Freelance Writing Jobs » Fair Pay

Are There No GOOD Freelance Writing Jobs Anymore?

Deb — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:50:19 +0000

I keep coming back to Jodee Redmond’s post “Will Taking a Low Paying Freelance Writing Job Hurt Your Career?” I already wrote about my thoughts on this topic and I don’t wish to bring it up again, however one of the comments is sticking in my mind. In fact, I’ve been mulling it over for days.

Content Sites Aren’t Keeping You From Higher Paying Freelance Writing Opportunities

In the comments for that blog post, I mentioned how there have always been low paying gigs, whether they’re with literary journals or as the resident freelancer for a graphic design studio. In fact, I remember freelance writers clamoring for a gig paying minimum wage when I worked in publishing in the 80’s and 90’s. My point was that these jobs didn’t keep anyone from aspiring to do better or finding higher paying work back in the day, and the entry level opportunities we see today shouldn’t keep us from it either, if that’s our choice.

I said:

There have always been low paying opportunities for writers, for example, the literary magazine paying five dollars or the newspaper column paying $15.

None of these jobs lowered the rates or drove away the high paying jobs (though, in all honesty, there was a time I thought this would be the case). There have been a handful of freelancers visiting the FWJ community over the years who continuously speak out against he entry level gigs and their rates of pay, but has it really affected their situations? These writers set a standard and won’t go below that standard, yet still complain about the rates and the “content mill jobs” as if they’re affecting their livelihood. They’re not. Writers who won’t settle below a certain amount are still finding work, otherwise they would have thrown in the towel a long time ago.

The commentator posted this in response:

Check out the Indeed listings and others-dominated by the content mills. The literary journals never occupied position one.

No, because literary journals didn’t advertise on traditional classified advertising sites. We didn’t have all these Internet jobs back then so you can’t compare. Literary journals only advertised in the back of Writer’s Digest or other writing newsletters. I agree it’s annoying to see hundreds of ads for the same company occupying the hundreds of slots on the job search engines, but that doesn’t mean there are no good freelance writing jobs, it simply means you may have to dig a little deeper.

Stop Looking for Excuses and You’ll Find the Good Freelance Writing Jobs

For some reason, I have a reputation for “only” posting low paying gigs, which is kind of funny. At FWJ we post between 40 and 100 new gigs each and every day and very few of them are from “content mills.” Many of them are lucrative opportunities. Web content is just a small portion of the jobs posted here on a regular basis. I understand there are some people who don’t approve of entry level opportunities, but to say they’re the reason you’re not finding work is just an excuse. There is plenty of freelance writing work, even in this economy.

There have always been low paying jobs. We see them more now because of the Internet, but there have always been places that paid writers less than $10 – or nothing at all. We found high paying work “back in the day,” and we’ll continue to find high paying work now. The “content mills” (and I) are a convenient scapegoat, but they’re not the reason you’re not finding better work.

Do You Need to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates in 2010? 5 Signs to Help You Decide

Deb — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:50:56 +0000

I’m a big fan of clean slates. For me, January 1st is a time for reflection and the best time to get a fresh start going. I like to take time out before the start of the new year to assess my situation and decide if it’s time to raise my rates. I know from speaking with some of the members of the FWJ community, many of you are afraid of raising your freelance writing rates because you don’t want to lose your clients to a freelance writer with a lower price. While that thinking is understandable, it’s flawed. If you’re a good writer and your clients appreciate your service, they’ll pay an reasonable increase in rates. Moreover, if they drop you because of raising your rates, you probably weren’t a good fit and need to find someone who knows you’re worth the price.

Raising rates takes confidence, but if you’re a good writer and have a reputation to match, you deserve a rate befitting your talent.

5 Signs to Help You Determine If it’s Time to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates

So how do you know if you should raise your rates? Here are a few hints:

1. The End Doesn’t Justify the Means

You work eight to ten hours each day, yet the amount of money you earn comes no where close to the amount of work you’re putting into it. Getting your foot in the door is one thing, not getting paid what you’re worth is a whole other story. Go over all your earnings vs all the work you do and see if you can still justify the rates. Try this: take all the money you earn in a given month and divide it by the hours worked. If it’s turning out to be only a couple of dollars for an hour of writing and research, something is wrong. Sometimes even a small raise of $5 to $10 more for an hour or task makes a large difference.

