Many magazine writers are paid $1 per word. Many web writers, substantially less. I understand the reasons for it. For instance, magazines have a higher budget and rake in thousands of advertising dollars. Plus web content requires (for the most part) less work.
When I first began freelancing in 1999 or 2000, many websites paid about $100 for a 500 word piece. Many others paid rates comparable to print publications. I had some lower clients too though - $15 - $30 per article. Many freelancers were outraged, $30 for an article? What kind of cheapskate would pay that?
Nowadays, $30 is considered a nice sum to receive for 500 to 1000 words on the web. In fact, many of the content writers I know would love to receive $20 for a short piece. I’ve maintained for years that by accepting low wages, writers will drive down the rates. I still believe this is so, but I wonder if we’re at the point of no return. That’s not what this is about though.
I’m interested in your opinion. What, in your opinion, is a low wage, and what is fair for 500 to 1000 words for a web article? Since most web writers claim they can knock out a 500 worder in 15 minutes, let’s go with that. For a short article that doesn’t entail much research, what in your opinion is a fair price to pay?
Though I vow never to post anything on this blog paying below $10 per article, I do think that’s too low for the work involved. There are others who disagree with me. In many places, $10 an hour is a great salary and they’re happy to accept this much for a short article. Personally, I feel $25 -$35 is a fair price for a quick bit of writing requiring minimal research.
So tell me about you? What is a fair per article wage for someone writing web content?
July 25th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Well if its a regular gig where they hire me for so many articles a month, I think 25$ for a 500 word piece is about as low as I would go.
It also depends on the topic. Is it something I am doing research for? Am I just writing from knowledge I already have? So many variables…
July 25th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Great topic. After just reading an ad on craigslist for a job paying “$0.03+” per word (and the poster acted as though he’d be doing the ‘winner’ a favor at this rate), I was just wondering to myself how many US-based writers would actually work for those types of rates.
The absolute lowest I’ll accept is $15 for 500 words. For 1000 words, I wouldn’t do it for less than $30. That’s for a topic I’m already very familiar with and can write on quickly. My regular rate is $25-$50 for a 500-1000 word piece, although I don’t crank these out in 15 minutes. I have regular clients who say my rate is reasonable for the work I do, and I consider that a fair rate for me and for them — they are corporate clients, and they can afford it.
I don’t think the hourly rate argument necessarily works for all freelancers. If you have regular work — let’s say 8 hours per day worth of work every day — then that’s fair, but I don’t know very many freelancers this hypothetical applies to. For me, I might have 4 hours worth of steady work per day. If I earned $10 per hour, that would be $40 per day. Deduct taxes, and that barely covers my rent. Even before deducting taxes, I wouldn’t be able to eat. Although this wasn’t your question, I thought I’d throw in my opinion.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Deb, I completely agree that as writers we must attach a higher value to our written words. If what you say is true about web content articles going from $100 to the measley $15-$10 an article that is now commonly offered, this qualifies as evidence to the fact. I have visited several writer’s message boards where writers scramble about for jobs paying as low as $3.50 an article as if it were a golden opportunity. As a writer new to full time freelancing, I do realize that getting published is the major goal of new writers, but it shouldn’t have to be at any cost.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:00 am
I take lower pay for articles (about the lowest I have gone is 10-15 per 500 words articles) but those usually involved articles that I could whip up in no time- since I type 65 wpm a 500 word article that involves no research usually doesn’t take me very long. But I won’t do the 1.50 per article thing. Even if the topics were easy and I had no research to do.
I think 25-35 is a fair deal.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:01 am
It really depends on the subject matter and amount of research involved, but $25 is the minimum I would go too.
Honestly, though, I think part of the problem is that there is not a premium on quality on the web. I see poorly written content with grammatical and spelling errors all the time.
Writers are driving down the prices by accepting less-than-fair money, but I also think many of those paying for the services are getting lower end writers.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:05 am
If there is any kind of research involved or if I must conduct interviews, I would only consider writing a 500 word Web article for $25 or higher. But I do have a regular gig where I crank out 300-500 word Web articles for $10 each, and there is almost no thought involved. It does depend on the variables. Thanks for posting this topic!
July 25th, 2007 at 10:08 am
You get what you pay for! I’ll take a lower-paying assignment ($10 for 500 words) from time to time if it requires no research or is a rewrite. I think this is a good way for new writers to start out when they’re doing things part-time or during college to build a portfolio. We all have to pay our dues!
As I gather more and more experience, however, word of mouth recommendations and hits to my website have allowed me to charge more. Personally, I do use the “per hour” mindset when pricing articles. I like to make $30 per hour…if I can’t do that, it’s probably not an assignment I want to take.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:21 am
I think it really does depend. I am usually willing to write for less money if it is a subject that I am passionate about or would like to break into.
That being said, typically I try not to write for less than $50 for a 500+ word piece. Personally I think the old “quality, not quantity” addage applies here… I can work with a few higher paying pubs and do alright, rather than write 100 articles at $10 a pop and burn myself out.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:25 am
The absolute lowest I’ll go is $25 for 500 words. It takes about one hour to finish two 500 word pieces, and $50 a hour isn’t bad. In the past I’ve come across really good opportunities where I was able to make $75 or more for a small 500 word article. Once you’ve received a good payout, working for $25 or less an article is difficult.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:26 am
The advent of sites like Guru.com & Elance.com are driving the cost of “Qualtiy” writing down.
The majority of the requests for articles are for websites. Many of these articles are placed online and then monetized through either Google Adsense, Yahoo, or Affiliate links.
So, the owner receives a ten-fold return on their invesment for a $5 or $10 article.
We are part of the problem as too many writers are willing to accept less. Personally, I do not accept any fees less than $30 for an original 500 word article.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:27 am
$10 an article is insulting,not only to the author, but to the site visitor. It says “I want your eyeballs, but I’m not willing to invest in creating anything really worthwhile to keep you here.”
The lowest I’ll write for is 25 cents a word. $10/hour may be great for some other professions, like flipping burgers, but writing is a field that requires thought and training and expertise. It’s also, as a freelance field, one that forces the writer to pay all of those extra little things like taxes, health insurance, computing fees, phone fees, etc., etc, etc.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:32 am
It’s one thing to want to uphold standards of what a writer should be paid and quite another to come up against the hordes of Third World copywriters who will take on assignments for starvation wages. On the various freelancer sites I’ve seen 2,000 word articles go for $1 and 1/10th of a cent per word is quite common. That might be fine and dandy for a writer who lives in a country where 25 cents buys a family a day’s groceries, but that leaves the rest of us in developed countries out on a limb. So the choice is often to either take on these abhorrently low paying jobs, or to hold out for the ones that pay reasonably, and they are few and far between!
July 25th, 2007 at 10:34 am
I agree with Allison: I determine what rates I’ll accept by how long I’ll estimate it’ll take me. My earning power has gone up since I first started freelancing full time almost 2 years ago, and I am in the process of weeding out the lower-paying work.
I do have one client I’ll keep that still pays me $15 per article, but this is because 1) I’ve been writing for them for over a year, and you just can’t beat that kind of regularity and dependability; and 2) the articles are easy, short (500-600 words), and don’t take long to write.
