Article writing pricing...

I hear $2 to rewrite an existing article (human spinner) $5 for a new original and $10 for native English 'experts'

I hope I'm not intruding, although I'm probably doing you and I a favor. How many articles/word-per-article can be sold for $100? 10 400 word? etc...thanks.

It varies depending on some factors.

1. type of article
2. length
3. skill of writer (native English or not)

It actually depends on you.

If you want to start writing for money, opening your own PLR store using Wordpress is a great way to go. PLR stands for Private Label Rights and is pre-written content (can be video) that you write (can be outsourced) on a variety of topics that can be modified and used as their own by the purchaser. Like other service providers, you get paid with Paypal, but it also has another advantage that ghostwriting doesn't: residual income. You can also work on your own schedule.

The PLR topics you write on are based on things that people are looking for in the search engines. Once you create a PLR pack --charging let's say $1 per page (can be whatever you want), it's there forever like with affiliate marketing. If you use an opt-in form, you can also take PLR requests, which equals guaranteed buyers.

If you need to make money even faster, you can run PLR specials as well. Oh, due to the nature of PLR, you don't have to offer a refund seeing as how the content can't be returned and what not.

Joey

that depend on many things, is that rewrite or create?how long the articles are?
you english level? and the knowledge about the niche you are writing on?
anyway the cheapest price for me is 1/300 words to rewrite ,but the most expensive is 100 for a 500 words sales letter.

That really depends, but if you're starting you can go for a $1-$2 per hourly rate, usually you can create 1 article for about an hour and a half. But when you have already established and have been making quite good content article you can charge as much as $5 per article.

I was actually cringing when I clicked on this thread. From past experience.....I know I'm most likely not going to like what I see.

But I'm here now so........

As has been said on this forum many times over.....

You get what you pay for!

That being said, you need to determine the value of your writing and where you fit in the 'article writing' market.

I started at $10 per article just to get my feet wet around here. That lasted about a month. I was getting rave reviews and being booked weeks in advance. However, I was exhausted and my fingers were numb! I quickly realized I could charge more than $10 and there were plenty of people willing to pay for quality content.

My fees are much higher now and my fingers love me.

Bottom line.....if you're good....don't sell yourself short. Focus on establishing a good reputation and your writing will speak for itself.

If you're not so good.....practice, practice, practice.

Good Luck!

There are potential customers available at every price point.

I have tested ghost writing price points from $20 to $495, and there were customers at every tier. But each tier only has a specific number of customers.

Figure out what you want to get paid, and make sure you have the talent to persuade people to pay that rate, and you will be off to the races.

At each price point, you can charge more and get fewer customers, or you can charge less and get more customers.

But going down in price, there is a certain point where the price is too low for you to earn the money you think you deserve, and at the same time, the number of available customers stops climbing.

When I was testing prices for ghost writing outside the forum environment, the best price point for maximum earnings and maximum volume was between $40 and $45 per 1000-word article.

Inside the forum, there is a much lower number that defines your potential. Most buyers here will only pay $5 and that would be the sweet spot price point.

So you got to decide now where you would be more effective promoting your services, on or off the forum.

Marketing outside the forum is tough for some people, and if you are not capable of doing so, then you will have to push yourself to market in the $2 to $25 per article price range, with the sweet spot at $5.

I'm currently charging .05 per word and feel like I'm practically giving it away.

Will

The price point is whatever you think your time is worth right now.

Do you have a job? How much are you paid an hour? Your time is at least worth that much. Are you a good writer? Do you have samples or feedback yet?

Seriously, charge a few dollars less than you feel like you're worth. I just started an article writing thread on the side and I already have a few amazing clients.

I charge 8 cents per word. I'm a native English speaker.

there are many different types of clients that you can go after...just ask yourself why people are willing to pay $20 plus when the other just pay only $5 per articles..

you will need to research the difference between them and compare to your skills level..time factor could also be considered...for example if i can write one article in 1 hours time and i need one hour of research for that topic...and my country hourly rate for working is $8 per hour...so you may charge $8 x 2 hours = $16 per article

this is just a rough guide on setting your price...

Frankly it all depends upon your marketing skills and goodwill. Initially you can try charging less amount like $1-$5 for 100 words and then gradually can increase your price. Also it depends upon your knowledge about particular niche.

actually the price basis on the quality of your written article....if you seriously planning for that...never try to spin the old one...try to write something new and unique.

