How much should I charge for article writing?

AARRRGH

Hello

I'm going to be running a new website soon which will need two or three articles written per month. Each article would be under 2,000 words, probably on average around 1,000 words or thereabouts.

The articles will be opinion pieces, typical of online magazines like Salon.

How much, do you think, should the writers charge me for this?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

quincyk

Free, I'd have thought.:D



Also, seeing as I need the practise, I'd be more than willing to help out, if needed, for free.

rockbeer

You get what you pay for. Why should any decent writer work for free?

I write freelance and earn around 50 Euros per 1000 words. Sometimes more.

I'm available for commissions

PurpleBee

So you're offering him the choice of paying something for your work or paying nothing? which do you think he will choose?

Why should anyone work for free, you're not a slave, I hope, so why make yourself into one?

Antilles

PurpleBee wrote: »

So you're offering him the choice of paying something for your work or paying nothing? which do you think he will choose?

Why should anyone work for free, you're not a slave, I hope, so why make yourself into one?

Someone would work for free because they want to get their name "out there", so they can use the free work they did as a reference later on for paid work.

My advice, OP, is not to use free work. You really do get what you pay for. I have no idea what the rates should be, but pay the standard amount, and get examples of previous work before you agree to anything.

AARRRGH

I wouldn't ever let someone work for free. I'd pay them what I believed was a fair rate, so there's no worries of that happening.

I'm just looking for a general ball park figure. I had €250 in my head for some reason, so it's interesting to see if I'm way off the mark!

rockbeer

AARRRGH wrote: »

I'm just looking for a general ball park figure. I had €250 in my head for some reason, so it's interesting to see if I'm way off the mark!

I wouldn't say that you're way off the mark. I'm only giving you one person's anecdotal experience. It's a competitive market and rates vary enormously. If you look at freelance sites you'll frequently see people offering stupidly small amounts - $2 for a 1,000 word article isn't uncommon. As others have said, you can always get copy for free if you need it.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you want an established writer with a well-known name and a strong individual voice that will attract traffic to your site by itself then $250 an article will be nowhere near enough.

You should ideally decide what you're looking for and how much you're prepared to pay for it, examine the work of anyone under consideration, and get the best you can for your budget.

eclectichoney

You might get a better idea from the guys in the news & media forum? They are probably used to this kind of thing.

Old Gill

If I were writing freelance would I simply type out the article and send it around a list of magazines etc and then let them pay me what they think? Whats the best way to do freelance?

girlbiker

I got 15 cent a word for my first printed article...and I've upped it since then.....I would say ten cent a word would be bottom line for quality.

Old Gill

girlbiker wrote: »

I got 15 cent a word for my first printed article...and I've upped it since then.....I would say ten cent a word would be bottom line for quality.

and did you write he article specifically for that publication or did you write it and then see who wanted to print it?

DublinWriter

AARRRGH wrote: »

How much, do you think, should the writers charge me for this?

http://www.londonfreelance.org/rates/
http://media.gn.apc.org/feesguide/

Although the above two sites are for the UK, the rates aren't that dissimilar in Ireland.

Also note how the rates can vary widely between publications.

busted flush

Old Gill wrote: »

If I were writing freelance would I simply type out the article and send it around a list of magazines etc and then let them pay me what they think? Whats the best way to do freelance?

what if you wrote 5000 words (of high quality) and they paid you a tener? :eek:

girlbiker

Old Gill wrote: »

and did you write he article specifically for that publication or did you write it and then see who wanted to print it?

Yeah specifically for them, there is no point in writing something that you will send off to everyone, chances are the style wont suit 90%.
Check up on where you would like to submit to, email and ask for their editorial guidelines, read their past issues(or whatever) and replica the style without losing your own personal approach.
Make sure you have a unique selling point, do you have expertise on anything? Focus on that.
Make sure everything is as good as it possibly can get, is it funny(is it supposed to be?) Informative, Gripping ect...send it to the Editor. Call it a pitch...and if they get back to you with a rejection ask for feedback.

I’m reading boards.ie right now instead of finishing up an article, brains not working tonight.

rockbeer

girlbiker wrote: »

I got 15 cent a word for my first printed article...and I've upped it since then.....I would say ten cent a word would be bottom line for quality.

Sure, but print rates are an entirely different kettle of fish to writing for the web, which is what the op asked about.

I would also expect a much higher rate than $50 per 1,000 words for a magazine article.

Matt Holck

mark Twain wrote:

if I had more time, I would have made this shorter

gotta walk the dog

Old Gill

girlbiker wrote: »

Yeah specifically for them, there is no point in writing something that you will send off to everyone, chances are the style wont suit 90%.
Check up on where you would like to submit to, email and ask for their editorial guidelines, read their past issues(or whatever) and replica the style without losing your own personal approach.
Make sure you have a unique selling point, do you have expertise on anything? Focus on that.
Make sure everything is as good as it possibly can get, is it funny(is it supposed to be?) Informative, Gripping ect...send it to the Editor. Call it a pitch...and if they get back to you with a rejection ask for feedback.

I’m reading boards.ie right now instead of finishing up an article, brains not working tonight.

So I would email giving an outline of about 200 words on a subject i was goign to cover (a travel article on visiting India for the sake of arguing), attach previous work and then ask what theyd pay for a similar one to be commissioned?

girlbiker

Old Gill wrote: »

So I would email giving an outline of about 200 words on a subject i was goign to cover (a travel article on visiting India for the sake of arguing), attach previous work and then ask what theyd pay for a similar one to be commissioned?

Well I personally, and I'm not a total expert here, would write the full article, perfect it and send it off complete. Two hundred words is not enough to judge standard I think. As for sending off other work I'd mention I had been published before, where and when, about what and send a link but I wouldnt send them loads of my previous writing without them asking me for it.

Also I wouldnt be asking what the money was like right off the bat either, if they get back in contact and are interested then thats the time to be talking about the big bucks!

rockbeer

Old Gill,
Why don't you have a read of this, and perhaps consider starting your own thread if you have any further questions?

Matt Holck

please no more articals
I can't read them all

rockbeer

Matt Holck wrote: »

please no more articals
I can't read them all

No one's forcing you, Matt

Ardscoil Ris

I get paid 15 Euro per article. Usually around 800-1000 words. I'm a nobody so bare that in mind.