Here's a not-at-all definitive - but hopefully useful - guide to speechwriting rates. (Written from the perspective of a freelance speechwriter working in the UK.)
Some speechwriters stick to a set fee. This is often based on a price-per-minute of your speech. But others are prepared to negotiate over price; I prefer to build a bit of flexibility into my pricing, so that I can adjust my fees to reflect the requirements of the job.
As you can probably imagine, rates vary enormously, so I've run through some typical speechwriting jobs and quoted some of the likely ranges in price. In some cases, I've also indicated what I've charged for specific jobs.
What’s the cost of a wedding speech?
Every speechwriter I know charges considerably less for social speeches and wedding speeches. Partly that’s because you (the client) do some of the work – we take your stories and anecdotes and craft them into a speech that sounds like you could have written it. I’ve seen prices quoted from around £500 for a 7-minute wedding speech, or social occasion speech.
If you do get a quote at the lower end of the price scale, just make sure you still get:
- A full interview (so the speechwriter can nail your tone of voice)
- The extra reassurance of a redraft, just in case the first draft needs a tweak or two
How much for a business speech?
Business speeches cost more. The extra cost covers a lot of extra work researching: the event, the audience, the topic and / or product. Your speechwriter will then craft a draft that matches your requirements, and take on any additional edits and refinements to fine-tune the speech at second draft.
If you're looking for a strong sales focus that will probably incur a higher project fee. After all, if you're looking for a professionally written speech that helps you promote your products and services better, it’s fair to expect to pay for your speechwriter’s sales nous as well as their writing credentials.
So what should you pay for a keynote, product launch or conference speech? An experienced speechwriter will probably charge somewhere in the region of £80 - £150 per minute of your speech.
At the time of writing this - in April 2023 - the last couple of business speeches I've been commissioned to write both ran to 15 minutes. I charged just under £2,000 for the first speech - I undertook all of the research and writing myself.
On the second speech, I worked much more closely with the speaker and their assistant. They undertook most of the required revisions to the first draft, meaning I was able to offer them a lower price.
What does a political speech cost?
The political process eats up speeches, so there are plenty of speechwriters who offer political speeches as part of their portfolio of services. While most specialist political speechwriters will be tied into fulltime speechwriting jobs, there's nothing to fear from engaging a generalist speechwriter.
A political speech isn't so very different from any other speech that needs to win hearts and minds, whether that's at a wedding or a business conference. Your speechwriter will draw from the same well of structural devices, narrative techniques, and effective rhetoric to give your speech its power and cogency. Perhaps they'll even give you a little discount, if they approve of your politics!
Or, if you have the time to write your own political speech, here are some practical tips for political speeches inspired by the business world.)
Money off for charity speeches
I discount the cost of fundraising and charity speeches. I suspect a lot of other speechwriters do too. So, if you’d like to discuss some discounts, get in touch and we'll try and sort something out.
While I’m afraid I can’t work for nothing, I do try and make charity speeches as affordable as I possibly can.
Money off for corporate speeches
As I mentioned above, the more work you're willing and able to do with me on your speech, the more I can do to keep the price down:
If you give me a clear structure and outline for the speech before I start work, it will simplify the process, and I can charge less.
If you are willing to undertake the revisions on the first draft speech yourself, I can charge less.
Need a price for your next speech?
Give me a call on 07960 459081, or put down some details on the UK Speechwriter contact form and we can talk over price, timescale and process.
(Please note: The guide prices I've provided here are for information only.)
(This blog was originally published in January 2016, but was revised and updated in April 2023.)