[DD] This is exactly how long a copywriting project takes

Whether you choose to quote hourly or per project, tracking your time is essential. I don't know a single, experienced copywriter who doesn't track the time they spend in their business. Writing copy, yes, but also the time spent on admin, marketing, accounting and lead generation. Tracking your time will help you understand how long it takes you to research, write, revise and do project admin. When you analyse the data, you will see patterns of where you lose time and when you need to be more disciplined (did that blog post really need 5 hours of research? No). When you understand where and how you spend your time, your copywriting quotes will become more accurate. You can also work at becoming more profitable through efficiency (working for less time than you're charging). In the first year or so of Copywrite Matters, I was extremely busy but my income wasn’t great. I didn't seem to be earning that much for all the hours I was putting in. So, I took some time to review my time sheets. I realised that I spent more time on non-billable work than on billable copywriting. I had a wait list of clients but I wasn't organising my day for billable work. I also realised that for each copywriting project, I spent more time on the project admin than I quoted for. As a result, I streamlined my project admin with checklists and templates. I also enforced stricter marketing allowances for myself and started using the Pomodoro Technique to boost my billable productivity. This is just one example of how tracking your time can help you become more profitable. At a more basic level, you’ll get to learn how long it takes you to brief a client or write a webpage or brochure. It’s up to YOU to learn how long tasks take you and manage your own time. Sometimes, you’re ahead. Sometimes, you’re behind. Tracking your time can help you stay ahead more often than not. There are plenty of time tracking tools to choose from. I use Toggl but Fast Company has [this list of time tracking tools](. It’s a great place to start. Belinda Want more hands-on advice like this? You might like my [Confident Copywriting mentoring group](=)= Hey, you're getting these emails because you signed up to the Daily Draft. If you want to tap out of these emais but nothing else), [hit this link](. No hard feelings. If you want out of everything >> [Unsubscribe]( Where am I? 101 N. Brand Blvd. 11th Floor, Glendale, California 91203