Got a question?
You’ll find the answer here.
Q. What does a copywriter actually do?
A copywriter writes the words that go onto websites, ads, brochures, emails, flyers, sales letters and so on. And they write them in such a way that the reader is persuaded to take the action that the copywriter and the client want.
It might be to try a particular product or service. Switch to a different brand. Pop into a shop or store during a forthcoming sale. Be aware of important news. Sign up to something. Make a donation. Trade up for a better product. Understand your brand better and trust you more.
And here’s the thing about copywriting. It’s not designed to show you how clever the copywriter is. After finishing some copy on an email, ad, brochure or whatever, you shouldn’t be thinking, wow, that’s clever/funny/witty/smart/shocking/unbelievable….
You should be going straight online to check out that new product, browse those sale bargains or get that important news update. Or you should be going into town to pop into that coffee shop, visit that car dealership or the mobile phone shop to try out that new phone or tablet.
Q. So what is copywriting?
You’d be surprised how many people confuse copywriting with copyrighting. It’s obvious to us and everyone in our industry. But if you’re not familiar with copywriting, it’s an easy mistake to make.
There are hundreds of definitions out there. This one’s my favourite. And this is also why copywriting and content AREN’T the same. In 1905, John E. Kennedy, a relatively unknown copywriter described advertising as ‘salesmanship in print’. He went on to become a hugely successful copywriter and those three words have been used to describe copywriting for well over a century now.
Think of how a good salesman or woman gets you on their side, tells a joke or two and then explains a product or service before persuading you to buy it. That’s what copywriting does using words - in print or on a screen. And these words are called copy – a chunk of text on a website, an advertisement, a sales letter, an email, a flyer or a brochure.
So copywriting is a magical mixture of art, science, psychology, wit, charm, charisma, confidence, creativity, life experience and in many cases, just sheer cheeky ballsiness.
Q. Why do I need a copywriter anyway?
If there’s one thing that copywriters learn very quickly, it’s that everyone thinks they can write. You might have won a poetry competition at school, edited the uni newsletter or had something published in the local newspaper. Doesn’t mean you can write copy. And these days everyone is writing emails and posting on social media. So copywriting should be easy. Right?
Wrong. There’s a vast gulf between being able to string a sentence together and being able to write copy that has style, wit, charm, pace and rhythm. Not only that, but a piece of writing that taps into human emotions, subtly communicates the benefits of the product or service, and persuades the reader to take action.
So you could write it yourself, but you’ll never do it as well as a freelance copywriter who does it every day for a living, who knows the English language inside out and understands grammar, punctuation, tenses, active and passive voice - and can spell.
What’s more, you’d have to spend hours writing, deleting, rewriting, checking, editing, rewriting and so on. Time you could have spent focusing on your company. And all you’ll get at the end will be a website, brochure, advertisement or leaflet that doesn’t bring inany business.
So you definitely need an experienced UK freelance copywriter. If you’re wondering why you should choose the Word Dept, here are five good reasons.
Q. What makes you unique as a copywriter?
So you’ve decided to hire a freelance copywriter, but why should it be me?
It’s quite simple. I have a combination of skills which few other copywriters can match. I started in the pre-internet days of magazine and newspaper ads, brochures, leaflets and flyers. So I know all about writing copy with style, pace, a consistent tone of voice and readability.
I’ve also written masses of direct mail copy, so I’ve learnt the hard way by measuring response how to draw people in and make them act – now. And because it’s direct mail, I’m also used to writing masses of copy for multi-piece direct mail packs. So a big multi-page website doesn’t scare me at all.
Since the internet came along, I’ve done more and more online copywriting for websites, emails, blogs, articles, infographics, white papers and all kinds of social media – for myself and my clients. Finally, because I’ve worked in big traditional ad agencies in partnership with different art directors, I’m also a creative copywriter. I understand how to come up with big ideas and advertising concepts – something which is extremely rare these days.
Q. Will you give me a quote before you start?
Yes of course, don’t worry. I won’t write your copy and then send you an enormous bill!
As soon as you agree to give me the project, we’ll chat it through and I’ll send you an exact quote and a timeline of when you’ll get the first draft of copy. My clients recognise that they get excellent work at a competitive price, often very quickly if they need it. So I must be providing good value for money. As well as hardworking copy and content which supports your brand, you can also benefit from my general advertising and marketing know-how and 40 years’ experience in the business.
Q. Do you have any references or testimonials?
Yes tons. Check out my freelance copywriter feedback.
Q. Who have you worked with?
As a freelance copywriter with over 40 years in the business, I’ve worked with a vast range of companies large and small, in a whole variety of sectors including Aunt Bessie’s, Orange, Toyota, Calor, Mercedes-Benz Finance, BP, Tesco Mobile, Marks & Spencer Financial Services, Dulux, H. Samuel, Ernest Jones, Aston Martin, Capital One, Thorntons, NatWest, Jaguar, Chrysler, Childline, American Express, RSPB, Experian, Alliance & Leicester, Legal & General, Siemens, Ideal Boilers, Alton Towers, Thomas Cook, BMI, British Gypsum, Pfizer, English Heritage, Woodland Trust, Travis Perkins, Jiffy, JCB, Asda, Club Mediterranean, Volkswagen, Abbey International, ATS, Baxi, Arriva, AvantiGas, Police Mutual, Maryland Cookies, Burton’s Biscuits, Hermes, Fox’s Biscuits and Argos.
