Freelance Writing Rates: And the Debate Rages On . . .

June 26, 2008

Originally Titled: The Freelance Writing Rate Debate Rages On

freelance-writing-ratesI recently read this post on the WellFedWriter.com’s blog.  So, when I received the email below, it got me to thinking about all of this. I personally have never been busier as a freelance writer. Some seem to be hurting a lot. And more than a few seem to be directing their anger toward freelancers who “charge to little, thereby lowering the rate for all.”  

As Peter (The Well Fed Writer’s author) said in the comments section of the aforementioned post in response to a reader:

“Those of us who’ve been in this field for a while probably all had clients like that, but we may not have realized it. The absence of the cheap sites threw all clients into one big group.

But, we’ve all had the GOOD kind of client, too – the one for whom good writing isn’t just important, it’s a crucial component of their competitive advantage. And those clients would be about as likely to hunt on elance for a cheap writer as they would to hire their janitor to do their writing. And, needless to say, THOSE are the ones we want.”

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Email Received from a Reader About Rates

Hi – just noticed your web site for freelance writers and was a little perplexed. I’ve been a writer for about 26 years and I’m a member of the National Writer’s Union, San Francisco, California. In fact there are standards for writers which have been set and which are suggested as the base line for all writers to charge (of course no one has to, it’s merely suggested).

 Without going into lots of detail this is what the going rate is supposed to be:   Writing content for creative writing, reporting, journalism   MINIMUM  $1.00 per word; Marketing, SEO content, corporate journalism — MINIMUM $2.00 per word.  

I know that might sound outrageous because so many writers have fallen for the global crunch and lowered their fee as well as their self esteem just to get some work, however, this is the going rate for English speaking American writers.  

Please consider carefully before suggesting your writers accept positions for $10.00 per story or article. That was the going rate in 1973 when I first began writing. We deserve far more than that. In 1993 I was making $1.00 per word; my 1,200 words stories brought in $1,200.00 This allowed us to write excellent copy because we didn’t have to write a hundred stories a month just to keep bread on the table.  

I’m convinced that good writers need to be aware of what we are really worth and begin holding out for the pay that we are really worth.  

If you would like information about the National Writer’s Union, which by the way was started about 20 years ago in hopes writers would unite in order to forestall the Internet/global problems we’re experiencing now, I’d be happy to send you a phone number for the president.  

Thanks,
[Name was left]
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My Response

Dear Reader:

Thank you for taking the time to write in on this subject.
 
As a writer with many years under your belt, I’m sure you know that the debate over freelance writing rates is one that is not about to subside anytime soon.
 
What I always advise writers to do is to do their research (eg, what are the norms, for my experience, in my niche, etc.) and then set rates according to what works for them. With the web opening up the world as a market, while this may lower the rate for some, it actually helps others to gain entre into the marketplace.
 
There will always be tiers. Some will shun assignments that they feel are beneath them, while others will be glad to get them. In the end, it is the marketplace that sets the rate for all of us. And that’s as it should be.
 
It’s one of the reasons I like living in a capitalist society. For better or worse, it constantly keeps entrepreneurs (eg, freelance writers) on their feet.
 
Again, thanks for lending your voice of experience to the debate, and continued success to you.

What Do You Think?

Back to my questions, what do you think? Eg:

Should long-time freelance writers accustomed to charging more adjust their rates?   Are you having a hard time landing new gigs?Are “higher-end” freelance writers hurting more now? [Boy, this smacks so much of classism and elitism to me that I cringe even typing it]

Eliticism, Classism Among Freelance Writers?

I’ll tell you where I’m coming from here. The finger has been pointed a lot to the SEO wiring niche for bringing down freelance writing rates. While this may be justified on many levels, some writers seem to suggest that those of us who do this type of writing and/or are not charging “properly” are somehow less qualified, less skilled and just plain desperate for work.

As an SEO writer, I can say that nothing could be further from the truth for me. I have a college degree, have owned two businesses and can write with the best of them. Maybe it’s because I started out in trade publishing, which is notoriously low paying. Or maybe it’s because I never had an interest in pursing higher-paying magazine work that I just don’t get why you have to charge $1/word to be considered legit.

I set my rates according to what I need to be able to work from home, pay my mortgage comfortably, save for retirement and still have a life. It seems to me that those at the higher level of the pay scale are the ones scrambling for work now. I know a few SEO writers — and we seem to be busier than ever. 

I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face (ok, purple as black people don’t turn blue), charge according to what you feel comfortable with. If $5 for 500-words works for you, go for it. You’ll soon figure out that that ain’t much of a living and adjust your rates.

But, I won’t knock you over the head with my rate if you don’t.

Your thoughts?

P.S.: For even more food for thought on SEO writing in particular and freelance writing rates in general, read the great post, SEO Copywriters: Real Freelance Writers or Not?

Copyright © Originally posted on June 26, 2008. Republished 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

7 Ways a Freelance Writer Can Expand Your Profits – No Matter What Your Business Is!

June 14, 2008

An E-Book Excerpt
[See all Inkwell Editorial Work-from-Home Titles Here]

The 7 Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Writer

If you’ve never used a freelance writer before, you might not realize the value they can bring to your business.

Business is all about communication – whether it be a brochure a website, a sales letter, a newsletter, etc. And, to stay top of mind with customers, you have to constantly be in contact. 

If your sales are stagnant or nonexistent, if you are working harder to bring in referrals, retain old customers and attract new ones, explore the measurable results a freelance writer can bring to your business.