JK,

It all depends on your skill level and your portfolio. If you're going to freelance everything out then a wide range of articles should be in your portfolio. Here you can provide 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person articles, the technical approach, conversational approach, handling "list" articles, and a variety of other methods.

You can use this portfolio on places like Elance and ODesk to get started. Don't sway from your own pricing levels either. If you feel your content is worth .02 cents a word then stick to your guns.

A lot of freelancers will give up money, because they're afraid of being rejected. There are plenty of customers paying top dollar for content; you just have to find them.

Starting a portfolio will also give you a chance to see what kind of skill level you have already. Places like Associated Content are easy "beginner" areas where you are paid by page views (unless you claim one of their pieces).

I highly recommend starting somewhere like AC, because it allows you to see how well your seo article marketing formula works. If you already know it works well, then see where you can get hired.

Another place is Demand Studios. You must apply for a writer's position, but the articles can be worth $5 to $25 a piece. Their guidelines are strict, so it's important to learn about them before writing any content. Adhering to each of their formats is a must.

Hope this helps and Good Luck!

I have just started out also, and I charge $5 to write an article and submit to article directories. the customer actually pays for the links, which they get via the anchor texts that they choose and the article remains mine

I too feel that I am giving it away, but i wanted to start low to get some customers so i can get going

I pay $30 for 10 article (500 words & copyscaped)
I found the writer in digital point

It really depends on the length of the article and how it was written, since clients do pay for the content and its quality. We cannot also take away the record of the author and how he rates his articles. There are those who would rate their article per words and others as a whole project itself. Each author or writer have their own viewpoint on how to rate an article and on the other side, clients also have their own viewpoint on how to pay these authors or writers on their works.
And also, clients do look for something that they want writers or authors to provide them. For example, if you have checked freelance or Odesk, some clients would prefer native English speaker and others are also looking for some non native English speakers.
Regardless of what style or type of article that you are planning to produce or required, the most important thing in this is that both party should come to an agreement.

i heard from many another thread is $3 for 500 words

Hi, why not search for writer online and on here, and you can see what the going rate is. Some obviously are professional writers for years now and well established but others are just starting out. You need to price it fairly and not too high so you can 'get on board'. Hope this helps and good luck..

Sometimes, when you read the webpage in the sig files of those who say they get articles for $3 - $5....you'll understand why articles that cost $3 - $5 are not the best way to go.

My prices are still fairly cheap, but the thought of writing an article for $3 is mind-boggling.

Listen to the advice of Alexa, Danielle, and Kay.
Rose

Generally, rates are dependent on various factors. 1) Requirement of the buyer 2) Length 3) Writer's expert..and many more factors, But these three points are very impt as per my thought..

Hi,

yeah..generally rates are depend on various factors...

but, the more you established yourself and the longer you are in the business ...you can charge higher charge as many experts in freelance

Hi,
I think $3 to $5 is right price for 300 to 450 word article

Thanks

What can I add except, don't get into price wars. You'll lose. Figure out your value to your potential clients, goals, how long it takes you to do a solid article (research included) and then start from there. Remember: you can always lower your price a bit if you need to. But you'll find it hard to start low and then raise them. I've generally given NEW customers a small discount, to see if they like what I write. They do. And then its full price. But don't ever sell your talents short just because someone else is willing to be a cheapskate.

I have been a freelance writer since 2006 and can tell you that I have been paid $1 for an article, and I have been paid $500 for an article. There is no one market or typical client for every writer.

To "reverse engineer" to find your rates and your client base, you can do the following:
*Honestly appraise the expenses and other required income you need in any given month.
*Calculate the actual billable time of your total working time per month, time that isn't taken up by marketing and administration.
*Determine how long it takes you to write an article.
*Divide necessary monthly income / billable hours / article time = your per article rate

Depending on your article rate, you may be looking at something that will do well with Internet marketers, or you may best write fir other businesses. Google freelance writing rates and you'll see what kinds of clients pay what.

It usually depends on the quality of your article. You should try to focus on building up a good reputation in the Warriors For Hire section. Charging about $5-7 is a price most people will go for. When you go cheaper then that, then some people may think that the quality of the articles will be low. Purchasing an article spinner, like TheBestSpinner would definitely help you out some if you wanted to automate your tasks a little bit.

James

It is my contention that, given enough time, quality will always trump quantity. While it is true that you may get an article that passes copyscape for $3, it certainly won't be very good.

The going rate for articles that are written from oversees outsources is about $3-5 per 500 word article. Although this is cheap the writing is usually not very good as their primary language is not American English. For U.S. writers to write a word article it's usually about 10 per 500 words. Except nowdays fiverr.com has some U.S. based writers that only charge $5. Good luck!