Other than that, I strive for a minimum of $20 per hour, with some of my best regular gigs floating around $30-$40 an hour.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I wish i could say I had higher standards, but I don’t–only because I can’t find these higher or decent-paying gigs you’re all talking about!
So for me, it comes down to whether I’ll make no money, or make some money. Personally, I prefer to make SOME money.
I used to write for a measly penny per word quite regularly (which I don’t do anymore), but now I find it tough to find anything paying more than 2 cents a word.
I have an editorial background and have been writing web content for more than a year and a half now, and have acquired steady work and clients, but have yet to stumble on any high-paying gigs. Twenty-five cents a word?? Where in the world do you find that?
If anyone out there is able to offer any kind of advice, what can I do to to find higher-paying clients? I can’t really build a website displaying my samples because most of the work I’ve done is ghostwriting (no byline, no idea of where it ends up).
July 25th, 2007 at 10:46 am
I guess I didn’t really answer your question! While I generally get paid $10 per 500-word article, I think “fair” would be closer to $15 to $25 per 500-word article (so 3 to 5 cents per word) in the world of web content.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:47 am
It seems as writing has gone the way of the tech and film-making market. The more accessible the tools, the employers take the attitude that anyone can do it and pay accordingly. Writing is a studious craft. How would we exist without words. A 500 word article with little research should go for at least $75.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:02 am
i’ve just gotten into the industry, and i am mostly doing basic research articles for poker sites right now. if the site is paying me by the month they do get a much cheaper rate then if they wanted to pay me per article. i’ve agreed to do one article daily - between 300 and 500 words for as much as 250 a month that’s about 8.33 an article - brief, and I will not charge less than 15 myself for a short article otherwise. key word writing and seo (minimual) included. if they want 1000 or more words, on any general topic, 30. if they are specific and it requires a great deal of research on my part, more like 40 to 50. but it seems i’m varied by comparison to most…
July 25th, 2007 at 11:55 am
The vast number of “professionals” who fancy themselves a writer is on the rise. This especially seems true among teachers and other individuals in industries requiring instruction, education, consulting and the like. The advent of the Internet is responsible for many individuals self-qualifying themselves as a writer. These individuals are willing to accept ridiculously low pay for a writing project. By doing do, they devalue the service provided by professional writers. I routinely turn down paying gigs because of unfair remuneration. The absolute lowest I will accept is $30 for 500 words and even at that rate I feel used and abused. While there are a plethora of excellent writers, the number of writers who can provide a publisher fresh, original, compelling copy with each and every submission remains remarkably low. Those of us who can, do, those of us who can’t, complain and accept substandard rates. Stand your ground regarding rates, just make certain you’re worth it.
Another problem is the vast number of publishers and editors asking professional writers to write on spec. A professional writer should -never- write on spec, as the margin for outright abuse looms large for those doing so. Why should a publisher or editor pay top dollar when they can obtain a myriad of submissions on spec from hopeful writers seeking publication that will accept low fees?
Finally, the number of publishers (including several on this site’s job board) are asking writers to sell permanent rights to their articles for next to nothing. One company (http://a1nutritionblog.blogspot.com/)advertised paying $25 for each article and the purchasing of all rights. I asked the publisher/editor (Lisa Robinton) how much they paid to purchase the rights and she indicated the $25 included not only the purchasing of the article, but conveyance of permanent rights. When I instructed the purchasing of permanent rights should be hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, she ended all communication. Stand your ground, people. And let your fellow writers know of the publishers and editors who are out to take advantage and circumvent professional, journalistic protocol.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
At the risk of being called politically incorrect or self rightetous (hat tip to Deb) I’ll tell you the problem as I see it.
Too many unqualified people see writing as a “work at home” job. They decide they’re no longer going to deal with the 9 to 5 every day and start looking into careers from home.
“What can I do?” they ask themselves “I know! I’ll write! I don’t know a thing about writing. I type email now and then for work…so how hard can it be? Nevermind that I use “they” when I really mean “he”, speak only in the passive voice, and have no clue about punctuation. I can earn $3 an hour writing web content.”
Before you jump down my throat understand I have no problem with writing being a work at home job if one really knows how to write.
Watching people squabble over a few dollars as if it’s a decent wage is sickening. The same people who wouldn’t work in the outside world for less than minimum wage have no problem with writing for a couple of bucks.
Then there are the webmasters who see cheap writing as a way to bring in advertising dollars. They don’t care if their content is any good, they want the money.
I think this kind of writing gives the people who really can’t write a false sense of security. They think they can write but they really can’t. After a while they can’t stand the slave wages anymore and try to set their sites on higher gigs but no one wants to pay more money for crappy work.
Writing isn’t just a job it’s a skill and not all of us are equipped to do this on a daily basis. Deb constantly brings up the question of responsibility and the answer is we’re all responsible.
Signed,
One of Deb’s Self Righteous, Blind Followers
July 25th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Thirty bucks is good for 500 words? OMG, this confirms my sinking feeling that Craigs has ruined this business, bringing in the amateur buyers of creative services and the bottom feeders! Anyone who can “write” a 500-word piece in 15 mins is rewording something a real reporter or feature writer did. Period. It even takes longer to write something that short instead of 1000 words. I don’t see how an interview or two could be prearranged, done, and then woven into the story in 15 mins. I will not take less than 35 cents a word! Can’t we reclaim this business, writers? It is rotting! I keep thinking these AdSense people will sort of give up but more seem to replace them. Content seems to be worth nothing and “good enough” is the byword.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
.25-.30 a word or around 100 per article is considered a fair pay for freelance work. I just accepted my first freelance job and will be making .25 a word. Starting at that, I won’t do it for less.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Actually, I believe that a writer CAN write something original and of a high quality in a very short time. I do it every day, and I’m very proud of the work I do. They aren’t rewrites or low-quality. Every person is different in how they write/edit.
I agree with Carla on this one–where at all these high-paying jobs that you guys talk about? Yes, I do see jobs for $100 an article, but there just aren’t enough of those jobs to make a full-time living online. If I would demand $100 per article, I wouldn’t eat. That’s the choice you have to make–how many jobs can you turn away before you can’t make rent/mortgage.
And yes, I *do* get paid high prices from time to time. I apply for those jobs as often as possible, but there’s a lot of competition. That doesn’t mean I’m a bad writer, just because I don’t always get the job. I also have to juggle jobs–getting a job is never a guarantee, so I apply to lower-paying jobs too, just in case I don’t get the ones I really want. I use the $10-20 articles as my bread and butter and the higher-paying articles as my goal. I want change in this industry as much as the rest of you, but I want to pay my electricity more.
The writing world is changing, and I think the days of being paid $100 for a 500-word article are coming to an end. Adapt to survive or die.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Let me get on my soapbox for this one. Don’t take any offense, I have been where any work is better than none. But remember, Minimum wage in many states is $7.50 an hour — and the employer is paying the other half of FICA and may provide modest benefits (a free burger at a hamburger joint) and you don’t need to buy any equipment, pay additional phone charges or have any costs beyond transportation. So $30 for 500 for anything requiring any thought is a joke. How many of those can you write in a day? 5? That’s 2500 words for $150. Can you live on that? I can’t and neither can my mechanic (I pay so much for car repairs, I think I can claim him as a dependent).