2. You’re Only Breaking Even

Calculate your earnings vs. the work put into your writing, vs expenses including overhead, operational costs, outsourcing, healthcare and taxes. Are you still earning a profit? Many freelancers charge a rate without actually considering the big picture. Factor in everything that goes into your business when setting your rates. It’s not enough to simply break even, you should be putting money into the bank. There should be enough left over to support yourself (and/or your family) and build your business. If not, you need to rethink your rate.

3. Your Clients Are Always Pleased

If you turn in clean work every time and your clients are always giving you positive feedback, congratulations – you earned a pay raise. Many salaried employees receive cost of living increases every year and freelancers shouldn’t be any different. Use your client’s feedback as your year end review. Do you deserve an increase? If so, ask. If your clients are pleased with your work, they’ll want to keep you around. They don’t mind paying a reasonable increase in rates if it means they’re getting quality.

4. You Have More Work Than You Can Handle

Are the clients knocking down your door? If you find yourself with more freelance writing work than you can handle and less time with “real world” activities, it’s time to raise your rates. If you’re in demand, your rates should reflect this. The clients who only wanted you because of an inexpensive rate may move on, but the clients who want a good writer they trust will pay your price enabling you to work smarter not harder.

5. You No Longer Need to Undercut the Competition

Sure, charging a lower rate enabled you to get a foot in the door but you no longer need it. You have plenty of clients and a good reputation. You bring in more business via word of mouth recommendations than advertising and marketing. Not only is your foot in the door, your whole body came through. It’s time to set your own bar and not worry about what the “competition” is charging.

What factors do you use to determine when you should raise your rates?

Freelance Writing Experience: Does it Matter Where Your Clips Come From?

Deb — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:56:53 +0000

Credit where it’s due: A few days Jodee Redmond wrote: “Will Taking a Low Paying Hurt Your Career.” Jodee’s post is the inspiration for this one.

Disclaimer: This post isn’t encouraging writers to accept low pay, it’s merely a discussion of whether or not your low paying past will hurt you when you apply for other gigs.This discussion isn’t about low pay or whether or not writers should accept entry level opportunities. It’s whether or not these opportunities will cause you to lose work.

When I was younger it was my dream to become a newspaper columnist. I couldn’t wait to see my little picture and byline at the top of a column. Several years ago I found my chance when a new newspaper opening in a nearby major city, advertised for journalists and editors. Even though they weren’t hiring columnists, I didn’t think it could hurt to query. Taking a deep breath, I pitched anyway, for a column about saving money. All I had to show my style were a bunch of clips from entry level freelance writing jobs. I sent them, pitched and landed a regular gig as newspaper columnist. No one ever came back and said, “Sorry. You wrote for low pay. We don’t want you or your stinking clips.”

Good Writing Matters More Than Pay…or Even Experience

When a potential client asks for clips, they want to get an idea of your writing style.They want to know you can handle the material. Many times clips that are related to the potential client’s niche are fine, even if they come from a low paying market. Many times your client has no idea what the other places pay. I often recommend writers who have no experience write up a few articles and use these to apply for jobs, and more than a few have been able to land jobs using unpublished clips. Good writing stands out. You can be the most experienced writer in the world but if you send in bad clips you won’t get the gig.

To be fair, if you’re applying for a high paying journalism job and only have certain types of clips, an editor might be inclined to pass you over in favor of someone who has actual journalism experience or has written for well-known magazines. However, those same clips might land you a higher paying gig in a niche topic, if this is something you write about often.

Every career has entry level openings and positions and none of these positions hurt, they only lead to valuable experience. I believe this to be the case with low paying opportunities as well. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set your goals higher, but taking entry level gigs for the experience isn’t a terrible thing.

Who is Really Looking Down On You?

There’s a lot of speculation on the web that writers who accept entry level gigs are seen as “laughingstocks” or have “no self respect.” However, I don’t see many hiring editors say this. It’s only from anonymous commenters and freelance bloggers who don’t approve of entry level opportunities. Again, when I was first freelancing, not a single editor or client told me I couldn’t have the job because I wrote for low pay in the past. When I worked in publishing, we never looked a writer’s past pay, or even experience when considering freelancers for our magazines. We put more value into the pitch and the clips. We didn’t look down on anyone who wrote for free or earned very little money. One more time because people tend to misquote: I don’t believe every writer should only work for low payers and not aspire to do better, and that’s not what this piece is about. My point is that entry level opportunities won’t hurt your career.

Granted….

