Why writers are worth our rates

I can’t believe it’s May 10 and I haven’t yet mentioned Writers Worth Month—and this is its 10th anniversary.

Writers Worth Month was founded by the wonderful wordsmith Lori Widmer whose Words On the Page  is one of a handful of writing blogs I visit multiple times per week. You can read all about how she came up with the concept here.

Over the years the event has grown from a single day into a full month. Each year Lori wrangles more writers to contribute guest posts that she runs throughout May. This year she gave us all the same topic: Fear.

I love the fact that you can assign a dozen writers the same topic and get a dozen very different results. That’s because each writer has a unique voice.

When it comes to writing for clients, good writers are able to set their egos (and voices) aside in order to match the voice and tone each client requires. That tone might be folksy, serious, clinical, even humorous. We accomplish it by asking questions and listening not only to what the client says but how they say it. Those subtle nuances separate great copy from adequate copy.

If you want clear, engaging copy don’t expect to find it at $25 per hour. As with any profession: you get what you pay for.

An old-school copywriter I met through LinkedIn loved to tell his clients, “You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. You have have it well-written. Pick two.”

If you want a quick turn-around at a low price, hire a hack.

Professional writers are too busy working for clients willing to pay for the experience, talent, and time we bring to each project.