I’ve worked in daily newspapers in small towns, and if you convert that compensation to hourly pay and compare that to how many words you can write an hour (be realistic), then you know what is the lowest level you should accept.
Rates have been going down, that’s true. I read an article that bakc in the 60s, Good Housekeeping paid $5 a word (converted to today’s dollars). The highest I’ve seen is $2 a word for some advertorial work.
Granted, the number of print pubs are decreasing in size and number, and the Web pays less, but there has to be a point where you value your time more than what some are offering.
It makes sense for me to pay someone to mow the lawn because I can earn more writing in that amount of time. It makes more sense for me to do my own accounting because I am competent at it and accountants charge more than I would make in that time. But I’m can’t do my own dentistry, so I pay for that even though it’s at a higher rate than I make per hour — in fact, my dentist, who is my age, just retired. Hmmm
Star is right. It takes longer to write shorter material. I’ve taken on some work that pays an extremely low word rate, but I can rip that stuff out quickly. But there comes a point that just banging out 2,000-3,000 words a day would cause carpal tunnel.
Now if someone just graduated college, maybe you can do enough of this for $500 a week and maybe you have low expenses. But can you be self supporting at that level for long? Toss in health care — just insurance — and you can’t. I’m paying more in health care through my corporation than I am paying myself this year.
This may offend some people, but if you look at writing as a business rather than as a hobby, those $30 for 500 words should be left to the people who think it’s worthwhile. You can do better, though it may take time to find the work. If you can’t do better, you may want to consider another line of work.
That’s not to say I expected to get wealthy via writing, but I do expect to be able to provide for my family. I can’t do that on $30 for 500 words, unless I was doing copying and pasting of press releases or using the writing to help drive sales of other products or services for which I received compensation.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
For the last 25 years, it was fully possible to make a full-time living of $50K or above doing this. I bought a house, cars, was sole support of my family. If $100 for 500 words is coming to an end (meaning even a paltry 20 cents a word), it’s because we bought into this mess and let it happen! If you are making a living charging basically typing fees or less, I don’t see how you do it. Hats off. Could you possibly have this as a part-time job? You support a family on this?
July 25th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
To add to what Star says in her last post, once you get established, $50K annually is low. My company has earned 6 figures the last four years, though things have fallen off so far this year. Yet 50K wouldn’t pay the bills any more. Remember, we’re paying our own health, life, retirement, vacation, full FICA (not half as an employee). While 50K annually was acceptable 15 years ago, when I was first starting out (after 16 years of newspaper and magazine work).
You pay a plumber $75 an hour — writers are every bit as professional (or they should be).
July 25th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I recently accepted an ongoing writing gig that pays $10 per 250-800 word article (minimal research). At first I almost didn’t take the job, knowing that I would have to work quickly and efficiently without errors to make it worth my while (which is hardly possible with three young kids flitting about for the summer). But as I am just starting out, I look at the situation as though I am gaining experience, not just a paycheck. And anyway, the money that I make now is money that we didn’t have before. I write for this company five days a week and spend the weekend writing what I want to write to send off to magazines in which I would like to be featured.
One thing I have learned, companies that approach my blog wanting me to post a review of a product ~ I make sure I charge them. Some are willing to pay, and some I never hear from again. There’s a lot of companies out there hunting down “mommy bloggers” in order to get there products advertised for free. In the past I would have been happy to do it, but now they must pay for the time it takes me to write a review.
July 25th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
I think that anything that is paying me less than $15 per hour for the work I generally spend on the assignment is a bad deal. Generally, when I am writing for freelance clients, I usually end up making $30 an hour for my time. You have to remember, that many of these places you are writing for are big companies who are not paying health costs, and you have to pay taxes out of what they give you. If I’m not getting a somewhat decent wage, it’s off to the next prospect. Once you have a good number of clips, and if you are a good writer, it really isn’t all that difficult to find employers who will pay you a decent clip.
July 25th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
$10 to $25 dollars for 500 words? Can someone please leave a link to an example. I honestly don’t understand how you can write a 500 word story in 15 minutes. What am I missing here? My background is news, so”content” writers fill me in. Is this just blog posts or what? Are you doing interviews or research?
How can you make a living at what some are desribing as a minimum wage?
Please show an example.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
In response to what Phil said about Good Housekeeping’s rates –
Yes, writers’ rates haven’t been going up fast enough to account for inflation. But you know, writing is far from the only profession in which that is happening. I read just yesterday that even with the upcoming increase, the hourly minimum wage doesn’t have nearly the buying power that it did in the 1950s. And look at the fact that now most middle class families can’t make it on one income alone, whereas they could easily do so fifty years ago.
I don’t see the stagnancy of writers’ rates over the last 20 years as a sign that writers are no longer being treated as professionals — I see it as being in keeping with what is happening in the rest of the job market.
Furthermore, please don’t insult us by accusing us of being part-timers, because what you are really saying is that we aren’t taking our work seriously. I don’t think there is anything insulting about making less than a plumber. In fact, most of the professions I can think of don’t pull in $75 per hour. I’m not ashamed of making $30 an hour, and in fact that would be considered average or even high in many other professions.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Julie –
I am skeptical that a 500-word story can take 15 minutes, myself. I don’t even write most of my blog posts in that. I can sometimes write a 500-word story in 30-40 minutes if I already know the topic well, but typically to write and research web content it takes me about an hour per 500 words.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I enjoyed the posts that refer to writing as a skill. I have been writing for a long time and need to remember that. I am a veteran of the old journalism days where I still make approximately 10 cent per word for newspaper writing and $45 for 100-300 word magazine articles. I think the key is try to set your own rates, but the newspapers and magazines generally set their own. I agree that we should fight for the rates and realize we are offering quality for good pay.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Saying someone is part-time is not an insult. But if you have another income and perpetuate these low rates, well, that is what I meant. Most of us are part-time–we don’t write 40 hrs a week–so the pay has to be higher.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
The other thing to consider is the rights that are being sold. If you are writing a 200-word article for $10 as a work-for-hire/all rights gig, the person who buys it can then resell it and resell it and resell it ad nauseum. For professionals who once upon a time were paid top dollar when all rights were sold and who often relied on resales of articles (when first publication rights were sold, before the web) as an additional income, this is little more than thievery. The rates for writing are degrading, yes, but so is the expection that writers can actually retain copyright.
I recently attempted to alter a contract where I wasn’t giving away all rights (for a pretty paltry fee). I felt like a dollar store - that the magazine expected to get what they could from me at the lowest possible dollar. This is dehumanizing and an insult to my professional abilities. No, we shouldn’t stand for it, but then we shouldn’t stand for stores selling goods as cheaply as they can by taking advantage of people who are desperate enough to do any kind of work for any bit of money either… We’ve gotten used to being able to get stuff for not a lot of money. Why is writing any different??
July 25th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Star –
Could you possibly have this as a part-time job? isn’t insulting by itself. You support a family on this? implies doubt. But as I already pointed out, few professionals have the ability to support a family on one income alone. Writers are not the only ones in this boat.
