18 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
18 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

How much do I charge a company who wants to hire me as a "food blogger"?

by iceapplez
15 replies
TL;DR at bottom of post, for those that don't want to read

I've been approached by a large company (not too large, but they've been operating 50+ years and are the biggest producer of their type of product) to create 8 recipes per month (approximately, they are flexible on it but probably at the least 8) for their company website, including pictures, without credit to my food blog/name.They offered to give me 6 month contracts and pay me a retainer for each recipe/month of work.

A marketing executive/employee from the company contacted me by email, then phone to tell me/talk to me about this.

They asked how much I would want for each month, but being a relatively new food blogger, I don't know what is fair/worth charging for my work. I would say my work falls somewhere in between semi-professional to professional in quality in that I do spend hours testing, creating, styling, photographing recipes, and it would be even more meticulous for a job such as this, rather then just something to share with my peers.

My question is - how much do I suggest to charge for the rights to one complete recipe, with photographs, that has been tested, is delicious, etc, knowing that they want a 6 month contract, 8 recipes per month with a variety of dishes?

It was my first time talking to a marketing executive and so I did not inquire about a budget for this job. They left it open to me and so I don't know what I should suggest. A blog post from a food blogger below stated $250-$600 per recipe - should I be expecting this amount, or less??


Company or corporations: These firms have budgets to pay for work.The rate is anywhere from $250 to $600 per original recipe, according to recipe developers I spoke to when doing research for the IFBC panel. Groceries for testing are never included in the price, and the company will probably own the recipe.




TL;DR - Approached by a fairly large food product company marketing executive, wants 8 professional recipes with photographs per month based on their products, how much should I charge per recipe, in your opinion? They offered me a 6 month contract and didn't state a budget, nor did I ask. They want me to call them back with a quote.


Thank-you for any insights you may have.
#charge #company #food blogger #hire
  • Profile picture of the author dad2four
    Here is an idea for you.

    What percentage of your available work time will you spend on the recipes?

    If it was a full time job what salary would you expect?

    So if the salary you expect is 50k and you will spend 50% of your work time on the recipes then since its a 6 month gig do 12,500 divided by the total number of recipes. This would give you a per recipe price to start with.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8130887].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mert
      Originally Posted by dad2four View Post

      Here is an idea for you.

      What percentage of your available work time will you spend on the recipes?

      If it was a full time job what salary would you expect?

      So if the salary you expect is 50k and you will spend 50% of your work time on the recipes then since its a 6 month gig do 12,500 divided by the total number of recipes. This would give you a per recipe price to start with.
      That's one way to do it!
      You might also want to ask the following questions:
      1. in terms of marketability, how effective am I to get a similar offer like this at my current market value?
      2. is there anyone else? Are they are offering this project to someone else aside from me? If so, what's the competitive price I can offer them?
      3. if I can market myself enough to keep their interest on me, can I propose different terms?
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8217879].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    Ya you should research industry rates and then position yourself accordingly. I wouldn't recommend undercutting the market too much unless you have additional services you could offer them.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8130898].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
    I would start out on the high end of what you said other
    food bloggers charge... but state my price to the executive
    in a way that indicates some flexibility.

    Maybe present you price in the form of a question, which
    will invite a counter-offer.

    Often, we tend to under-price ourselves, whereas the other
    party my be EXPECTING to pay a higher price. They understand
    that quality costs... and they wouldn't have approached you if
    they didn't consider your work quality.

    I do understand being cautious, and not wanting to drive them
    away... or blow the gig, but I've seen people lose gigs because
    they quoted prices too low.

    No easy answer

    Willie
    Signature

    Here's A Ready-Made High Ticket Product To Make Your Own.
    Click To Go BIG!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8130901].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
      Originally Posted by Willie Crawford View Post

      I would start out on the high end of what you said other
      food bloggers charge... but state my price to the executive
      in a way that indicates some flexibility.

      Maybe present you price in the form of a question, which
      will invite a counter-offer.

      Often, we tend to under-price ourselves, whereas the other
      party my be EXPECTING to pay a higher price. They understand
      that quality costs... and they wouldn't have approached you if
      they didn't consider your work quality.

      I do understand being cautious, and not wanting to drive them
      away... or blow the gig, but I've seen people lose gigs because
      they quoted prices too low.

      No easy answer

      Willie
      ^^^ This. Also understand that it's very likely the decision maker for this isn't aware of the $1 per article plague that much of the Internet experiences.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8131728].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mekdroid
    Perhaps you could estimate the average number of hours you will need to work each month and then decide how much you need to be paid per hour ... BTW, they are being a little stingy about not including a link to your own blog! I know some people who would do the work for free in exchange for a high-quality link like that! I would try to see if the link is negotiable ...
    Signature

    Temporary occupation of some valuable piece of technical real-estate, followed by a negotiated retreat with full coffers

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8130918].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author nicholasb
    This is something you have to decide. Ask yourself "how much is my time worth?"

    Then decide how much time your willing to invest, and how much you want for that time.

    Don't allow yourself to create a situation where you're working too hard for not enough money.

    if they are not willing to pay you what your worth then don't hesitate to pass on the offer and ust start your own food blog.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8130930].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author twinkenterprises
    Think about how many hours of work goes into each recipie that you have to do. Then give yourself an hourly rate for the work.
    Signature

    Check out my blog and get a free gift!!

    Fly with Jaebek Lifestyle

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8131403].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    Sounds like a one off kind of deal. Do what I do: charge very low and knock the ball out of the park. This establishes your brand and they will keep coming back again and again. Never get greedy.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8131517].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I have found that a few times recently I have undercharged for jobs so in some situations I have asked the client the question... "do you have a ball park budget you are considering for this?"
    Do some calculations of your own first. The bottom and top figure you are willing to work for and see what they say. Then you can decide.
    Signature

    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8131538].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Marie Cody
    You can charge for word by word. As a paying standard you must charge them $10-$15 per 500 word. It's like an article but it's the paying standard if you are good on that field.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8131599].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    Charge for your knowledge first, time second. What makes you better than the other person they may be talking to you? That justifies your rate- then estimate your rate times number of hours and that's your price.
    Signature

    -
    Ron Rule
    http://ronrule.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8132217].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AlexandraMarch
    Banned
    Being new you might not get the same offer as an experienced food blogger, but I would try to set a fee per post/article, instead of per month. If not possible, negotiate head on the number of post required in that interval.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8132404].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ElaineBrown
    Banned
    You should first of all assess how much your knowledge is worth, then calculate how much time and energy you would need to put into creating the recipes. Your fees should be somewhere in the middle, neither too low, nor too high. The company approached you, which puts you into a strong negotiating position.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8132625].message }}

Trending Topics