How to make money as a freelance copywriter without Upwork

Years ago, I had a coworker who loved chatting with people in the office. They’d have no problem popping into my office or anyone else’s for a (lengthy) chat. And it didn’t matter how well they knew the person either. Everyone was a potential new best friend.

That was the year I learned about introverts vs. extroverts. Compared to my coworker, I thought I must be an introvert because the thought of walking around and popping into peoples’ workspaces for unsolicited “get-to-know-you” conversations filled me with dread. 

I wasn’t necessarily shy, I opened up around people I grew close with, but I didn’t feel recharged talking just to talk. I’m not the type to strike up a conversation with someone every time I’m in line at the grocery store like my dad. I prefer one-on-one or small-group settings as opposed to a large gathering. So that makes me an introvert, right? 

That’s what I thought. Until I started my own business. I browsed Upwork but having to put in a bid felt too intimidating (hello, imposter syndrome), and the thought of cold calling was enough to make me want to throw up, so I felt a bit lost. 

Then my cousin introduced me to BNI, a professional networking group. And before you roll your eyes and think skeezy sales bros, hear me out. I get rattled by change, I don’t love putting myself in uncomfortable situations and being new to a group, but dang if that one BNI meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, didn’t spark something in me.

I started networking like crazy. I joined my local chamber of commerce, two local women’s entrepreneurial groups, and my local BNI chapter, and I made myself go to the meetings/events. Y’all. That is not like me. I went on my own, no safety person along with me. 

I just showed up. And kept showing up. I was the one initiating conversations and making small talk with people I didn’t know, which, in the before-times sounded like a true nightmare. 

But I did it. I had my pitch down (sidebar: despite what all other bloggers say, your pitch doesn’t have to be any more complicated than the basic gist of what you do as a writer and who you help).  I was friendly and exchanged business cards with everyone. I didn’t have to give anyone the hard sell; I just explained what I did, and you know what happened? I started getting work.

And more work. And then repeat work. I’m not going to be one of those people who sits here and hollers “I MADE $20,000 A WEEK AT HOME WORKING 3 HOURS AND YOU CAN, TOO!” because that’s a lie. I’ve worked hard to earn these clients. I’ve forced myself to attend networking events when I’d rather stay home. I’ve worked on making myself feel more comfortable being uncomfortable.

This work has paid off because I don’t have to troll Upwork and come in at a lowball rate just to be chosen. I don’t have to compete with writers willing to take half of what I charge. The connections I’ve made and continue to make often lead to other connections, and when people vouch for you and your work, you can charge a much better rate that accurately reflects the quality of your work.

So maybe that makes me an ambivert, the middle child between extrovert and introvert, but for as introverted as I feel, when I network and meet people face-to-face, I usually set up at least one meeting at the end. And for being a one-person show (for now), I’ll take it. 

My Upwork account told me the other day that it was going inactive because I hadn’t logged in for so many days. I think I’m OK with that.

-t

Writers, Charge What You’re Worth

This has been a hard one for me. When I first started freelancing, I accepted a job for $20/hr. and I thought I had it made. Having just left Corporate America the year prior to be a stay-at-home mom, I thought, “$20 bucks an hour to just write at home from my couch?! Sign me all the way up.”

Do you know how much WORK it is to make any kind of decent money when you’re only charging $20/hr.? Ask your teenager, they’ll tell you, it’s a lot. But I figured I was just starting out so that was fine. The next job, I asked for $40/hr. ,and again, I thought I had it made. But unless you have a very hefty roster of clients that will keep you busy over 40 hours a week, these checks are going to be small. And I didn’t want to work full time, I wanted a flexible schedule.

I had a mentor tell me that I really should be asking for more, especially with my background, education and skill set. So I did a LOT of research. I read a lot of books and looked at a lot of forums and pricing guides to get an estimate of what my services are worth.

When I launched FOXTALE, I thought I was going to aim higher with my rates. A friend with their own digital marketing firm told me “never charge hourly because you’ll only be punishing yourself for getting faster.” I didn’t believe her at first, if I’m being honest.

Until I started billing by the hour with a growing client roster. I quickly realized that the email that took me 2 hours last month now only takes me one hour and I just halved my take-home for no good reason. So it was back to the pricing drawing board.

Charge a flat fee

Another downside to charging by the hour is that you’re only getting paid when you’re writing. You aren’t getting paid for client outreach, emails, networking, admin work, all those other day-to-day tasks that if you had a salaried job, you’d be getting paid to do.

