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The Community for Freelance Writers

Freelance Writing Rates: How Much to Charge for Freelance Writing Services (New Data for 2022) 

posted on 6 November 2022

In this post, we will use a survey sent to 213 part-time and full-time freelance writers to determine the average freelance writing rates. Using that data, we’ll answer a question we’ve heard quite a bit in the industry. 

What should I charge? 

Of course, a new writer isn’t going to charge $1,000+ per article after one day. Writing rates are meaningless if you can’t provide the client value and ultimately drive leads and revenue for them. 

And every writer is different in terms of (1) how quickly they can write, (2) pricing models, and (3) business goals. 

So, in this review, we’ll use the new data gathered, plus our experience doing freelance writing for enterprise clients and other companies, to give you the insights you need to:

• Charge competitive rates that make the most sense for your freelance business
• Get the most out of your marketing efforts by targeting the right channels for leads

This a big post, so here’s a snippet of the patterns that emerged when we poured through the data:

What’s a fair freelance writing rate?

• $250 to $399 is the most popular rate for a 1,500 word blog post.
• $500 to $999 is the most popular rate for writing a whitepaper.
• The most popular pricing model is per project.

Key findings 💡

🙌 All freelancers earning over $100K have been writing for 2+ years. 👻 Most writers don’t charge extra for ghostwriting. Of those who do, the majority charge a premium of between 16% and 20%. 💰 Word-of-mouth referrals are the biggest sources of high-paying freelance writing gigs. 

Methodology

In this edition of Peak Freelance’s annual Freelance Writing Rates report, we surveyed 213 freelance writers to gain perspective on what they charge for writing services. 

Writers ranged from newbies (less than a year) to industry vets with over 11 years of experience. We asked questions around finding high-paying gigs, scope creep, and displaying rates on websites. 

We encourage you to share the text, data, and graphics in this report. Please cite and link back to the original.

Thoughts from our founders

We sat down with Michael Keenan and Elise Dopson, the founders of Peak Freelance, to get their reaction to the data and see what it means for freelancers in the year ahead.

• The amount of ecommerce writers surveyed was surprisingly low! I think we’ll see more writers specialize in ecommerce in coming years as brands establish their digital presence. They’ll need resources and education to market to consumers online, and freelance content writers can help them improve SEO, produce high-converting landing pages, and more.
• Average freelance writing income was at a lower rate than I expected. There is room for improvement and resource development to help writers build their skill sets, provide more value, and charge more. Community and education will be a strong theme in 2022.
• I was shocked that most writers aren’t charging more for ghostwriting services. I’ve always felt if you aren’t getting the byline, you should charge a premium for your work. A good reminder for everyone as we move into a new year! 
• I was surprised to see how experience impacts the rates freelancers charge. This likely boils down to a few things: testimonials and results to back up your work, and the confidence to charge higher rates. Beginner’s charged very low rates and found clients on content mills like Upwork.
• Whitepapers are massively undercharged for. This format has huge revenue potential for clients; they easily see how much money (or leads) they’ve collected off the back of it, which is often in the thousands. Writers: charge a reasonable rate! 
• One in five six-figure writers find high-paying writing gigs through communities. I totally identify with that… hence the creation of Peak Freelance 😉

The state of freelance writing in 2022

Freelance writers have been important business assets for years. When COVID-19 emerged and businesses and consumers moved online, freelance writers and content marketers became even more in demand. 

To understand how many freelancers arose through a pandemic, 16% of freelancers started less than a year ago as of November 2021. Some 19% reported freelancing for between one and two years. Though the majority of freelancers (65%) have been writing professionally for between two and 10 years. 

When we dove into freelance writing niches, one industry was more popular than others.

Some 27% reported working in software (SaaS). Another 14% wrote for agencies , and 12% wrote for ecommerce. 

Understanding what niches writers work in leads us to the next section. We wanted to know how much people were changing. So, we asked freelance writers to disclose their yearly earnings. 

More than half of freelance writers earn less than $30K per year 💔

The next income level was $31K and $50K, with 18% of freelance writers claiming that was their annual freelance income for 2020. When you combine the percentages of these two groups, almost three quarters of freelance writers make less than $50K per year. 

That suggests there is room for business improvement in a majority of freelance writer’s businesses. Think about your own operations. Where can you provide more value for clients to charge more? 

