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Get Paid To Freelance
Deb Ng had an interesting post on her blog yesterday: Freelance web writing wages: What is fair?
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.
If you’re wondering what an acceptable rate is, then the comments thread is worth reading.
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Get Paid To Write Online by Sharon Hurley Hall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Copyright for posts written by guest authors remains with them.Useful info
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writing is something passionate to me and doing it is my happiness because it can bring changes in life.if i will write for low fees and people are happy for my writing it fine and i will be happy too.we all in life have to start from some where.
I couldn’t agree more. I write because it feels good, getting paid is only a plus! This makes the fee, no matter how low, an added bonus.
I am simply tring to figure out how in the world I can get started. I would love to wite and get paid, I only need to figure it all out.
I wrote a fantasy novel and several short stories; and I want them to be published.
Sharon,
I know this is a post from last year, but wanted to comment on it anyway.
For those writers who are content with low pay for their writing, I would say that you have a nice hobby and you should absolutely pursue it with your whole heart. When anything we do that benefits others gives us such pleasure, we should go for it.
However, writers who want to make a living at doing what they love have no choice but to view their writing as a business. It’s a mindset more than anything.
If we lived in a world where landlords, mortgage companies, public utility companies, gas stations and car dealerships were not in business to make money, but to just help other people, then writers would not need to write for pay to support themselves. But the cold, hard reality is that our society is based on commerce. You provide a service, I pay you a fair price. I provide a service, you pay me a fair price.
For the sake of writers who are in business for themselves, then, I would say to those who write as a hobby to do so for free, for barter, or some other arrangement that doesn’t otherwise dilute the fee basis for the rest of us who DEPEND on writing income.
Don’t get me started on writers from developing nations who are able to live on $500 a month, so charge distressingly low fees. That, more than anything, has driven down the fee basis.
Okay. Stepping down off my soapbox.
Deb Gallardo
The Story Ideas Virtuoso’s last blog post..Creative Writing Ideas From a Cat Video
I don’t mind the soapbox. Writers often forget that this is a business, and it’s essential to keep that in mind.
Delighted to discover this site.Am dying to write too. A lot of issues on my mind I need to share with the reading world. Perhaps when I start and I achieve communication maxim then I can talk about getting paid. Any ideas on where to start? Anyone…?
Kudos to Writers out there.Your sensitizing job can never be quantified!
I’ve got lots of advice seeded around this blog, Chidimma. Check out the freelance writing tips and freelance writing questions under features. Be sure to stop by and ask questions; I’ll be happy to answer them on the blog.
I was hoping to see some dollar figures on what writers are charging for their services vs. the $30 for the 500 word article mentioned in the post. I work from home writing web content, press releases and news articles for article submission sites/directories and news wires, and I’m currently charging $25 per hour. FYI. Anyone care to share what they are charging clients for their writing services? Thanks.
Susan
Susan, I match my charges to the job. I think $25-30 for something that takes me half an hour is ok, but I use my hourly rate as a starting point. Some people who provide a lot of work get a long term rate, for example.
$25 to 30 is on the low end when it comes to regular jobs IF you don’t get a good number for projects a month. Freelance is somewhat of a gamble to me. That said I still take that risk because writing is fun.
I belong to the Indian sub continent and considering the rates and currency conversion factor, I charge 15-20$ for a 500 word article. That’s pretty decent I guess. I manage to earn well and have quite a few clients for me! My website says more about me and my clients!
These comments about rates for freelance are interesting. I have been freelancing full time for about 3 years now, but writing for a long time with many article clips. I recently moved to a new area (Bay Area, San Francisco), and so far am being paid a wide range of rates, including several hundred dollars for editing web site pages, $75 for an article for a large newspaper, and $200 for editing a brochure. I was just turned down for web site writing job that would have been at least $1000 for my hourly rate of $50 an hour. The client really liked my writing but couldn’t afford the fee, but I felt felt it was quite fair given the huge project. I think this shows that much of it depends on the client. Is it OK to change your rates depending on the client? I would think one would have to in order to make a living. Do you always charge by hourly fee for a more project oriented assignment? Just wondering how other folks price things….
Carrie, the rate depends on the project and the client’s budget. If the client’s budget is less than my usual rate, I might still do the project if it’s interesting or provides something new for my resume. In all other cases, I try to work something out that we can both live with.
I spent the last 20-plus years writing commercially at advertising and public relations agencies. Having reached a fairly senior management level, I gained experience developing proposals with budgets.
Now in the freelance realm, I’m appalled at the rates paid and at the levels writers bid. Compared to commercial entities, the rates we’re discussing here connote a lack of professionalism.
Say you’re going to write a 500-word piece on a topic that’s new to you. You’ll probably spend 15 to 30 minutes researching the topic. You may need to spend 10 minutes or so familiarizing yourself with the writer’s guidelines. Then, if you’re good, you’ll spend a bit of time thinking about the slant and structure of the piece–and your lead and title. Then you start writing. Proofing. Rewriting.
At $30 an article, what are you making on an hourly basis? You’d be better off signing up as waitstaff at a local restaurant.
I have learned through some great mentors that working for free is like burning money. Basically if a business can afford to operate, then they can afford to pay for services. A for profit business gauging a freelance is not a good thing to get into. And a freelancer willing to work for free is a bigger problem because then that business will continue with manipulating for free or low cost work. If you have a rate, stick to it. They don’t change their rates for their clients, so why should you?
I absolutely agree. Don’t get ripped off. Why work for free?
When I left a top London university with a good degree in English and some good student journalism experience, I was told I would have to work for free for a year if I wanted to get a paid job in journalism. Who can afford to do that? I just couldn’t – and wouldn’t – accept it. It’s exploitation.
Instead, I found a full-time job in social research, and work my nights as a freelance writer. It took a long time (and it’s damn tiring), but I managed to get a shoe in writing for a regional in the Channel Islands. I earn about £75 per 500-1000 words. This works out at about £15 per hour. I’m only 21 years old, so I think that’s really good.
Some of my friends are still slogging away for free.
That’s really good going, Ellie.
Yes, that’s right and I think many of us start with low paid jobs. We move up as soon as we can, though