Great information on this thread.

I too cringe when I read how cheap people are willing to charge to write articles. And then I remember I am a true believer in you get what you pay for.

That kind of material is not the power boosters.

The normal price should be about $3.00 for 300 words, articles that are longer are most times boring for the visitors. So keep your articles short and descriptive. So, they will make you sells fast! So, the best way for you to become an article writer is to write in the forum (or maybe in another place such as the freelancers projects!) that you want to earn money for writing, but offers more than $3.00 per 300 words are not welcome

We get upwards of $35 - $80 to write a single article.

And more work pouring in than we can possibly handle in this the IM niche.

If you want to do the same and get away from offering your article writing services for peanuts, you need this guide in your arsenal...

Earn upto $125 an hour from home! Rave Reviews!

In one word, it's BRILLIANT!

And comes with a full marketing plan to put your writing potential to best use for much better pay.

It's just $7 to Warriors. Basically you're stark staring bonkers if you don't buy this today.

Best,


Pete Walker

These are the prices I currently charge for unique high quality articles.

400 words - $3.92
500 words - $4.90
600 words - $5.88
700 words - $6.86
800 words - $7.84
900 words- $8.82
1000 words - $9.80


I also write press releases for $8 and spin articles (human) for:



400 words - $3
500 words - $3.75
600 words - $4.50
700 words - $5.25
800 words - $6.00
900 words - $6.75
1000 words - $7.50


I also provide transcribing (kind of fits in with the writing) for starting at 1.50 per minute



You will find that rates vary quite a bit though!



Good luck, writing can make you a decent income and keep you busy, especially if you offer high-quality unique content. Hope it helps!

$5 is the going rate for decent quality i think

This is like asking "What's the going rate for shirts?"

Or coffee.

Or a painting.

In all genres, there's 'commodity pricing' and 'premium positioning'.

You could write articles for $0.99 per 100 words and compete as a
commodity.

You could just as effectively position yourself as a top-class writer
and charge $25 per 100 words - AND GET IT.

Of course, what's true about any kind of online selling applies to
article writing as well - you only get repeat business if you deliver
value with your first order.

And Yanik Silver taught me, many moons ago, to rely on a rough guideline
of delivering 10x by way of value for whatever price I charge.

Great advice. It has worked well for me over the years.

You might find my short report interesting too, it's called "Death of
$5 Article Writing" (attached to this post)

All success
Dr.Mani

$3.5 for 500 words

Usually it's around $4-$5 per 100 words

You can use this book in places like Elance and oDesk to start. Not influence their own good price levels. If you feel that your content is worth 0.02 cents per word cling to their guns. A lot of self-employed workers are given the money because they are afraid of being rejected. There are plenty of customers who pay good money for content, you just have to find them.

I am charging $12 for my articles at the moment, $2/article clients i am not interested in Sooner or later most of them realize they will get what they pay for.

My recommendation is to decide what price you are comfortable with based upon what you want to write. Then add at least 25% to the price. That way you will get some who will pay you the higher rate and for the bargain hunters you can give them a price you are comfortable with and feel like are paid accordingly.

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!! It was by no means my intention to start a firestorm!! I was simply trying to assess a starting point! I read every single post and only now realize just how broad my question was.
I am a plumber by trade so charging high prices is right up my alley! (Ok... that was a joke...) I also spent several years as a radio announcer. Much of that time writing copy for various advertisers. Writing good material with the intention of it being read is not always easy. Creating good content that translates well to the spoken word can be more daunting still. Hopefully providing online material will be a little more intriguing than coming up with thirty second spots for some lame furniture store!

Many thanks folks!

If you are writing a quality article in english say about 550 words then you can charge $10 to $20 per article, when you get est you will be able to charge more

As others have stated this is a really difficult one to answer.

Best way to explain it is there is no set price!

However if you are looking for an example of the sort of quality you can get per article and at what price.

On average I pay $10 - $15 per 400 word article and they are well written.

You can pay as low as $3 an article it is true but you might have to re-write the whole thing so it defeats the object.

Chris

I really need some help in this. My day job sucks and I could sure could use the extra bucks. There is this watch that I have been wanting to buy called Gshock.

This is such a great discussion! I've learned a ton. I've been writing for Yahoo! and TextBroker for several months, and I've just developed a freelance site (linked in my sig.) My next step is pricing my time and work and finding consistent clients.