Lauren is right — the Wal-Mart mentality (get everything as cheap as possible, from start to finish) has changed the way we think — not just clients and corporations, but all of us. For example, small-time farmers could be making the same arguments we are here (i.e. you get what you pay for, needing a living wage, etc.), but how many of us get all our food from the Farmer’s Market?
July 25th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
To Katharine Swan,
I wasn’t trying to insult anyone. But I have met a lot of “writers” who treat it like a hobby rather than as a profession. I’m just saying that writers are as professional as plumbers and should seek similar compensation. I have accepted work that pays less, but by keeping that in mind, I don’t accept everything that comes across the plate.
So if you were insulted, that wasn’t my intention. I just get insulted (and have to rant about it) if someone thinks they can offer my $30 for 500 words.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
By freelance writing being part-time, I meant that few writers bill 40 hrs a week or more. I believe the stats are that a third to half one’s time is spent marketing, learning, or networking in order to get work. So the hrs we do bill have to count! My kids makes $15 an hr handing people their clothes at the cleaner’s. I work 8 hours a day at freelancing, but not all of those hours are billable. And, yes, wages are stagnant in many industries (we are all pawns on theboard, us middle class), but when I saw the first $3 offer for a story much like I was getting $600 for, well, something had changed.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I guess my point is that not all professionals earn what plumbers earn, and that earning less than a plumber’s hourly wage doesn’t make me unprofessional or a hobbyist.
While I agree that writers should be paid as professionals, there is no professional minimum wage. For example, teachers are professionals, and most are paid less than retail managers. On the other hand, I don’t know if any of us would consider garbage collectors and assembly line workers professionals, yet many of them earn more than teachers.
Wages are dependent on how important society thinks the service is, not how important the professional thinks it is. And frankly, your average Joe would rather write his own website or sales letter than snake his own drain or perform his own surgery.
What this comes down to is that I don’t necessarily think $30 for 500 words is a bad deal. It all depends on how much work goes into those 500 words. If I can get it done — and done well — in an hour, I’m fine with that.
As I’ve said before, I’m not ashamed of making $30 an hour. I think it’s a fair wage and a professional wage. If you can make more, more power to you — but don’t crucify me for working for $30 an hour.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I guess my point is that not all professionals earn what plumbers earn, and that earning less than a plumber’s hourly wage doesn’t make me unprofessional or a hobbyist.
While I agree that writers should be paid as professionals, there is no professional minimum wage. For example, teachers are professionals, and most are paid less than retail managers. On the other hand, I don’t know if any of us would consider garbage collectors and assembly line workers professionals, yet many of them earn more than teachers.
Wages are dependent on how important society thinks the service is, not how important the professional thinks it is. And frankly, your average Joe would rather write his own website or sales letter than snake his own drain or perform his own surgery.
What this comes down to is that I don’t necessarily think $30 for 500 words is a bad deal. It all depends on how much work goes into those 500 words. If I can get it done — and done well — in an hour, I’m fine with that.
As I’ve said before, I’m not ashamed of making $30 an hour. I think it’s a fair wage and a professional wage. If you can make more, then more power to you — but don’t crucify me for working for $30 an hour.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Sorry, didn’t mean to post that twice. Got some funky error message the first time I tried, so I tried again. Whoops!
July 25th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
You’re right, Star, about half of my time is not billable hours. (Commenting on this blog, for instance. :)) However, at my full time technical writing job, I was making $15 an hour with no benefits except health insurance. Since my health insurance is now picked up through my husband’s job, I think half the time at twice the pay is fair enough.
However, I have to also disagree with you — only half the hours being billable time does NOT make freelancing part time. Marketing, learning, and networking are just as much work as the billable time. Although I only clock about four billable hours a day on average, I still consider myself to be working full time.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I agree with John Platt. It is insulting to expect educated people to accept $10 per hour. However, as long as writers continue to accept these paltry rates, this practice will continue. When writers decide to collectively say ‘NO’ to this practice, then nothing will change.
Many website owners just want content for their sites, so quality is not often at the top of the list. Plus, writers who can barely speak English are willing to work for half a cent per word. The situation is a mess…
July 25th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I completely agree with Katharine in that a professional is not a professional based on the money he/she makes, although that can be a contributing factor. I am neither unprofessional nor a hobbyist even though most of you would scoff at how much I make per hour or per 500-word article. However, I should mention that I have a professional, editorial background (almost four years working in-office for a national print publication) and I make more freelancing now than I did working there (same number of hours).
July 25th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
As someone who started out as an “article miller”, I can confirm that you can indeed write 500 words in 15 minutes, maybe even 10. I type 80 words a minute, so technically I can do it in 6 minutes and 15 seconds.
In the “article milling” business, you have to get good at writing what you know and writing from 2-3 minutes of web research. It sucks and I realized it, which is why I don’t do that kind of work anymore. Not everyone can break away so easily.
To say “$10/article is too low” to a writer who once got paid $3/article indeed sounds preachy and soapboxy. Frankly, “You’re dragging the market down for the rest of us,” doesn’t inspire new freelance writers to find higher-paying gigs. It’s not they’re/we’re doing it on purpose.
Instead of preaching to those writers, why not offer some assistance? Rather than pointing to some illustrious, A-magazine and saying “See, Better Homes and Gardens pays $1/word”, find a writer who has potential and offer to mentor them. Soapboxing amounts to nothing.
Now, what do I think is a fair wage?
$25-$50 basic web content, minimal research required.
$50 - $500 well-researched content that requires interviewing sources, looking through periodicals, etc, depending on the amount of research required
$500 - $2500 web copy
July 25th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Without reading all the replies, I’m sure this has been covered before.
I will give the client what he/she pays for. When I do magazine articles, they’re much more refined and more care is taken to ensure great content. When I write for the web, it’s more of the “wham, bam, thank you, m’am”.
I think there will always be both types of jobs.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Latoya, $500 - $2500 web copy you can get if you’re working for Dow Chemical. In the real world webmasters want 250 pages of copy for $500. I’ve had days when I’ve cranked out 15,000+ words of copy. It sucks, I hate it, it’s demeaning, but it pays the rent!
July 25th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
I agree with your list of rates, Latoya. Thanks also for your input on the topic of writing a 500-word article in 15 minutes. Although I don’t think I could do it, I was getting ready to post asking if anyone out there could confirm that they had done it successfully.
I agree with you completely that telling other writers that they are dragging the market down is not going to inspire change. I’m all about offering assistance, though. I have newbie writers contact me all the time asking where to find gigs, how to decide rates, etc. And I have never suggested that they go straight to querying the big mags!
However preachy it may sound, though, I do recommend that new writers aim for $15 an hour, and I don’t hesitate to scold employers offering a couple of bucks (or simply “exposure”) per article. While I understand you worked for $3 per article when you were starting out, I have to ask — would you do it again? And would you try to sell another newbie writer on the $3-per-article life?
In all truth, though, I don’t think the issue here is so much whether $10 is too low a rate — it’s how long it takes to write that $10 article, as you demonstrated so nicely with your little pay scale.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
HL –
The question here isn’t what you’re willing to work for, but what you think is fair. By the way you described your experiences cranking out copy for $2 a page or whatever, it doesn’t sound like you considered it fair.