So I decided to structure my fees as flat or per-project fees. That way my clients always know that a blog post will be $200, for example, no matter if it takes me one hour or three. There are no surprises on their end when the bill shows up, and you’re getting paid what your time and skills are worth.

How to best do this is get an idea of what you want to charge per hour, then estimate how long a typical project will take you. If an article typically takes you an hour and a half to two hours and. you want to get $100/hr., charge $200 per article. There will be ones that take you a little more time, and some take you a little less.

You can get into charging per word and all sorts of other pricing strategies, but this is what I’ve found to work best for me so far.

And don’t be afraid to ask for what you want

People will pay what you ask if you are confident and have the skills to back it up. And if you’re pricing your services too high, you’ll figure that out soon enough and be able to course correct.  Don’t sell yourself short; your skills are worth the money.

Good Copy Isn’t Cheap & Cheap Copy Isn’t Good

No, our copywriting services aren’t exactly a bargain. But are you going to be really dang happy with the end result? You betcha!  

We charge what we do for a reason. It’s the result of years of experience and skill all coming together in one magical mix, with the end result being a product you are proud to stand behind.

Sure, you can go on Upwork right now and find a copywriter who is willing to work for $30/hr. Or one charging $0.10/word because that’s what they think they have to do to get a client. And sure, you can hire them. And the quality of the work you get will be FINE. It will be passable. But will it be copy that you read and think, “damn, that’s good.”? Or “wow, I couldn’t have said that better myself”? Maybe, but probably not. 

At best, you’re likely going to get something that sounds good but it doesn’t sound natural. I know people get caught in the trap of thinking that professional writing should sound “business-y” and “professional,” but unfortunately that usually translates to stuffy, clunky writing heavy on big words and complicated sentences. 

At worst, you get something written by AI that you could have done yourself for free. 

AI, ChatGPT and Uncanny Valley

I’ve been networking a lot and meeting a lot of people lately, and a majority of the time, their copy strategy has been to get ChatGPT to write something and they massage the resulting copy to their liking. 

And you know what? I can usually tell. And you probably can, too. It’s the whole uncanny valley thing; it looks and feels real, but there’s something just a smidge…off.

A good copywriter has a natural ear for tone and how people speak. They can easily convey this in their writing so that anything they publish, whether it’s a blog, social media post, or email, it all has a cohesive brand voice. Not their voice, not *a* voice, but the brand voice. 

A good copywriter takes the time to learn your brand voice. Is it formal or relaxed? What is your audience like? What is the topic? Is it serious or does it deserve some levity? They get to the heart of these pieces and adopt them as their own throughout the work. Skilled copywriters should be able to seamlessly integrate their work with your own. 

Copywriters that are only getting paid $25 bucks an hour or 10 cents a word aren’t making enough money to care, to be frank. They aren’t making enough to devote the time to truly immersing themselves into your content and thoroughly understanding the what and how you want to communicate. 

Either that, or they’re going to REALLY care. Meaning, they’re going to dial up the billable hours or inflate the word count to get to a point where they feel like they’ve made enough on the project. Both of those things don’t exactly lead to the best end result. 

When you pay a higher-priced copywriter, you’re not just paying for their time, you’re paying for their experience and skills. Much like other skilled trades, writing is a skill that is honed over time. 

So how do I choose a good copywriter? 

You can use sites like Upwork or other job boards to bid out your project. And when those replies come in, be sure to look at not just their rate and portfolio, but how does their website look? How are they in email communication with you?

Look at how they write when they’re not getting paid to do so; these things will be a good indicator of what kind of copy you can expect.

When you’re looking at a writer’s portfolio, read a couple pieces to get a feel for their tone and style. If they primarily write lighter articles and have a snarky, talking-to-your-best-friend tone, they probably aren’t the best choice for serious blogs coming from your legal practice. 

Likewise, if your sister’s cousin’s friend is a writer and she traditionally writes for scientific publications, asking her to write an article for your fitness and beauty blog will be a tough road for the both of you. 

Does price always matter? 

Not always. There are tons of writers out there who will write you something fantastic at a low price. But just know they may be newer or have a ton of clients on their roster so they can actually make a living. A larger workload for them means opportunities for error and missed deadlines for you. When someone is charging a premium, they know they need to deliver above and beyond. Which means you get better copy and better service.

Like most things in life, “you get what you pay for”…and you deserve good copy.