What they frequently ask, and how we usually answer
What will it cost?
We charge a simple, pre-agreed flat rate per job.
Our rates reflect the time and effort we put in, our experience, the advice we offer and the value we add to your business.
We believe we’re in the midrange of copywriters outside London.
Just fill in this form and we’ll be happy to quote for your project.
Why don’t you charge by the word?
Because words aren’t all alike. A three-word slogan might take as long as a 1000-word SEO article. Some subjects are more complex than others.
If you’re looking for cheap content, you can find many ‘content mills’ online, but read this first.
Why don’t you charge by the hour?
So you don’t lose out if good ideas take a little time to come.
(And we don’t lose out if they don’t.)
Why should I pay so much just for someone to write something?
Our clients come for the writing, but stay for the thinking.
Considering your content in partnership with us will open up new perspectives on your value proposition, brand and marketing.
When you invest in good copy, you’re not just paying someone to carry out a task. You’re buying an asset that will generate a return. Good copywriting pays for itself many times over.
Why shouldn’t I just use someone cheaper?
Buying copy is like buying a suit, a car or a meal. You get what you pay for.
You can certainly go cheap and cheerful if you want, but you tend to reap what you sow.
As we’ve said, our prices are in the midrange. Our services offer a good cost/benefit equation for many types of organisation, and our clients include many sole traders and SMEs.
Will you do a free sample?
Probably not, although you’re welcome to ask.
There are plenty of samples to read in our portfolio.
We’re always happy to provide additional samples not available on this site, and/or put you in touch with one of our existing clients directly.
How do you usually work?
We accept an email as authorisation to begin work.
We often use telephone interviews as a way to generate raw material. Or we can work from your notes.
We prepare a first draft, often incorporating comments and queries, and send it to you.
Based on your feedback, we revise the draft until you’re happy.
Finally we submit our invoice. Usual terms are 30 days from date of invoice.
How long will it take?
This depends on the size of the project and our workload when you approach us.
We tend to operate on short timescales and can often begin work within a week.
We’ll let you know the best and worst case timescales before you commit to using us.
Is it just you?
Yes, ABC is a one-person enterprise.
However, we do have a network of reliable freelancers we can call on if we need to create a lot of content at short notice.
We can also recommend graphic designers, web designers, web developers and SEO professionals if you need them.
Do you do all the SEO?
Although we do most of the SEO for this site (so we understand all the tasks involved), we do partner with other agencies on clients’ SEO, primarily Linkjuice.
SEO tasks such as link-building and directory submissions can be done by us (or, indeed, the client), but the results are generally better if an expert is involved.
Is that the best name you could think of?
We had others, but the designer of our identity encouraged us to stick with ABC, which was originally a placeholder name.
We like it because…
- It reflects our approach – simple, practical, no-nonsense
- It shows (we hope) that you can build a brand from any foundation
- It shows (again, we hope) that communication doesn’t need to be fancy or self-consciously ‘creative’ to be effective.
Can we meet?
We’d love to!
We already have too many clients with whom we only deal by phone or email.
So if you’re in the Norwich area, give us a call or email us. We’d be happy to meet up and chat.
For larger confirmed projects we’re happy to travel to London or elsewhere for a meeting.