However, I think you also are confusing copy with content. I think by “web copy,” Latoya is talking about the marketing copy you see on official websites, rather than the content articles the websites use to drive traffic. I agree with Latoya that website copy — marketing copy — should be higher paid than content.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
This is my last comment, promise. I would ask all writers who are taking these low rates as “better than nothing” what they will do when they have clips and want to make a living-or suddenly have to make a sole living, for some reason. There may be no decent paying jobs left. What if all jobs paid $500 for 250 pages of copy? Someone asked what they could do instead. Network, join a writer’s group, go to meetings, network on the internet, impress people, get referrals. Learn software and how to do things (like write long-form marketing letters or something), and don’t buy into this exploitive atmosphere. These new web people aren’t trying to help people, they aren’t trying to disseminate information, they are trying to get people to their sites and get money. Why shouldn’t you try to get money for YOUR services? They are selling this stuff over and over. Are you getting a cut?
July 25th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Katharine, what I work for sometimes is not fair. It’s downright nauseating. Fortunately I can supplement my income by picking up varied writing assignments that pay real money, but if I have a choice between watching Maury and Springer all day or cranking out mindless copy at a penny a word, I’ll definitely choose the cranking. Without straining the brain or fingers too much I can do a decent average of 10,000 words a day and that’s a hundred bucks. Not a great take for a day but better than nothing. I have enough penny/word work to keep me busy for the rest of my natural life, and as long as I can suspend it when I get a “real” assignment, it pays the rent very nicely. And, yes, I’ve written reams of web copy = marketing copy you see on official websites, as well as the web content articles for SEO. The former I’ve never done for less than 2 cents/word and sometimes up to 5, and the latter is 90% 1 cent a word. It’s filler work between gigs that pay a reasonable amount. Like I said, it’s better than daytime TV. Do I think it’s fair? Hell no! Am I going to keep taking it? Hell ya.
Star, good luck trying to get a cut out of the web guys. Go onto any freelance auction sites and see how many hundreds of bids you’ll get at half a penny a word. That’s considered really good money in most of them. Their attitude is going to simply be that there’s lots more fish in the sea, goodbye. Again, is that justified? Of course not, but it doesn’t make it any less real.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Star and everyone else, comment as much as you like. That’s why I have these discussions.
I like to throw out the low pay topic now and then, not to create arguments or controversy, but because I receive mail or comments every day from new people who want to know what is fair. Or they think $3 is the norm. If I was starting out today and only saw $3 jobs, I would think this is what I need to do to start out.
Is it possible to pump out a 500-worder in 15 minutes? Absolutely, but it depends on what’s expected. Does anyone else remember Write for Cash? I did that for a couple of years and received $10 - $15 per article, usually $15.00.
When I worked for them, I wrote quick & easy content. Yes, you can pop out a fluff piece in 15 minutes, I’ve done it. That’s for something with absolutely no research though. For something requiring work, I learned to price myself accordingly. That’s why I don’t write much keyword or SEO content anymore - it was too much aggravation for too little money.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
I want to add that I do think we need to find a happy medium. The web guys need to know we’re worth more, and writers need to stop underselling.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
“The vast number of “professionals” who fancy themselves a writer is on the rise. This especially seems true among teachers and other individuals in industries requiring instruction, education, consulting and the like.”
Well Bill S., I’m sorry that you think that teachers are just playing around when they write, and that we apparently aren’t “professional” enough for you. I have a Master’s degree in education and I taught for several years. I’m now freelancing in the educational field. Am I making what I used to make teaching? No, not yet, but I’m making more progess than I was when I first started writing.
“These individuals are willing to accept ridiculously low pay for a writing project.”
That’s a pretty broad generalization. From the people who I’ve read on this blog who write in the education field and my own experiences, you can reasonably make between $25-$50 per textbook page if you work for a reputable company. This rate can increase a great deal if those texrbook pages happen to include expository passages for student use.
Not all writers have the same goals. I’m good at writing for textbooks because it lets me tap into the training and experience that I gained as an educator. Do I need to see my name attached to what I wrote? No, because I know that most education writing is write-for-hire. Textbooks don’t have bylines. I’d be willing to bet that most teachers who freelance for textbooks are far more “professional” than you might think. In fact, it’s our professional background that editors often want because we’ve worked with students and we often have an understanding of what teachers look for when they use a textbook with their classes. I’m not the “professional” writer with the big novel or the journalism byline, but when it comes to textbooks, my six years of study and training, my classroom teaching experience, and my satisfied repeat clients make me just as “professional” as anyone else.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
This all reminds me of an old joke. It’s usually about a car salesman who is selling a car at some ridiculously high price. Someone says to him, “At that price, you won’t sell many cars.” He answers, “At that price, I won’t have to.”
HL, I make that $100 bucks in 3-4 hours, and without having to rush myself, as it takes 2,000 words at most. So while I don’t find *as much* work, I also don’t have to.
I think the best way to judge your hourly wage is deciding what the minimum is that you’ll be happy with. However, if as you said earlier, you feel the rates you get paid are “downright nauseating,” that’s probably a sign that it’s time to move on to higher-paying work.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Katherine, believe me, if I knew where to get it, I would be more than happy to. I get some gigs at 50 cents a word, but they are not exactly plentiful. Certainly not an everyday thing. It’s mostly slog work.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Well, as much as I am loathe to say this, the market determines the rates. We like to think that as writers we are educated, creative professionals with high skill levels. Personally, I earn as much as $250 from 500 words, but that gig comes about very rarely, and most of the work I accept comes in around about the $25 for 500 word mark, though I have found that the process of seeking new clients that pay well has become nigh impossible.
Let’s face it, not every writing job does require skill. Not all freelancers are Picasso equivalents, and because this is the Internet, the market is leviathan. I guess the point, and I do apologize for rambling, is that the people purchasing content CAN’T TELL THE DIFFERENCE between work they paid .01 cent per word for, and work they paid .10 cents per word for. Clearly it’s not affecting their bottom line in any meaningful way. There will always be low paying jobs, and there will always be those that accept them. If we’re truly worth our $25 fee, or our $250 fee, we will get it, because our work WON’T be able to be duplicated by some hack from a third world country, or someone who has no previous writing experience.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
It takes me an hour or hour and a half to write a 500-word article, especially if research is involved. My typing speed’s not a factor; I can type over 50 words per minute. I’m the edit-as-I-go type of writer, so the first draft is pretty much done.
The lowest I’ve gone is $0.015 per word, but nowadays I won’t go below $0.03/word, and I’m trying to move up to at least $0.05 per word.
I’d call $0.04 per word and up fair for someone who can write but is still in the earlier end of the learning process. For people skilled at writing, particularly in topics that they’re good in, I think they should get $0.10/word and more.
Then again, I AM a young n00b with less than 2 years’ worth experience. So others probably know better than I do.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
thank you, HL! “if I knew where to get it, I would be more than happy to.” that’s the problem. it’s not as if we PREFER to be paid these lower wages, it’s that that’s the type of work that’s out there, and the harder-paying gigs are SERIOUSLY hard to come by (hard to find, and stiff competition).
it’s one thing to say “move on to higher-paying work” and “stand your ground” and “stop exploiting yourselves”….it’s another to actually give some advice for writers who ARE professional and NOT hobbyists but who seem to be stuck in a low-paying rut in writing web content.
