Knowing what to pay for freelance writing can be tough. But that’s because most people don’t understand how freelance writers break down their rates.
I’ll show you.
This is a link to a 2018 survey on freelance rates. I base my rates on the average statistics somewhere between an intermediate and professional freelance writer. I have published on enough websites and in enough magazines to qualify me for such a basis.
But this doesn’t mean that I follow a strict reading of those stats. I just want you to have a tool at your disposal so you can measure my rates against the current national average. This will help you decide if my rates are fair to you.
For example, a standard post or article in a magazine typically runs between 650-800 words. This is a solid website count and takes up about two pages of real paper, with photos. Posts this length are the bread-and-butter of content. At the national average, I could easily charge 30 cents per word, which would price a 700-word article at $210.
But I don’t do that.
Instead, I offer the. . .
100 Bucks and a Byline Rate
It just so happens that this range is my wheelhouse. This is the range I write for Charleston Style and Design Magazine and I’ve written hundreds of posts this length for various websites.
So I charge 100 USD and a guaranteed byline for a post up to 800 words, on any subject. That’s it. That’s just under 13 cents per word.
And because of my familiarity with this length of
This is a great option for weekly periodicals and websites that want a constant stream of new content.
It’s also a nice option if you need last-minute content to fill space!
800-2,000 Word Rate
Articles and posts in this range are a different breed of work. They are long enough to dig deeper into subjects and ideas, but not quite long enough to pass as
These intermediate-length articles have their advantages by giving you more fresh content–always a good thing–with more authority in
Because of these considerations–longer length means more time researching and crafting the article–I offer a
And, as always, a guaranteed byline.
Again, this is well under the national average for professional writing. You can expect the turnaround for an article in this range to be about three or four days on average, but no longer than a week.
This range is great for exploring a subject in depth and offering a lot of information to the reader.
2,000 Words and Longer Rate
Also known as “long-form” content, articles and posts over 2,000 words are considered “expert” level writing. Readers should assume that an article this length is a definitive source for reliable information they can use to their advantage, whether it’s a current-events article, blog post, or in-depth analysis of a subject.
An expert article or exposé in a magazine would run this length, as well as white papers for businesses and blog posts to give readers authoritative information.
Search engines love this length as well.
Anything over 2,000 words requires a great amount of research to fully understand the subject and even more time crafting the article. For these factors, I charge 50 cents per word.
That may seem like a steep price, but it’s not. I need to become intimately familiar with the subject in order to write an expert article, and that takes time. You can expect a turnaround of several weeks for an article this length, and the amount of time is directly proportional to the length of the work. A 10,000-word piece may take two months or more. An eBook may take five or six.
If you want a specific post to rank high in the search engines or want a long-form interview or want to examine a technical subject, this is the length you want to shoot for. You’ll be rewarded with higher search engine rankings and more engagement with the post.
The Bottom Line on Rates
Each of these rates includes rewriting and editing to meet your standards. I will work with you to create the perfect post or article that will help you meet your goals, whatever they may be. I want every article I write to reflect my professionalism.
If you are interested in having an article or post written for your business or for personal use, please contact me below.
You can also reach me at mlukeyoder@gmail.com.