I’ve also done copywriting and content for plenty of small businesses – one-man bands, start-ups, tiny online shops, independent consultants, healthcare specialists and many more. You can see samples of work for many of these people here. If you’d like to see copywriting for a particular client above, get in touch.
Q. Will you write a free sample for me?
Err, no. Would you go to a restaurant and ask the chef to fry up a few chips for you to try free of charge before you book a table?
Q. Why should I use a freelance copywriter like you instead of a digital, web, design or ad agency?
For starters, it will be a lot cheaper for you. If your project needs a lot of copywriting like a website, brochure, direct mail pack or email campaign you’ll save a lot by coming direct to me. That’s because most agencies have much higher overheads than I do. I just have the usual bills plus two cats and my wife’s shoe habit to support.
What’s more, many agencies these days don’t even employ in-house copywriters. They’ll ask you to supply your own copy or farm it out to freelancers like me – and then mark it up. So just cut out the middleman and come straight to me. You’ll get the same great copy and content but pay loads less for it.
Q. When can you start the work?
This varies literally from day to day. Sometimes, we’ll have two or three projects on the go at various stages, so it’s still possible that we can take on your work – it depends on the size of your project. At other times, we’ll be able to start working for you straight away – whatever the size of your copywriting or content task.
Rest assured, we would have to be very, very busy or at death’s door with illness to give you a straight NO. Just get in touch and we’ll have a chat.
Q. We’d like to work with the Word Dept. What happens next?
Fantastic! And thank you very much. Once you’ve picked the Word Dept, call us on 07966 196706 email jamie@worddept.com or fill out and send back our Contact Form.
We can then have a quick chat on the phone and agree on the next steps. You can send over briefing information and I’ll get back to you with a ball-park figure for the copywriting or content within 24 hours. If you like the price and want to proceed, email back to confirm and we’ll start the ball rolling and agree on a deadline.
If we need more background information, I’ll email the Word Dept Briefing Form for you to complete. I’ll also start to do my own research. During this stage, I’ll probably get back to you with queries by email or phone to make sure everything is absolutely clear.
I’ll send over the first draft of copy on the day we agreed. You’ll give feedback and I’ll incorporate this into the second draft which I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. This process continues until you’re completely happy with the copy. The first two rounds of feedback are free of charge. After this, copy revisions are charged at our standard hourly rate.
Then we’ll email the invoice to you. Our payment terms are 30 days from date of invoice.
Q. What information will you need from me?
Basically, the more you can tell us the better: plenty of information on your company and your products and/or services and their benefits and USPs, plus examples of your previous advertising and marketing material. Above all, the challenges your business is facing and the objective you want to achieve.
It will also help if you give us a sense of your brand: your tone of voice, style of writing and the companies and branding that you like and identify with - plus those that you definitely don’t. And then there are things like topics to be avoided, mandatory inclusions and any other useful titbits of info you think might be useful.
If you’re comfortable with briefing outside suppliers and creative agencies this will all be familiar to you. If not, don’t worry, because we can send over a simple Word Dept Briefing Document for you to complete which will be a great starting point for the work.
Q. How long will it take you to write my copy?
This depends on a number of things. The size of your project. How quickly you want it. What information you can supply. How quickly you can supply it. How much extra digging around we have to do. Our workload at the time.
There’s a great saying in freelance circles which generally holds true. Every freelance project has three variables: QUALITY. SPEED. PRICE. You can have any TWO of these variables.
In other words, you can have:
· Great work fast, but you’ll have to pay more
· Great work in a more reasonable timescale and it will you cost less
· Low cost work fast, but it will be rubbish
(Most good freelancers won’t even entertain the idea of doing the last, so you shouldn’t ask them. It’s bad for you and bad for them.)
So smallish jobs can even be turned around overnight but this will cost more. Bigger projects will need more research and info gathering and will take longer if you want high quality work. We can usually start work within one to three days and will agree a deadline with you before starting anything.
We never miss a deadline.
Q. Do we need to meet up first?
If it’s a very large or especially complex project, a face-to-face meeting is a great idea so that you can talk through it in detail and answer any questions I have. This can be tied in with a trip around your site if you think this will give a better understanding of your business, and help make the brief clearer.
Word Dept are based in Hull but I can travel to any major city by train to meet up and talk things through. We don’t charge you for any travel expenses as we claim for these anyway.
Apart from big jobs like this, meetings aren’t generally needed. In fact, with phones, email, Skype, conference calls and Dropbox for transferring very large files, it’s easy to do it all remotely. We work in this way this with clients all over the UK and occasionally overseas, and it goes really well.
