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Standard rates?

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by JAMALG, Jan 24, 2009.

  1. parsibagan

    parsibagan Active Member

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    #61
    Just check out the quality and you will see what you get for cheap rates. nobody should expect cashew nuts if they pay for peanuts (can someone please explain why is `peanuts', as one word, legitimate, and why not `cashewnuts')? As far as keyword density is concerned, it is not tough if you ignore the rules of grammar and sentence structure.

    "When purchasing a gold watch ensure that you are purchasing a gold watch and not a silver watch. After all a gold watch is a gold watch and there is no way that a gold watch can be replaced by a silver watch. At times the fake gold watch that looks like a real gold watch is in reality a copper watch that looks to the untrained eye like a gold watch because that copper watch has been polished to look like a gold watch." :eek::D
     
    parsibagan, Feb 14, 2009 IP
  2. puzon23

    puzon23 Peon

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    #62
    Just on the topic of rates for writing. I was wondering if someone could point to me where they have been able to find customers that pay $25 per article. I have searched and have not found any. I'm not looking for anyone to give away their secrets but just simply point me in the right direction.

    Thanks for your help!
     
    puzon23, Feb 15, 2009 IP
  3. Steven Zero

    Steven Zero Peon

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    #63
    There really is no such thing as a "standard rate", especially with copywriting.

    If you're putting together a launch for a brand new product you've vested a lot of time and energy into, and that you play on marketing, then in my opinion finding a top quality copywriter for that product for only $1 per WORD is a bargain.

    It all depends upon what you're looking for, and what your goals are with the product you're marketing. Is it just one of many, or is it your magnum opus?
     
    Steven Zero, Feb 16, 2009 IP
  4. JAMALG

    JAMALG Banned

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    #64
    Thanks for all the healthy responses. They are greatly appreciated! I was frustrated the day I wrote that. I have to say in the past 14 days, I have done pretty tremendous things. They say when you let it go and let God. You tend to come out a little more ahead of the game.
    I have taken a whole new approach to how I'll be basing my clients and what I do in my business life.
    I encourage the responses to continue and I pray that each & every one of you get the spiritual boost to your business!
     
    JAMALG, Feb 17, 2009 IP
  5. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #65
    There's no "place" to go. If you want higher paying gigs, for the most part they'll come through referrals. You have to focus on your professional site, portfolio, networking, and marketing / PR to build general visibility in your specialty area. Then the better gigs come to you, and not vice versa. $25 is still on the rather low end though, so I'm sure there will be some places publicly advertising those rates.

    I post job listings at www.AllFreelanceWriting.com, Deb Ng and Jodee post some at www.FreelanceWritingGigs.com, and Anne Wayman posts some at www.AboutFreelanceWriting.com. Look at those job listings regularly - I often see and post gigs paying in that range or more.
     
    jhmattern, Feb 17, 2009 IP
  6. aeolson

    aeolson Peon

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    #66
    For me I'm currently doing $20 per 500 words...I never charge per hour since how fast I work on articles varies, and it wouldn't be fair to the customer. If I understand correctly, this is an average rate. $10 is low. $5...yikes.

    Many writers charge for less, but they may be charging less because they don't do it full time or they're not very experienced. Overall, I think people will pay for quality over quantity. You may get it cheaper, but you'll probably end up paying for it in lost traffic, a lower index on Google, a lack of professionalism on your website etc.

    Of course what you charge depends on what you know and how well you can write. I specialise in SEO/LSI web-formatted content, for example. I also research very well (and very fast) so that puts me at an advantage. People WILL pay for quality, so don't think you need to charge less because everyone else is. If you write high quality content, you'll stick out from the others no matter what.
     
    aeolson, Feb 17, 2009 IP
  7. Karen May Jones

    Karen May Jones Prominent Member

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    #67
    Perhaps go hang out at the local tattoo shop and ask the customers if they would like a beautifully written article to go with their beautiful new tattoo. :D
     
    Karen May Jones, Feb 18, 2009 IP
    jhmattern likes this.
  8. JAMALG

    JAMALG Banned

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    #68
    I about fell off my chair, that was hilarious! Thanks!
     
