How to Choose a Copywriter

If you're thinking of outsourcing a writing project - Web content, brochure text, an article, or whatever your writing needs may be - you may have some questions at to just how to go about choosing the right copywriter. There's no shortage of writers, certainly. By doing a simple Internet search, polling friends and business acquaintances, or just flipping through the Yellow Pages, you can probably put together a decent list in pretty short order. There is, however, a shortage of particularly effective writers, and an even greater shortage of writers who are just right for your specific needs. So how to narrow the list to the right writer? Use what I call the "Three R's": References, Response, Rates.

References
Any writer you're considering hiring ought to be experienced enough to have some testimonials he or she can share with you. Don't be shy about asking for references. And try to get a reference from somebody who did a similar type of project to what you're considering doing. If you're having your Web content rewritten, find a writer who has a decent testimonial or two from a client whom the writer did Web content for.

Along those same lines, ask to see actual samples of the writer's work, and, again, from the same kind of project. Having a brochure written? Ask to see samples of brochures the writer in question has written. Requests like these are not troublesome to a professional writer. On the contrary. When I have somebody who I know is taking seriously their research into finding just the right writer, I know I have a prospective client who is going to be smart and educated about what to expect. And I know from experience that that kind of client always seems easier to work with in the long run than the kind of client who makes decisions in a less-careful way.

Response
When you contact a writer and leave a message, or send an e-mail, how long does it take before the writer gets back to you? Does he or she get back to you within an hour? The same day? Several days later? If you're having trouble having a writer respond to you before you've even hired the writer, imagine how much more difficult it's going to be once you've hired him or her and paid a deposit! No matter how busy a writer is, there is always time to return a phone call or an e-mail. Beyond being common courtesy, it just makes good business sense. The writer's running a business after all. And if he or she doesn't care about his or her own business (by ignoring potential clients), then it's not very reasonable to assume he or she will care too much about yours.

In addition to the response time of an inquiry, how the writer responds to you during your conversations with him or her is equally important. Is the writer listening to what you're saying? Does the writer seem to have a good grasp on what the requirements of the project are? I once acquired a client who had originally talked to another writer who actually tried to talk the client out of what he wanted! The client had put a great deal of thought into a postcard campaign and, knowing his business well (he had been doing it for twenty years) knew what kind of angle he wanted to take with the campaign. He was simply looking for the right words. The other writer, meanwhile, after a mere five minutes on the phone with the client, thought he knew better and told the client the client's whole approach was wrong and he should try a different one. Apparently, that particular writer forgot who the boss was in the client-writer relationship.

Rates
There's a reason this "R" is the last of the three. It's the least important. We're all trying to save money, but in writing, as in most professions (maybe even more so) you really do get what you pay for. I've seen companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the design of a Web site, then hire a writer for fifteen bucks an hour to write the content. I've seen people with million-dollar, publishable book ideas, hire ghostwriters at rates that aren't even appropriate for writing simple blog content. And then they wonder why the book project bogs down.

Having said that, it is important to at least know what the project is going to cost. Make sure going in that you have a firm number from the writer. Don't settle for an estimate based on a "projected number of hours." A good writer should have a real clear understanding of the project, know how long it will take him or her, and price the project accordingly.

Copyright 2009, Jerry Payne