FAQ

A copywriter is a writer who specializes in writing sales, marketing and communications content. Copywriters are often employed by marketing agencies and in marketing departments at large companies. Many copywriters also work as self-employed freelancers. Copywriters write content such as advertisements, social media postings, broadcast scripts, sales content, case studies, white papers, public relations materials, communications plans, and other sales, marketing, and communications materials. See our About Us and Services sections for the types of copywriting work we offer.

Copywriters are professional writers who use the written word to help companies sell products and services. While most people can write to be generally understood, writing to sell or persuade is a highly specialized skill that takes years of training and experience to be able to do well. Copywriters are often knowledgeable and experienced in writing many kinds of business documents and write in such a way that attracts people to a business or convinces them to engage with the business, either by buying products and services, attending events, signing up for newsletters, and many other initiatives.

Rates vary between copywriters and depend on the copywriter’s level of skill and experience, and also the scope of the project. Copywriters typically charge in one of three ways – per project, per hour, or per word. Because copywriting projects vary in terms of their complexity, time requirements, and other variables, our rates are typically project-based and are determined after an initial consultation.

Our typical rates apply for rewriting content. It’s a common belief that rewriting content is a less onerous task than writing from scratch, but this is not usually the case. Rewriting is often quite laborious and can take just as long or even longer than creating a new work. There is a saying among writers: “Rewriting is writing.” However, if upon reviewing your written content, we determine at our sole discretion that your content requires minimal revisions to achieve the goals of the project, a lesser rate could potentially apply.

When you initially contact us, we schedule a phone call to discuss your project. We’ll ask you a number of questions to understand the goals for your project and your business, and will work with you to determine the requirements for your project. Once the requirements are determined, we provide you with a written quote and a contract for services.

We are located in southern Ontario, Canada. We typically hold meetings over the phone because many of our clients are in areas outside of southern Ontario. Additionally, due to the nature of copywriting, there is rarely a need to actually meet clients in person. We have worked with people for years that we have never met face to face! We do occasionally meet with local clients, or if out-of-town clients are in the area, or vice versa, however, we find we’re able to meet clients’ needs by communicating over the phone, Skype or through email.

Every copywriting project is different and each project has different timelines. Some documents can be written within a few hours and some can take several days or even weeks. With years of experience working in high-production environments, we can typically provide quick turnarounds. We do require 48 hours’ notice for most projects, but do make exceptions for emergency items.

Once paid in full, the client owns full rights to the work. In the contract or agreement provided before the beginning of any job, there is a clause that states that the principal of MikeODWrites.com fully owns the rights to all created work until paid in full. Once paid in full, full and permanent ownership reverts to the client. The only exception to this is for articles for periodicals, in which case different standards may apply.

Well, for one, we know how you feel. We’ve worked with and hired many freelance writers, designers, web developers, etc. We’ve worked with some great freelancers, and we’ve had freelancers disappear at critical times. Since we know what it’s like, we make sure to always deliver to specification, hit deadlines, and communicate any changes to project milestones and timelines. Our goal is to get repeat and referral business as much as possible, so delivering on time, to a professional standard and to specification are key priorities for us.

Absolutely. All client work and information provided is held in the strictest confidentiality. We have signed many non-disclosure agreements (NDA) with clients and are always willing to review and sign NDAs where applicable.

Much of the work we do is for clients’ internal use or is of an otherwise sensitive, confidential or competitive nature. As such, and because of confidentiality agreements, we do not tend to post work completed for clients. One example of our writing is the site you’re on now! Additional samples can be provided upon request.

No. We don’t typically submit work for award consideration. However, companies we’ve done for have won awards for projects where we contributed. Some of the organizations that have recognized projects where I have been involved include the Canadian Public Relations Society, Festivals and Events Ontario and IBM’s Award for Excellence in Marketing.