Copy Writing Rates?

Chet Zar

I am looking to get content developed for a website which to start with will involve 5 writers writing 5 sets each of original articles, each set consisting of approx 10,000 words. So 50,000 words approx total. The content is quite 'general', in that it requires minimal research and will involve each writer writing about what they are familiar with - meaning the emphasis will be on coming up with some good writing, not on technical concepts etc.

Rambling a bit now but my question is this - what is the going rate in Ireland for copy writing services? What would be fair to pay an Irish person? I'm sure it varies widely depending on the type of content/time constraints but I'm thinking 0.5 cent per word/€5 per thousand words is a fair rate for work that doesn't require a significant investment of time on research and which the writer will have a reasonable amount of time to write?

This would mean that for a set of 10,000 words/approx 20 pages a writer would be paid €50.

How does this sound? Anyone have any experience in this area?

Thanks

antoinolachtnai

How long do you think it is going to take them to write this?! 50 minutes? You will get what you pay for.

Chet Zar

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

How long do you think it is going to take them to write this?! 50 minutes? You will get what you pay for.

I'm happy to pay a fair amount for the work - you have to invest to get it right. I feel it's probably on the low side but I'm trying to get a gauge on it. I was originally thinking 1 cent per word/10 eur per thousand words which might be closer to the mark?

Pixelcraft

Your estimates seem far too cheap, You're estimating the time it actually takes to type, and completely forgetting about constructing the copy! Get a few quotes from some good copyrighters & compare, there's no point guessing until you've received some figures.

Chet Zar

Pixelcraft wrote: »

Your estimates seem far too cheap, You're estimating the time it actually takes to type, and completely forgetting about constructing the copy! Get a few quotes from some good copyrighters & compare, there's no point guessing until you've received some figures.

Yes good point actually and if I had thought further I would have realised that actually, especially since I did a lot of writing myself back in college and school and recognise the huge amount of time that goes into constructing the ideas and copy itself.

D.W

Think you are WAY off the mark with your projected rates-however you get what you pay for. Im sure you could outsource this to India and get a load of people willing to do it for buttons. However chances are the content will be not unique which I'd assume you'd want and probably very badly laid out and written giving you more headaches than its worth.

If you want decent copy that is well constructed, totally origional etc. then your better looking possibly at a journalist student, a work at home Mum/Dad or somebody along those lines preferably based in Ireland. You could offer the "journalist" student some sort of credit or reference in return either perhaps?

Pixelcraft

That's actually a good point you raise there about unique content, I found my own web copy stolen on several websites, which was then proven to have been outsourced by website owners when I brought it to their attention.

tombull82

a friend of mine got similar work done recently but it was translation rather than new content. Cost him .12c a word but he was very happy with the work

Southsider1

You could expect to pay up to 50c per word depending on subject/ expertise of author etc. As stated above you get what you pay for

Tazz T

I'm a professional Copywriter and have been doing this type of work for a long time. As everyone else has said so far, you get what you pay for.

I don't know what sort of quality you are looking for, but you will have no problem going to any one of the freelance sites out there and getting someone to do it for that price (probably a non-native English speaker in a country with a very low average wage who has probably sub-contracted the work at an even lower rate to someone else). However, if it's quality work you're looking for then you'll end up paying twice as much again to get it 'fixed'.

From experience I know that a properly researched, written and SEO'd 500 word article takes around an hour, so you're proposing a hourly rate of about €2.50. No professional worth his salt will work for that.

I don't think you should be charging less than minimum wage for 500 words. At least then you have the right to see credentials and go back to the writer and say you weren't happy with this or that. You really can't expect to say: 'I paid you €2.50 and you give me this crap.'

Because you got what you paid for.

By the way, I'm not suggesting that I'd do it for minimum wage. I wouldn't.