Why should I hire you?

Why should I hire you rather than a professional agency?

Professional agencies will have a team of experienced experts to fulfill your copywriting needs. Sounds great, right? They’ll also likely charge thousands of dollars for a single webpage (i.e. About, Service, or Product page). I strive to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses that don’t have that kind of money in their budget, but still seek to improve their website copy.

What makes you unique as a copywriter/content editor/proofreader?

I’ve taught EFL for more than 25 years. This experience has given me ample practice spotting and correcting written errors. Years of proofreading subtitles provided practice finding the perfect word. Completing my master’s thesis proves two things. It demonstrates my ability to write to a high standard and follow formatting guidelines. Many of the skills required in copywriting are the very same things I taught in my writing classes. As an EFL professional, I’m especially well-suited to helping non-native English speakers. I’ve been helping students find the words they need to express themselves for over a quarter of a century.

Why do I need your services?

You don’t. Well, not technically. But if you want your brand to look professional and your copy to drive sales, I can help. Well-written copy helps drive conversions. Poor copy loses you customers faster than you can say ‘bounce rate.’ Of course, you could learn copywriting on your own. But do you have the time and energy for that? Do you have the tools to know what’s not working on your site and how to fix it? Do you have the time and patience required to proofread every last word to perfection? I do.

Why can’t I get someone cheaper? Won’t any native English speaker do?

An untrained native speaker might be able to find major errors in your copy. They can write something for your using proper grammar. But don’t native English speakers also need copywriters and proofreaders? It’s unlikely the average native English speaker knows much about copywriting—unless they’ve studied it. Proofreading is a skill I’ve honed over the years. Unless someone is well trained and practiced in proofreading, they won’t do an effective job.

What services do you offer?

Can you write a blog post for me?

Sure, that’s right up my alley. But first I’ll need to know:

How much research is required?
How much data and structure will you provide me with?
How long a post do you need?
How quickly do you need it written?
How long do you need the post to be?

Please contact me for a personalized quote.

What is your copywriting style?

My typical copywriting style is casual and breezy, with a slight hint of humor. But I am happy to meet your needs should you require more formal copy. I always attempt to write in your voice to appear authentic to your customers.

Do you do SEO?

Can I get your page on the first page of Google? No. SEO keyword research tools typically require monthly subscriptions of several hundred dollars. If you need advanced SEO, you should contact a professional SEO strategist. I understand the concepts of SEO copywriting and the importance of keyword placement. When necessary, I will use free tools to conduct basic SEO research to incorporate into your copy.

What exact services do you offer?

  • Proofreading—Checking for punctuation errors, improper capitalization, and typos
  • Content Editing—Corrections to grammar, spelling, and vocabulary choice
  • Content Writing—Writing to inform, typically blog posts, articles, or newsletters
  • Copywriting—Writing to sell, typically landing or product pages

For a more in-depth comparison of these different services, check out this post. I don’t usually offer extensive editing services, but you’re welcome to contact me. I may be able to help.

Do you have to write my copy from scratch? What if I already have a first draft?

This would fall under the category of content editing, which I am happy to do. But if your first draft requires extensive changes, I will have to charge more for this.

What’s your availability?

My availability is dependent upon the number of projects I’m currently working on. The best way to find out is to get in touch. I’ll do my best to accommodate you.

Will I own the work you do for me?

Once I receive full payment, the work I do will be 100% owned by you. You may use my copy in any form you wish. You can copy sections to use on your web pages, use other parts in a newsletter, and use other parts in emails. It’s up to you how you use what I’ve written for you.

Free Content Audit

What is a content audit?

I will assess your copy (website, webpage, post) for basic SEO, clarity, UX issues, copy issues, and issues with language use.

*Please note, this is not an extensive SEO content audit. Contact an SEO expert for a thorough SEO audit.

Are there any hidden conditions attached?

Absolutely not. This is a 100% free, no-strings-attached offer. You are under no obligation and there is no deposit required. I won’t even add you to a mailing list.

Really? Are you going to spam me with unwanted offers?

Nope! I will contact you no more than twice. I will reply to your original message for a link to your actual copy (if it’s not included in your original message). The next time I contact you will be to deliver your content audit. After that, you won’t hear from me again. It’ll be up to you to contact me if you have further questions or would like to inquire about my services.

Will you perform a free content audit on any site?

I reserve the right to refuse to conduct a free content audit for several reasons, including but not limited to:

  • Requests for in-depth SEO
  • Large sites (this service is for small business owners)
  • Requests for guarantees of any kind

I will honor reasonable requests for free content audits made in good faith.

What is the typical process?

How do we get started?

Nothing happens until you contact me. After assessing exactly what you need and the scope of the project, I will provide you with a quote. If you accept my quote and provide the initial deposit (if required), I will begin working on your project. Once completed, I will submit my first draft to you, and you can provide me with any relevant feedback. I will complete an agreed-upon number of drafts. Finally, I will provide you with the final draft, and the remaining balance will be due.

How long does ______ take?

Proofreading and content editing generally take less time. Content writing and copywriting usually take longer. Depending on the length, I can often return proofreading and content editing in under 24 hours. Content writing and copywriting require a certain amount of research. This means the turnaround time will likely be several days—maybe weeks for large projects. We will discuss the time frame before finalizing an agreement.

What information will you need from me?

For any proofreading or content editing projects, I need to see the exact text you would like me to work on. This is essential to providing you with an accurate quote. For content writing, I need to know the subject matter, length, and other details, including time frame. For copywriting, I will first ask you to complete a questionnaire. Your answers will tell me about your brand, your customers, and how you’d like your brand represented. We can also do this via video chat if you prefer.

Do I get any say in what you write?

Yes, that is why I will present you with at least one draft before delivering the final version. If the information you provided in the questionnaire/video chat is accurate, my 1st draft should be pretty close to what you want. But I would never claim to be perfect, and your feedback is a valuable tool when completing the project. My goal is always to represent your brand the way you want.

In what format will you deliver my copy?

I can either deliver your copy in a Microsoft Word document, a PDF, or a shared Google Doc, whichever you prefer.

What about changes to the original agreement?

We need to agree to any changes to the original agreement (scope, content, or timeframe). I will attempt to accommodate these changes, but my ability to do so will depend on other projects I’m committed to.

Pricing / Payment

What are your payment terms?

For small, quick projects under $100/₩100,000 (content editing or proofreading), payment can be made upon completion. For larger, more involved projects (large copywriting projects), I require a 50% deposit upfront. Full payment is due upon completion.

Why don’t you have prices on your site?

To borrow a relationship status from Facebook…it’s complicated. Each project is unique. Quoted prices depend on several factors, including:

  • The service you need (copywriting, content writing, content editing, proofreading)
  • The content you need written or proofread (proofreading a menu vs. content editing a 1,500-word blog post)
  • How quickly you need it (will depend on scope and length)

After discussing the service, type of content, and time frame, I will provide you with a quote.

Why don’t you charge by the word?

Each job is unique. Content editing a 500-word menu might sound easier than a 500-word blog post. But if I have to check each item on the menu for the standard translation or Romanization, it can be much more time consuming. Once I know the scope of the project, I can better provide you with a quote.

Why don’t you charge by the hour?

I base my quote on how many hours I expect your project will take. I don’t pad my hours—that would result in a high quote you’d likely reject. If your project requires more hours than I anticipated, that’s on me. It’s my responsibility to deliver your copy, on time, according to our original agreement.

Didn’t find the answer to your question? No problem—ask your question below and I’ll get back to you shortly.