I still remember what I was paid for my first writing assignment back in 2013.
$25 for ~800 words. Not exactly money to retire on.
But you know what? I was thrilled. Getting paid to write was a watershed moment—no matter what the rate.
As time went on, though, I realized that I was charging hobby prices. I knew if I wanted to transition writing on the side into a full-time freelance writing career, I was going to need to charge more.
At the time, I was also running a profitable online business. Realizing if I leaned into this niche—eCommerce and the software tools adjacent to them—I saw how that would position me more as a subject matter expert/specialist.
Which also meant I’d be able to charge more.
The problem: “Charging more” is a little...vague.
What did more mean?
What were freelance writers charging?
What could I expect to earn when I went full-time?
How would I make sure I wasn’t stuck under-charging and working with the most stressful clients?
Today, I want to share a bit about I answered these questions and talk about pricing for freelance writers (in hopes it’ll add some clarity.)
Why is pricing freelance writing work so hard?
Pricing services isn’t an issue most people encounter in their daily lives.
For salaried workers, it’s a matter of looking at industry rates and negotiating when you receive an offer. In many cases, an employer’s offer is already a great starting point.
But freelance writing is different. You have multiple clients, meaning multiple offers and negotiations on a never-ending basis.
It can be highly subjective, too. If you haven’t tracked your results, it can be difficult to point to a piece in your portfolio you’ve written and say: “See? My work generated exactly $491.03 for my client.”
Consider everything that goes into pricing:
Endless variables. How extensive is your writing experience? Are you a rare freelancer in your local market? Do you have specialized industry knowledge? Are you the sole human on earth capable of creating this content? Any one of these variables can affect your pricing.
No guide book on going rates. Do a quick search online and you’ll find rates for freelance writing work are all over the place. Even well-reputed books include vast margins in their pricing guides. Yes, there are answers to questions like “how much should I charge per word?” in books like those. But it won’t take you long to realize these answers might not apply to your situation.
Custom project needs. Let’s say one client hires you to write a 1,000-word case study. They’ve put together all the information you need—stats, quotes, even a pre-designed template.
Then let’s say another client comes along and wants a blog post of a similar length. But they want you to interview 10 subject matter experts first. Maybe their goal is to turn your post into the basis for a presentation they’ll give next month. Maybe they want you to dig into academia to find fresh, original research you can’t find in the competition’s posts.
Same word count, totally different projects.
You won’t be freelancing long before you realize that no two projects are exactly the same.
Scarcity mindset. Freelance writing is sort of like being on a sailboat—you have to gauge the wind, move with the current, or wait until the tide changes. The uncertainty that comes with it makes it hard to say no to new opportunities when you need the work.
Let’s say you’re looking at a slow month. A new client comes along and offers you half your usual rate.
If you haven’t done any solid work in determining your rates, it can be all too easy to shrug and say, “Hey—I could use the money. Sure, I’ll do it.”
Next thing you know, you’ve made a commitment that can tax you down the line with major opportunity costs.
So how do you approach pricing freelance writing jobs?
How to price freelance writing jobs
The good news is that because writing is highly subjective, there isn’t any right or wrong way to price your services.
However, there are some factors you’ll want to keep in mind, such as:
Market. Does your client pay higher rates because of the market/area they’re based in? It’s perfectly fine to take that into consideration. If you work in a small town, you may still be giving those big-city companies a bargain.
Type of client. Are you working for a major enterprise? They may have a larger budget to employ. The decision-makers are often fine spending it as long as they get quality work in return.
Byline. Having a successful byline can boost your credibility and exposure. If you have to forgo a byline (and miss out on the SEO perks that come with it), charge a higher rate.
ROI. Let’s say you’re doing sales writing. You can ask about a commission model wherein you earn a percentage of the sales generated from the copy. This is commonplace within the direct response industry.
One-off gig vs. ongoing work. A one-off gig actually requires more ancillary work than ongoing clients. Think about it: it requires onboarding, editing, adjustments, and payment reconciliation. With consistent, ongoing clients, you’ll often have your routine down to a science, reducing administrative work. Don’t forget this when you charge someone for a one-off project.
Learn the specifics of pricing (from me!)
There is a lot to get into around this topic, and I don't think a blog post is the best place for me to do a super deep dive with you on it, so I'm inviting you to my Pricing for Freelance Writers coming up on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:30 pm CST.
This is one of the most requested topics I get from readers, and I've coached more than 60 individuals one-on-one on this very topic.
Many of them have gone on to build thriving freelance writing businesses, some were recruited by Fourtune 500 companies, and others secured five-figures worth of work just weeks after learning these lessons from me.
The cost to attend this workshop is $40.00, and the recording will be available to anyone who signs up (so don't worry if you can't be there during the live event.)
During this session, I'll walk you through:
Various pricing models and structures you can test out
Going rates for writing work and places where you can find industry-based data around pricing averages
Major do's and don'ts when it comes to quoting projects
Education to provide around your rates (that'll help you communicate your value and get hired)
Tips for including pricing info on your website
Raising your rates over time
There will also be time at the end for Q&A, and you'll be able to ask your questions using your webcam since the event is set up so you can see me and your fellow attendees.