    JAMALG, Feb 18, 2009 IP
    JoyGoRound likes this.
  9. joycescape

    joycescape Active Member

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    #69
    So, how much is the standard rate here in DP? Most buyers prefer to order from writers who charge $0.01/word and give quality article. How I wish I could increase my charge,I believed that I deserved higher pay but I'm afraid to lose my regular clients who pays me $0.01/word. Any suggestions?
     
    joycescape, Feb 22, 2009 IP
  10. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #70
    I think we've already covered that - there's no such thing as a standard rate, and what you see people publicly advertising has nothing to do with what the overall DP buyer population is willing to pay. Network, post more than things like ads, build a professional site, and get a portfolio put together. That's how you attract the higher-paying work at places like DP (and plenty of it does exist).
     
    jhmattern, Feb 22, 2009 IP
  11. Online Writer

    Online Writer Peon

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    #71
    I have averaged $20 per 450 word review for well over a year now. Due to the economic stuff going on, demand is fluctuating a lot right now so I do have to work for 1/3 of that quite often. Luckily, I work fast and produce very good articles.

    It usually only takes a buyer one bad experience with the $1/500 word guys to realize you get what you pay for. If you don't mind Engrish or have time for a lot of editing, you can skim by with those but in the long run it really becomes a hassle.
     
    Online Writer, Feb 22, 2009 IP
  12. shaklebolt

    shaklebolt Active Member

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    #72
    jhmattern, I read this whole thread just to read your posts! You really do want to help your fellow writers out. I have been writing here for the past one month (I joined DP some 2 years back though ) and am trying to raise the bar. This includes encouraging fellow writers breaking the $0.01, $0.02 barriers and asking what they deserve for the services they are providing. Your posts here certainly gave me a boost.

    I have been writing since my first crush in junior high, though the muses have changed every year or so... It's more than a financially rewarding business for me, it's something that I enjoy and take pride in. That being said, the $$ rate is what makes me put in the efforts. If you give me x$ for a piece, you'll get quality that is directly proportional to it.

    Thanks for the encouragement (even if you didn't meant to, you pumped me up!) and I hope I'll keep reading you and learning from you on DP.
     
    shaklebolt, Feb 27, 2009 IP
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  13. grafton

    grafton Peon

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    #73
    Hi Everyone:

    I joined DP about a year ago, as I slowly started to build up a client base while improving my writing skills. At first, I would gladly take jobs that paid one cents per word. I needed the experience and I was able to develop a portfolio of writing samples. I considered my early freelancing days as "on the job training."

    I frequently get higher paid jobs now, but I will still work for 2 cents per word if I need the money. I will also work for lower rates if I need to improve my skills in certain disciplines, such as eBooks and white papers, for example. So many factors affect writing rates, it's hard to state a definitive rate with any certainty.

    I think we all have a pretty good sense, after a while, of what our writing skills are worth. I recently upped my rates and lost a couple of clients in the process, but one returned after he realized he couldn't find the same quality for less.

    Another client stayed on, but sends over less work these days, which is fine with me. I would much rather write a few articles at a decent rate than write 30 articles a day at one cent per word. I have also noticed the increased use of spinning software, which I detest on so many levels. I recently turned down a decent paying gig that wanted me to format each article I wrote for spinning.

    I had to take a few months off from writing recently to deal with some family issues and now I am re-energized and anxious to take my freelancing to the next level. I am thinking it's time for me to develop a blog to market myself. I also plan to be more proactive in contacting potential clients directly.

    Anyways, I am happy to have found DP. The level of expertise here is amazing and has been extremely helpful as I find my own way in the jungle that is freelance writing.:)

    My final word regarding rates:

    When first starting out, take everything and anything you can get.

