As a freelance writer, I'm curious to know how fellow writers price their services. I've seen many content buyers on DP and other forums who pay their writers pennies per word, if that -- and I have to say, I think it's quite a disgrace. I would just like to get a feel if there are similar, like-minded writers who feel their services warrant appropriate prices. Freelance writing is a real job, and as such I believe clients should pay liveable wages and writers should charge accordingly for their services. Your thoughts?
I don't think that on-line businesses are going to pay good rates in the near future. If you work as a freelancer for a newspaper or magazine the rates are $ 0.20 - $0.40 per word, some pay even more.
Perhaps not as a majority, Arnie -- but there are clients who recognize that quality content demands a decent rate. I just hope that more people will realize that writers are no different than any other profession -- we, too, need to make a living.
I have stopped long ago seeking contracts on this site. Right now my best rates come from sales letters and product descriptions plus a few more unconventional copywriting gigs where I also do some marketing. These go for a rate as high as 0.15$ per word. Given that the paychecks keep increasing I assume that this rate will go up. The sales letter domain seems the most promising, as that is the field in which I have the most experience. Best regards, George
Thank you for your feedback, George. I appreciate the comments It's good to hear that you've found a niche that works for you, and also pays a liveable wage.
Denise From my experience a lot of writers are paid good money if the writer does the research and comes up with an article. For eg: I give a topic and you go out and write the article within two days on that topic - you probably will get paid. A lot of times it happens that the writers are given sometimes brief, sometimes detailed information on the type of article needed. All that remains is the writer to put it properly - articulate it right and convey the message. These writers probably won't get much $
Thank you for your feedback. A lot of writers are paid "good money," but the definition of that term varies depending upon who you ask. If you look up the going rates for a professional freelance writer, you'll notice that the average amount is significantly higher than what most people on the various forums I belong to are willing to pay. Of course, what writers should charge will depend on their level of experience, education, etc -- but as with any job, they deserve to be paid an amount they can live on.
Agreed 100% but now with competition due to outsourcing a lot of writers have reduced their own rates. Like Web-designing - once upon a time $1000 were charged to design an average 5 page site now the same is done for $100.
I do agree with you -- competition within the freelance market is fierce because of outsourcing. I haven't reduced my rates -- if I do take any low-paying jobs, it's because I enjoy the work, and I have the time/money/ability to do so without affecting my business. However, I can understand why writers in the field would reduce their rates, because it's hard to compete against the hundreds of other writers who work very cheaply. However, I'm still a firm believer that quality content will win out in the end --I'm hoping it's not just wishful thinking on my part.
Another point to take into consideration One thing is the rate that you charge as an independent freelance writer and another what you get working on a team of writers. $0.15 per word may become $0.145 for the job taker and $0.005 or less for the assigned writer
For a professional freelance writer, less than one cent a word isn't acceptable for the quality of work they produce. However, I have noticed that writers whose work is outsourced to them through a team network do accept lower rates than writers who work alone.
Well I make $.35-.50 / word working for online clients, so there are plenty who pay higher rates. You just have to build a decent portfolio, and learn how to network. You won't find them posted to forums or job listing sites very often.
A+ for that Jen. Network always helps. Whether you write, publish, sell - first place to start - your personal network.
It's how I get nearly all of my articles assignments... a good idea is to network with other writers working in the same general pay range as you are, but who specialize in different niches. If they get an offer out of their area of expertise, they'll refer the client to me. I do the same for them. It's also a good way to announce more general "finds". Every once in a while, there's a company looking to hire several writers at professional rates (whether it's a new site for an exisitng company to a client who simply has a variety of needs at once). When you network well, you'll hear about things that way... if they come across something like that, they'll simply announce it to everyone else. There are a lot of ways to do it. You could join writers' forums. I tend not to go that route, because there are already a lot of writers there, so it's more competition than people simply trying to help each other out. I prefer smaller mailing lists in select groups. It's worked well. I've also worked with three large content networks at various times, which put me in touch with a large amount of writers of varying levels. It's an option, and you can get paid to write directly for them too. Personally, I love networking. Maybe we should start a thread on some ideas along those lines... I'll go do that.