Of the remaining writers in the survey, 9% said they made six figures. Some 5% reported making between $100K and $125K, and 4% earned over $125K in 2020. 

When it comes to time spent versus income as a freelance writer, the longer you’ve been around, the more you earn. 

It’s probably no surprise that people bringing in larger incomes have been in business for longer. If we look at those who’ve been freelance writing for less than a year, the vast majority (91%) earn less than $30K. 

To reach the six-figure salaries, it seems you need to have been working on your business and growing it for at least a couple of years. Of those earning over $100K, all have been freelance writing for at least two years, with 65% writing for more than six years.

💰 Read about how Peak Freelance’s very own Elise Dopson grew her freelance writing business to six figures over three years.

How much should freelance writers charge?

As noted earlier, the majority of freelancers earn less than $50K, with a small percentage of writers making over $100K per year. Because of this, we wanted to know what price writers charge for different services. 

The average freelance writer charges $250-399 for a blog post

Blog posts are one of the most popular freelance writing services, with the vast majority (98%) offering it to clients. A brand’s desire for regular content and a strong presence in the search engine results page means they tap into freelance writing talent to produce blog content. 

So, what do freelancers charge for blog posts?

Between $250 and $399 was the most popular response, with 27% of respondents saying this is what they’d charge for a 1,500 word blog post. Just 8% charge four figures or more.

How much you charge per blog post impacts your overall earnings. Of writers that break the six-figure yearly income mark, half charge at least $1,000 per blog post. A quarter demands more than $1,500 for a single 1,500 word article. 

Just 10% of six-figure freelance writers charge less than $399 for a blog post.

The average freelance writer charges $500-999 for a whitepaper

Whitepapers are longer than blog posts. Brands typically use them to attract leads, especially if the whitepaper is gated (hidden behind an email capture form). 

Almost half of the writers in our survey offer whitepaper writing services to clients. 

The most popular rate was between $500 and $999, with almost three in 10 respondents claiming that to be their whitepaper writing rate. 

However, 55% charge more than $1,000 per whitepaper. Some 17% charged more than $3,000.

An interesting trend we noticed was that more experienced writers take on whitepaper assignments. 

Some 60% of writers with six or more years under their belt take on whitepapers, compared to 44% of writers with less than that. 

The average freelance writer charges $99-$249 for an email 

Email writing is another popular service that freelancers offer. Half of surveyed writers produce this type of content for clients. 

As the graph below shows, 39% charge less than $99 for an email, followed by 32% charging between $100 and $249. 

For writers that don’t specialize in email copywriting, this seems to be a lower-priced service, with only 4% charging more than $600 per email. 

The average freelance writer charges 16-20% extra for ghostwriting

A freelance ghostwriter offers content writing services to clients. The only difference is their name isn’t attached to the piece when published. 

Out of the freelance writers we surveyed, the majority (83%) take on ghostwriting work. 

Interestingly, just 36% of those writers charge an additional fee if their name is scrapped from the published piece. Of those who do charge extra, almost half whack on at least a 16% premium to their ghostwriting project rate. 

How to choose a pricing model

To set a freelance writing rate, you need a pricing model—the method you use to develop a figure for the client.  

The most popular pricing model is a flat fee per project, with 63% opting for this method when pricing freelance projects. They give the client a figure based on the project scope, rather than the minor details (like word count or hours of their time).

However, per word rates comes in as second most popular. Around one in five writers prefer to charge per word; some 11% bill an hourly rate for time spent on the project. A very small number by revenue share (1%). 

Charging a flat rate per project is the most popular option, no matter how many years of experience writers have—though 84% of those charging by the word are in their first year of business. 

It suggests that many agree with this content writer who anonymously said:

“I started with per word pricing but as I gained experience I realized it didn’t truly reflect the work needed to create a high quality post. So I switched to per project rates.”

Wondering why per project pricing comes top? We received lots of comments about the benefits of pricing per project. This respondent sums up what many had to say:

“Per project factors in research , thinking time, writing, editing and procrastination. It’s easier to quote what you’re worth. With per-hour and per-word anything other than the actual writing of the words becomes harder to justify and/or is commonly queried by clients.”

Dealing with revisions and scope creep

Clients asking for revisions is a normal part of writing. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll nail things the first time around. Different clients have different expectations.

We asked our writers how many rounds of revisions they would typically include within their regular rate before charging extra.