July 25th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
The bottom line, as I see it (and something with which I think most of us will agree): If you’re going to take $10 per article jobs, do $10 per article work. Lots of webmaster don’t WANT high-quality, and that’s a real shame, but if they only want fluff, they aren’t going to pay much. The problem comes when we as writers take a $10/article job and the client expects to get a magazine-quality article.
My two cents? No matter what your personal “going rate,” remember that the real bad guy here (it there is a bad guy) is the writer who will spend 3 hours to write 500 words for $10.
July 25th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
HL and Carla –
Finding higher paying work requires more than knowing some magical place to look. I searched and applied for jobs for about an hour every single day for the first solid year of freelancing before I started moving into a higher-paying realm.
I think a professional website and online portfolio helps. If you come across as confident and experienced, you’ll actually stand out from a great deal of the competition.
Marketing is also a good thing. There are a range of marketing approaches to choose from, and everyone has their favorites: blogging, marketing articles, advertising, cold calling, and good old-fashioned networking. Successful freelancers are business people as well as writers.
After nearly two years of full-time freelancing, I haven’t looked for jobs in months. All of the work I currently have is from repeat clients, referrals, or people who happened upon my website. Soon, however, I am going to start looking for work again so I can replace the last of my lower-paying work.
Like I said, it’s not an overnight thing. You do have to work at it, but being able to increase your earning power makes it worthwhile. If you want to chat more, you can always email me.
July 25th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Where to find the higher paying jobs is the magic question, isn’t it?
For a while I found some great opportunities after aligning myself with some local graphic and web design firms. I sent a “kit” including a cover letter, resume and samples of my writing. I earn $60 to $90 per hour through their outsourcing. Those opportunities come around every now and then, but not enough to pay the bills. I don’t enjoy it much either.
I earn a living blogging and am fortunate to have found several good companies to blog for that pay well. Where did I look? The same places you do! All of the job boards and all of the places appearing on these pages.
July 25th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
HL, Carla, and others wanting to break into higher pay rates –
Check out this article on convincing clients to pay your rates.
July 25th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Hi,
Wonder if anyone has noticed the gigs posted on craigslist which require content of various types but don’t offer any compensation.. what’s up with that? Who are the writers doing those gigs because these gigs are posted routinely.. I am a foreign born web content writer who has moved to the USA and at first when I started out I tried to adhere to the $20 a 500 word article rule that I had set out for myself..Then one day I turned down a gig that was paying $25 for 2000 words including much research..but after weeks of getting nada I had to accept it…. also website owners from the world over outsource writing jobs to India and expect writers to write at low rates of $ 1 per 500 word article. In a world where the dollar is rapidly depreciating $ 1 for an article on topics like the US mortgage industry ,credit cards etc topics which do involve research for a foreign writer is insulting to say the least and detrimental to writers everywhere.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Hi, all:
This is another interesting discussion on this blog. I’m always amused, though, when I read comments from writers blaming low rates on “Third-World” copywriters. Come on. No one really believes this is true, do they? I don’t see many, if any, quality assignments — assignments that don’t come from Joe Schmuck on craigslist or hack factories like Associated Content — going to this so-called invasion of foreign writers. Actually, whenever I read someone complaining about the “Third World” writers taking over, I immediately think of racism. Can’t help it.
I think writers should concentrate on finding assignments from quality sources — consumer magazines, newspapers, trade magazines and, yes, even those Web sites that do pay respectable rates. Some of these markets won’t pay sky-high rates, but most aren’t insultingly bad.
It isn’t easy to find the solid jobs. You pretty much have to do what Katharine a few posts above says: search, search and search. Start small — but respectable — build a library of clips and then keep shootin higher. And don’t blame those writers from other countries if things don’t move as quickly as you want. It makes you look a bit like a whiner.
I am also baffled that anyone thinks $10 is solid pay for a 500-word story, even if it requires little research. For $10, you should be typing random words onto your computer screen.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Hello Deb,
I write for $5 per 500-word article for American websites and I also write for $40 for a 700-word pieces in a leading Indian newspaper.
Yes, $5 is peanuts, but where do you get better paying jobs? Work-at-home moms who just want to earn a few extra bucks, students looking for pocket money and amateur writers from developing countries are the prime reasons why American and UK Internet article buyers are squeezing the market (without bothering about the quality and creativity) and making the genuine writers feel out of place. (I have nothing against WAHMs, students and writers from developing nations though).
But, will prices of Internet articles go up? I don’t think so. More writers will join the Internet-article bandwagon and the rates will now remain static because they have already reached their nadir.
Creative writers will be better off if they try their hand at writing for magazines and newspapers. There’s no joy left in writing for the Internet.
As far as cranking up articles in a space of 15-minutes goes, I don’t agree with that and I feel writers who claim to be article churning machines are at best, re-writers. A genuine writer will always try to creatively weave and play around with his words and ensure his article is remembered long after it is read.
The Internet-article writing business needs genuine writers, but seems to be having a one-night stand with Grade-III talent. Every night.
Sunil
July 25th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
You are so on target! I am amazed by the people from Asia that are driving down prices. I have seen postings for .003 cents a word! The lowest I take, when I am strapped for cash is $10 for 500 words with no research required. The sad thing about this is that writers who are taking the jobs at low rates are not only taking jobs but they are making it difficult for a real writer to freelance.
I am also mystified by the ads asking for numerous short articles for $1.00 every 500 words. I can only say that for this price you buy plagiarism.
Paul
July 25th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Q: what is fair for 500 to 1000 words for a web article?
$150 minimum for a 500-word article.
I ask for it, and I get it. I blog for corporations, covering trade news and trends and how these might impact their clients. I have many years of experience in corporate communications (print and online); however, I do not have particular expertise in the trade areas I “cover.” I think of myself as a general assignment blogger.
According to my accountant, 40% of my business income as a freelance writer is devoured by taxes of various sorts. So I “keep” just a tad over half of my rate. I’m wondering if one of the issues here is that writers who write for less than I do are not declaring their earnings to the IRS, and thus getting to keep 100% (rather than 60% of it). Anyone want to commnent?
July 26th, 2007 at 6:38 am
I just wanted to point out that one way to help stand up for the rights of writers is to to join an association. In Canada we have the Professional Writers Association of Canada (www.pwac.ca) and the Canadian Freelance Union (http://www.cfunion.ca), both of which have been invaluable to me in terms of understanding - and fighting for - what my work is worth (although this isn’t to say that I’m not forced to accept low rates sometimes - it’s part of paying the credit card bills). In the U.S. there’s the American Society of Journalists and Authors (www.asja.org).
July 26th, 2007 at 8:52 am
The day that getting paid $100 for a 500-word article comes to an end is the day that I stop writing. Do I accept less than $100 for an article? Occasionally. But I am a strong believer that when you pay crap, you get crap. And I don’t write crap.
