How Much You Should Charge For Freelance Writing
hen you first start certain amount of experience and
freelance writing, you colorful credits behind their
are probably wondering name gets a specified amount of
how much you should charge for a money. What I would do is set how
project. You don't want to price much you make by coming up with a
yourself out of the freelance rate per hour that you would
writing market, but you want to charge. Then, when bidding on a
get paid for the quality of your job, you will estimate how many
writing. So, what do you charge? hours it will take to do that job
This is a question that gets and voila! A price! And how do
asked hundreds of times by new you come up with a price per
freelance writers. They just hour? Here's how I would do it.
don't have the experience yet to
figure out what they should Figure out how much you want to
charge. make freelance writing over the
next year. Let say you want to
You can go about pricing your make $30,000 annually. You will
project in a few ways, and I have probably work 220 days per year -
provided a glimpse into each of if you are lucky, maybe around
those ways. Before we get into 200. For argument's sake, we'll
that, the first rule of thumb is use 220 days of work per year. If
this: Don't ever sell yourself you divide the $30,000 per year
short! by 220 days, you need to make
$140 per day. How many hours of
How much do you want to make? work do you want to do in a day?
Let's say seven hours are
This would be my first question. dedicated strictly to freelance
Freelance writing isn't writing. So, take the $140 per
necessarily a cut and dried day, and divide it by the number
business where someone with a of hours - which is 7. There is
your hourly rate - about $20 per you are likely going to have to
hour. I think that's a little bit stick with that rate for the
low for a per hour figure as a first few articles you write for
freelance writer, but to them. It is impossible to give
illustrate the example, it will you an accurate idea of what many
work . of the magazines pay because the
range is from $.05 to $2 per word
This is a formula that will work and up. You can check with such
for you if you have the potential resources as
for steady business, but also as www.writersmarket.com, and they
a backup when you are asked to provide the current rates of most
bid on a project that just can't magazines in North America.
be priced any other way (per
page, per word, etc.) Note: Most Once you have done a few articles
novice freelance writers would be with a particular magazine, and
safe charging between $20 and 25$ you have built a good rapport
per hour for large project work. with an editor, don't be afraid
With that said, your price may to up the ante. They obviously
vary depending on the scope of like your work, and you have paid
the project or any other your dues to become one of their
curveballs that might be thrown reliable freelance writers. You
in. are well within your right to ask
for an increase in your per word,
The price can be set for you. or assignment rate. If they have
been paying you $.50 per word,
If you have queried a magazine there is no reason why you can't
about an article and it gets ask for $.55 or $.60 per word. In
accepted, chances are they pay most cases, editors are happy to
freelancers a standard rate have a quality writer working
(especially new freelancers), and with them because it is one less
thing they have to worry about. time and effort is involved in
doing a project, you will have a
You may also run into projects much better idea of what a job is
that have a specified budget. worth. This is probably going to
These are good projects, because be the best measuring stick for
you know your price isn't going pricing future jobs. You are
to get ground down to the bare still going to land jobs that are
minimum. What you have to decide worth much more than you are
is whether or not you can do a being paid, but hopefully with
job for that price. If the job experience you will have just as
budget is $1,000 and you would many that you are well paid for,
estimate it might take you 50 with less work than you thought.
hours to do it properly at $25
per hour, that's $1,250. You Always keep in mind how much you
might just take a chance on it want to make each day, and at the
and hope you can trim some hours end of the year. Try to stay on
on the job by working target with that daily or monthly
efficiently, and make your hourly goal and you can adjust your wage
wage. But, if you think that as you see fit. Try the magazines
$1,000 job is going to take you and work with what they have to
80 hours at $25 per hour for offer, and build your portfolio
$2,000, you are going to want to along the way.
leave that one to the vultures.
Eventually, you are going to be
The price is right. making the wage you want, and
working on the projects that you
After you have a few jobs under enjoy writing!
your belt, and you know how much
About the Author:
Darren Krause is the author of well over 1,000 articles appearing in print and online, and has ghostwritten over 60 e-books. His website, http://www.imaginethiswriting.net provides information for freelance writers.
Read more articles by: Darren Krause
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