Almost all writers (98%) include at least one round of revisions within their standard rate. It’s a fairly even split between those including one round (46%) and two rounds (44%). Some 8% will include three or more rounds within their standard fee.

Revisions may be routine, but what do you do if you start work on a project and realize it is far more extensive than expected?

Responses from our writers varied widely on the topic of scope creep. When the situation happens, most writers (44%) would ask the client for an increase in the budget as soon as it becomes clear the work is more considerable. Some 8% would wait until they submitted a draft to ask for an increase.

Worryingly, almost a third would not say anything at all, and absorb the cost of scope creep—likely to avoid the awkward conversation with the client.  

There were a lot of comments on this question. Most people tend to make decisions based on the specific circumstances. 

Many felt that making an error with quoting would be their fault, so they should be the ones to absorb the costs. But if the project scope had changed, they would review the fee:

“If I’ve misjudged the scope of the project, that’s my fault and I work to the agreed rate. If, however, the client moves the goalposts or adds to the scope after we’ve agreed the fee, I tell them straight away and revise the fee.”

For a lot of freelancers, approaching the difficult conversation of scope creep depends on the relationship they have with the client:

“It all depends on the client. I request a change for long-term clients. For clients I work with sporadically, I tend not to ask for anything additional.”

While many wouldn’t ask for an increase on a current project, they would mention the issue so that clients were aware future projects would cost more.

“If it’s a one off project I’d absorb it at my loss. If there’s potential for an ongoing relationship I’d be honest and say I underquoted on this one, so they’re aware future jobs may cost more.”

Should I show my rates on my website?

Still unsure on whether to show your rates on your website? If you keep them hidden behind email, you’re in good company. 

Around three quarters of freelance writers do not display rates on their website.

Comments on this topic suggest it is not a straightforward yes or no question. Quite a few writers don’t have a website at all. Many people don’t display detailed rates but do have a “starting from” rate to give potential clients an approximate idea of costs.

“Some clients have a smaller budget. I want to be flexible as much as I can, yet still stay within amounts I’m comfortable with. I know what the lowest rate I am willing to go is, so I want to hear what their budget is before I give a fixed rate. It has allowed me to work with clients and build my portfolio without worry of turning down clients.”

The most common reasons for not displaying rates? Flexibility and having rates that vary significantly between clients.

“I don’t want pricing to scare folks away in case I need to pick up business quickly, or it’s a company I really believe in and would be willing to do work for at a discount. I’d rather folks reach out so I can screen and potentially have the conversation.”

Of those that do display rates on their freelance writing website , the reasons include helping clients make an informed choice and weeding our time wasters.

“Ghosting has become a big problem. Lots of leads and enthusiastic intro calls, but silence as soon as I sent proposals. Publishing guide rates on my site has filtered out the low-end clients, so the ones I end up speaking to know my approximate cost and are more likely to convert.”

Where do freelancers find high-paying gigs?

This one is the million-dollar question, regardless of how long you’ve been freelancing for:

Where do people find lucrative high-paying freelance writing gigs ?

Our survey shows the most effective way to get jobs is through referrals and word-of-mouth, with 42% voting it as the channel that drives the highest-paying freelance gigs. 

That’s followed by social media (17%), cold pitching (11%), communities (14%) and freelance writing job boards (6%).

For writers earning six figures, the majority (85%) of their work comes through referrals and word of mouth, compared to just 64% of those earning under $30K finding work in this way. It is clear that making contacts and building relationships can have a huge impact on your career.

Do your freelance writer rates fall short?

Running this survey has given a fascinating snapshot into how and why writers set their rates as they do.

Charging per project is definitely the most popular pricing method across all levels of experience. It appears to be the method most people move to as they build experience and start increasing their rates.

If you’ve dove into the results of this survey and found your own freelance writing rate falls short, now’s the time to raise them.

Comments suggest people start off very cautiously with their pricing but gradually increase their rates as they gain experience and as they start to see the value they are bringing to clients.

“My first retainer gig with a content agency was $300/post. Using that as a baseline anytime I took on a new client I’ve added 10-20% to my rate, maybe a little more if it’s right in my niche.”

Either way, being upfront about your rates in advance of meeting clients appears to be surprisingly controversial. Many people value the flexibility of being able to vary their rates depending on the client.

There is a strong argument, though, to at least display a ballpark range or “starting from” figure to save wasting time on calls with clients that will never end up working with you.