Even if you think your business is “doing okay,” a freelance writer can inoculate you against though times, which every business has to weather at some point in time.

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No matter where your business falls in profitability, following are seven benefits of hiring a freelance writer.

1. Professional Image: Anyone can write copy for a website. However, can you write, effective, professional copy?

A website is a business’ face to the world. If there are spelling and grammar mistakes, dead links, poor design, etc., what type of image does that convey?

Have you ever thought about how many customers you may be losing because your website isn’t all it could be?

How a Freelance Writer Can Enhance Your Business’ Professional Image

a) Provide cohesive copy: Websites are designed to sell – a service, a product, an image, etc. Every word of copy counts towards this objective.

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If implementing tips of the trade like this increase your website’s conversion rate by only 2-3%, that could mean thousands of extra dollars to your company’s bottom line.

It’s a professional writer/copywriter’s job to know techniques like this, just like it’s your job to know the ins and outs of your business.
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What’s the Difference Between a Website and a Blog?

June 5, 2008

The following is sage advice for freelance writers — or anyone — who’s thinking about getting a blog or website and/or those who are thinking about changing their web presence. If you are serious about making money online as a freelance writer, read carefully.

After my recent blog troubles, I decided to have a new blog designed and hosted on its own domain. I finally got fed up with free blog platforms. This entailed registering a new domain. Once I got to this point, however, I stopped. Why?

Do You Really Need a New Blog, or a Website?

Mainly traffic generation. As I wrote on the post, 7 Things You Must Know Before Moving Your Blog. “… after your new blog is up and running, constantly update your old blog. You probably have some search engine recognition behind it …”

I started thinking that I would essentially have to start from scratch promoting a new URL (website/blog). And, not for nothing, I already have two web presences that are working pretty well for me (this site, InkwellEditorial.com and my blog, InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com).

This is what brought me to the question, “What’s the difference between a website and a blog?”
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The Answer to What’s the Difference Between a Website and a Blog

So I started to do some research because, quite frankly, I couldn’t think of what it was. I should probably be embarrassed to admit that, but it’s the truth.

According to the post Blogs vs. Web Sites: Is There a Difference?, it basically boils down to interactivity. A blog and a website are both simply websites.

But, blogs have an interactivity about them that most websites don’t. Plugins like “Most Recent Posts;” “Most Popular Posts;” “Related Posts/Entries;” and “Last Post by This Blogger” all encourage interaction.

Websites, on the other hand, tend to be more of a portfolio, an introduction to your work (ie, samples) and business (an online company brochure, if you will).

Which Do You Need: A Blog, a Website or Both?

As each person’s needs are different, I’ll tell you how I went about deciding, then you decide for yourself.

I’m getting a new website, with a blog as a sub component. This is how this happened . . .

I changed things midstream with my blog designer. I told them that I wanted my new blog on InkwellEditorial.com, the current home of my website.

After asking a few technical questions like how it would affect transferring existing files into the new “blog design,” he wrote the following:
 

“That [referring to the cost and the blog design I chose] actually depends if you want your site to be more of a portfolio site or a blog site. Which will you use it for most? To blog and attract people that way? Or as a business site with a blog?”

As I’m getting a new website that will have a blog as a subdomain, the URL will probably look something like this: http://InkwellEditorial.com/InkwellBlog

The Drawback of an All-in-One Website/Blog

The drawback to this is that it means I’ll be blogging at blogger for probably another year or so until my traffic at my new blog home is where it is now (about 3,600 visitors/day).

I simply can’t afford to abandon this site which has a PR Rank of 4 and an Alexa Rank at this writing of under 500,000 (not in the top 100,000, but for a freelance writing blog — darn good numbers).

The Benefits of an All-in-One Website/Blog

Marketing: In spite of this drawback, the benefit of an all-in-one blog/website is that you have one home, one domain to drive traffic to. I run several websites and let me tell you, getting sufficient traffic to one is a full-time job. I couldn’t even fathom having yet another site to market and promote from scratch.

Passive Income Generation: My other sites bring me projects, so driving traffic to them isn’t important as far as residual income. But, InkwellEditorial.com and its accompanying blog bring me residual income in the form of ebook sales and AdSense income mostly.

Advertising: Furthermore, over the last year and a half, I’ve been approached probably 20-30 times about private advertising. I’ve never taken anyone up on it because, quite frankly, my site wasn’t set up for it. And, I always said, “When I get it redesigned, I’ll accept advertising.”

Other Opportunities: I also have several other ideas that have been waiting in the wings “until I get my site redesigned.” Now, I can move ahead with those too.

Although a website redesign wasn’t on the agenda for another year or so, the time to do it is just right — now.

The #1 Thing to Consider When Trying to Decide Whether to Get a Website or a Blog

Purpose. As I wrote in the post, Will You Ever Make Money Blogging? Answer 1 Question to Find Out, ” … the most critical component to pay attention to when you’re getting a blog designed from the ground up, so to speak, is purpose. . . . As in, what purpose does your blog serve — or would you like for it to serve. Every design decision you make should support this decision.”

Once you know what you want your web presence to do for you, it will be easy to make decisions regarding whether it should be a blog or a website.

Thinking About Moving Your Blog/Website? Learn What I Learned the Hard Way

Final Note: If you’re thinking about moving your blog or website from one platform to another, read 7 Things You Must Know Before Moving Your Blog first. Learn from my mistakes.

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Copyright © 2008: Unless otherwise noted, all material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

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