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WHAT DOES A COPYWRITER DO?
© 2012 by Kristine M. Smith
Consider the power of words when eloquently aligned. Words have inspired great works of art, terrible acts of war, and selfless acts of love. According to Genesis, God’s words alone created the universe and everything in it, seen and unseen.
As a business owner, speaker, coach, or entrepreneur, what kind of world are you creating with the words you’ve posted or spoken to let others know what you can do for them?
Are you pushing a product or service at people and wondering why your conversion rate is laughably low?
Is your “target audience” not fully-understanding the rock-solid value you offer? If not, is it because you’re targeting them rather than transforming them into mini-you’s who “sneeze” your products and services virally because they’ve so richly benefited from what you’ve done for them?
The value of a professional copywriter can’t be calculated and should never be underestimated...but sadly, all too often it is.
Perhaps you consider copywriters to be paid product pushers, ad men and women, shills for the people they serve, undeserving of respect or wealth. Certainly there are those in the trade who will work on any project regardless of its value, just as there are vanity publishers who will publish trash because they’re in it strictly for the fees they can charge.
But good copywriters pick and choose the people and businesses they serve. Ethical copywriters won’t write false testimonials for start-ups, or a great sales page for an e-book that reeks. Great copywriters look high and low for projects they can invest themselves in 100% for people they respect and admire.
A great copywriter is a wordsmith, a transformer, a magician, a spellbinder.
A great copywriter dances with words, distills benefits into compelling, converting talking points, clarifies hard-to-understand technical papers.
A great copywriter builds brands, creates memorable slogans and taglines.
A great copywriter sells, tells, compels, and propels the people who are in need of your product or service.
A great copywriter knows how to approach your prospect and blow in his or her ear, how to create a little intrigue and romance.
A great copywriter knows that social media is no place to behave like a bull in a china shop. They’ve taken the book LIKEABLE SOCIAL MEDIA to heart and will not behave badly when writing in that realm.
Great copywriters almost never offer their services at bargain basement prices, even in this economy. If/when they do, it is usually out of the fullness of their hearts for causes or people they know and feel compelled to serve out of a commonality of purpose or an abiding friendship.
If you consider professional copywriters expensive, consider these facts:
Like many (if not most) of you, freelance copywriters are entrepreneurs.
We don't get paid vacations
We don't get paid sick days
We rarely get bonuses for outstanding work or holidays
We cover the full costs of any insurance plans we have
We cover 100% of the costs for our federal Social Security and other mandated plans
We don't qualify for unemployment if work doesn’t materialize
We live in an expensive economy
We must take into account the time it requires to find and quote on projects
Although we love what we do...sadly....loving what we do doesn't pay the mortgage!
The National Writers Union and other folks in the know suggest that professional copywriters charge $1 to $2 per word for evergreen (long-lived, virtually-eternal) copy. (That's not a typo.)
Please Note: Because I usually serve start-up entrepreneurs and small businesses, I keep my rates as low as I possibly can because I know how cash-strapped most businesses are in this economy and I want to help--but without losing my shirt!
A lot goes into landing copywriting work (in time and treasure). It takes (according to Malcolm Gladwell’s THE TIPPING POINT) 10,000 hours to attain proficiency and expertise in any realm. As a writer, I exceeded this exalted milestone before I graduated from high school (decades ago). Air-breathers have to breathe; fish have to swim; writers have to write—the activity isn’t optional. What I offer you as a wordsmith keeps me alive spiritually, mentally and emotionally. I live to write: I don't write to live.
If you’ve read this far, you’ve passed the only test I’ll ever give you. I wanted you to understand what you get when you choose me to serve you: my absolute best efforts based on years of study, practice, passion, and experience—nothing less.
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A significant percentage of my business is from repeat customers and referrals.
AVAILABLE ON REQUEST:
Links to Online Copy I've Written
My writing services include, but are not limited to:
Advertisements
Articles (freeform)
"As Told To" Books
Blogs
Brochures
Copywriting
E-books
Editing (including for English-as-a-second language clients)
Fliers
Ghostwriting
Humor Writing
Letters (to the Editor, cover letters, grievances, sales, etc.)
SEO (keyword, keyword phrase)
Simple Website Design and Maintenance (like this website!)
