Copy may be delivered as words on a page, but the work includes customer research, interviews, message architecture, competitive review, drafting, editing, stakeholder alignment, and sometimes performance analysis. Word count alone is a weak proxy for that responsibility.
Build the rate from the work around the words
Your annual plan should include compensation, tax, software, research subscriptions, insurance, portfolio development, sales time, and a realistic invoiceable capacity. Estimate interviews, source review, calls, revisions, and content entry—not only drafting.
- Separate research depth from deliverable length.
- Account for the number of reviewers and approval rounds.
- Clarify whether strategy, SEO research, or CMS entry is included.
Choose units that support quality
Hourly rates fit advisory work and changing editorial backlogs. Per-project fees fit a defined page set or campaign. Retainers fit a recurring publishing rhythm. Per-word pricing can work for standardized production, but it often underrepresents short, high-stakes conversion copy.
- Define the brief and source material before estimating.
- State usage, exclusivity, byline, and portfolio rights.
- Price rush work for schedule disruption, not as punishment.
Worked planning example
At a $105 internal target, a landing-page engagement with 18 hours of research, interviews, writing, and review starts at $1,890. A four-hour stakeholder reserve brings the planning checkpoint to $2,310 before any rush or broad campaign-usage adjustment. This is method math, not a market average.
- Core engagement: 18 × $105 = $1,890
- Stakeholder reserve: 4 × $105 = $420
- Planning checkpoint: $2,310
Define completion before the first draft
Agree on one decision owner, one consolidated feedback document, the number of revision rounds, and what counts as a new direction. If performance testing is included, specify the test owner, traffic requirement, measurement window, and what optimization capacity is reserved.
Price the research and decision work that makes the copy useful, not merely the final word count.
Educational planning content only. Pricing, taxes, contracts, and client circumstances vary; use professional advice where appropriate.