Here's what to charge for articles and writing services

Sorry Jeremy, I did not intend to be unfair. I agree that there are some (maybe quite a lot) of decent writers who are relatively cheap but I still think that too many people use poor articles on websites, blogs, etc. Of course, I don't know how much they paid for them.

However, I would have thought that a really good low cost writer would attract so much work that his/her rates would increase.

I totally agree with this. This is absolute lunacy why in God's name anyone would pay so much for a 750 word Squidoo Lens.

Shoot , I can churn out article after article at a quality , college prose Level . And I would NEVER consider charging such an exorbitant amount !! Ridiculous !!!

Keyword: Yet

When you build your reputation, and your confidence, you'll raise your rates. I started out writing $5 articles until I paid my dues and then raised my rates a notch at a time. I haven't hit the 'what the market will bear' ceiling yet because I know people who charge more than I do.

I look at it this way.

I win 30% of my bids. That means my competitors win 70% all combined.

But, here's the key: I work 30% as hard as they do and I make more money doing it.

If person "A" bids $10 for a 500 word article and I bid $50, and assuming it takes us each 1 hour to write it. I made $50 per hour and they made $10.

They have to do 5 times the work I do to earn the same amount. I can lose 4 bids to them and still end up with the same amount of money in my pocket.

And the good news is, while I'm not writing those other 4 articles, I'm building my passive income sites.

Here's an interesting story...

Before I met my husband he was a private investigator who specialized in working white collar crime cases for corporate clients. He lived in the Caribbean at the time on one of the well-known islands.

Many U.S. and European companies had business interests in that region and would hire him over local PI's because he had a good courtroom demeanor and wrote excellent reports in business English. The locals were not as polished as him.

He charged New York City fees and his clients gladly paid them. One client in NY would fly him in, first class, to work on cases for them. Between his rates, air fare and Per Diem, it cost them a bundle.

He once told me "There were probably 10 PI's within 10 blocks of that client's office who could have done the same quality work I did and for less money. But they hire me because their friends tell them I'm the best."

He also said clients were enamored by what he called the "James Bond mystique." After all, a PI who lived on a Caribbean island must have some good connections, right?

Another quick story if you're not bored yet.

We have a friend who owns a foreign car repair garage. Well he did; He's dead now...

He specialized in top-end cars. He charged much less than his competitors and did as good a job as they did. His business was terrible. He hired a business consultant who told him to...

Paint the garage bays white.

Apply white high-gloss concrete sealer to the floors.

Dress his mechanics in white coveralls and have them change throughout the day when dirty.

Dress his service writers in coats and ties.

Serve food and beverage in the waiting room for free.

Provide Internet and plenty of electrical outlets and work stations.

Create a cigar-smoking room

Buy a limo to drive his customers home or to work and lose the mini-van.

RAISE HIS RATES HIGHER THAN HIS COMPETITORS

My friend died a rich man.

Everything, EVERYTHING is a matter of perception. Please understand. I'm not knocking anyone's rates or capabilities. I am simply saying the marketplace is very elastic, and it's very big.

You and I and everyone else here are not your NORMAL consumers. We look at the market differently because we are market insiders. But no matter how many WF members there are, we represent a tiny pinprick of the total universe of people who consume our products and services.

Just like I know there is a huge universe of prospects outside of RentACoder that I have barely begun to tap, there is also a huge universe of people who think $50 is chump change to pay for something that's going to be carrying their name as Author.

Your mileage may vary...

Hi Karen,

As I said to Jeremy, I did not mean to be unfair.

If you don't mind, let me ask you some questions about your last 500ish word article - give a very general answer if you don't want to quote figures.

How much did you charge for it?
How much do you think it was worth?
What would you have paid for it?

Cheers, Clive

Lisa,

I'm not knockin your hustle, but I think it is fair to put things in perspective.

When I place bids at rent-a-coder sometimes I will select a higher bid too - usually because the other people bidding are non-English speaking writers and their content isn't worth FREE if that makes any sense.

On the flip side, there are some VERY talented and exceptional writers that charge 1 cent or 2 cents a word. The articles that I've received from them have been every bit as good as some of the 30 cent a word writers that I've seen floating around.