Above all, we’re happy to go along with whatever you want to do. Actually, it’s nice to get out of the office, meet clients and put a face to the name. Then we know exactly who we are producing the work for.
Q. What if I have some rough copy which I just need editing?
No problem. In fact, I do quite a bit of this kind of work and it can be a good option where the budget is small or money’s tight. Send over what you have to jamie@worddept.com and I’ll take a look and give you a quote for copy editing and rewriting. It doesn’t take long so it can be very cost effective. If the copy’s fine, I’ll tell you free of charge.
Q. Do you collaborate on pitches?
Yes, of course, I have worked in a great many advertising and direct marketing agencies and have worked on loads of pitches. I have to say, they really get the creative juices flowing. I am more than happy to work on a pitch with an agency or another freelance creative person, either in-house or remotely.
Clearly, as it’s a pitch situation, my fees are negotiable depending on the size of the pitch and the amount of work you need. So if you’re asked to pitch for a project or a new client, call the Word Dept on 07966 196706 or email jamie@worddept.com.
Q. Can you come and work in-house?
Yes, I’d love to. If you’re within around 40 miles of Hull I’ll happily drive over. If you’re based further away and are in a major city, I’ll catch the train over if the departure and arrival times look good.
If not, I’ll probably work on your copywriting project from home. But these days, with modern technology, it’s incredibly easy to work remotely. We work in this way this with people all over the UK, and we have some long-standing clients we’ve never even met.
Q. Can you recommend other professionals - design, web build, print, creative direction?
One of the benefits of being in advertising and marketing for over four decades is that I know a great many really talented people. So if you need any extra services as well as copywriting, I can put you in touch with a brilliant graphic design and print buying team, not one but two superb web design and build agencies, a skilful freelance art director and brand specialist, an award-winning creative director and one of the best SEO companies in the UK.
I’ve worked with these guys many times in the past and know that they are passionate about producing the very highest standard of work. I can wholeheartedly recommend them to you, and know that they will make sure you are 100% satisfied if they know you are my client.
Q. Do you need a deposit?
I have a standard policy with all new clients: I ask for a 50% deposit before any work is started, with the remainder payable when the job is finished. If we’ve worked together before and invoice payments have been received on time, I don’t ask for a deposit.
Q. How much do you charge for your copywriting services?
The average daily rate for UK copywriters in 2019 was £346 per day. In fact, compared to this and considering my level of experience, my copywriting rates are extremely competitive. Ask me for a quote and you’ll see.
I provide written quotes on every copywriting project individually because every project is different. These are based on the complexity of the project, the amount of research required and the length of time it will take. What’s more, I work from home and have very low overheads, so I don’t have to charge hefty copywriting fees.
Q. What if I don’t like the first draft of copy?
Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. With a good brief and plenty of information, I can usually get a first draft about 80% to 90% correct. It might need a few tweaks or factual corrections. But if it’s not close to what you were looking for, it’s easily solved. In fact, that’s the whole point of doing a first draft. It helps us both to get the copy to exactly what you want. The second draft should then be just about right. If not, we can go to a third draft – that’s no problem. And so on.
Q. What if you’ve not written for my industry before?
I’m often asked if I’ll be able to write for a company if I don’t have any direct experience in a particular field. More often than not, I have written for businesses in a specific sector – one of the benefits of having over four decades of experience.
If not, then I’ll take time to fully understand the workings of your business, your products and services, your industry jargon and the sector as a whole. But this isn’t a massive task for a freelance copywriter. It’s just part of the job – we do it all the time.
More importantly, it doesn’t matter which business field you work in, the same basic advertising and marketing principles of persuasion and selling still apply. It’s just a matter of adapting them to your particular situation.
What’s more, it can actually be a benefit to hire someone who doesn’t know your industry inside and out. Often when copywriters do a lot of work for one client or in one specific business area, they get stale and use the same phrases and expressions in copy. Hiring someone who isn’t familiar with that sector can bring a fresh pair of eyes and a different perspective to your advertising, marketing and copywriting.
Q. Will my information be safe with you?
Yes. Absolutely. As a freelance copywriter, I am constantly being given confidential information about my clients, their businesses and their current and future marketing activities. I NEVER divulge this to anyone because it wouldn’t be ethical and it would be terrible for my client, their business and mine. For extra reassurance, I am also happy to sign a Confidentiality or Non-Disclosure Agreement if you wish.
Q. Will you sign a non-disclosure agreement?
Yes of course. I don’t need to because I would never disclose any confidential information about a client’s business or activities to anyone. But I will be happy to sign an NDA. In fact, it’s pretty much standard practice. I’ll also sign a non-compete agreement if you want me to, so that I don’t work with any of your competitors. Again, I wouldn’t do this either.
Q. Will I own the copyright for the copywriting?
Totally. Once the freelance copywriting project has been completed and you’re happy, we’ll invoice for the work. Once payment has been received in full, all rights for the copy will be yours and you can use it as many times and for as long as you wish.