This has been an interesting conversation to watch. There's definitely room on all sides. If you want to get started just earning money and seeing how your writing is received by clients, you can sign up with Textbroker or some of the other sites that have been listed. Some of the authors at TB have made such a great impression on their clients that they've switched from writing to managing and curating - they place the orders instead of fulfilling them.
At the same time, you can hone your craft and attract outside clients from the Warrior forum here, for example. The question is, how much do you enjoy writing, and do you really want to do it all day?

www.interactmedia.com

This is the best paying site that I have found to date.

For most article writers, they charge between $4 to $5 per 500-word article. But for high quality writers, they charge even more than that.

0n Rewriting Articles to be Non-Duplicate 300-500/ 500-800,I earn
$12 /$15.

I charge (And get) $25 per 500 word article, which includes submission and spinning if so desired. A good one that I've found that actually pays decent (sorry Brad) is Buy & Sell Unique Content - GhostBloggers™ - Beta

Just be careful about pricing yourself too low. If you get overwhelmed and burned out, you'll destroy your reputation and annoy lots of clients. Annoyed clients are MUCH more vocal than happy ones, just remember that.

It depends, I usually get someone to write for me at $5 per 500words/article at iwriter

When you're writing for the Web, articles are your bread and butter. You need a method to write articles quickly, because your buyers usually want to buy articles in packages of ten or more.

Start by familiarizing yourself with the various article types. Some of the most common are reviews, opinion pieces, tips, tutorials, and definition articles.. (these are the kinds of articles i asked from my writers)

Hope this help,
Jeremiah

The girl I was referred to charges $4 per 100 words and she does the research as well. I know a group that runs about 40 eCommerce sites and they use her exclusively. US based with native English, I would expect $2-$5 per 100 words.

A typical article excluding professional writes is usually around $5 a article or 1$ for 100 words

Rate depends on you. It depends on your worth with factors such as skills, effort and time. Usually when businesses outsourcing article writing they charge $4 - $8 for every 600 word article.

Hy,

My 5 cent here, where are the best freelancer free places/directories, to find weekly new clients as article writer, who search for high quality articles 500-800 words?

I think every new client who is satisfied with an article, will buy more than one,it will buy 5 articles ore more every week or 5-10 every month.

Whats the best method to promote yourself? Give them in these places 1 free high quality article in your profil to show others?

best wishes
marco005

In my opinion, you are worth what you deliver. Start off with maybe $5, just to get your feet wet and grow slowly toward your dream figure. However, never compromise your QUALITY

Your article service is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

Simply charging more, without being able to deliver is a sure way to ruin your business right from the start. On the other hand, if you charge little, it does not mean that people do not expect a lot of quality. In fact, many $5/article buyers will probably be harder to work with and harder to please than some higher end buyers.

Now, I'm not a writer, I am a buyer. And I bought articles in all price ranges, literally from $1/article on MechanicalTurk to high end $75 articles. Honestly, I'd never go back to cheap articles, because they were simply not good enough (with a few exceptions, who happened to be good writers who were just starting out. I lucked out, because those are very hard to find, not to mention, they increase their prices very soon).

In most cases, the cheap articles were actually written using proper grammar, and made sense, they were original and passed Copyscape (although let's make one thing clear - passing Copyscape does not mean the article is original. It can be - and a lot of cheap articles are - a re-written rip off of one or two articles the writer found during "research").

So TECHNICALLY there was nothing wrong with them. The problem was, that all (again, with a very few exceptions) of them were nothing more than a 500 word introduction to the topic. Generic fluff with a keyword in it. And what's worse, none of the articles evoked any emotion.

To me, if your article does not evoke readers emotion - happiness, curiosity, anger, sadness...something...anything - you as a writer failed. Tell me, who is REALLY going to read those articles? Who is going to publish them? How am I going to re-purpose them and syndicate them (well, sure I can, but once again - who is going to care?)

Unless the subject is some dry, technical one, having good information and provide a solution is not enough for the article to work. And frankly, in most cases, the cheap articles did not provide any solutions anyways.

After all, to do so, you'd need to do some solid research. And that takes time. And time is money. So if you sell your articles for $5, I can already tell, that the research part is going to be pushed on the side burner. And I can also tell, that your articles will be emotionless blend of fluff and generic information that either everyone already knows or no one cares for (or both). Not because you cannot produce such articles, but because you won't have time to produce them.

You need to translate that $5 bill into your time. Remember, you are trading your time and your skills for money. How much is it worth to you? I, as a buyer, all I care about is the actual article. I don't care how much time you put into it. But you should. The buyer may disagree, and leave to seek another writer. But that should not discourage you from asking what you believe you deserve.