I'm not saying that people should not pay $20 or $30 for an article - especially if they have a writer that they are comfortable with. I'm just saying that they don't have to in order to get quality content.

You just have to hope they won't write your article after the beers...

There's another factor to consider that you didn't mention, it is how long the person will accept to work for the given price.

It's easy to find a decent writer for $5-$10 bucks 500 words article, but how long are they gonna stay at that price?

You can bet that as soon as they get a lot of work, they're gonna charge more and will start to ignore their old customers. So at the end, you're constantly in need of new writers and the overall quality of what is produced will be not constant.

On the other hand, if you pay the person a price that is US-fair (and not India or Phillipine-Fair), you keep the same writer and the quality is constant.

The you is not you Lance (based on the price you give), but I'm just using your arguments to make a point.

Patrice

My point exactly. It isn't worth the cost if you're looking to create backlinks or stuff the SERPs. The articles I write (not talking about copywriting, but actual article writing), are mostly for people who publish them as authoritative documents on a subject they are considered experts in.

For example, I have one client who pays me .25 per word to write his articles. He's a nationally known expert in his field and his content is syndicated. I write his blog as well.

He tells me the subject and gives me bullet-points. I do the research and write the article. He publishes it under his name and people tell him how much they enjoy reading his articles and blogs. He gets business from the articles and he earns money from the syndication.

He charges $700 an hour for his services. He pays me .017 of one billable hour to write an article that enhances his reputation and makes him money. Do you think he thinks he's paying too much?

Do you think he would risk hiring a writer at .01 per word and then "dust the article off" before sending it to his editor?

These are mostly the kind of people who are my clients. I don't serve the IM market much, but I do have IM clients.

Why do IM people choose me when they know they can buy articles cheaper elsewhere?

You'd have to ask them. You can check my RAC ratings page and read about 1500 or so answers to that question.

Here's an excerpt from a $50 article project I wrote for an IM'r just this week:

Could he have bought that article for less? Sure, just look at the bids. But it was a very important article for him and he looked at the prices and compared experience levels and made what he considered the best decision for his circumstances.

That might not be the best decision for someone else. But I don't expect to work for everyone who comes along, so I'm not concerned when people pass me up because of my rates.

I feel a little hostility in this thread. That's OK, I'm tougher than I look, but I don't understand it.

Some IM wizard comes along a launches a WS or a mainstream IM product and rakes in 100k and everyone praises him or her.

Some copywriter charges $10k and up for a sales letter and he or she is worshiped for being able to command those fees.

Some 5'2 Florida girl has managed to carve out a niche in a very competitive market and people want to diss my business model.

I'm just say'in...

what a funny thread. I would never write for you guys!

You are right Debbie.

Here's an article I wrote back in 2004 when I was new at RentACoder and only had 100 projects under my belt. However, what I wrote then is as true now even though I have nearly 1700 projects through them.

And even though RAC is no longer my sole source of business, it got me the start I needed back then when my rate was .01 per word.

Taking a Closer Look at the Rent a Coder Fee

That's a fair point and, not surprisingly, the reason why I have staff!



Tom

Great post, Bev and, you know, it got me thinking.

Actually, the issue is a far deeper one than that.

Having reread this thread, the thing that struck me, or rather astonished me, was to read a discussion conducted by so many writers and to clearly see that none appear to grasp what their "product" is at the very core. As a result, it is no surprise that the whole notion of respective rates has lead to, shall we say, a little heat.

Indeed, it is the focus on the rate, or rather "following the money" from the outset, and not learning, honing and mastering the craft, that is the reason why many "writers" find themselves in their respective situations, writing at the level they do and commanding the rates that they do.

Perhaps, much more fundamentally, it is that they do not completely appreciate what it is that they do. They do not fully grasp the true nature of the written word and the implication that this has for the writer. The power that they can wield. The true potential of their influence.

All writing is about one thing and one thing alone;

CREATIVITY.

If we are to attribute a true "value," some form of fundamental measurement to any writing, then it is to do with its level of creativity.