Ready to scale your freelance writing business?

Peak Freelance is the support group we wish we had when building our freelance writing businesses to six-figures.

Become an All Access member and get access to:

• A private community to make friends and network.
• Expert interviews with content managers and successful freelancers like Kat Boogaard, Kaleigh Moore, and Joel Klettke.
• Monthly Zoom calls with other freelance writers.
• A members podcast sharing unGoogleable freelance writing tips for scaling a business.
• Pro courses, templates, and worksheets to make your business more efficient. 

About Elise Dopson

Elise Dopson is a freelance writer leading B2B SaaS companies. She has bylines on sites like Shopify, Content Marketing Institute, and Business Insider. She's also the founder of Help a B2B writer, a service that connects B2B writers with top-quality sources.

More posts from Elise 👉

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How Much Do Content Writing Services Cost In 2022?

Figuring out how much you should be paying for freelance writers to create your content can be challenging – since writers price their services differently depending on the kind of content you’re ordering (and how much of it you need).

In this article, we’ll go over the average content writer prices and discuss what you might expect while looking for a freelancer to work with.

Content Writer Prices (In A Nutshell)

How much a freelancer will charge depends a lot on the specific circumstances of both the writer and the job you want them to do. But to give you a quick idea of what you might expect when scoping out a freelancer for your next project, here’s a look at the current industry averages.

Typically, average freelance writer rates can range anywhere from $.05 per word for a writer who is just starting out in the industry, to over $1 per word for the most experienced writers with years of experience. If you work with a freelancer who charges by the hour, you could be looking at an hourly rate that falls anywhere between $16 and over $100 per hour.

These numbers and the numbers you’ll see in the rest of the article are industry averages, and not what we charge at The Content Panel. You’ll find that our freelancers have much clearer rates, and our pricing is much cheaper than what you’ll find in this article.

Why Such a Huge Discrepancy with Content Pricing?

We’ve provided you with a vast pricing window that may be hard to make sense of. What makes some writers worth 20 times as much as other writers? The massive range in content writer cost comes down to several factors, including:

Experience.

New writers with less than a year’s worth of experience will charge the lowest rates. As writers get more experience, they start upping their rates, sometimes coming in at a dollar or more per word. But experience isn’t always just about how much time a writer has spent in their profession.

How long a freelancer has been specializing in a specific type of writing, how much time they’ve spent in a specific industry, and how much experience they have with getting proven results for their clients are equally important. These factors all go into the formula for deciding a writer’s experience level that will affect their freelance copywriter rate.

Thoroughness.

A writer getting paid a small fee per job will try to get each task done as quickly as possible. To make a decent wage off $20 blog posts, you have to write a lot of them. For this reason, writers who charge the lowest rates are the most likely to find corners to cut, like proofreading and research.

On the other hand, higher-paid writers will feel comfortable taking their time and paying attention to detail while working on a piece. Higher paid writers are more likely to give you a finished product that requires minimal edits or amendments.

Type Of Writing.

Some writing takes a lot more time and skill to write than others, and the pricing of these projects will reflect that. We’ll go further into detail about the several types of content later in the article. 

Complexity And Technicality Of The Subject.

If your business is in a complicated or technical industry, you will need to find a writer with experience in the industry. You might be able to find a writer with less knowledge but who is capable of putting in the research needed to learn the subject well enough to write about it, but you may be required to pay for their research time.

Less technical subjects like video games or food will naturally be easier – and cheaper – to write about than healthcare or coding. If the content you want to be written requires interviews, quotes, or graphic design, your content writer cost is likely to be greater, too.

Location Of The Freelance Writer.

American and British freelance writers tend to cost the most to hire. Writers from other countries are likely to charge a lower rate that will reflect the local cost of living.

The Audience For Your Content.

If you want content geared toward a general audience or people who might not have a lot of knowledge on your topic, your rates will be lower than if you have a topic geared for an expert audience. This is because the more your audience knows, the more your freelance writer needs to know. And as mentioned above, more experience means a higher fee.

