Freelance Design Copywriter
What is a Freelance Design Copywriter?
Cue the stupidly long sentence.
Packaging, in-store posters, brochures, emails, flyers, leaflets, exhibition stands, PowerPoint decks, sales presenters, labels, LinkedIn profiles, CVs, case studies, press releases, sales letters, infographics, window graphics, blog posts, social media, direct mail, product aids, staff welcome packs, staff handbooks, e-books, brand guidelines, explainer videos, newsletters, whitepapers… they’re all covered, filled with, or held together by words.
Besides the look and feel, you need ideas and words that connect with your audience. You need a Freelance Design Copywriter.
And that’s where I come in.
How do we go about this?
There are no set rules.
But, whatever you need words for; I’m going to need a brief.
In essence, this will be a clear guide to the scope and spec of the project and/or draft copy content that covers all of the key messages and details that have to be distilled or expanded on.
If you need to understand more about the briefing process, give this a read.
Every project is different. However, this is how it might play out:
Kick-off
Besides my fees and the timelines, we need to agree the shape and scope of your project.
This could be as simple as you handing over a checklist of items that need writing, a beautifully executed creative brief and some well thought-through draft copy.
Then again, we may need to work together to get to grips with what you need to say and discuss a whole load more ‘whats’, ‘whos’, ‘whys’, ‘whens’ and ‘hows’.
The writing bit
This is the point where I put a ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign on the door of my hermetically sealed, Bond villain-style underground office.
Thinking cap pulled tight over my ears, I’ll go through several drafts until I feel it’s time to get your input.
This may be a case of writing one test piece (to agree tone of voice), working through prioritised chunks, or writing everything on the list in one go. Whichever we agree to be the best way forward.
Your feedback
Sometimes a client will slap a gold star on my first draft. More likely, there will be minor tweaks that need addressing.
My fees usually allow for one round of amends. But unless the brief changes, I’m happy to throw in another round of tweaks if necessary, to make sure everything is just so.
If you know upfront that the approval process will be complex, having to go through various key stakeholders, this can be factored in to the fee.
How much might this cost?
Until there’s clarity on the brief and scope of the job, all I can tell you is the day rate that I base my fees on.
I charge between £420 and £500 per day, depending on the brief, project size, turnaround time and scope of project.
But, before you commit to anything, you’ll receive a firm proposal – occasionally with a contingency allowance if the project includes an element of ifs and buts.
My fee will cover copywriting, research, client liaison and any expenses, such as travel costs. But for the most part, I work remotely.
Once the fee’s agreed, 9 times out of 10, I’ll ask for a 50% deposit before starting work. The balance will either be paid at project stages or on completion, depending on the nature of the work.
What do my clients say?
“I have worked with Jonathan across a variety of projects including whitepapers, flyers, exhibition stands, infographics and animations. He has always done a fantastic job in terms of interpreting the brief, communicating at each stage, managing timelines and delivering an end product that we can be really proud of. A pleasure to work with!”
Michelle Kelly – Marketing Director, EPG Health Media
You can find more client testimonials here.
If you’d like to discuss a design copywriting project, please get in touch.