Five %$*#&% dollars for a 500-word article has got to be nuts. What a disservice to yourself and the industry if you accept that.
Writing a good article in 15 minutes? I can’t imagine. Where are the FACTS coming from? Even if I solely wrote off the top of my head, I don’t think I could turn out a quality piece in that time frame.
Go to any local newspaper and they will typically pay at least $50 for an article. They usually aren’t 500 words, either. Two local magazines here pay $125 per piece, regardless of length.
The opportunities are out there. That’s why I check this web page daily. You throw enough resumes out there, something is bound to hit eventually. Keep looking for the better-paying gigs. If you must take lower wages, unload those jobs once you can replace them with higher paying gigs. But be careful how low you go!!!!!!!!
July 26th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Now that I’m basically out of the business, I can go back on my promise not to engage in the great rate debate.
1. The work that falls into the $.02/word bracket isn’t the same kind of work in which you have an interest. Yes, both are writing, but we’re talking about different segments of the market with different expectations and standards.
2. People can and do support families at $15/500 words. They might not support a palacial existence in Manhattan, NY, but they can cover the house payment in McCook, NE. I managed to keep my family fed and happy without letting my FICO score slip over an extended period during which I did a great deal of work in low-paying markets. Oh, and our ZIP code wasn’t a cheap one, either.
3. If you aren’t paid enough it probably has less to do with a culture of cheapness than it does with your own abilities and tendencies. Those who find the right market segments to match their skills and who can effectively market themselves to the buying audience within those segments prosper. Those who simply expect the value of their writing to be magically understood by buyers find themselves chastising those who’ll work for less instead of finding ways to make more.
4. Supply and demand determine prices. There is a supply glut within certain segments of the market and prices reflect that. In other markets, there is a paucity of supply and strong demand. Writers in those areas can make a bundle. Those who want to make money in highly-populated areas (i.e. cheaper web content) must find a way to differentiate themselves from the crowd, provide value-added services, etc. in order to justify (and receive) a higher rate.
So, what’s fair? Nothing, probably.
Who told anyone that life, writing, the market economy or anything else was ever going to be fair?
CDB
July 26th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Well hello, stranger. I’ve missed your input!
July 26th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Carson, wonderful to hear from you! I feel a strange delight to hear you finally weigh in on the wage debate.
Anyway, I have to say THANK YOU to Dan Rafter for his opinion on the claim that third-world writers drive down rates. I have always had a problem with people who say that, put I’ve never been able to quite put my finger on why I think it’s wrong (in both senses: “incorrect” and “immoral”). Thank you, Dan, for saying it better than I could have.
Dan is right. Quality publications and websites are never going to stoop to the quality they will get for $1 an article. And because the “third-world writer invasion” came at about the same time as the content explosion, theoretically nothing has changed for those of us who write for the *quality* publications.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Stoop to the lack of quality, that is.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Katherine asks: “While I understand you worked for $3 per article when you were starting out, I have to ask — would you do it again? And would you try to sell another newbie writer on the $3-per-article life?” $#!% No! I’d rather write for free than write for such measly wages.
—-
I believe another part of the problem is that people associate internet with cheap. It’s pretty much become the expectation that if you operate business over the internet, that it shouldn’t cost much at all.
When webmasters see that there are people claiming to write quality articles for less than half a cent per word, they immediately register that as “lowest possible price”. They’re seldom willing to pay more than that. It’s just part of their mindset.
I have people asking me for quotes all the time, then never responding when I tell them my rate, $25/500-word article.
The thing to remember about these low-paying webmasters is that they’re not looking for the most eloquently written piece. They’re looking for what Deb called “fluff”, 500 words that, at a minimum, are spelled correctly and are semi-coherent. Is $10 a fair wage for that? Maybe. I sure wouldn’t pay $25 to have someone write fluff.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
To Julie:
Writing web content is much different than writing for print. There generally aren’t interviews or excessive research. Most content writers primarily write general information articles that contain keywords to attract search engine visitors to a website. Some write quality content, and others don’t. The cheap content buyers don’t much care about the quality of the writing. These are the people whose websites primarily exist to generate Adsense revenue. People who run quality websites and want quality content are willing to pay more and want a writer who will spend more than 15 minutes writing an article. At least, that’s how I see it. Others will disagree. There is no clear definition of what content writing is.
To the writers asking where to find higher paying jobs:
My best experiences in higher web rates have never been from replying to job ads (i.e., Craigslist). The better paying web writing work I do comes from word of mouth recommendations. These are jobs I am offered because people know me, not because I am competing against 100+ other freelance writers applying for the same job. I’ve also gotten direct job offers from people I know in my town and from people I know online.
Unfortunately, in order to have enough steady work to make sure my bills are paid, I do have to sometimes settle for lower paying jobs. For these, I go to sites like Craigslist. If I get a job to write 20 300-word pages for $15 each in a month where my workload is very slow, I will take the job — not because I want to degrade the writing profession, but because I have to pay my bills.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Maybe I’m crazy for accepting this, but I am a writer just starting out and am looking to break into political writing.
I responded to an ad on Craigslist a few weeks ago from the European Courier, an online political magazine, and they responded and said they would like to hire me at $30 per 8,000-word essay. Now I know that this is a pretty terrible rate, but after contemplating it for a while I decided to go ahead and do it anyways, because I have had a hard time finding paid political writing opportunities.
If other writers are telling new writers we should not accept such low rates, please tell me: where are the better paying jobs? I can’t find them, and I need the experience, so I’m willing to take $30 for an 8000-word political essay because I know I may not find many other opportunities to write about politics any time soon. I feel it’s something I have to accept now in order to build enough experience to get better paying opportunities later on.
July 26th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
My last comment on this, I promise.
People like Nicole who are just starting out certainly could be wise to take on low paying jobs to break into certain areas. Heck, internships don’t pay any more. But when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, I was in college and electric typewriters were fancy, I held out for a paying internship because I needed to pay for college — and I got it. But I also worked at the college paper for wages that turned out to be $1 an hour.
But Katharine is right that you have to look to eliminate low-paying work after some time. I’ve been writing for 30 years, so I’ve eliminated a number of low-paying clients over the years.
Another thing to consider is opportunity cost. If you’re spending several hours to make $50 or $100, are you taking away time that could bring in more money.
Case in point: I spent three hours — no pay — building a relationship with a firm over the weekend. I just received a $270 assignment that will take three hours.
Even if you consider this 6 hours for $270, it’s more than what a lot are saying they’ll accept. And the initial three hours won’t need to be repeated for the next $270 (or more) assignment. That initial three hours could lead to thousands of dollars in next few years (I will admit the high percentage of marketing efforts aren’t as productive)
Another case in point regarding the need to invest in marketing when the pay is below an acceptable (you decide what that is) minimum: I spent a day at a trade conference seeking clients five years ago. Net benefit to date $75,000. What if I had spent that day here cranking out 10,000 words for $125?
I’ve really enjoyed this discussion and thank Deb for raising the issue.
July 26th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
For everyone wondering where the high paying jobs are, you have to think beyond Craigslist and think beyond the Internet. What did people do before America Online? They sent queries to magazines or sent their details to places of interest. If you want a “high paying” job, I suggest you think outside the web, becaue that’s where they are.