Content Writer Costs Depends on the Type of Content

“Content” is an incredibly broad term, and not all content is equal when it comes to difficulty and the amount of skill required to write it. A blog will be a lot cheaper than a whitepaper because to write a white paper, your freelancer will need a certain level of expertise in your industry and will have to do an extensive amount of research. But a generalist would be able to write a great blog post for you without nearly as much research. There’s an extensive list of types of writing you can hire a freelancer to do:

• Social media content
• Linkbait articles
• Landing Pages
• Whitepapers
• Video and webinar scripts
• Sales letters
• Press releases

All these content types come with different price points because they require varying levels of experience and research. If your freelance writer is providing extra services, you’ll need to account for those while budgeting for the content you want to buy. Some additional services a freelance writer might offer are:

• SEO keyword research and competitive analysis to help you beat the competition.
• Technical SEO fixes for your existing website to make it better optimized.
• Web development to optimize your website for performance and speed. Freelance writers who offer this service must be comfortable with CSS, HTML, JSON, and JavaScript.
• Link building and digital PR to get your website more backlinks and build your presence on the web.

The way freelance writers charge for these services can be as variable as the services themselves. A basic keyword list might come in as low as $400, or as high as charging nearly $50 per keyword. Meanwhile, comprehensive keyword research and competitive analysis might cost you around $3,500! These services are not always necessary for content writing and depending on your goals, you might not have to plan for them in your budget.

Average Content Writer Costs

To make sense of all the ways freelance content writers might price themselves, it’s best to analyze the fees based on the method the writer will use to calculate their rate. Keep in mind that these numbers are industry averages, and not what we charge. Our pricing is cheaper than you’ll find on this list and the freelancers who work for us have set-in-stone rates per word so you never have to guess how much you’ll be paying.

Content Writer Price Per Project

• Magazine article: $100 to over $5000
• Blog: $5 to $50
• Web-based news article with minimal research: $15 to $50 per page
• Newspaper article: $75 to $1000
• Sales letter: $150 to $2000
• Email campaign with no graphics: $300 to $3000
• Ghost-writing E-book: $5000 to $20000
• Book summary: $ 250 to $500
• Book review: $2 to $200
• Brochure without graphics: $300 to $2500
• Business plan: $500 to $5000
• Editorial management per issue: $500 to $5000
• Grant writing: $200 to over $5,000
• Newsletter: $200 to $1,000
• Press release: $200 to $500
• Resume: $200 to $500
• Script: $1,000 to over $20,000

Freelance Writing Rates Per Hour

• Advertising: $45 to $100 per hour
• Copyediting: $30 to $70 per hour
• Developmental editing: $50 to $80 per hour
• Editorial: $20 to $150 per hour
• Fact checking: $15 to $50 per hour
• Ghost-writing: $40 to $100 per hour
• Indexing: $30 to $70 per hour
• Line editing: $40 to $70 per hour
• Proofreading: $25 to $60 per hour
• Proposals and grants: $40 to $80 per hour
• Tech editing: $30 to $90 per hour
• Technical writing: $40 to $100 per hour
• Web content: $10 to $90 per hour
• White papers: $100 to $200 per hour

Content Writing Costs Per Page

• Lesson plans: $10 to $20 per page
• E-books: $10 to $35 per page
• Indexing: $3 to $6 per page

Other Fees a Freelance Writer May Charge

• Upcharge for rushed delivery: an additional 10% to 25%
• Upcharge for keyword optimization: an additional 10%
• Down payment: 10% to 25% of the total price of the project
• Monthly retainers: varies based on the volume of anticipated work per month

Which Type of Pricing Strategy is Best?

There are pros and cons to working with freelance writers who use each of the above methods to determine their freelance writer rates. Writers who charge by the word can be trusted not to waste your money. Since their pay is based on their output, you know exactly what you can expect from them and you won’t have to worry about any surprises on your bill. The potential downside to this type of rate is that a writer who charges by the word might focus more on quantity rather than quality.

Most freelance writers tend to charge per project. They’ll give you a fixed cost for the content they’re writing for you that won’t change based on the length of the content. The upside of this pricing strategy is that you know exactly what to expect in terms of pricing. The downside is that you might not know exactly what your writer is doing for that fee, and you can be overcharged without realizing it.

Charging by the hour is a less common approach to pricing by freelancers, but it’s still not uncommon to see. With this fee strategy, you pay your writer based on how long they work on your project. The hourly rate includes the time they spend researching the project before they even start writing. If you know your writer is efficient, this can be a good rate style to agree to. But if you don’t trust your freelance writer to work effectively on your project, they may take longer than they need to and end up overcharging you for the work.

