Set your day rate
What you need to charge for a full day. If you’re not sure, use the ProCopywriters day rate benchmark.
Day rate
£450
How to price a copywriting project
You guess a number, halve it in your head, and hope. Pricing by the project starts with your time, adds the bits everyone forgets, and ends with a fee you can explain.
You’ll recognise it
- You price from what you charged last time
- Projects always take longer than you quoted
- You only count writing time
Why it happens
Underpricing usually isn’t about your rate. It’s about the hours you didn’t count: the briefing, the research, the calls, the revisions. Count them, add a buffer, and the fee takes care of itself.
The approach
3 steps, in order
Each step gives the next one something to work with. The worksheet below follows the same order.
Estimate days per deliverable
Each piece of work and how many days it takes, including research and first drafts. Write it as “Deliverable, days”.
Line
Homepage, 1.5
Line
Five service pages, 3
Add what everyone forgets
Briefing, calls and project admin, plus a buffer for the unexpected.
Typical
15% admin · 10% buffer
Worksheet
Build yours as you read
Fill in each step. Your project fee updates as you type. It stays in this browser until you choose to keep it.
More Proposals guides
Next problem?
I never know what to put in a proposalWhat to put in a copywriting proposalThe seven sections that get a yesThe job keeps growingHow to write a scope that stops scope creepDefine a round, and say what happens afterThey’ve gone quiet since I sent itHow to follow up on a proposalThree short emails that don’t sound desperate
Questions
Good to know
Should I charge by the word?
It’s simple, but it rewards long copy and ignores thinking time. Most experienced copywriters price by the project.
What buffer is normal?
10 to 20%. More for a new client, a vague brief or several people signing off.
Do I need an account?
No. Your worksheet stays in this browser. Leave your email and we’ll send it as a PDF.
Who writes these guides?
ProCopywriters, the UK’s professional body for copywriters, with members who do this work every week.
Proposals, from Studio
Guides get you started. Proposals does the whole job.
Branded proposals with your services, prices and terms, sent as a link the client accepts online. Coming soon to Studio.