Hiring a Copywriter

Sales literature is a company's means of reaching out to potential customers. Whether it's simple leaflets, brochures, catalogues or specification sheets, most companies rely on them.

Getting the right person for the job

Yet very few companies benefit from in-house writers with sufficient experience to produce these materials, oftentimes resulting in the use of poor spelling, grammar or structure all of which serve to persuade potential customers that the company’s products or services are as shoddy as their brochures.

The alternative is to get a professional copywriter to handle the task.
But, when hiring a copywriter, how do you distinguish between the good, the bad and the downright ugly?

Ask the following questions to get a better idea about who you are dealing with:

1. Will they provide a fixed quote?
   As a customer you should always insist on getting a fixed price for your project.
   Please bear in mind that the writer will be expecting you to specify the job in detail so as to be able to provide an accurate quote and to prevent ‘Feature Creep’.
   It is also worth noting that good copywriters are rarely cheap and cheap copywriters rarely good.
   

1. Do they offer a contract?
   Although not really necessary for smaller undertakings, you will want a written agreement for larger tasks.
   The contract should cover the cost, anticipated timeframe (including the completion of various stages and stage payments if applicable) and total expected cost.
   It is the best way to protect both yourself and the copywriter.
2. Will they guarantee a schedule?
   Since most copywriters will normally undertake several contracts at once, an agreed schedule is vital from your point of view.
   This should allow sufficient time for corrections, proofreading by you and your staff or colleagues and secondary corrections if necessary.
3. Do they have experience of your industry?
   Although this is obviously an important point, it is less vital than most people think, since a good writer will be able to cover any but the most technical and involved subjects if given a little research time.
   If you are unsure, ask them for a short 400 or 500 word article about a topic within your market sector.
4. What about their initiative?
   Regardless of whether you’re after a simple leaflet or a full-blown product catalogue, expect a prospective copywriter to have questions about its content and to offer input with regards to possible improvements.

Ultimately, the answers to these questions should allow you to build a better picture of the copywriter you're speaking to.