In general, you might not have very much control over how the freelance writers you hire choose to charge you. But at The Content Panel, we charge by the word so you know exactly what you’re getting for your money every time.

Client Relationships Can Affect Freelance Writer Costs

When looking for freelance writers for hire , there are two types of client-freelancer relationships you might have with your content writer.

• Direct client-freelancer relationships are ones where there are no intermediaries. You will find your freelancer and contact them directly to establish a working relationship. The benefit of this relationship is that there is no “middleman” between you and your freelancer and no additional fee that needs to be paid to a service that you used to find your writer. The downside to this approach is that you have to put in all the leg work to find and vet your content writer, which might be more time-consuming than you think.
• Indirect client-freelancer relationships use an intermediary, like us! The upside of having an indirect relationship with your freelancer is that you don’t have to put in the work to find the perfect freelancer. The service that you pay to act as intermediary deals with matching you with a writer, which allows you to focus on other aspects of your business. The downside of this kind of relationship is that direct contact with your freelancer might be limited depending on the intermediary you choose.

What to Expect from a Freelance Writer Based on Your Budget 

Now that you know what the average content writer’s price range is, it’s time for you to decide how much you want to pay for the content you want based on your budget.

If you have a smaller budget and you’re looking to hire a writer on the lower end of the fee scale, you should expect to work with someone newer in the copywriting industry who will have less experience. That doesn’t mean they won’t be a fantastic writer, but they will lack the type of industry knowledge that comes with years of working in the job. You should expect to spend a bit more time working with them before they get everything exactly right. This might mean guiding them with specific instructions, giving them more time to research, and doing more edits.

If you would rather save more time and effort, but don’t want to spend a ton of money, you’ll be looking at a freelancer in the middle range for pricing. This type of writer will have a few years of experience working as a content writer and will know a decent amount, but not everything. They’ll be a bit more expensive for their experience, but you’ll be able to spend less time working with them overall because they will mostly be able to manage on their own.

If you want to work with a writer on the higher end of the price range, you’ll be getting a writer with several years of experience. This writer has developed a process for doing high-quality work and getting their writing submitted on time. They will give you a product that is finished, or close to finished with minimal edits required. They will probably have some name recognition that will give you a boost by being associated with your brand, and they will have a thorough understanding of the industry you do business in as well as the specific type of writing you need to have done.

Adding content to your website is a key factor in attracting people to your business, but it can be hard to figure out how much you should be paying for content when there’s such a huge range of prices out there. The world of content writing is an expansive one with a seemingly infinite number of types of content and highly variable pricing. What you’ll end up paying for content will depend on what you want your freelance writer to write for you, and how much experience you want them to have before you work with them.

Are you looking to hire a freelance writer for your business, but would rather avoid the headache of jumping through hoops to find a great writer for a great price? Check out our pricing to learn more about how we can help match you with the perfect freelance writer today!

More content from the panel:

John Townsend

Hi, I'm John! I'm a father, a writer, a marketer, and i'm the lead campaign manager at The Content Panel. When i'm not playing superdad with my kids I'm either at the office, lost in a good book, or out training for my first marathon!

How to Price Your Writing Services

By Jennifer Xue

Writing professionally is one of the most flexible careers out there. You can work from anywhere in the world at any time of the day or night. In addition, you can make anywhere from $10 to thousands of dollars for your work, depending on your rates.

If you charge at the higher end of the industry rates, you can expect to make a good living and, most likely, you can do work as a writer full time without having to keep a day job. However, pricing is more of an art than a science, which explains why some writers' rates are too low and they're unable to turn their passion into a full-time career.

It takes more than what you "want" to price right. Here are several tips on how to build confidence in pricing, types of freelance writing rates, and how to start charging the rate.

The Mindset

Types of freelance writing rates, charging the rate, ready to price.

Working on your own takes a lot of courage. As a freelance writer, you're both an expert in the trade and an entrepreneur: the buck starts and stops with yourself.

If you're like most writers who prefer writing instead of marketing, I bet you also do not like pricing your services.

However, embracing your entrepreneurial side is crucial to making a good living from writing. Also, be prepared to negotiate for better rates . For this, start with adopting the so-called "entrepreneurship mindset." What is it?

First, acknowledge that your finances depend on how you market and price your works.

This is the heart of being an entrepreneur. You're on your own, literally. Also, you feel good about it because it shows how confident you are about your skills and ability to make a good living out of writing.