Bottom line is, if you do serious research on the subject and put personality into your articles to evoke readers emotions, you'd never think about writing for $5. Because you'd know that the value of your article (and time you'd need to put into writing it) is worth more than an hourly pay at McDonald's. You'd also know, that there's a thriving market for such articles.

However, be honest with yourself. Can you really produce such articles? If not, than $5 can be actually fair price, and there's a market for that too.

If you're a native English speaker with good article writing skills, a lot of people wouldn't have a problem paying $1-$1.50 per 100 words.

But writing articles at those rates really can get tiresome and can make you wonder why you're slaving away for pennies.

This depends on whether you want/need high quality content from native English speakers. For quality articles you should expect to pay upwards of $10 per 500 words. IMO the better quality work is worth the price tag. For lower quality you can get articles for as low as $1 per 500 words, but for that expect low quality, spun content that rarely makes sense.

It takes around one hour or two to create a great article so I'd say charge at leat 15 for a 500 word article. the minimum wage is 7.25 these days so $15 is a nice compensation if you're working online from home. anything less and you would be better off flipping burgers.

I have purposely been avoiding this thread for many reasons, but I actually find it fascinating.

I had thought it would tick me off - but most of the posts by the ill-informed aren't really relevant to what I do.

Many of the comments made by people with little or no understanding of the value of high quality writing have what I have come to conclude is the “flea market” mentality of buying copy.

You can buy the “drop dead” knock-off of that Gucci handbag at the flea market. But you ultimately have to resign yourself that it really isn’t Gucci, is it?

I have been at this writing craft for a very long time – nearly 40 years. ( I am not THAT old either – I began writing when I was 17.)

I have mentored hundreds of writers – some of the best have gone on to earn six-figures annually. Nearly all of the others that followed at least some of my directions are earning very good livings.

What makes this so fascinating is the questions being asked about the value of writing are being posed in one of many discount marketplaces.

Let’s face it – everyone wants a deal here – which is precisely why I do not ask for business in this or similar marketplaces. The “flea market” mentality is in full swing and whether the content is high value or junk – everything is measured in predetermined benchmarks.

Things like word count, keyword density, LSI keywords, review pieces, etc. are how content is measured here. This is not only a “flea market” mentality – it is a “buy in bulk” premise for buying and selling content.

But here’s the real difference between the content writing “high flyers” and the “grinders” that are asking about prices:

Mindset.

I know – this sounds way too simple, but it is the absolute truth. Writers that command top dollar make writing a business. It has goals, objectives – solid plans for client acquisition, development, market penetration and growth. It is treated with the same attention to detail as a brick-and-mortar or serious online business is.

And here is where it gets a little uncomfortable for you “reactive” and passive types – which most writers are. You hope and wait for someone to pay you for work that has far more value in a different market.

You are so uncertain about yourself and your work that you are willing to accept a fraction of what it is worth. So you sit back and hope (or pray) that someone throws you a bone.

Quality work – especially quality writing – is always of high value to many outside this venue.

I have read lots of arguments here for what dictates top dollar versus the cheap stuff – if you have top skills, the balls, the connections, a specific purpose, etc.

Ad nauseam.

That’s all a bunch of crap. This is a collection of excuses to devalue the most critical element of your sites to “on-the-cheap” prices – nothing more.

I know very average writers that earn as much or more as I do – and they have no shortage of either clients or work. They get paid handsomely for average work.

The difference lies largely in how you perceive yourself and your craft – good writing is an art. Few can do it with the skill of most of the people that have posted in this very thread.

A few among you are as good as writers get.

Period.

I’ve been closely following a few of you around the WF. There is some serious talent here, and you know who you are.

I decided to take some time away from my craft and business just to see what was happening in the cyberspace trenches.

I have both online and offline clients that I have developed over the years. As stated in another post, my fees for a simple 400 word article begin at $150 and go up from there. A long form piece of sales copy starts in the high four figures – plus a percentage of the profits.

None of this is intended to impress you – it is factual and unnecessary for me to prove any claims to anyone. I have nothing for sale in this venue.

It is intended to make the point that has been so clearly and eloquently made by Alexa and others in this thread and elsewhere. (I have my eye on you Alexa - you have mad, crazy good skills.)

I love following great writers around - and there a numerous gifted people here.

Unlike those that say there is a small or non-existent pool of high paying clients – why is it that I frequently must turn people away? And I mean high paying prospects – not people that want cheap stuff.

