Getting Paid to Write? How Much to Charge for your content?

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   H.C Porterposted 14 years ago

   HELP-PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE  I am being asked to provide some guidelines AND figures for a company that I am working with (Website Design and Dev.). I have the guidelines more/less laid out- except for the $$$$ part of the agreement.
   Hubber's if you can help by answering any or all of these inquiries, Id greatly appreciate it 
   1.How much do you charge for Blog Posts- weekly content? All content is 100% original- NO REWRITES, I am researching and confirming all info before posting- and I am providing the Blogs to them with a Photograph/Picture (which I have actually photographed or created). Word count is anywhere from 250-750 words.
   1.5  They also asked me to generate an idea log of future subjects to write blogs on-is this free services included in the job or should I charge?
   2.I just recreated a 20 page binding contract for services-I need to bill them for it-any suggestions on $$$?
   3. How much for re-write of introduction email which they send out to all prospects and leads?
   4.Along with the contract-I made a 5 page presentation, which can be used as a Slide Show or can be printed and passed out as informational packets-How much for this?
   5. Every other month they will need me to write an article to be posted in an online magazine- 500-750 words, again what is a fair decent price?
   6. How much for reviews?
   7. Finally, How about website content-How much should I ask for to write the content for an entire custom designed site?

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      TheGlassSpiderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      DO you want to go per word or per hour? Or per page? If you were looking for any other job, how much would you want to be paid per hour?
      
      ETA: How much of your time is this going to take up? Is this going to be a full or part-time job. How much do you NEED to make?
      
      I know this is a bunch of questions, but I asked a similar thing a couple of months ago, and this is what I was told to think about...and it helped.

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2. 82

   Sufidreamerposted 14 years ago

   Glass Spider is right - you have to work out how much you need to earn every hour, including all of your taxes, health insurance, expenses etc. Then try to break down the list of jobs into how many hours it will take for each.
   
   For example, a blog post, depending upon length, should take 30 minutes to a hour.
   
   The rewrite of the e-mail: 30 - 45 minutes.
   
   Article for an online magazine: 2 - 4 Hours
   
   I could give you some idea of what I charge, but my cost of living is probably far lower than yours - therefore, I can work for less than US/UK based writers.
   
   Here are some useful resources to give you an idea of rates for US writers.
   
   http://freelancewrite.about.com/od/finances/f/rates.htm
   
   http://www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php
   
   Hope that helps, and best of luck - if you have found a company that recognises the importance of quality, they will pay well. Don't be afraid to haggle!

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   1. 58

      michifusposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      thanks - that is a great help Sufidreamer
      
      What would you say, for a standard piece of writing, with minimal research is a good word count per hour for an employer to expect.
      
      600 words per hour?
      
      I have a feeling that I am undercharging!!

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      1. 82

         Sufidreamerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Hi, michifus - I tend to look at 500 words per hour as a decent output for low-research work
         
         Don't worry - most writers are guilty of underselling themselves. It took me far too long to realise that!

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         1. 58

            michifusposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks matey - I was working on 500-600, although I have now downloaded a stopwatch to make sure I accurately clock everything. Still underselling I think but working on it!

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3. 79

   H.C Porterposted 14 years ago

   Thanks all for replying... I guess I will throw out a figure-see if they take it, and pray I dont sell myself short 

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4. 80

   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   I have charged everything from $1 per hundred words to $230 per hundred words, it all really depends on what you think you can get away with!
   
   The problem right now in the online freelance market is that teh old haunts, such as digital point, have now been overrun with not only indian writers, but also antive english speaking college students who are willing to charge as little as $1 per 500 words.
   
   Like my exclusive article directory, it would be nice to creat a more exclusive freelance market website.  however I have no idea how I would attract potential buyers, or writers!

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   1. 79

      H.C Porterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      That would be a great thing...Attraction is all about knowing how to Market and Advertise your products 
      Woman in general know how to do this well...  Just Playing. Last night I threw together an invoice for what I have already done for them-and I think I may be underbidding myself, but I am afraid to up the price and demand more-
      $200 for a 20 page rewrite of a contract
      $50 for a presentation slide show with pics
      $45 per Blog Post (there is 4) including original photo's (they are using my photography background and asking that I provide all articles with an original picture-not sure if the price should go up because of the picture requirements?)
      $20 for an email rewrite
      -Id like to tack on some additional cost for the meetings that I drove an hour to (to find that they were busy and could not meet with me) and then hour home, and for the last minute changes they made to the rewrite (after I emailed them 9 times and called 3 times to get confirmation that it was correct and they didn't have changes-they called me 4 hrs before they needed to use the darn thing and said oops-just looked at it and we think we want to add a few things/ they had it for a freaking week!) Can you do that-add charges for headaches that their lack of communication and follow up causes you?

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      1. 80

         thisisoliposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Maybe a plumber-like call out fee!
         
         I would love to get $50 just to get out of bed.

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      2. 82

         Sufidreamerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thats a pretty good start - I didn't want to see you get sucked into the '$5 an article' mindset. We, as writers, have to change this mentality ourselves, and stop selling our professional skills short.
         
         As for the rewrites - for future reference, I always agree the number beforehand. Establishing fees for time, like Megs78 said, is also a good idea. You might want to draw up a quick agreement about the photo's, too - make it clear that they are using them under license only, as a one off use (not sure about the legal process on that one, so you might want to chase that up!)
         
         It is all part of a learning process!

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            habeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            EXACTLY!!
            
            I've sold many, many articles to various publishers, ranging from $10-$375 each. Don't give your work away!

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   megs78posted 14 years ago

   i think i would definitely go by the hour so that you are sure of your pay.  it took you an hour to go see them?  charge it.  its your time and your effort and if you were in their office doing it, they would be paying you by the hour.  Definitely by the hour and then maybe tack on some .43 cents per km for travel.  makes it a bit easier.

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