How much is that web copywriter in the window?

On Friday, a prospective client contacted me through a freelance listings website. She wanted to know my daily and hourly rate. I obliged, but mentioned that the rates are really irrelevant. What most clients want is a price for the job, not a price per unit of time. Otherwise, they end up paying for the web copywriter's inefficiency.

Anyhow, I got an email back saying I was too expensive. Hi-ho. However, I emailed the prospective client again, explaining that because I've been doing this for around 11 years, I'm actually pretty quick.

She kindly relented, and promised to send me some material which I can use to start putting a quote together. The moral? If you're a web copywriter, make sure prospective clients understand how much the job will cost - not how expensive your day rate is.