If you’re interested in political writing, look up political magazines and ask for their writers guidelines. Submit Op-Ed pieces to use as clips.
When I started as a freelance copywriter in the ’80’s I contacted ad agencies, graphic design agencies, publishing houses and corporations and managed to land some high paying, regular jobs. Some of which I still have.
The problem with the Internet and it’s anonymity is that we like being able to do everything via email and paypal. We don’t want to do any cold calling or visit offices for interviews or to drop off our resumes.
If you want a high paying job don’t whine because there’s nothing out there, look harder and look smarter.
July 27th, 2007 at 12:16 am
Here’s a different take on the subject from a long-time commercial writer.
1. I develop simple web sites for small businesses and organizations. They pay $750 for the first four pages, and $150 for each page after that if I have to create the copy for it.
2. I charge flat fees to revise text and content on existing pages, whatever I feel is appropriate. It comes to about $90 per hour.
3. I will write a one-page sales letter for $250. Two pages is $375.
4. Creating the concept and writing the copy for an 4-page brochure, $550. Eight pages is $750-$900.
5. A simple press release (3 paragraphs) is $75.
The difference is — compared to what I’ve been reading her — none of this work is quick. So the straight writing jobs work out paying about $50 per hour.
If a customer hires me for the day to sit in his office and write, it’s $500. Now that can add up.
RULES:
NEVER WORK ON SPEC. If the customer can not judge you based on your samples, then it’s not the customer for you.
NEGOTIATE MONTHLY FEES in lieu of a myriad of little charges. Calculate it correctly and you will come out ahead most months.
DON’T COMPROMISE ON QUALITY, unless you want to be known as a hack writer.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Wow, so many comments to comment upon!
Carson wrote, “Those who simply expect the value of their writing to be magically understood by buyers find themselves chastising those who’ll work for less instead of finding ways to make more.” I don’t think anyone here expects the world to ‘magically understand’ the value of what we do. Selling a service is like selling anything else - you have to engage a buyer and demonstrate your value. And you can’t do that if you’re spending all your time cranking out 500 words for $25.
It takes time and effort to establish the kinds of relationships Phil and Eric recommend - and, as C.C. so correctly notes, a lot of people think they can break into writing as a way to earn pocket money. They certainly won’t want to put in that time and effort. That’s how you work your way into the higher-paying markets - doing the legwork others don’t do, not by answering blind ads on freelance websites.
One other point and then I’ll shut up. While it’s easy to say “Well, I’ll take the low-paying work but it won’t be my best effort,” a true professional is going to do his or her best on *every* assignment, regardless of pay. If you don’t - or won’t - then you’re just contributing to a vicious cycle of sub-par quality that leads to low pay that leads to worse quality that leads to lower pay, etc. etc. etc.
And before you jump all over me, I’m by no means accusing those who say they take this approach of producing crappy content. Far from it. You’re probably working harder and doing a better job than you intend to or even think you are, because if you really do love writing *that’s just what you have to do.* You can’t help it.
July 27th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
“The vast number of “professionals” who fancy themselves a writer is on the rise. This especially seems true among teachers and other individuals in industries requiring instruction, education, consulting and the like.”
Andrea says:
Well Bill S., I’m sorry that you think that teachers are just playing around when they write, and that we apparently aren’t “professional” enough for you.
“Hello, Andrea. Nowhere did I imply teachers are somehow playing around. I stand by my comment. I believe a large number of teachers (a professional occupation) believe their four-year, general education degree qualifies them as a professional writer. This is evidenced by teachers themselves on many of the bid boards. Witness the large number of part-time writers bidding excessively low fees on projects worth much more. The ties that bind? TEACHER appears on many of the resumes under QUALIFICATIONS. No disrespect intended, I just call it as I see it.”
I have a Master’s degree in education and I taught for several years. I’m now freelancing in the educational field. Am I making what I used to make teaching? No, not yet, but I’m making more progess than I was when I first started writing.
“Congratulations. Perhaps you are the deviation from the norm. If so, you can earn above and beyond what you could ever make teaching. I hope you attain such a level.
Most teachers I have encountered in the writing arena do it to supplement their teaching salary.”
“These individuals are willing to accept ridiculously low pay for a writing project.”
That’s a pretty broad generalization.
From the people who I’ve read on this blog who write in the education field and my own experiences, you can reasonably make between $25-$50 per textbook page if you work for a reputable company. This rate can increase a great deal if those texrbook pages happen to include expository passages for student use.
Not all writers have the same goals.
I’m good at writing for textbooks because it lets me tap into the training and experience that I gained as an educator. Do I need to see my name attached to what I wrote? No, because I know that most education writing is write-for-hire. Textbooks don’t have bylines. I’d be willing to bet that most teachers who freelance for textbooks are far more “professional” than you might think.
“You’re right, it is a broad generalization and my personal opinion. I don’t judge if one is professional or not by lack or presence of ego (as you allude in reference to need of a byline). I’ve worked with some large names who have huge egos, yet are professionals.”
In fact, it’s our professional background that editors often want because we’ve worked with students and we often have an understanding of what teachers look for when they use a textbook with their classes.
“I’m certain such is true regarding this specific genre of which you speak, but did you consider the possibility another variable may exist? Could an editor not be looking to some of these same individuals as a way of saving money?”
I’m not the “professional” writer with the big novel or the journalism byline, but when it comes to textbooks, my six years of study and training, my classroom teaching experience, and my satisfied repeat clients make me just as “professional” as anyone else.
“You illustrate my point. Your area of expertise qualifies you for textbook writing. Does success as a ghostwriter for eleven years at a national investment magazine qualify me to do your job? Methinks not. Just because I believe I can pull it off doesn’t necessitate I bid $10 per textbook page just because you receive the going rate of $50 per page and I need to pick up some extra cash. Such is not the habit of a professional writer. A professional does the necessary research, finds the true value of a project and charges/bids accordingly.”
July 29th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
I personally draw a major distinction between “content articles” and journalistic web magazine articles–I do feel that the latter should be competitive with at least mid-tier print pubs, since they ask for the same amount of research, interviewing, and style. Content articles serve a different purpose and usually require less research and no interviews, so I can see accepting less for them.
I’ve tried both, and I’m definitely more comfortable with magazine-style writing (and rates). The actual writing usually takes about the same time, but magazine writing takes vastly more research and interview time–but I also find the work more enjoyable and better financial return for my time.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:25 am
Magazine writers earn $1/word and more…sometimes less, of course. I see $1/wd bandied about a lot as some kind of gold standard, but really, it’s on the low end of what magazines pay, and writers should keep that in mind when they’re considering writing 500 words for $10. Web writing might be easier, but is it really THAT much easier?
August 12th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
I am looking for a blog writing service to help promote my website. My website is http://www.defenduplus.com. Can you please contact me if you can reccomend a high quality, low cost service.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:40 am
Cost is one of the factors in freelance writing that I struggle with daily. I’ve just now gotten to the point where I can turn down gigs, knowing that the pay isn’t worth the time an energy that I will put into the project. I’m hoping that eventually, I’ll be even better at judging which gigs to take and which to leave behind…