I can always find clients willing to pay my fees and they don’t even pause to write the checks. Some want to buy all my billable hours weeks or months in advance to achieve exclusivity.

Why is this happening to me and so difficult for others to achieve?
(It is not only happening to me.)

Largely, I can only determine that it is because of what you have been force-fed by content buyers and the "writing pros" on this forum and others like it.

Make no mistake – the WF is a great place to get good ideas, but a really poor one to establish pricing guidelines – most especially and urgently for the value of great writing.

When you ask how much here – you will get the lowest possible number.

So what do you do?

Seek business elsewhere – online and offline. There are thousands of businesses willing to pay rates that the uninformed here will tell you cannot be gotten – simply because they have never done it or paid the prices the mainstream is gladly willing to pay.

This is basic human nature – people will always tell you what cannot be done before they encourage you to try and do it. This is just the way it is – people will be people, and what they don’t know and understand does not restrict them from attempting to influence you.

This means you will often only get “flea market” rates for your premium content.

Please don’t do this – it is a very tough way to go and you will get discouraged and flame-out quickly.

As for those of you that believe junk content rules the world, you only need to consider the pattern Google has taken over the past 18 months or so. Their emphasis is clear - even to those that choose to ignore it.

Do you believe standards will become any more lax as they relate to content?
(This is a rhetorical question.)

But let’s take a simple example – one that’s easy to understand.

You’ve got a site and your focus is on getting those top SE rankings. Everyone wants those, right? You have a bunch of spun, super-optimized articles written to achieve this objective.

Only they read like crap. As a common surfer, when you get rankings and I land on your money page, I read a bunch of gibberish.

What do you think I am going to do?

(Rhetorical question again – but I will click the hell away!)

Now let’s change that site a bit. We have some solid, entertaining and informative articles written with the same level of SEO incorporated. They engage me and I like what I am reading.

What do you think happens in this second example?

You have geometrically increased your odds of me taking an action that will lead to a conversion. I may click an Adsense link or read your CPA offer or do something that pays you. I am there longer because you have taken the time to entertain me.

The point of this example is merely to let you know that you can have a site ranking at number one. If you got there purely with SEO junk content, that ranking counts for squat.

I will not pay you off. You may get the occasional accidental conversion, but is this the way you want to build your business?

(I truly hope most of you said NO to this question.)

This is a very real scenario that most of you “junk food” content advocates (both writers and buyers) are going to be dealing with more often and with greater negative implications for sites.

See, the reality is that eventually – when you get those top SE rankings – you only get paid when I act. Having that top spot means that a real person just like me will land on your pages.

S/he is the one that decides whether or not you get paid.

You need to make sure your content offers value to a real human. This isn’t complicated – and great content that entertains people makes you more money – in most cases a lot more.

And do you want to know the best part?

You only have to pay for content ONE time. It will work for years to come.

That is one hell of a deal in anyone’s book!

You don’t have to hire a copy gunslinger like me – but do get someone that can win for you when that eventual human being lands on your site.

Making money on the web is easy – you just have to do a lot of little things right.

Begin with great, original content – you’ll be amazed at how many other things take care of themselves when you do this one simple thing.

$5 per article. You should be able to get buyers for this price - especially if you know how to write for both humans and search engines.

price may vary depending on how many words you will write per article. The least price I know is $2 per 500 words.

go to constant-content dot com and earn via writing
Good Luck!!

Dr. Mani,

I am glad you took the time to state an opinion. In the past, I have bought a few things from you and contributed to come of your charitable causes.

You are an intellectual and I respect you as such.

But about this, we are in diametric opposition. So I will quote you exactly so as to make certain I don’t mistake anything.

******

“So, we all have perception issues of what a "quality article" is,
and therefore on how much it should cost.”

Err, no I have no perceptions – I know precisely what determines quality for my cleints and how much my work is worth.
__________________________________________________ ______________

How about we take something far easier to describe - like a cup of
cappuchino - and see what it costs in different places around the
world?

Nigeria - $3.50

Chennai - $0.78

Tokyo - $5.00

New York - $3.50

London - $3.98

Paris - $3.73

Jakarta - $3.05

Manila - $2.15

Presumably, all these consumer price indices are measured on
products/services of similar/comparable quality.
__________________________________________________ __________________

Err, no again. You are not seriously comparing the skill, art and craft of writing to a cappuccino are you? (Incidentally cappuchino is spelled as I have spelled it.)

