Before I list prices, please read my TESTIMONIALS page to help you understand why evergreen copy is as valuable as it is. So here we go!
About Evergreen Copy/Content/Features Writing
Evergreen copy defined: any written communication that can stand the test of time — static web pages, brochures, articles, e-books, white papers, radio, TV and AdWords ads, explainer videos, and other written materials that don’t need to be regularly updated, altered or deleted.
Why Evergreen Copy Costs More than a One-Off Flyer to sell a single unit (like a car) or event (reunion, party, love letter, letter of complaint, etc.)
Evergreen copy comes at a higher price than temporary copy because it pays for itself hour after hour, day after day, week after week for years at a time. So if you find yourself reeling when a professional copywriter quotes you a rate, take time to catch your breath as you contemplate the long-term value and return on investment you’ll be reaping.
Analogy: It only takes 45 minutes to produce cars on an assembly line, but they cost tens of thousands of dollars because their VALUE is far greater than the time it takes to produce them. Same with evergreen copy!
Evergreen Copy Takes Longer
Evergreen copy isn’t just slapped together. A professional wordsmith isn’t a hired hack. We’ve invested years and thousands of dollars learning the trade; we’ve surpassed (wildly) Malcolm Gladwell’s established “10,000 hours of study, practice and refinement” to get to the place where we can produce engaging, converting evergreen copy. We don’t dither or worry our words to death; we know what we need to do to help business owners and entrepreneurs succeed. The guesswork is gone. We don’t have to wait for our Muse to show up or for inspiration to arrive. To a professional copywriter it’s always show time … every time. We work fast; the first presentable draft usually only requires a few tweaks (explained by the client) to make it perfect.
My Fees:
I charge $250/hour when asked to work by the hour. Usually I work by a Fixed Price arrangement as long as you and I have a complete understanding of the scope/parameters of your project. A lot of clients prefer to work this way so they know what to expect as the final price. Works for me! In fact, I prefer to work on a fixed price basis; it just isn’t always possible.
TYPICAL COPY WRITING FEES FOR PROFESSIONAL COPYWRITERS
Online/Web Site Writing Varies widely; business sites pay higher ($1 to $3 per word), $60 to $100 per hour. (Top-rated, high-profile professional copywriters also frequently require up to 50% of the income generated by what they write in perpetuity.)
The ranges below begin with writers and editors with little or no experience who live in low cost-of-living areas and escalate to experienced writers and editors living in high cost-of-living areas (or those who have clients in high cost-of-living areas) and need to (or can) adjust their rates accordingly.
Every assignment (and situation) is different, so when considering a freelance rate scale, take into account all the factors to determine what you can expect to pay your provider.
Freelance Writing Rates by Project
Advertising/Copy writing Mail Pieces (no graphics): $300 to $3,000+
Advertising/Copy writing Sales Letter: $150 to $2,000
Articles (news, or with significant research, web-based): $15 to $500 per page
Articles (magazines): $150 to $5,000+
Articles (content/keyword): $15 to $500 per page
Articles (newspapers): $75 to $1,000
Books (ghostwriting): $25 to $80 per page, $5,000 to $20,000+
Book Reviews: $2 to $100
Book Summaries: $250 to $500 per book
Brochures (no graphics work): $300 to $2,500
Business Plans: $500 to $5,000+
Editorial Management (magazine/per issue): $500 to $5,000
Grant Writing: $200 to $5,000+
Newsletters: $200 to $1,000
Press releases: $200 to $500
Resumes: $200 to $500
Scripts: $1,000 to $20,000+
Freelance Writing Up-charges and Down Payments
Up-charge for Rush: +10 percent to +25 percent
Up-charge for keyword-centric copy and content +10 percent
Down payment: 50 percent for companies, publishers, individuals/authors
TYPICAL PROFESSIONAL EDITORIAL FEES
Common professional editing rates fall within the ranges indicated below, but rates vary considerably depending on the nature of the work, the time frame of the assignment, the degree of special expertise required, and other factors.
The industry standard for a manuscript page is 250 words
Top of Form
| Type of Work | Estimated Pace | Range of Fees |
| Copy editing, basic | 5-10 ms pgs/hr | $30-40/hr |
| Copy editing, heavy | 2–5 ms pgs/hr | $40–50/hr |
| Developmental editing | 1–5 pgs/hr | $60–80/hr |
| Indexing | 8-20 pr pg/hr | $35-65/hr$3.50-12 ind pr pg |
| Layout | books | 6-10 pgs/hr | $45-85/hr |
| Layout | newsletters | 1-4 pgs/hr | $40-100/pr pg |
| Project Management | NA | $9-30/pr pg$40-90/hr |
| Proofreading | 9-13 ms pgs/hr | $30-35/hr |
| Researching | NA | $40-75/hr |
| Substantive | line editing | 1–6 ms pgs/hr | $50–60/hr |
| Transcribing | variable | $3-5/pg |
| Translating | 300-500 wds/hr | 20-50¢/wd |
| Writing | 1-3 ms pgs/hr | $50-100/hr 5¢-$2/wd
(evergreen copy costs more) |
Freelance writer
Writers who create content for clients but work for themselves are often paid by the word or by the project, but many have hourly rates.
Other types of freelancers, including editors, graphic designers and project managers, may charge $60 or more an hour. But freelancers pay more in taxes, provide their own benefits and often don’t have paying work, or billable hours, for 40 hours each week
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Word Whisperer Kristine M. Smith is an exemplary provider of top-quality web copy and web content services for entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium-size businesses.