed once payment has been made in full. If you have particular intellectual-property requirements, let me know before we start.

Yes. I regularly work with commercially sensitive information and projects that can’t be shown publicly. I’m also happy to consider and sign a reasonable non-disclosure agreement where required.

It’s one of the reasons my portfolio represents only part of the work I’ve actually done.