Reduced Rates for Writing and Editing Services During Pandemic

Temporarily Reduced Rates for Writing and Editing Services

My standard hourly rates vary, depending on the complexity of the project, the amount of research involved, and other variables. However, I now have reduced most fees and rates for you as my contribution during these hard economic times. Feel free to go to MyPersuasivePresentations.com website for details about the many kinds of writing and editing services I offer.

Now, Let’s Talk About Fees


For “light editing,” I charge $30/hour with a minimum charge of 1-hour. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have reduced my “heavier” writing and editing rates also to $30 an hour for Spring and Summer 2020. That rate is about half my usual fee and is the fee charged by beginning writers. I’m not a beginner, so this is a good deal for you.

As any writer/editor or project manager knows, writers are charging for their research, meeting, and writing time, as well as for their expertise. So, aside from the actual research and writing hours, this is how I charge for meeting time.

Reduced Rates for Zoom or In-Person Meetings - I usually charge $60/hour prorated into 15-minute increments. However, I’ve reduced these rates also for the Spring and Summer of 2020 because of the pandemic. Since Zoom requires no travel time or expense, and if you are a first-time client, I will cut that rate to $40/hour for a small to medium-size project. That charge is prorated into 15-minute increments, as follows.

15 minutes = $10

30 minutes = $20

45 minutes – $30

60 minutes = $40

Note: I don’t charge for every little conversation or email exchange we have during a project. (In fact, I don’t charge anything for most email exchanges, unless we are actively collaborating on things like revisions or creating new content real-time.)

Note 2: After the first hour of work, I also prorate writing time to save you money if I use less than a full hour while doing the project or revisions to content.

Retainer Agreements at Reduced Rate Pricing


I prefer doing retainer agreements because it is a win/win for both parties. It enables you to spread the cost over a longer time, rather than paying it all at once or as soon as the deliverable is given to you. It also gives me a predictable amount of money each month from those clients who have me on retainer. Here’s how it would work for us.

Example:

We create a retainer agreement at my pandemic-inspired reduced rate for Summer, 2020. It is $30/hour for writing or editing and $40/hour for meetings. (I have a template for that agreement, which you would approve before we sign it.)

You might hire me for a one-time project or for one that has additional elements.

We expect that the first-time writing for a series (like an email campaign or some kinds of blogs) will take much longer to do because of research, compiling subject matter information, and image gathering, plus putting together a model of the format and content you want to use.

Subsequent project content might be simpler and faster to create as I can copy and paste from the information, logos, tag lines, etc., gathered at the beginning.

Here’s How the Money Could Work in That Example.

The agreement is for $300 / month, payable in May, June, and July. Even if I did all the work in May, you would not have to pay the full amount then. You would pay $300/month in each of the 3 months.

If I spent more hours than are covered by the $300/month, you could pay me the difference each month, or you could pay the additional amount at the end of our contract – whichever we agree upon in advance.

Conversely, if there are unused hours left over, I would hold them over for you to use beyond the period of our agreement. That means - if you needed a quick editing job – or for me to create a speech or training class for you, for instance - we would apply whatever funds were left over toward that new project.

What if We Don’t Have a Retainer Agreement?

Then, my policy is to require a down payment before I start work. The amount depends on the size of the project, but it could be two-thirds, one-half, or one-third of the total amount due. (Usually, the bigger the project, the higher the down-payment, so I don’t do all that work and then have someone fail to pay me.) After receiving your down payment, I start the project and then bill you at the time I convey the deliverables to you. Payment is due upon your receipt of the deliverables each time. I will provide you with an address to which you can transfer money to my bank or PayPal account. I don’t take credit cards. However, if you need to pay me by check, I’ll start work after your check clears.

I hope this is clear. If not, feel free to contact me for clarification. Remember, I offer a free initial consultation to see if your needs and budget are a good fit with my skills and pricing. We’ll just talk. I won’t pressure you.

Do It The Write Way! Let My Fingers Do Your Talking!