This is where flaws in the comparison begin – if not the comparison itself, then with the architecture of the comparison.

If this argument made any sense at all, there are many other considerations which have nothing to do with writing, but everything to do with cappuccino:

1. The quality and mineral content of the water used for brewing
2. The kind of beans being used, how they have been stored and even how they are ground
3. The skill of the barista (coffee maker)
4. The other ingredients: cinnamon, cream, milk, sweeteners
5. The type of device used for brewing
6. The maintenance and cleanliness of the brewing device
7. Etc.

This comparison is further flawed because it fails to consider all of the prices in each city chosen. It deals with averages in these locales, which means that I should not expect for a cup of cappuccino to be the same price in every shop within each city.

I can assure you that especially the comparisons within the cities below are especially erroneous:
__________________________________________________ _____________

Tokyo - $5.00

New York - $3.50

London - $3.98

Paris - $3.73
__________________________________________________ _____________

I have been to each of these cities and I can state without exception: these prices on the extremely low side. A cappuccino in New York City at a fine hotel will set you back $10 at minimum – the same in Paris, London or Tokyo.

Conversely, I have never been there, but I would also wager I could find a cappuccino in Chennai for a quarter.

“That's why I find it amusing at times to see hard-line attitudes
about how a piece of writing of a certain price CANNOT be of the
same (or higher) quality than one at a higher price.”

Uh, no again. I am so glad this discussion amuses you, although I think it is a (mostly) serious discussion. I have no “hard-line” attitude about how a lower-priced piece of writing cannot be of the same of even better quality as a higher priced piece. Global economies, desperation and hunger can make the prices of anything justifiable – and even demanded.

The quality is a factor that has many components – all dependent on the market involved, the skill with which the piece is written, who is doing the evaluating – and ultimately who is paying.

“It totally ignores the REALITY that the same amount of money can
mean a different thing across the world... and that writers of
comparable quality often charge widely divergent rates for that
very reason.”

It is a REALITY, but is irrelevant in my market (explanation in a moment). Yes, writers do charge widely varying fees, but are they writers of the same (or even similar) quality?

As measured and evaluated by whom?

“You CAN get a top-quality article for $5 - if you find the right
writer from the right corner of the globe.”

Not a chance! You can get AN article written by someone – somewhere – for $5. They will be from a third-world country or a desperate English-native. And you can almost bet it will be spun or cut-and-pasted work - the lowest quality available and needing serious editing.

“Your chances of doing so are variable.”

Err, you just contradicted your prior statement.

And I believe you mean: There may be a “slight chance” or “buying at that price may be possible” (not – doing so are variable).

“Your chances of getting them to keep on writing for those rates are slim.”

In my world, you won’t even get the first piece for $5. And this is perhaps the only single point we agree on – chances of keeping and getting work as scheduled and promised for $5 per piece are virtually non-existent.

Here is the entirety of what I will deliver to you for $5:

_____________

?
_____________

“But price does NOT always equate to "quality" - especially when you're
comparing apples to oranges - by ignoring geography as a variable.”

Uh, actually saying this implies my clients are stupid and overpay to get the quality for the fees I charge. Oh, but you ARE comparing apple and oranges – actually even worse. You are comparing a coffee commodity to a highly skilled craft.

The differences could not be any more dramatic – this stark comparison is like comparing a genuine Ming Vase to a paper plate. Geography is the least important value in my business and product.

This delusion or error in perception lays in the willingness of writers to have the value of their content reduced to little but a pittance. This happens because many consumers of this content view this picture myopically – as if good content is a common item and therefore should have finite pricing.

Some writers have the illusion that this is the only marketplace for them to sell their good writing.

It isn’t.

I am a living, breathing testament to this fact.

The truth is that I am against ANY legitimate writer ANYWHERE whoring their wares for pennies – and this is precisely what the unknowing often do here and in other content “flea markets.”

Here’s the deal:

Do you believe – even for an instant – that what I sell to clients are words on pages?

This is the illusion you and most others would like to believe, but it isn’t about the words – it is about the effect of those words on people.

My clients pay me to:

1. Win
2. Beat their competition to a pulp in a literary sense
3. Make more money
4. Sell their goods and services
5. Enhance their image
6. Branding
7. Build loyalty
8. Keep existing customers and get more

I know what your comments are about – at the base level – I know precisely what is being said.

You are trying to validate the quality of content written in the third world as being legitimate competition for the content written by native English speakers.

It isn’t – never has been and never will be.

And I have seen absolutely the best content written by the best writers in the third world – but attempting to do this in US or UK ENGLISH.