Many schools won’t accept certain content sites as sources for reports and articles. However, this has nothing to do with freelance writing jobs. In my experience, it doesn’t necessarily matter where you have worked in the past as long as you put forth a good effort. It’s sort of like an audition for a television show or movie. Sure, big names have a better chance of getting the job, but that doesn’t mean the C-list or Indy star won’t land a role in a major movie. Always put forth your best effort no matter who you write for and soon the sky will be the limit.

What is your experience? Has using clips from entry level opportunities helped or hurt your career?

Freelance Writing for Beginners: Step 2: Setting Your Freelance Writing Rates

Deb — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:04:20 +0000

Freelance writing rates are a very personal thing. No other topic breeds as many debates between beginning and more advanced writers. No other topic pits the content site writers against the journalists. If there’s a discussion regarding rates, be prepared for the controversy that will follow. We couldn’t do a series for beginners without including a discussion about rates, though. Every day we received letters asking what freelance writers should charge their clients. I tell anyone who writes asking about rates that I can’t make that decision for them. However, I do offer some things to consider when setting rates.

Here are some things to think about when setting freelance writing rates:

What is your time worth? This isn’t any easy question to answer. All freelancers must have a general idea of their self-worth as a freelance writer before quoting a rate to a potential client.

What is your experience? If you won a Pulitizer it’s safe to say you’d command higher rates than a beginner. If you’ve been published in several different magazines or have a newspaper column, you’ll probably earn more than someone who is looking to publish his first piece of writing. Experience is a big factor when setting rates.

What is the client’s budget? Before quoting a rate, do some research. Does your potential client appear to have a big budget? What type of business does he run? What does his website look like? How many people does he employ? If it’s just one person, and the website is looking low budget you may not quote the same rate as the client with the unlimited budget.

What’s your overhead? How much are you paying out each month to be a freelance writer? Your fee should cover taxes, insurance, electricity, gas, Internet and other expenses – plus some left over to tuck away.

What is expected of you? It’s one thing to write an “off the top of your head blog post or article” but it’s quite another to have to do research or interview experts. Make sure you’re well compensated for the work you do.

Charge additional fees accordingly: If you’re expected to do a rush job, you’ll probably want to charge extra since you have to drop everything and work long hours to get it done.

My bottom line? Make sure you’re making a profit. If you’re breaking even or barely getting by, it’s not worth the effort. Here are some posts about rates:

What are some of the factors you consider when setting your own freelance writing rates?

How to Make Free Writing Pay

Chris Garrett — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:51:02 +0000

by Chris Garrett

I was having a conversation with Deb where we happened to get onto the subject of “low paying writing gigs”.

Woah, is that ever a controversial subject!

Well, I am going to drop a cup of kerosene on that particular fire and tell you why I often write for free and it is totally worth it.

Yup, zero denero. Zilch. Squat. Nada. Nowt. Not-a-bean. But I make it pay off and big.

We all like lists. Here is a list of ten reasons why you might write for free.

10 Rewards from Free Articles

Visibility – If I write on a high visibility blog or website then I get more exposure. Same if I write for a print trade magazine or if I do public speaking. In return for getting in front of an audience I supply some free content. That viibility directly translates into increased profit.
Links – Search engine results are driven by lots of high quality links. If you want good links then writing free articles for websites or print publications with a web archive is an excellent way to do that. Do you know how much a permanent link with your own choice of anchor text is worth on a high profile blog? Not that most high profile blogs would even sell you a link for any amount of money.
Traffic – The links or website mentions in your articles have the potential to send many, well-targeted, brand-new visitors. What would 1,000 visitors cost you in advertising? I have had 500 word articles send way more than that.
Subscribers – Rather than just send visitors to your homepage, try sending them to a newsletter “ethical bribe” and watch your subscriptions boost. How much would you pay to grow your email list?
Sales leads – I am still getting sales leads from articles I wrote years ago. Write in a way that provides value but shows you can offer even more if only the reader was smart enough to hire you, heh. What is a warm lead worth to you?
Portfolio – When you are first starting out you need to get whatever work experience you can to show potential customers or employers what you are capable of.
Credibility – Associating your name with that of a known brand works well to establish your reputation. Write for the correct publication and doors open.
Networking – If you appear in a well known website then you can attract more connections, and do not forget the site owner and colleagues.
Practice – Writing muscles get better with practice. Some people write a diary or free-write, I put my words to use.
Pleasure – I have written on topics from dental drills to drug rehab. I’m always much happier writing for friends about subjects that interest me, like this.

You may not agree with all ten, you might have a different set of rewards, or think I am crazy to write for free at all. I don’t really mind, it works for me.

