Should You Write For Startups as a Freelance Copywriter?

Posted on by John Fawkes

The Startup Opportunity: Gold Rush or Fool’s Gold?

If you’re a freelance copywriter scrolling through job boards or networking events, you’ve probably noticed the abundance of startup opportunities. The sleek logos, the promise of “disruption,” and the energetic founders with big visions can be incredibly alluring.

I get it. As someone who has written copy for dozens of startups over my 15-year career, I’ve seen firsthand how these companies can offer exciting work that traditional corporations simply can’t match. Some of those startups blossomed into companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Others crashed and burned spectacularly, leaving nothing but unpaid invoices and lessons learned.

But should YOU write for startups as a freelance copywriter? That’s what we’re diving into today.

I promise that by the end of this article, you’ll have a crystal-clear understanding of the unique advantages and pitfalls of working with startups, concrete strategies for setting your rates, insights into which startup niches might be most lucrative, and actionable tips for finding these clients. Plus, I’ll share real-world stories from my own journey writing for everything from pre-seed moonshots to Series C rocketships.

Let’s get started.

The Unique Appeal of Startup Work

Freedom to Create Something Meaningful

When you write for established companies, you’re often working within strict brand guidelines and having your work reviewed by multiple stakeholders. The copy gets diluted, safe, and frankly, boring.

Startups, on the other hand, often give you remarkable creative freedom. In many cases, you’re helping to establish their voice from scratch. This freedom to craft messaging that resonates deeply with audiences can be incredibly fulfilling for copywriters who feel stifled by corporate constraints.

Potential for Long-Term Relationships

Startups that succeed grow fast. Really fast. This means:

  • The freelancer who wrote their first landing page might become their go-to writer for their entire marketing strategy
  • As they expand, their copywriting needs multiply exponentially
  • You can grow alongside them, potentially moving from project-based work to retainer arrangements

One of my earliest startup clients was a fintech company that initially hired me for a basic website overhaul. Three years later, I was managing multiple campaigns across their entire marketing ecosystem, commanding rates three times higher than our initial engagement.

Building a Diverse Portfolio Quickly

Startup work allows you to rapidly accumulate varied samples for your portfolio. In just a few months, you might create:

  • Website copy
  • Email sequences
  • Pitch decks
  • Social media campaigns
  • App store descriptions
  • Product descriptions
  • Blog content

This diversity is gold for copywriters looking to expand their expertise or pivot into new niches.

The Dark Side: Risks of Working with Startups

The Failure Rate Reality Check

Let’s face the uncomfortable truth: most startups fail. The statistics are brutal:

  • Around 90% of startups don’t survive their first few years
  • Even venture-backed startups have a high mortality rate
  • When they fail, outstanding invoices often remain unpaid

I’ve had multiple experiences where promising startups suddenly went under, leaving thousands in unpaid work. One particularly painful example was a health tech startup that seemed poised for success—until their Series A funding fell through overnight.

The “Exposure” Trap

You’ll hear this pitch constantly: “We can’t pay much now, but when we succeed, there will be plenty of work and we’ll remember who helped us early on!”

While occasionally true, this is more often a red flag. Your expertise deserves fair compensation now, not the promise of future rewards that may never materialize.

The Endless Revision Cycle

Many startup founders lack marketing experience and clear brand vision. This can lead to:

  • Constant pivots in messaging strategy
  • Subjective feedback based on personal preference rather than data
  • Scope creep as they discover new marketing needs

Having clear boundaries and solid contracts becomes especially important in these scenarios.

Setting Your Rates: The Startup Pricing Strategy

The Funding Factor

A startup’s funding stage should directly influence your pricing strategy:

  • Pre-seed/bootstrapped: Highest risk, limited budgets. Consider premium rates or partial upfront payment.
  • Seed-funded: More stability, but still building. Standard rates with clear payment terms.
  • Series A and beyond: Approaching enterprise-level stability. Premium rates justified.

Always research a startup’s funding situation before discussing rates. Crunchbase and LinkedIn are invaluable for this intelligence gathering.

Value-Based Pricing for Startups

Rather than hourly rates, consider value-based pricing for startup work. Why? Because:

  • Early-stage copy can define a startup’s entire trajectory
  • Good messaging directly impacts their ability to raise funds
  • Your work might be used to acquire their first thousand customers

For example, I charged a SaaS startup $10,000 for their homepage copy—significantly higher than my usual website rate—because those words would be directly tied to their conversion goals for their first major product launch.

My Rule of Thumb for Startup Rates

After years of trial and error, I’ve developed a simple formula:

  • Take your standard rate for established businesses
  • Add a 25-50% premium for pre-Series A startups
  • Require 50% payment upfront for unproven startups
  • Consider equity only as a bonus, never as a replacement for cash

This approach has protected me from the worst-case scenarios while still allowing me to work with exciting early-stage companies.

Which Startup Types Should You Target?