This "feeling good" (a.k.a. self-acceptance) about being an entrepreneur and not a hobbyist serves as the fundamental philosophy of your one-person business. It is the basis of why you're charging a right amount of money for your services. Writing is a hard-earned skill, just like other trade skills.

Second, recognize that your services have financial values.

If you're the "artsy-creative" type, most likely you don't think much about money, until you need it to buy something. Well, change this mindset, if you want to be successful.

Your works (articles, ebooks, reports, etc.) have financial value to your clients. In other words, they asked you to write, with an intention to make more money either directly or indirectly. Thus, it's a natural consequence for them to pay you well. Keep this in mind whenever you send out price quotes and invoices.

Third, with the right pricing strategies, you can earn more with the same amount of workload.

This means you can live and enjoy life better without having to increase work hours. Isn't it awesome? The key is being creative in finding clients .

Charging the right rates or increasing them is like having a salary raise. And you'll be feeling better appreciated by clients.

In general, you can charge freelance writing services by project (flat rate), by the hour, by word, by page, and monthly retainer fee. I choose the rate type depending on the type of work that need to be done and the clients.

There are pros and cons of each type:

By the project

If you already have expertise in a specific type of assignment, charging by the project is probably the best. This way, you can finish it up quickly, but still earn handsomely. Charging per hour would place you at a disadvantage as most likely it only requires a couple of hours to complete.

By the hour

This could be your best bet when the project requires many human hours to complete. However, most clients are cautious about paying hourly, so you'd need to show accountability for proving the hours worked. I refrain from accepting hourly-paid projects.

By the word

It's one of the best metrics to charge your writing services. It's fair to both clients and the writer, as you'll only be paid for the words you've typed. However, be cautious about "how the clients count the words." Is it based on the accepted final draft or the revised published version? Whenever possible, ask the client to use "whichever is greater" to be fair to you.

By the page

It must be clear in advance what constitutes a "page." State the page size, font type, font size, character spacing, and line spacing (single, 1.5, or double) before agreeing to write. Once you and the client have agreed, find the approximate word count per page, so you can multiply it with your current price per word and come up with the rate per page.

Retainer fee

It's ideal for long-term clients. However, you want to be clear about the monthly workload beforehand. For instance, if you charge $500 per month for four blog posts, be clear about the word count per post. Any excess words or additional works will be charged separately, which must also be stated in advance to avoid misunderstandings and disputes.

Each project is unique, which requires special handling. Thus, when charging for each project , you'd need to consider all the factors individually. Of course, if you've done similar projects for the same client, you can use the past price rates or have them adjusted to the new project.

First, monetary value to the client.

Most writers don't consider how much money the project would potentially bring to the client. Well, if you write for businesses, your works are essential to bringing new leads and, eventually, close sales. For instance, if you're asked to write a business white paper, most likely it will be used for lead generation. Thus, it's common to charge $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the research and work hours involved.

Second, the level of research involved.

A client probably "just" needs a blog post, but no two blog posts are identical. Ask the details of the project, such as the topic and the specifics, before starting. Who is the audience? Is it for the public or specific personas? Does it require a technical understanding of specific concepts? How familiar are you with the technical concepts?

How many hours would you need to spend in researching the concepts? What's the word count? In-depth articles sometimes include 3,000+ words, so you want to charge accordingly. A blog post may cost anywhere from $100 to $3,000, so you must perform due diligence before agreeing to accept the assignment.

Third, total hours needed to complete it until publication.

Be honest about the total hours you need to research, write, and revise the article. If the topic is something you're familiar with, you might be able to reduce research time.

However, how about the client? Are they easy or hard to work with? I've encountered a client who changed the article more than five times. Make sure to cover the revision hours so that you don't spend too much time on one project.

In conclusion, pricing your writing services requires a deep understanding of your research, writing, and typing skills, as well as the topic, its level of depth and the client's work style. You need to be honest about your financial expectations and overall skills, too. Once you've found the "right" rates, you can enjoy the full benefits of being a professional writer.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Jennifer Xue

Jennifer Xue is an award-winning e-book author with 2,500+ articles and 100+ e-books/reports published under her belt. She also taught 50+ college-level essay and paper writing classes. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, Fortune, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Business.com, Business2Community, Addicted2Success, Good Men Project, and others. Her blog is JenniferXue.com. Follow her on Twitter @jenxuewrites].

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