What's the highest you've ever paid or been paid to write?

Well, a couple of things before I answer Maestro's question:

1. What about you, CM? You didn't tell us your figures?
2. Jake, not only would I also not participate in such a list - it's illegal. It's called price-setting and is a big no-no. I for one believe in free enterprise. The market takes care of itself.
3. I agree with TextServices, but I also agree that figures can be motivating, as CM said. if someone else can do it - so can you.

Now, I am a bit hesitant to write about earnings, because like TX said, I don't want to sound like I'm bragging.

However, for the purposes of the discussion, here are a few:

1. I have a client right now in CA - a marketing company working with a mortgage broker paying me $103 per hour.
2. I'm working long-term with a client in Texas called Vulcan Pools - pretty cool company and concept and I am getting roughly $125 per 100 words. I don't really charge like that, but having written different web pages, marketing stuff, etc - it seems to work out that way.
3. I have another ongoing client in Georgia - a rhuse flipper - paying about the same as #2.
4. I'm getting ready to start ghost writing a sales how to book for a price of $3K - about 300 pages long w/150 words per page. Good fixed-rate, I think.

BTW - got all of these from ODesk. Not my only source, but still - ODesk works if you work it.

 

Haha! Now that you've quoted such big figures here, who anyway cares about mine?
Still …. for a single article of 2500 words, I was paid $65 by a client. It was about comparison of various popular methodologies of alternative medicine. It was difficult to put all information I could lay my hands on in just 2500 words, but I think I covered pretty much some of the most important elementary differences. Well, for one in the US or UK, it will not sound cool at all but for me and many other writers in India, it's quite a good pay; at least when you're not a very veteran writer. As for what I've paid, I've never been at the buyer's end till now.

That's great. Thanks for sharing @SCookAAM. I guess it takes a lot of experience and proficiency to reach there.

 

Well, it takes experience and skill, sure. But perhaps more than anything, it takes persistence. it means taking jobs you aren't sure you're capable of doing - and allowing that pressure to forace you to expand.

And believe me, there are plenty of writers who would laugh at my pitiful earnings

And, that 2500 word article, now written, is a great reference point. you could do something similar for someone else and charge double or triple.

Also, as I always say - copywriting pays more than content writing, generally. Although they're often inter-related.

The nice thing about copywriting, is that after a while, you have statistical results you can show.

for example:

I wrote a kickstarter campaign for ShutterEaze:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2070556083/shuttereaze-home-automation-for-your-plantation-sh
I helped them raise $45K of a $40K goal. Now, I can use that to prove to another client who wants me to write their crowd funding campaign that I'm worth the 5% fee, or a flat fee.

Proof of results is a HUGE

 

I have received $50 for a 500 words article for a blog.

 

I once wrote a poem for my girlfriend and she cried (just to clarify - because she loved it). That was priceless

 

Thanks for sharing @King-Servers.

I know. Writing for the 'Love, Dating and Relationship' niche is indeed very lucrative.

 

I'm not sure about "The market takes care of itself". As example, take the video card market. There are low, medium and high performance cards and the prices are very similar between the brands. I'm not talking about a fixed list that anyone is obliged to follow, but having an idea about the prices can help (this thread is an example).

 

Well, for one, the prices of sound cards is a totally different market. You're talking about a product who's price can easily be determined. With services, it's different. And, as I said, it's illegal to price-set. Not that a couple of people talking on a forums is any big deal,- but in any industry wide sense, it's a no no.

And frankly, I don't want a communist-like price scheduele. These things tend to reward the low end and punish the high end. We get paid what we're worth because we've earned our way up, we've proven our value and we know how to market and sell.

if, for example, I am a better salesman of my own skills, then I may command a better rate than you, even if we may write at the same level.

I, for one, do not want to be told my limit. I charge about $100 per hour, and I intend to get to $500 in the future. If I can do so through proof of results, awesome. If I can't - then I don't get there.

It would be impossible without ttrict laws and someone to manage the money, to control prices across a nation and especially a globe for writing services anyway.

But ok, for the sake of argument, let's say we all charge a minimum of $100 per hour? Everybody ok with that?

 

I never bill by the hour. Here's why:

1. I don't want to overbill my clients with more time than it takes to get the job done.
2. I don't want to underbill my clients and get paid less than what I should have.

Billing a per word rate is a win/win solution for me because the faster I get the job done, the more the actual 'hourly rate' increases - and my client's TAT is faster as a result.

 

Thanks for your reply @Senobia.

So how do you set the price for a project for which a time frame cannot be worked out initially or for which you can't specify a total word count at the outset?

1. For certain projects, the topics are very vague/uncertain or broad in nature. E.g., you're given a topic as 'How to change your content management strategy in light of latest SEO changes'. There are many things one can write about it and almost all points will be important. As you go on researching and writing, significant changes will take place in yours and the client's understanding of the subject and the client might feel like including more points down the line to make the material more comprehensive. It might even result in the whole basic idea of the project becoming very different from the point at which it all started. The client will revise the word count accordingly (- most probably increase it) and the price you quoted at the beginning won't be valid anymore.
2. Again, for some types of projects, there's a lot of scope for creativity and you can come up with new and innovative ideas all the time. For such work, a specific word count can't be defined. Suppose you're writing promotional content for an ad blitz the purpose of which is to generate more prospective buyers and convert them successfully into longtime customers. There are many ways you can promote the product or service in question and you might even find out new ones while studying the target market. When you're done with the draft, your client might want to delete some points, add more and/or get some modified. There will be several edits and back-and-forths till the client is OK with what you've written. As such, you cannot predict the time that will be required to finish the whole work off.

 

My highest pay has been $5/500 words article.

 

my highest fee ever received is $1/100 words on Bingo articles

 

$150 per hour - but I was also producing 2700 word articles. I type super fast and was able to breeze through them quite well.