It doesn’t work and is almost immediately discernible by the people that count most in my business – my readership and audience.

But what you are doing is cool – you are making a geopolitical argument and I am totally okay with this.

Only, here’s the message from my high paying clients:

1. They don’t want third world writing – it isn’t good enough.

2. And since we are having a geopolitical discussion, and I believe in taking a position – I agree with them emphatically.

3. It truly isn’t good enough.

The first statement above is them talking – they write the checks I cash. The last two are my sentiments – I make no apologies for them.

English is one of the most mongrel tongues on Earth. If even I struggle with it occasionally, I cannot begin to imagine how a third world writer must wrestle with it.

Even those in the UK, Australia and elsewhere disagree on English spelling, usage and writing it effectively.

I didn’t know a plaster was a bandage in the UK until I saw Kate Beckinsale on Jay Leno months ago.

I can spot a piece written in the third world – often in as little as the first sentence – and always by the second paragraph.

My clients aren’t dummies – if I can spot it – they can too.

Therefore it isn’t usable by them – so I don’t worry about content writers/assemblers ANYWHERE that produce copy for $5.

If my clients aren’t concerned about buying content “on-the-cheap” for $5 – why should I be concerned with it?

If people need to eat or act out of desperation – hey, I get that. I hope they get gigs.

But sell content for the sole reason that people in discount venues tell you that’s all your stuff is worth?

That’s totally nuts – and being a copy whore. You’ll make more money with a tin cup and dark glasses outside Wally World.

This is why my clients specifically tell third world writers not to bother submitting anything. They are completely upfront about it too. It is in their requests for content.

This is the way it is in the real world – especially offline. But even most US onliners would more often than not tell you exactly the same thing.

Whatever quantity of work you are doing - if it is solid work - can always be sold - for more money than you're earning now.

There is no shortage of people willing to pay and no shortage of assignments that can be won - without having to be in the top tier of writers.

Your only challenge is to be proactive and find the clients and the work. Clients that pay more won't come looking for you.

The rate is depend on you writing level. That's my opinion.

Looks like I won't be visiting Chennai anytime soon - that is $1.05 more than I am willing to go for a cappuccino!

I think we each have a position and I understand yours better now. We do not necessarily agree but we don't completely disagree either.

One of the most underutilized skills all writers need is the ability to market and sell their work outside of price-fixed, low-valuation venues.

Because the price is $5, $10 or $20 rarely means it cannot be sold for more elsewhere - especially if you really do have the skills.

And the courage to do what most writers will not do - ask for more money - elsewhere.

If you do not have the talent, you will quickly know the value of your work, and the point of increased dollars for your product is moot.

We are all in the sales business and those skills are as critical as the writing process. Many writers accept what is offered with no consideration of what they can earn by stepping "outside the circle."

As to it being a "soft" market - looks are deceiving. Aggressive merchants and sellers will always want an edge - even in a down market - sometimes especially because of a down economy.

This is what I give them - an enormous advantage in the quality of their content - and vast separation from competitors.

This is what they gladly pay me top dollar to do.

factors vary depends on quality you are looking for. Purpose of article..( SEO or info ) if you want it American written this is by far the best resource I've found for articles www.articlez.com

I believe that if the quality of work is high and teh information needs lots of research then you can charge high prices. I usually go for $15 and above as it is pointless to write all day good aricles to only $1 to $5 a piece.

But if you are initially starting out to test the waters and you have another source of income then, you can start with a low fee and see how it goes.

Mister Jay, are you able to make your points in less than x000 words

Thanks

Another important thing to factor in is - How much income do you expect to generate from your articles? How many new leads? New customers? Is your goal SEO, content or something else?

When you know that, then you can decide how much you want to spend per article.

It totally depends on length, style of writing, budget etc.

If you write on an 'easy opportunity' site like iWriter then you'll probably earn no more than $5 for a 500 word article (once you become an elite/premium writer that is)

If you can hunt out people seeking high quality content, and who are willing to pay for it, then those same 500 words could net you $50, and even more.

To paraphrase Alexa Smith - the "bottom end" of the content writing business is saturated. You will burn yourself out struggling to survive if you write 500 words for $5, because there are people willing to do 1000 words for half that.

However, if you can crack the "high end" of the market, you will have profitable work coming out of your ears.

I compare the freelance article writing market to the car market at present. Sales of low end cars are struggling, as people looking to buy them don't have much in the way of budget and there is so much competition. High end cars - Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis etc - the demand has never been higher.