High-Budget Startup Sectors

Not all startups are created equal when it comes to marketing budgets. These sectors typically allocate more resources to copywriting:

  • B2B SaaS: Often have clear monetization strategies and understand the value of good copy
  • Fintech: Competing in a crowded market where messaging differentiation is crucial
  • Health Tech: Complex products requiring clear explanation and heavy regulation demanding precise wording
  • Well-Funded Consumer Apps: Particularly those with strong venture backing

I’ve found B2B SaaS to be particularly lucrative—these founders typically understand that conversion-focused copy directly impacts their bottom line.

Red Flag Startup Types

Proceed with caution when approached by:

  • Startups without a clear revenue model
  • Founders who can’t articulate their target market
  • Companies that have been “about to close funding” for months
  • Startups where the founder is the sole employee after a year of operation

These situations have consistently led to payment issues or project frustrations in my experience.

Finding Quality Startup Clients

Beyond the Usual Suspects

Everyone knows about Upwork and LinkedIn, but here are some unconventional places to find startup clients:

  • Y Combinator’s Directory: Browse recent cohorts and reach out directly
  • AngelList: Filter for recently funded companies
  • ProductHunt: Connect with founders launching new products
  • Startup Slack Communities: Join channels like Startup Study Group or Women in Tech
  • Local Startup Incubators: Attend demo days and networking events

I found three of my highest-paying clients through ProductHunt launches, reaching out with specific observations about their messaging on launch day.

The Cold Outreach Strategy That Actually Works

Generic pitches get ignored. Instead, try this approach:

  1. Find a startup with subpar copy on their homepage or key landing pages
  2. Rewrite a small section (150-200 words)
  3. Email the founder with your improvement, explaining specifically how your version addresses their target audience better
  4. Mention 1-2 similar startups you’ve worked with (if applicable)

This demonstrates value upfront and shows you understand their specific challenges.

Leveraging Startup Networks

Startup ecosystems are surprisingly small and interconnected. Once you work with one:

  • Ask for introductions to other founders in their network
  • Request testimonials specifically mentioning their growth metrics
  • Join founder communities where your clients participate

My work with one fintech startup led to six referrals within their venture capital portfolio—simply because I asked their founder to share my information with their investors.

Making the Relationship Work: Best Practices

Setting Expectations Early

Clear communication is critical with startup clients. Before beginning work, establish:

  • Specific deliverables with word counts/formats
  • Number of revision rounds included
  • Timeline for completion and feedback
  • Payment terms and late fees
  • Points of contact and decision-makers

Document everything in a contract that both parties sign.

Becoming a Strategic Partner, Not Just a Writer

The most successful startup-copywriter relationships happen when you position yourself as more than a wordsmith:

  • Learn their business model thoroughly
  • Understand their competitive landscape
  • Study their customer research
  • Offer strategic insights, not just copy
  • Connect them with other professionals in your network when appropriate

This approach has allowed me to command premium rates and build long-term relationships rather than one-off projects.

The Education Component

Many startup founders have limited marketing experience. Part of your value comes from:

  • Explaining why certain approaches work better than others
  • Providing data or examples that support your recommendations
  • Helping them understand copywriting fundamentals
  • Creating style guides they can use for future content

This educational aspect often becomes as valuable as the copy itself.

Real Talk: Is Startup Work Right for You?

Startup work isn’t for every copywriter. Consider these questions:

  • Can your financial situation handle delayed payments or occasional losses?
  • Do you thrive in ambiguous environments with changing directions?
  • Are you comfortable pushing back against founders’ ideas when necessary?
  • Does the energy of building something new excite you more than the stability of established brands?

The honest truth is that working with startups involves more risk, more relationship management, and sometimes more frustration than working with established companies.

But it also offers more creative freedom, greater potential for rate growth, and the satisfaction of helping shape businesses from their earliest stages.

My Startup Writing Journey: Lessons Learned

After writing for dozens of startups across multiple industries, here are my key takeaways:

  • Trust your gut: If something feels off during initial calls, it probably is
  • Verify funding claims: A quick LinkedIn or Crunchbase search can save you from disaster
  • Celebrate the wins: When a startup you worked with succeeds, claim that victory
  • Learn from failures: Every startup that didn’t work out taught me valuable screening lessons
  • Balance your client portfolio: Never let startup work comprise more than 50% of your income

One of my proudest professional achievements was seeing a startup I worked with from day one grow to a $300 million valuation. My copy was on their homepage through multiple iterations, and the founder later credited their messaging strategy as a key factor in their successful Series B round.

Conclusion: The Startup Decision

Writing for startups can be a rollercoaster—exhilarating highs when they succeed, painful lows when they fail. The key is entering these relationships with eyes wide open and systems in place to protect yourself.

If you’re drawn to the creative challenge, the potential for growth, and the thrill of building something new, startup copywriting might be your perfect niche. Just remember to:

  • Set appropriate rates that account for the added risk
  • Create clear contracts with payment protection
  • Target startups in sectors with proven copywriting budgets
  • Build a pipeline of potential clients through specialized channels
  • Position yourself as a strategic partner, not just a writer

Are you ready to enter the startup world as a copywriter? With the right approach, it can be one of the most rewarding career paths in our profession.