Many clients first come to us by recommendation, perhaps from another business, graphic designer, web developer or marketing agency. They like the idea of working with a copywriter – but they often have no idea how the process works.

Not all copywriters work in the same way, so we’ll just talk about how we work (which is obviously the best way *ahem*). However, we believe there are certain things that copywriters should do – and we’ll talk about those.

The beginning
Good copywriters ask lots of questions. The more information we have, the better the outcome for you. The initial briefing is a copywriter’s chance to ‘get inside your head’ and fully understand your business, customers and goals.

This is also when a copywriter should be sure that they will deliver what you want and but what you need. You might have a 16-page information brochure in mind. But if your needs would be better met by a hard-hitting sales letter, or dedicated website, you don’t want to waste your money commissioning something that won’t achieve your desired outcome.

The middle
As copywriters work, expect regular updates. We provide first drafts for your feedback, to ensure that style and tone are correct, before carrying out the main bulk of writing. You’ll receive any sections of work for final approval as and when we complete them.

Copywriters can also make life easier for you by working directly with other relevant parties: designers, printers, web developers, etc. These might be appointed by you – or, if you don’t know anyone you trust to do a good job, ask your copywriter (we know some excellent ones!).

The end
You’re paying for a professional service, so expect a professional finish. We carry out final editing and proofreading on all our work. We don’t like mistakes – they’re so not us.

The price
You’re not just paying a copywriter to write for you. You’re also paying for their creativity and commercial awareness.

A good copywriter should take your initial idea and develop it for you, perhaps raising points that you hadn’t considered and devising concepts that are a step beyond what you’ve asked for.

They should also ultimately aim to create the best outcome for your business, not the best piece imaginable for their portfolio. Well-written words are useless to you if they won’t achieve your commercial aims.

Only if the goalposts are moved mid-project – e.g. a five-page website becomes a ten-page one, or a children’s brochure needs to be re-written part-way through development in order to address both children and their parents – should you expect to be charged for the additional time and/or resources needed to complete the job professionally.

All our projects and retainer fees are priced in full up-front. If anything changes mid-project, expect to be informed of additional costs as and when they turn up. So no nasty surprises.

Copyright
The copyright (legal ownership) of all the work that we do for you remains with us while we work on your project.

As soon as we receive your agreed payment in full, the copyright is transferred to you, for you to use in any way that you want.

Got any more questions about the copywriting process? Just ask.