How to Sell Your Client a Subscription Service
Sick of per-project payments? Here’s an email template to convince your client to pay for your subscription service.
For freelancers or single-member LLCs, figuring out how to make more money is a constant business challenge. One person, with a finite amount of time for paid client work each day, can grow their income only so much (without earning passive income by producing digital products—but that’s another story).
As many knowledgeable people will tell you, the answer is to raise your rates. Some will suggest that you stop charging hourly and start charging flat per-project fees instead. But I suggest another solution with a little more oomph: Propose a subscription service.
What is a subscription service?
A subscription service is similar to a retainer in that you, as the freelancer/contractor, are agreeing to complete specific tasks or projects for a client in exchange for a flat fee. But instead of charging a flat fee for three months, six months, or a year—or whatever set period of time a retainer covers—you are charging a flat monthly fee for an ongoing service.
What type of client is a subscription service for?
The ongoing nature of a subscription service means it best suits clients you work for regularly. Do you have a client who enlists your services regularly? That client may be a great candidate for a subscription service!
Currently, my single-member LLC, Pristine Editing, has three subscription-service clients: a monthly print magazine; a print and digital magazine whose content I copyedit daily; and a university that has me copyedit a set number of articles and emails per month, plus two print magazine issues per year.
I also just pitched a subscription to another client whose content I’ve been copyediting for nearly a decade. (I know, that’s a long time. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to pitch this client a subscription either!)
How does a subscription service work?
Typically, my subscription service — which I tailor to each client — includes either a limited word count or a limited number of content pieces each month.
If you’re not an editor, figure out how to outline and limit your subscription service. Limiting the amount of work you will complete is essential. You should never agree to do unlimited work in a subscription service.
For my subscription service, if the client doesn’t meet the monthly limit, I still get paid the same. If the client needs more work completed than the subscription allows, I charge per hour for it — but I also reserve the right to turn down extra projects.
Benefits of a subscription service—for you and the client
There are a few reasons I prefer a subscription service over an hourly rate:
Guaranteed consistent income each month
Increased income (my subscription service includes extra benefits for clients, which I explain in the bulleted list below—which often means I earn more for completing the same amount of editing)
Extraneous time I spend on the client (e.g., time spent emailing with them) is included in the subscription fee
Ease of invoicing (I bill a flat fee rather than itemizing invoices)
Saved time from not negotiating fee and timeline for every project
There are a few reasons a subscription service benefits my clients as well:
Saved time from not negotiating fee and timeline for every project
Regular access to me and my expertise (e.g., a client recently emailed out of the blue to ask a grammar question, and I billed an hourly rate for that time spent—but it would be included in a subscription service)
Guaranteed availability, guarantees to meet their deadlines (sometimes I turn down projects from clients; I wouldn’t if they were a subscription client)
Ease of budgeting (they know what they are paying every month, rather than it being a random number; and typically I charge a rush fee for fast turnaround, but I don’t for subscription clients)
The Template to Pitch a Subscription Service
Do you have a client who is a candidate for a subscription service? Great! Time to pitch it.
Below is the exact email I sent to a client to pitch a subscription service. (I replaced revealing details about my client with the letter X.)
Hi, X,
I hope you’re well!
I’m reaching out to see whether X would be interested in establishing a subscription contract with me. If you’re not the right person to discuss this with, I’d appreciate it if you would point me in the right direction.
I’ve been freelance copyediting regularly for X since X. That work has comprised everything from one-off articles to major weeks-long projects, such as print magazines for X and X.
On average, I copyedit one to four projects per month for X, with occasional special projects like the aforementioned print magazines each year. Typically, someone from X emails me when they need a copy editor, and we negotiate the fee and the timeline. If the copy edit has a 24-hour turnaround, I charge a rush fee, 30 to 40 percent of the total project fee, depending on the project’s length and demand.
Given the number of quick-turnaround requests I’ve received recently, I thought a subscription (rather than per-project payment) might simplify the process for both X and me. Is that something you would like to discuss?
For example, X asked me yesterday to copyedit a 4,000-word white paper and a separate PDF in less than 24 hours. At the time, she wasn’t sure whether I’d be available, and we also had to spend time determining the fee and timeline.
Having a subscription would simplify this process because I would:
—Guarantee availability for X projects, including 24-hour turnarounds
—Eliminate rush fees
—Eliminate per-project fee negotiations, making budgeting simpler and more predictable
A subscription would save X staff time and give them peace of mind that they can meet deadlines.
Subscription options:
—$500/month for up to 5,000 words per month
—$1,000/month for up to 10,000 words per month
For work beyond the monthly word limit, I would charge my standard hourly rate or an additional project fee, though I couldn’t guarantee availability for those projects. Unused words would not roll over from month to month. So if you have a 5,000-word-a-month subscription, but I edit 3,000 words one month, the remaining 2,000 words do not roll over to the next month.
To provide some context for choosing an option, here are my 2026 figures to date:
—Monthly average of 5,037 words copyedited, which has included only one-off articles, not major projects
—1–4 articles/projects per month
—Monthly average spend of $350
The subscription would represent a higher monthly cost for X, but in return it would provide guaranteed availability, budgeting ease, no rush fees, and a simpler process for getting projects completed on deadline.
Would this be something you’d be interested in discussing? I’m happy to answer any questions or adjust the structure based on what would work best for X.
Thank you,
Jaime
Here is the same email with template text, which you can fill in with your own details:
Hi, [your contact at the company],
I hope you’re well!
I’m reaching out to see whether [company name] would be interested in establishing a subscription contract with me. If you’re not the right person to discuss this with, I’d appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.
I’ve been [name the service you offer] for [company name] since [describe the frequency of your services for the company and the length of your relationship]. That work has comprised everything from [describe details of the services you provide, and highlight one or two special projects].
On average, I [describe the frequency of your services for the company in detail]. Typically, [describe the typical process of your collaboration].
Given [share the reason you think a subscription would benefit the client], I thought a subscription (rather than per-project payment) might simplify the process for both [company name] and me. Is that something you would like to discuss?
For example, [client name] asked me yesterday to [describe the ask and the challenges it involved that a subscription would solve].
Having a subscription would simplify this process because I would:
—[list the benefits of the subscription for the client]
A subscription would [summarize the benefits of the subscription for the client].
Subscription options:
— [list options; it’s better to give at least two options and as many as three, not just one]
[Describe additional details of the subscription, particularly limits or what is not included.]
To provide some context for choosing an option, here are [this year’s] figures to date:
—[List the average number of projects you complete for the client per month, plus what the client is currently spending on you per month]
The subscription would represent a higher monthly cost for [company name], but in return it would provide guaranteed availability, budgeting ease, no rush fees, and a simpler process for getting projects completed on deadline.
Would this be something you’d be interested in discussing? I’m happy to answer any questions or adjust the structure based on what would work best for [company name].
Thank you,
[your name]
I hope that this template removes the fear or doubt you may feel in negotiating a new arrangement with your client. (Pssst—you can use the same template to pitch a retainer instead of a subscription!)
Remember, you are suggesting something that benefits your client as well as yourself. Giving your client the option of a subscription is smart business!
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Hi, I’m Jaime, editor and owner of Pristine Editing LLC. To get to know me better, and for more editing tips, sign up for my quarterly email newsletter! You can also follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. My website is pristineediting.com, and there you can find my free style guide template.