HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a copywriter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to copywriters. Here is how to get ownership of the words, why the claims are your responsibility, and what to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a copywriter in five steps

  1. Read work in your sectorWebsite pages, emails or adverts they wrote for businesses like yours, ideally live so you can see them in use.
  2. Brief them properlyWho the customer is, what you sell, the proof behind your claims, the tone you want and the words you must not use.
  3. Agree pieces, rounds and datesWhich pages or pieces, how many rounds of edits, and when each draft arrives.
  4. Get copyright assignedThe contract should transfer copyright in the final copy to your business on payment, signed by the copywriter.
  5. Check every claim before it goes livePrices, comparisons, "best", "free", results: you must be able to back them up.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses copywriters in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is needed. Judge a copywriter on published work, results they can describe honestly, a reference and the contract.

Ask for three pieces now live and the name of a client you can contact.

Copyright in the copy

Written text is a literary work under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and its author owns the copyright unless they wrote it as your employee. A freelance copywriter's assignment to you only takes effect in writing, signed by them (section 90).

Include a clause assigning copyright in the final copy to your business on payment. legislation.gov.uk →

Accurate and honest claims

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 a business must not mislead consumers with false or deceptive messages or by leaving out important information, and advertising codes of practice apply on top. The business that publishes the copy answers for it, not just the person who wrote it.

Give the copywriter the evidence behind each claim and check the final copy against it before publishing. gov.uk →

No fake reviews or testimonials

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, writing or commissioning fake consumer reviews is banned, and the CMA's guidance covers reviews in text, speech and video. A copywriter should never draft "customer" quotes that no customer gave.

Supply real testimonials with permission, and say no to invented ones. gov.uk →

VAT

Copywriting is standard-rated, so a registered copywriter adds 20% to the fee for the pages, extra edit rounds and any research or interviews charged on top. Registration becomes compulsory once a copywriter has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the copywriter for the VAT number before you sign, and look for the fee for the pages and the VAT at 20% as separate figures. gov.uk →

“What copywriting have you done for businesses like mine?”

A good answer: Named pieces you can read, and what the copywriter was asked to do. Not just "I write for all industries".

“Will the copyright in the final copy be assigned to my business?”

A good answer: Yes, in the contract, on final payment. A copywriter who wants to keep it usually wants a credit or a reuse right; get that in writing too.

“How many rounds of edits are included in the copywriting fee?”

A good answer: A number, usually two, with the cost of any extra round stated.

“What do you need from me to write accurate copy?”

A good answer: Product facts, prices, proof for claims, customer insight and examples you like. A good copywriter asks for evidence, not just adjectives.

“Do you use AI tools, and how do you check the result?”

A good answer: An honest answer. If tools are used, the copywriter should still check every fact and make sure the text is original.

“Will you write with search in mind?”

A good answer: If you need it, a plan for headings and terms people search for, without stuffing keywords into the copy.

“When will I get each draft?”

A good answer: Dates for the first draft and each round, set around your launch.

Getting the quote right

  • The pieces or pages covered and the rough length of each
  • Who actually attends the briefing and writes the copy: the copywriter you met, or a subcontracted writer under their name
  • Revision rounds included and the rate for more
  • Research or interviews included, or charged separately
  • Copyright assigned to your business on payment
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% under the fee for the pages
  • Delivery dates for drafts and final copy

Walk away if

  • No published work they can point to
  • Refusal to assign copyright, or a licence that ends when you stop paying
  • Offers to write customer reviews or testimonials for you
  • Guaranteed sales or rankings
  • Copy that reads as if it was pasted from somewhere else
  • Full payment before a first draft
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£1,000
HIGH
£5,000

What a copywriter costs: £150–£5,000 per project

Copywriters quote per project or per piece, based on length, research and revision rounds; some work to a day rate for larger jobs. Copywriter price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Copywriters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BriefA call or questionnaire on the business, the customer, the offer, the proof and the tone.
  2. ResearchThe copywriter reads your material, competitors and customer feedback, and may interview staff or customers.
  3. First draftCopy for each piece in the agreed format, with notes on any claim that needs proof.
  4. RevisionsChanges within the agreed rounds, tracked so you can see what moved.
  5. Final copyProofread text ready to load, and the copyright assignment on payment.

Brief
The written instructions the copy is based on: audience, offer, tone, length and deadline.
Call to action
The line that tells the reader what to do next.
Tone of voice
How the brand sounds in writing, kept consistent across pieces.
Revision round
One set of consolidated changes from you, followed by one updated draft.
Assignment
The signed transfer of copyright in the copy to your business.
Substantiation
The evidence that backs up a claim made in advertising.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the assignment and the final copyStore the signed clause with the final files. You may need it if the copy is reused, challenged or handed to a new agency.
Check the facts one last timePrices, offers, comparisons and legal wording: check them against the evidence before going live.
Run an originality checkPaste a few distinctive lines into a search engine. Copy that already exists elsewhere is a problem to raise with the copywriter at once.
Share how it wentReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, so yours counts. If the copywriter fell short, use the make-it-right step first and they get the chance to put it right.

STEP 1Put it to the copywriter in writingDescribe the fault and give a fair deadline to fix it. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects reasonable care and skill from the copywriter as a trader, so you can insist on the work being put right or the bill cut.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyA rating under four stars asks whether the copywriter should hear about it first. Agree, and the make-it-right step runs before your review appears.
STEP 3Report it through the consumer helplineFor advice on your rights against the copywriter, or to report a trader who breaks the law, call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060 or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Go to small claimsSmall claims is the last step against the copywriter: the limit is £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a copywriter: questions people ask

Only once the copyright is assigned. Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 a freelance author owns their text, and section 90 requires the assignment to be written and signed by the copywriter.

No. No licence, register or qualification applies to copywriters in any UK nation.

It can be, and the business publishing it carries the risk. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans misleading consumers with false or deceptive messages, so check every claim against your evidence.

Expect £150–£5,000 per project; £1,000 is typical. A single short piece sits at the bottom, a full website in a specialist sector at the top. Our copywriter price guide breaks the figures down, and your town above brings up copywriters close by.

No. Writing or commissioning fake consumer reviews is banned under consumer protection law. Use real reviews from real customers.

Small pieces take days; website copy usually takes two to four weeks with research and rounds of edits.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

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Copywriters near you

Copywriters in LondonCopywriters in ManchesterCopywriters in BirminghamCopywriters in GlasgowCopywriters in BelfastAll copywriters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 11 — first ownership
  2. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  3. gov.uk — marketing and advertising: the law
  4. gov.uk — regulations that affect advertising
  5. gov.uk (CMA) — short guide on consumer reviews and fake reviews
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  8. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  9. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register