What exactly does a Commercial Writer do?
Commercial writers write freelance for corporations or other business entities like ad agencies, graphic design firms, marketing companies, PR firms and others. That means marketing brochures, ad copy, newsletters, direct mail campaigns, web content, speeches, trade articles, video scripts and about a zillion other types of projects. Because the business world generally has a lot more money than magazines or other organizations that might hire writers, the pay is considerably higher than in those fields. Hourly rates range from $50-100 or more, with the average being $60-75. And unlike magazine writing, which can entail vast open-ended time commitments for low flat fees (translation: LOW hourly rates), in commercial writing, all time is billed and at much higher rates. Why would someone outsource, or hire an outsider, instead of using someone within his or her office? In the last decade, and of course, the past few years as well, two huge trends have sculpted the corporate American lan
