please guide me respect to what should i charge?

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by seotyro, Jun 25, 2008.

  1. #1
    1 blog post 400 words
    1 web article 600-900 words
    1 press release 400 words

    please let me know what should i charge from my client?
     
    seotyro, Jun 25, 2008 IP
  2. wilhb81

    wilhb81 Active Member

    Messages:
    1,647
    Likes Received:
    17
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    80
    #2
    Well, it's really hard to tell you the precise price you should charge for your client...

    I bet this must be your first client, right?

    If I were you, I will charge $0.02-$0.025/word for the blog post and web content.

    For the PR, you can charge a slightly higher, which around $0.05/word or more...

    Just my humble opinion, and it's all up to your final decision ;)

    All the best to you.
     
    wilhb81, Jun 25, 2008 IP
  3. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

    Messages:
    8,909
    Likes Received:
    794
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    455
    #3
    I charge $179 for a press release of that length, $100 -175 for the blog post (depends on whether there's a byline or not), and $250-450 for an article of that length depending on whether or not it's ghostwritten. So as you can see between that and what the previous poster suggests, rates for those things can vary greatly. No one here can tell you what to charge.

    It depends on your writing ability, your ability to "sell yourself" to clients who pay within certain rate ranges, whether or not you're an expert in the niche or type of writing (for example a PR professional can charge significantly more for a press release than a generic content writer can), etc.
     
    jhmattern, Jun 25, 2008 IP
  4. marketjunction

    marketjunction Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    3,779
    Likes Received:
    187
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    183
    #4
    As to press releases, that's about right (Jenn I mean, not the 5 cents per word LOL).

    And as Jenn pointed out, when you have PR credentials (degree, etc), you get paid more in the field (like anything else).

    Here's the basic formula: Knowledge + Experience + Skill = Pay.

    OP, we can't even begin to tell you what to charge, because we don't know your KES.
     
    marketjunction, Jun 25, 2008 IP
  5. what

    what Active Member

    Messages:
    1,231
    Likes Received:
    10
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    80
    #5
    I assume that you're a newbie writer so may I suggest you check out the going rate at the content creation section. Also, consider the time that you spent working on those articles - that can help you decide how much to charge.
     
    what, Jun 26, 2008 IP
  6. lightlysalted

    lightlysalted Active Member

    Messages:
    2,067
    Likes Received:
    32
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    90
    #6
    It's always difficult to know how much to charge, search around the forums and see what others are offering their services for.
     
    lightlysalted, Jul 8, 2008 IP
  7. damyantig

    damyantig Peon

    Messages:
    106
    Likes Received:
    2
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #7
    This is a pretty normal question for a newbie freelancer to be asking. I think the answer varies on what you have to offer and how much your client is ready to pay for it.

    In the beginning, you are likely to be under-paid, but as you build up a good reputation as an effective writer, your charges would go up.

    I have recently done a blog post on this, which might help.

    Wish you luck in your writing career:)
     
    damyantig, Jul 9, 2008 IP
  8. saman01

    saman01 Peon

    Messages:
    69
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #8
    Hi,
    It depends on your level of writing.If you are a rookie,you can start my charging a bit low and gradually increase as people start to trust your writing.That what i did and now i have my own Copywriting Company.I take copywriting projects of people.
     
    saman01, Jul 9, 2008 IP
  9. Zenkeshi

    Zenkeshi Banned

    Messages:
    48
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #9
    People tend to charge very low and suddenly change to high once they have a reliable customer base. For example start with .01cent a word or 100 words for $1.50.
     
    Zenkeshi, Jul 10, 2008 IP
  10. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

    Messages:
    8,909
    Likes Received:
    794
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    455
    #10
    Assuming you should start very low and then try to increase rates drastically later is one of the many reasons most freelance writers fail within the first few years. Always set your rates properly from the beginning based on what you need (factoring in billable hours versus working hours, added taxes and expenses in freelancing, etc.). You can always offer temporary sales on your "regular" rates - it's much more effective that way than trying to raise rates later.
     
    jhmattern, Jul 10, 2008 IP
  11. jamesww

    jamesww Peon

    Messages:
    129
    Likes Received:
    2
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #11
    How about you charge me nothing because I am such a nice guy. If you do not know what your services are worth maybe you should pass along the job to someone who does. As I can not see how you can do a good job if you do not know how long it will take you or what the price should be for the quality you provide.
     
    jamesww, Jul 11, 2008 IP
  12. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

    Messages:
    8,909
    Likes Received:
    794
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    455
    #12
    Yeah, God forbid anyone be new and actually trying to learn how to properly set rates as opposed to thinking it's appropriate to compete solely on price like a lot of poor schmucks who set themselves up for failure. :rolleyes:

    seotyro - you were right to ask for feedback. But what you should be paying attention to is what experienced writers are telling you about how to set your own rates, and not specific numbers.
     
    jhmattern, Jul 12, 2008 IP
  13. saman01

    saman01 Peon

    Messages:
    69
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #13
    People can be cruel while paying in the start,but when they see the quality provided,they automatically change their minds.It is always better to show the client the quality he will be getting and then making a quote
     
    saman01, Jul 17, 2008 IP
  14. spacepide11

    spacepide11 Peon

    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #14
    Wow,
    JHmattern, this is the first time I have heard starting high, but I like the sound of it! I have always read that writers should start low and then to adjust with experience. Thanks
     
    spacepide11, Jul 21, 2008 IP
  15. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

    Messages:
    8,909
    Likes Received:
    794
    Best Answers:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    455
    #15
    There's also a good reason most freelance writers fail in the first few years. ;) Doing what most say to do isn't always the smart route.

    And by "start high" I don't mean you should be trying to charge the same thing as someone with better credentials and an extra 10 years of experience. I mean never low-ball your rates and charge less than you need as a base rate. You should make sure up front that you can market based on value specific to your target audience, and not only price. Marketing a service business on price sets most up for failure. How do you determine those base rates you need to charge? I have an article that actually covers most of it for you. :)

    Setting Freelance Writing Rates the Right Way
     
    jhmattern, Jul 21, 2008 IP