Slogans
Stories (Children, Teens and G-rated Adult)
Tag lines
Proofreading
Website Content (from scratch)
Website Copy Enhancement / Editing
Subject matter expertise:
Animals/Pets/Wildlife
Coaching Services
Creative Writing (including "all of the above" and stories)
Environment
Self-Help
Spirituality (Judeo-Christian)
PLEASE NOTE:
I usually steer clear of the following subject matter
Annual Reports
Banking/Finance
Information Technology
Mathematics
Operations Manuals
Real Estate
My fees start at $50/hour if all talking points (including SEO keywords and keyword phrases, if required) are provided via bulleted lists, existing materials, reputable website URLs,
first drafts, and/or a Content Questionnaire I can provide.
If independent (completely undirected) research is required, research hours are billed at $75/ hour. This is because without direction from you, what I find may not suit your purposes or vision, so additional time may be spent before I can get down to doing what you most want me to do:
write great copy for you.
I'm among the fastest turn-around writers on the planet
and am rarely asked to revise much
upon presentation of my first official draft.
I welcome the opportunity to earn your trust
and deliver the best service in the industry.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
Thanks so much!
Hours (Pacific Time):
Mon - Fri: 8AM - 6PM
Sat: 10AM - 5PM (Saturdays by previous commitment only)
Sun: Closed
KUDOS FROM CLIENTS:
“I think you work too cheap, Kris; put your price up, you are worth it. When I posted the original job, I had 5 quotes, one I didn’t rate very highly, two were of a similar price to yours [$240] and then there was this other fella who quoted almost 700 bucks. I went with my gut in choosing you and I'm glad I did. I would've gone with you had you quoted $400. I will use you every time going forward and will recommend you to anyone I know who needs a great copywriter. NF, Australia (Re: sales landing page and e-book copy-editing and enhancement.)”
“Kris, Busy morning… but if I may curse for one sec and say HOLY SH*T! Wow, this is great stuff!!!!” P.P. (Re: Website Content Writing)
“A fantastic job. Kris was an enormous help. The job was completed early, and to a very high standard. Kris took the information I gave her about the product, the target market, and the talking points regarding the needs of my potential customers and incorporated them all in a concise and fast paced sales pitch, using language geared toward my target market. Upon seeing the first draft, my very few insignificant changes were carried out immediately and the final sales letter was returned with 26 hours of commencing the job. I would Highly Recommend Kris to anyone. ” NF, Australia (Re: sales page)
“Kristine is quick, honest and produces high quality content.” —Lyonscars
“I was extremely satisfied with the sales copy. It was very professional. It was done very quickly. Kris did a lot more than she was asked for and threw in lots of excellent free advice. I will definetly use Kris again. Barry (Ebook author)” — (Re: Sales Page Copy)
“Excellent Communication Skills. Exceed expectation for timely delivery and professionalism. Will continue use her expertise in my writings and editorial work. Thank You Kris. ” EVENTEUSA(Re Website Copy, Welcome Letter, Consultations)
“Kris did an excellent job on an extremely short deadline. I'm thrilled with her work.” Geralyn D., author (Re: Manuscript Editing)
“Kristine was amazing to work with. She over delivered completing the project almost within hours!!! Her communication, enthusiasm and writing ability make her one of the best providers I have worked with. I highly recommend!!! ” —Jeffrey (Re: Squeeze Page Copy)
“Kris exceeded our expectations. She was able to deliver way before schedule exactly what we wanted. We are technical and she was able to capture the essence of our expertise and deliver it for the layperson. We will work with her again for sure. Kris is great and extremely quick. She gives the best service and is so willing to do the best job possible. She is the best!” —Rainwater (Re: Website Content/Sales Copy)
“Kris was super fast, super keen, super enthusiastic and kept me on my toes ! Above all though she was passionate about my project and this was felt and translated into great copy. I will be using Kris for quite sometime I imagine.” — (Re: Product Description and Personal Testimonial)
“Kris is truly in tuned with the writing needs of my company. I love working with her. She is highly recommended. Thanks again Kris.” —Biz Wiz (Re: Slogan, Tagline, Product Description)
“Kris is like fine wine---she just keeps getting better and better:) I am afraid she may get so busy I won't be able to keep working with her and I still have to tell the world you can't get anyone any better than she is-thanks AGAIN for connecting us!” —Larry Domingo (Re: writing/copy-enhancing blogs)
“I am delighted with the wonderful work that Kris produced for me. She had the job done within hours of contacting her. I highly recommend her and will use her for future work. Thanks Kris!” — T. Walsh (Re Sales copy for thecribsandbeddingstore.com)
“I was in a tight bind and needed the job done immediately -- I only had a few hours to complete. Kris came to my rescue and did an amazing job: she didn't cut any corners. Not only did she come through in a pinch, she kept a quality standard so high only a few can reach. ” — David Levine, Israel (Re: time-sensitive project)
