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2:53 pm
January 23, 2010
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I've been asked to submit some sample articles about craft projects to an online newsletter. They asked me how much I will charge for the articles, which are to be 350 to 400 words long. Anyone know how much the typical rate for this would be? I'm really stumped!
3:10 pm
November 14, 2010
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The going rate online is between one and two cents per word. I looked around to see if I was being underpaid, but indeed, that seems to be standard.
It does depend on the reputation of the writer…if you are famous in your field, you would be paid more, with five cents per word seeming to be the top price paid.
HTH
10:17 am
January 15, 2011
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You would think there would be a flat rate if the article is under a certain amount of words. For 400 words at $.02 a word hardly seems worth it. Unless you not doing it just for a little side money. It would be worth just the experience, maybe.
12:38 pm
May 14, 2005
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Writers are starving artists…….
Online writing pay is particularly horrible. It's not much better in "real" life. I get $60 per column for the Charleston Daily Mail, which is a semi-major newspaper, and those columns are typically around 500 words (sometimes more but it's a flat rate). Whether it's worth it or not depends on why you're doing it. I write for free for Two Lane Livin', and also free for New England Cheesemaking. In both cases, I do it for the exposure. (I also get a cool giveaway every month to give you to one of you. I don't get anything myself, normally, though they have gifted me with a few things here and there, but nothing regular, just usually if I'm making something that requires something I don't have--they'll give it to me so I can make whatever it is they want me to make.) If you need experience and some writing credits, that's also a good reason to do it for free or cheap.
2:16 pm
June 1, 2010
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Publishers seem to think we writers are so overjoyed to see our name as a byline or on a book's spine that we won't notice the pitiful pay rate. This is particularly true in areas were the writers are predominantly women. Seems like the only decent rates are those paid to tech writers, and even that is spotty.
10:05 am
May 31, 2011
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I was a Tech Writer for about 7 years. The salaried position's pay was okay, but the free-lance job wasn't. Not that the rate was all that bad, but I had to drive 1.75 hours each way to get to work. By the time you figured my time/gas into it, it wasn't very much at all.
When salaried, I also of course had to have "business" clothes AND there was the politics to contend with, definitely worth $5 an hour or more in sheer frustration and time-wasting.
I did resumes, sales fliers, etc. for a while as well, that was better. I could set a "per page" fee and since I was self-employed, no "business" clothese req'd.
If the going rate is .02 a word, then that's what I'd ask for. The only gotcha might be the length of the contract. If it was me? I'd specify a year at that rate. If your readers like you, in a year you can ask for more.
My .02!
Judi
12:53 pm
June 1, 2011
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I'd be wary of giving them "sample" articles. Can't you direct them to some blog posts or something so they can see your writing? Surely they can judge based on that. Too many of these online writing outlets are less than honorable when it comes to paying out (even the seemingly legit outlets, as Suzanne can attest, are shady!).
Also, there are many freelance sites with companies requesting content (mostly for spinned blogs) for less than $1.00 per 250-400 word article so watch out giving away too many "samples", and good luck!
2:03 pm
June 1, 2010
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Malaga Cove (et al) I don't know how long ago you free-lanced on site, but the government is/has been cracking down on that. If you're freelance you provide your own working environment, your own supplies, etc. If you work on their site, then you are a contract employee and a different set of rules and guidelines applies, your status is closer to a temp employee rather than a freelancer. Employee tax, FICA are involved. In the past (some) employers who used freelancers on site used their status in order not to pay taxes levied on regular employees. The result was that the free lancer, usually in the dark about this, was paid as if taxes, FICA had been deducted but in fact, they were not. This left freelancer with both taxes and penalties at year's end.
8:13 pm
May 31, 2011
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Bonita,
Wow, no I hadn't heard that; it's been a while! Thanks for the info.
Judi
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