FAQ

“What is your preferred currency?”

My work is priced and invoiced in U.S. dollars. To find out how they equate to other currencies, here’s an online currency converter.

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“Do you accept Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency?”

No.

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“How do you decide what to charge? Do you charge by the word? By the hour?”

I never price my services by the word, and rarely by the hour. It generally works out better for my clients, and for me, when fees are quoted and agreed, either/or:

• As a flat fee (per project or per deliverable);
• As a package;
• On a retainer basis.

The fee ranges I use when proposing on new work are based on industry-standard pricing guides like this one.

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“Why would I work with you if I can get my content cheaper using a content mill or generative AI tool?”

You can find online content generation services (and sometimes actual humans) who will happily quote pennies-per-word, and the prevalence of AI is driving those abysmal rates even lower. If that’s your preferred way to consume copywriting and editorial services, then respectfully, I’m not the service provider for you.

Instead, consider what you want your content to do for you:

• How will you measure the success of your communication: by actions taken and outcomes achieved, or by words generated to fill a space?
• How many customers do you stand to acquire with a well-crafted message delivered in the right channel?
• How much, in possible future revenue, is that customer worth to you? (If more than “pennies,” do you want to risk losing that customer to content that feels “canned” or poorly targeted?)

My point of view is clear: AI makes a great thought partner but cannot consult strategically; cannot align its output sufficiently to a purpose such that human intervention isn’t necessary; and cannot understand your audiences and what matters to them, in the same way a human can.

And while content mills generally use real people (at least for now), I’d argue many of the same considerations above are true for them as well. When your writer’s foremost concern is “volume,” you will notice the difference in quality.

Instead of debating “AI vs. consultant,” let’s talk about what you need, and how I can help. If the economics don’t make sense for you or for me, I promise that we will not waste each other’s time.

See more about my use of generative AI on my Policies page.

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“Do you work on a retainer basis?”

Often, but not exclusively. These can be structured in several ways (monthly, annual, etc.) based on clear terms and performance indicators that make sense for both of us.

It’s my goal to earn the right to be a resource to my clients over the long term, so if retainers aren’t for you, no worries. We can price work by project, by engagement or by standalone tactic.

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“Do you require partial payment up front, before work begins?”

Generally yes, though this varies depending on the nature of the job.

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Digital downloads, paid webinars etc.

Fees for downloadable products or admission to online events are collected at the point of sale.

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Copywriting, Copyediting

I ask for 50% at the start of a copywriting or copyediting engagement, and the remainder at milestones we agree upon (usually 25% at an intermediate milestone and the remaining 25% at delivery of the final work).

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Consulting

Copy and communication consulting, coaching, training and other like engagements are unique, and treated as such when determining fees. Unless otherwise agreed, I invoice monthly against an agreed-upon project or engagement budget.

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Narration or other VoiceOver

For ongoing or larger narration projects, a retainer or partial payment with milestones may be necessary. Generally, smaller projects are billed at 50% up front and 50% at delivery of the final work.

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Speaking engagements

Partial payment isn’t applicable to speaking gigs. Billing for these is determined directly with the event planner, meeting coordinator, host or other responsible party. A deposit (refundable, or to be applied toward your final balance) may be required to hold your preferred date; it’s best to ask me about availability as soon as you think I might be right for your event.

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“Can you invoice using my preferred billing system or payment platform?”

Probably, yes, as long as your system doesn’t charge me a fee or require setup of a separate account.

I prefer to invoice using Freshbooks. Alternatively, I can email you a PDF invoice and provide a PayPal.me link through which you would pay me directly. Presently I do not accept payment using Venmo or Zelle.

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