A. James Editing, Inc.

I sent out an email a little over a month ago about a client who, frustrated at having her resume consistently lost in the pile of the other hundreds (dare I say thousands?) of resumes for any given job she applied for, decided to get hers professionally written (by me). The email is entitled, “How One Jobseeker Took the Bull By the Horns.”


In this email.


Is a typo.


And I sent it to over 200 people.


Guess how many people noticed/noticed and told me about it?


Two. Dos. Zwei. Duo. Dua. Tveir.


In the first sentence of the second to last paragraph, this typo sleeps:

If you know someone whose unemployed or underemployed and looking to have their resume and cover letter professionally written…

Did you see it?!


I didn’t either.


The fifth word is “whose”. Well, it should be “who’s”, meaning “who is”.


The dirty truth is that even copywriters make mistakes. I’ve often found errors on the websites or in the literature of professional writers.


The lesson I’ve learned from my colleagues and my personal experience:


Every good writer needs a good editor.


Thank you, Colleen Miles (a graphic designer) and Jennifer Furl (a fellow freelance copywriter), for pointing this out to me.


If you ever find any typos or errors in something I write, I would absolutely appreciate you bringing it to my attention. I know there are some people who don’t appreciate this, but I for one, do.

I’ve recently worked with a few clients who have been quite taken aback when they hear what my hourly or project rates are for a piece of copy. This has led to some instances of conflict and discomfort (not to mention drama) and I want to prevent such occurrences in the future.


The only way I could think to do that was by letting it be known what a copywriter charges for her work. It obviously varies based on experience and market, but the rates below come to this post by way of Writer’s Market, an invaluable resource for any writer. The rates are broken down by lows, averages and highs. I’ve included categories that I typically work under, but if you want a more extensive list you can probably find the latest edition of Writer’s Market in any library or bookstore.


The last thing you should do is take these rates as the literal word of the Freelance Copywriting Goddess, but they should give you a good idea of what you should charge (as a freelance copywriter) and what you should expect to pay (as a purchaser of copywriting services).

Advertising Copywriting

Low: $35-40/hour
Average: $77-92
High: $125-150

Per Project
Low: $150
Average: $2,278
High: $9,000


Copyediting for Advertising

Low: $20-25/hour
Average: $55-58
High: $100-125

Press/News Release

Low: $35-40/hour
Average: $58-97
High: $100-180

Per Project
Low: $125
Average: $479
High: $1,500

Brochures & Fliers for Business

Low: $30-50/hour
Average: $86-106
High: $150-200

Per Project
Low: $300
Average: $2,777
High: $15,000

Business & Sales Letters

Low: $36-40/hour
Average: $75-81
High: $125-150

Per Project
Low: $150
Average: $762
High: $1,500

Business Plan

Low: $35-50/hour
Average: $87-88
High: $125-150

Per Project
Low: $1,000
Average: $6,000
High: $15,000

Grant Proposal

Low: $30-43/hour
Average: $69-96
High: $125-150

Per Project
Low: $500
Average: $1,767
High: $3,000

Newsletter Writing

Low: $30-40/hour
Average: $82-90
High: $125

Per Project
Low: $800
Average: $2,000
High: $5,000

Web Page Writing

Low: $30-40/hour
Average: $66-83
High: $125-150

Per Project
Low: $100
Average: $1,251
High: $7,000

Love Skype. Love eBay. Love The BBC. Do not love typos. Off the front page of The BBC is an article entitled, “eBay in Skype deal with founders.” Forgiving a few commas here and there whose presence or absence is open to interpretation, no copywriter worth her salt could let these “ises” go uncorrected.

The BBC said:

The deal, announced by eBay in September, is is expected to be finalised in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Freelance copywriter Amber would have said:

The deal, announced by eBay in September, is expected to be finalised in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Simple.

As a freelance copywriter, being as productive and efficient as possible is only beneficial to my business. I’ve always been curious about increasing my productivity and feng shui is purported to address that. Proper integration of feng shui into your life can also help you sleep, be healthier, wealthier, and find love.

In the words of three feng shui experts, Elizabeth Moran, Master Joseph Yu, and Master Val Biktashev, feng shui is:

…a system based on keen observation of heavenly (time) and earthly (interior and exterior space) forces and how the qi of each interact. It is a practice of balancing these forces. With balance comes the likelihood of better health, wealth, and relationships. With balance, feng shui gives you the impetus, and the drive, to succeed!

I’ve been minimally applying feng shui principles to my life for the past three years and it has changed my life. I am more aware of how I walk through the world and I definitely feel an increase in my attention span and work ethic. If you have writer’s block, want to know how you can work better, or are looking for a life change, I recommend the Idiot’s Guide to Feng Shui.