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Question for US Writers: How much would you expect for quality magazine articles?

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by zhoom, Mar 2, 2011.

  1. #1
    Note, this is not a job offer. This is just to satisfy my curiosity.

    I have been looking at some local lifestyle magazines in California and I am interested to know how much freelance writers who get articles published in these magazines earn per article.

    Would that rate be comparable to published freelancers in local newspapers?

    Thanks
     
    zhoom, Mar 2, 2011 IP
  2. freelancewebaz

    freelancewebaz Well-Known Member

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    #2
    For print magazine articles I would expect between $25 and $150 per article.
     
    freelancewebaz, Mar 2, 2011 IP
  3. zhoom

    zhoom Peon

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    #3
    Thankyou. So what is the difference between a $25 and $150 article? Is it just length?
     
    zhoom, Mar 2, 2011 IP
  4. Thales

    Thales Peon

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    #4
    It really depends on the readership, category and and of course, the writer themselves. And of course, there is always the question of syndication.
    It is almost impossible to speculate offhand the pay structure of independent publishers.
     
    Thales, Mar 2, 2011 IP
  5. zhoom

    zhoom Peon

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    #5
    Fair enough, but I love to engage in full blown, irrational speculation :) If you were to join me in that what would you say?
     
    zhoom, Mar 2, 2011 IP
  6. Thales

    Thales Peon

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    #6
    Purely from my personal experience, and hearsay

    Niche Publication: $0.10-$0.50 per word
    Niche Publication, established/ captive market: $0.50-$0.80 per word
    Mainstream: $1 onwards

    Branded National/International Mags: 4 figures
    Syndication: Big money. George Will's work is syndicated to over 400 publications nationally, and I understand that it generates 5 digits weekly.

    *500-600 words seems to be the normal length.
     
    Thales, Mar 2, 2011 IP
    zhoom likes this.
  7. zhoom

    zhoom Peon

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    #7
    Thankyou! Just what I was looking for :)
     
    zhoom, Mar 2, 2011 IP
  8. Perry Rose

    Perry Rose Peon

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    #8
    To add to what Thales said, after talking with other writers, and looking into it myself, I would guess that most newspapers pay no more than $50.

    They are very cheap!

    And here they are worried so much about losing readers!

    Being a syndicated writer is where it is at, though. You make it up through sheer volume.

    If you write for, say, just 50 outlets, and they pay you, say, $50 per piece per month, that's over $2,000 a week take home.

    To get more of a grasp on the rates, all you have to do is to call them up.

    Many magazines, like, Cosomo, for example, pay $2 and up per word for an original, good article.

    A piece you might find interesting:

    http://www.makealivingwriting.com/2010/11/05/how-i-make-5k-blogging/
     
    Perry Rose, Mar 3, 2011 IP
  9. zhoom

    zhoom Peon

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    #9
    Thanks Perry. Yes the article is quite interesting! Writing 60 articles a month seems like a slog to me... I find it hard trying to come up with a few per month! I guess that's why I'm not a pro writer :)

    How would compare print rates to online rates?
     
    zhoom, Mar 3, 2011 IP
  10. Perry Rose

    Perry Rose Peon

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    #10
    It is different with every publisher.

    Some pay the same, others pay more for hard copy (not published online) articles.

    I would think that most of them pay more for hard copy because the circulation and ad revenue is much higher. They have more to spend for quality writers to help keep their circulation up.

    Yeah, those are a lot of articles. But if you are writing on a subject you like, like Carol does, it will come easy for you.

    You'd be surprised by what you can do.

    Here is an article that lists a few magazines' rates.

    It's old, but it only means that most (if not all of) of the rates listed there are now higher these days:

    http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3065/is_v14/ai_3712862/


    Also do keyword research.

    Many magazines list their rates per word.

    Example keywords (I just chose a random magazine): redbook writers per word articles rates

    http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp...word+articles+rates&pbx=1&fp=df709da665cc5c0f

    Also use the word guidelines.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2011
    Perry Rose, Mar 3, 2011 IP
  11. freelancewebaz

    freelancewebaz Well-Known Member

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    #11
    To me the difference between a $25 article and a $150 article is not only the length of the piece but also how much research the writer does prior to writing it as well as their amount of experience. I charge more per article when writing about topics that I have a wealth of knowledge about. Hope this helps.
     
    freelancewebaz, Mar 3, 2011 IP
  12. zhoom

    zhoom Peon

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    #12
    Thanks Perry.. Good tips and resources!

    Freelacewebaz, ok... makes sense.

    Thanks for the info everyone. I think my curiosity is well satisfied :)
     
    zhoom, Mar 3, 2011 IP
  13. Hagen

    Hagen Peon

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    #13
    It really depends on the publication. Some pay $50 for published articles, others well over $1,000 per article. Length is a factor, but definitely not the only one. I came Some travel magazines pay in the $700 - $1,000 range.
     
    Hagen, Mar 4, 2011 IP