Writing is not my full time job, but I still have regular writing gigs and have my own sites that I write for. I write articles and I do copywriting. On occasion I even teach others to do the same. I have been called on to write about all kinds of topics, just this week I have written about Microsoft Excel, Travel and Social Media. Can you tell how much I got paid by looking at my writing? I hope not! I put in the same effort this free article as I do my highest paying work, and I think you should too.

It gets on my nerves when people say that because they wouldn’t take a particular gig that nobody else should either. Sorry but that is just daft. My clients pay me $250 an hour for consulting and my writing clients routinely pay me $650 for a single article. I don’t have to take free gigs. My point is, if I can make free pay, perhaps on occasion it is worth giving those people who take lower pay than you would accept the benefit of the doubt.

Think further than the dollars and cents per word or hour and play a bigger game.

Placing a Value on our Freelance Writing Jobs

Deb — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:55:40 +0000

The other day I wondered about a livable wage. In that post, I wasn’t encouraging everyone to work at the minimum, just defining a term. When it comes to earning a living as a freelance writer, I believe there’s a big difference between just getting by and placing a value on our individual freelance writing jobs. Our writing is worth money, if it wasn’t there wouldn’t be such a boom in freelance writing jobs. People are willing to pay us for what we do, but are they paying us what we’re worth?

Let’s consider the value of our words.

How long does it take you to write a single piece from start to finish?
What type of research is involved?
What is your name worth?
What is your brand worth?
What is your experience?

There are so many factors going into setting a rate and it goes beyond word count. Someone who has a famous name values his work at a higher rate than someone just starting out. Someone with a good reputation has a higher value than someone who is unreliable. Our words do have a value and there’s a difference between getting paid enough and getting paid what we’re worth.

How do you place a value on your words?

Freelance Writing: What is a Livable Wage?

Deb — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:55:53 +0000

I just had the most wonderful day at the BlogWorld and New Media Expo talking to freelance writers from around the country. This is the first year I met so many people who were actually looking to break into writing in addition to blogging. I also met quite a few veteran writes with impressive backgrounds. We discussed so many issues and topics of interest to freelance writers today. The most interesting conversation we had was when we discussed a “livable wage.”

Before I get into my opinion of a livable wage, I’d like to say the discussions we had were always congenial. They were also respectful. I wondered why things get out of hand during blogosphere debates. Is it because of the anonymity? Is it because when words are written instead of spoken they’re left up there forever for people to twist to their benefit? It left me with interesting food for thought.

So …a livable wage.

When I first started doing this, I posted all the jobs I came across on a regular basis. After a few weeks it occurred to me that some of them didn’t pay a livable wage. You can’t support yourself on $5 an hour. I wanted to only post jobs paying a wage writers can use to support themselves. I thought about it long and hard. I settled on $10 an hour because I felt that writers can support themselves on $10 an hour. Now, I’m not talking about a desirable wage. I’m not talking about what each writer feels he’s worth. I’m talking about a wage a writer can use to support himself. $10 is above minimum wage.

Of course there are those writers who feel their time or words is worth more that that. That’s fine. My goal for this post isn’t to discuss levels of writing. It’s not to discuss rate increases or the worth of a certain piece of writing. It’s not to discuss the types of writing. It’s to discuss the definition of a livable wage. For example, some writers say $15 isn’t a livable wage. During my discussion yesterday, one former New York Time journalist said he’s making roughly about $12 an hour as a writer for a local newspaper. He supports himself fine even after taxes. I met an editor for a technical writing firm who earns $14 an hour. They both felt they made livable wages. Did they want to earn more? Absolutely. Could they support themselves? Yes. Thus, a livable wage. They paid the rent, they paid their taxes, they put food on the table and more. A livable wage.

Now, and again we’re talking about a livable wage, it’s up to each individual writer to determine what his writing is worth. Sometimes though, there’s nothing wrong with taking a job paying a livable wage if it pays the bills. Sometimes a job paying a livable wage means the difference between food on the table or the welfare line. $50 an hour is more than a livable wage. It’s what many writers would like to be paid. It’s a desireable wage. A livable wage is the lowest you can go and still put food on your table and pay the bills each month. What I strive to do here is to bring jobs paying at least a livable wage. Not everyone approves of the lower paying jobs. However, as long as I know there are options keeping folks afloat in rough times, I’ll post them here. We all want the desirable wage, sometimes though,we have to take the livable wage.