    After your skill level has improved, start bidding on higher paying jobs and raise your rates accordingly.
     
    grafton, Mar 9, 2009 IP
  14. JAMALG

    JAMALG Banned

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    #74
    You know when I first started this thread, it was out of mere frustration but now I am alot happier that I did because I also took advice and read through Ms. Mattern, and a few others stuff. I scored a regular writing job that generates me a good chunk of cash.
    My suggestion to everyone, is don't expect to make millions and don't settle for less. If you are a good writer, you'll be sought out. I was and that in itself was a mega blessing. Good writers will reveal themselves in time. Just need to have patience and stick it out.
     
    JAMALG, Mar 10, 2009 IP
  15. pixelcrafter

    pixelcrafter Greenhorn

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    #75
    Dear Ray Edwards,

    Please tell me
    how you could get $150 for each article.
    That a shocking number for me.

    -Pixel-

     
    pixelcrafter, Mar 10, 2009 IP
  16. pixelcrafter

    pixelcrafter Greenhorn

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    #76
    Dear Capistrano,

    Hope you do not mind to detail which "serious busines" who have
    no problem paying $25 and much higher for a high quality 500 word text.

    Would you describe the detail of the high quality pieces?

    Thx a lot.
    -Pixel-

     
    pixelcrafter, Mar 10, 2009 IP
  17. lhrowley

    lhrowley Peon

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    #77
    It would be pretty tough to find someone online - that is, someone you've never worked for before - that would be willing to pay that much. The sad truth is, many people who use DP and various freelance sites to find writers are just interested in getting decent quality for the best price possible.

    That said, I've done (and continue to do) $150/article projects for clients... but this only comes with building a relationship with the client. You write articles/web content/sales pages that convert, and then your words become infinitely more valuable to the client... and to the client's circle of business contacts.

    One of the most important things you can do to justify higher rates is to track the performance of your content. If you write articles, submit them to directories and track the clickthrough and conversion rates (this means screenshots, not just an anecdotal account). Same goes for web content, sales letters, squeeze pages, etc. The more documentation you can provide that proves your content makes money, the more you will be able to charge.

    If you don't have clients, write content and sales pages for affiliate products. Then track and document every bit of your content's performance.

    If the performance is good, you'll have plenty of ammo to command higher rates. If the performance is bad, then you have a lot more pressing things to worry about than what you should charge.
     
    lhrowley, Mar 10, 2009 IP
  18. pixelcrafter

    pixelcrafter Greenhorn

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    #78
    Thx you lhrowley,
    your answer really help me.

    -Pixel-

     
    pixelcrafter, Mar 11, 2009 IP
  19. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #79
    It's not as hard as most people think really. It just takes time. $200 is my standard rate for a 500 word article, and I have several regular clients and a few other period clients from DP that pay the rates without question - in fact, every DP client who has paid that rate has come back for repeated work. On top of that, "several" is more than enough, when you don't need to pull in dozens of clients to make ends meet as you would at $5 or $10 per article.

    It's just about taking the time to build visibility and showcase your knowledge in the area you're writing about. If you're a specialist in in-demand subject matter, that certainly plays a role in what you can charge. You did hit part of it though - relationships are a big deal. The key beyond the visibility is to keep people coming back (and those regulars then refer other clients in a lot of cases).

    Too many writers here still just don't grasp the concept of the better-paying work not being publicly advertised on webmaster forums. They'd have better luck looking at communities in their subject area rather than just generally for site owners, and many simply don't want to take the time to build a reputation in the communities they're a part of. But to each his own I guess.
     
    jhmattern, Mar 11, 2009 IP
  20. Y.L. Prinzel

    Y.L. Prinzel Peon

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    #80

    This is the truth. There are so many writers who think that networking with other writers will get them work. It may once in a while, but really, you should be networking with the people who do not write and need your specialty. As an insurance/ finance specialist- who is also a stockbroker/agent, I'm lucky enough to have a wide network of agents and financial advisors in my network. If I didn't, I would network with those folks through some other medium- I would not rely on networking with other finance and insurance writers :)
     
    Y.L. Prinzel, Mar 11, 2009 IP