Simply arranging words on a page in a coherent fashion is of course an act of creativity. And anyone can do it. What separates the dilettante from the artist is the respective level of creativity manifested through a respective understanding and application of the craft.

The great writers understand and have complete command of the fact that through a combination of creativity and craft they offer hope and deliver truth.

The great authors do this via one of the most powerful mediums that we are aware of - storytelling - and, as everyone knows, the only real truths are found in literature.

In some ways, the great copywriters can be considered to do this in more impressive fashion. They establish a "truth," offer hope that the present, past, future or continuous physical, psychological or emotional need on the part of the prospect will be fulfilled. What is arguably most impressive of all is the fact that a great copywriter's writing is so powerful that it moves a prospect to act. To bend to the copywriter's will in response to the deliberate application of his creativity and his craft. To fill in the form. Buy the product. Make a donation. Put this guy in the White House.

They don't make us merely think it, they make us *do it.* Often instantly. Often in a single sentence.

Think about that for a minute...

Consider just how powerful that really is.

In, say, a ten or twelve word headline, a great copywriter is able to communicate a fundamental truth that the prospect relates to on a deeper level, offer hope that whatever they lack will become abundant, package this up in a mini scenario or "story" that is so convincing it touches the prospect's psyche so powerfully that it moves them to act upon it almost instantly. Moments after the prospect has read it. And tomorrow, the next day, next week or within the next five minutes they'll do it to us again and again and again!

Incredibly, a great copywriter does this on demand. To order. Day in. Day out. For a myriad of products, services or causes.

Make no mistake a great copywriter is an artist just as a great author is. The only difference is the medium. And, as an artist, they are compelled to write. They do not do it for the rate. They do it for love. They do it because they truly believe that they have a gift, insight or deeper understanding that can make a difference to people's lives. To the world.

In twenty odd years of working in this business I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the greatest copywriters out there. I didn't meet a single one of them that didn't have countless other writing projects, plays, novels or lectures on the go as well as the advertising work. These artists write because they feel compelled to make a positive difference in our lives. To shape a brighter future. To write a happy ending for all of us.

I love, respect and am in awe of them for it. Every one.

I believe that every aspiring writer needs to consider very seriously what it is that they do. Delve into the real meaning and power of their written words. Devour everything that they can concerning the nature of creativity, the tools of the craft and the elements of influence.

Communication is a very serious business and using its most potent indirect form in order to influence others must be respected, treasured and, above all, wielded by those with a deep understanding of and control over its power.

For every step an aspiring writer takes on such an artist's journey, the rates will rise accordingly but, more importantly, they'll make a positive and hopefully profound difference to the rest of us.

Hi Lisa

You may be working for yourself, but as a freelancer - assuming you're not leveraging your efforts - you do, effectively, have a job.

Your rates may vary and you may get a particularly high-paying assignment, but there's still only one of you and only 24 hours in every day. There's a limit to your earnings.

If you want to maintain your standard of living, you'll have to keep working (give or take) at the rate you currently are.

And your only "asset" is you (i.e. your reputation).

A business owner has something tangible to sell. Something that could possibly be cashed in for a lump sum within a few short years.

If you're not building assets, then you're simply working for a living - a job by any other name.


Frank

Like I said, and as you have quoted, the writers I was talking about where freelance - they work for *themselves* and we hire them on a per project basis. I'm not exactly sure how many full-time writers are employed across my companies but, yes, in their case you are right they do have a job - but that's their choice. Nothing wrong with that!

As for the freelance guys, they come and go as they please as long are the projects are completed and are up to the agency standard everyone's happy.

Furthermore, as I said in my subsequent post, as far as the really good writers are concerned,

"I didn't meet a single one of them that didn't have countless other writing projects, plays, novels or lectures on the go."

In many cases, they make more income from their non advertising endeavours but, of course, the advertising income is regular, guaranteed and immediate.

As Frank wrote, simply being a freelance writer can limit your revenue potential for all of the reasons he discussed. It's good to hear that you have recently discovered this.

Good luck with your sites.

Tom

No worries. I didn't take it that way. And I wasn't disparaging the concept of owning a business and building assets. But I bet you knew that ;-)