I’m not going to pretend writers aren’t going to take the lower paying jobs and I’m not going to insult them for their choices. I will continue to post jobs for ALL levels of writing , from those paying a livable wage to those on a higher end. As writers we make our on decisions, but in this economy we can’t knock others for doing what they have to, heck, what they WANT to in order to make a living.

A livable wage – what’s your definition? Again, this isn’t about a desireable wage. What do you feel is a livable wage?

Free Content: It’s All in the Wording

Deb — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:23:08 +0000

Every time we talk about writing for free, there’s outrage. Writers from all over the web chime in to discuss whether or not one should pay dues by writing for free and most agree that unless it’s for a meganame magazine or charity, the other party is taking advantage by trading content for exposure.

Enter blogging.

After blogging took off, many bloggers – me included – began guest blogging for the bigger name probloggers. I also put out calls for guest bloggers here. I had a contest called FWJ Idol where each week bloggers competed for a job here at FWJ. I chose the FWJ Idol route so the members of this community could choose the next blogger. I also had a guest blogger month to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. Well known and not so well known bloggers contributed writing for this event. My goal for this was to give lesser known members of the community a chance to be heard. Both times I was called out privately and publicly for requesting free content.

I thought about it a lot. It bugged me. I stopped asking for guest blog posts and now everyone who contributes is paid.

If you follow me on Twitter you know I have daily discussions about the people who ask for free content for websites and newspapers. No one is happy about the requests for free work. How dare they ask for free content! How dare they not pay writers! How dare they! This isn’t publicity, this is taking advantage!

So I blogged about it a few days ago: Guest Blog Posts: Free Content or Good P.R. In my post I wondered if guest blogging was the new write for exposure scam. After posting, something interesting happened; hardly anyone agreed with me. Very few people saw guest blog posts as “free content.”

So now I’m confused.

What makes it OK to work for free in one place, but not another? Why can’t I write for this guy’s popular website for low pay, but I can write for a professional blogger’s popular blog for free? Why is a content mill paying $15 an article – with byline – a bad idea, but a free guest post is golden?

Discuss…

Freelance Writing Rates: When to Charge Additional Fees

Deb — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:13:55 +0000

Before you send your client an independent contractor’s agreement or freelance writing contract, make sure to make it’s clear there are circumstances where you may have to tack additional fees to your original quote. While you want to be reasonable, you also want to make sure you’re adequately compensated for your work. Additional work requires additional pay. Here are some situations requiring a rate adjustment:

Rush Jobs - If you’re expected to turn in a job overnight or quicker than normal, it’s appropriate to add a rush fee. This is especially necessary if you’ll have to backburner another project or work well past business hours. Before agreeing to a rush project make sure your client knows there will be an increase in your rate. Most freelancers charge 20% to 50% extra for a rush project.

Change of Focus - Occasionally a project will shift focus. If this happens and it leads to extensive re-writes, you’re well within your rights to re-negotiate your original quote.

Cancellation or Kill Fees: Your contract should have an entry for cancellations fees. If your client changes his mind after you schedule or start a project, you can charge a cancellation fee to make up for the loss of income.

Expenses: If the project requires travel, including mileage and meals, you can bill these back to your client. You can also charge for any (reasonable) supplies necessary to complete your project. For example, if you’re doing an investigative piece on big store chains hiring sweat shop labor, and you need to buy items from those chains to prove your point, you should bill them back to the client. The client may ask to keep purchased items after the project is complete.

Additional Research: If the client is requiring you to do additional research or interview extra sources, you’ll want to gently remind him that extra work means extra money.

Writers shouldn’t have to eat it every time a client changes his mind or there are considerable expenses. It’s acceptable to add additional fees if needed. Be sure your client knows this in advance and it’s written into your contract so he doesn’t balk when he receives your invoice.

Do you adjust your rates as needed? What are some of the circumstances leading to adding additional fees?

The Best of FWJ:15 Blog Posts About Rates

Deb — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:19:43 +0000

We have a lot of gems in the FWJ vault. There’s over four years of discussion posts here, all geared towards helping writers further their careers. As I was away for most of this weekend and have a lot of catching up to do, I thought it might be a good idea to do a “best of” post. This week, it’s all about rates.

The majority of mail received here is about rates. Some writers are confused at what to charge. Other writers are angry about what various clients pay. We’ve had some heated debates and some intelligent discussion. Here’s the Best of FWJ: Rates Edition.

We’re going to do so some more of these ‘Best Of’ posts in the upcoming weeks. I hope you find them usesful, especially if you’re new to FWJ or didn’t get to see them the first time around.