How Much Should a Writer Charge Per Word?
How Much Should a Writer Charge Per Word is a question majority of writers are looking for answer to. You are a writer, or perhaps you are considering becoming one. You have printed your manuscript and now you are ready to start selling it to publishers. As you begin contacting potential publishers, one of their first questions is probably going to be “What sort of price are you charging per word?”
There isn’t a fixed standard for how much a writer should charge per word. Things like how much experience you have, your genre, and to some extent the economy all play a role in determining what price you can demand on each individual work. Still, there are several guidelines that writers should keep in mind when pricing their work.
Read also, Get Paid Writing Articles: 30 Sites That Pay Writers $200 and Above
The going rate for a writing gig is between two and four cents per word. If you are just starting out, chances are that’s not going to be the rate you get for your writing. However, it’s nice to know what other people are charging and know how to set your price.
How Much Should a Writer Charge for a 500-word article?
The typical freelance blogger earns $54 on every 500 words written. Bloggers with less than a year of experience charge roughly $40 per 500 words on average.
Most writers who are just starting out find that this is rather low for what they’re getting paid, but again there’s not much you can do about it. The best advice is to keep writing and improve your craft so that you’ll be able to charge a better rate.
How Much Should a Writer Charge to write per word?
There is no straightforward answer; independent writers charge ranging from $0.02 to $1 per word. This depends on the quality of work you are providing. If your writing is absolutely amazing, then by all means charge more than the average price per word. As a rule of thumb though, it is usually better to err on the side of being too cheap rather than being overpriced.
How much should a writer charge per 1000 words?
The going rate for a 1,000-word article is roughly $40 to $100, and the average pay for experienced freelancers is between $39 and $70 per 1,000 written words. Writers at this level might write 10 such articles per week.
Read also, Write for Us – 15 Websites to Get Paid to Write Guest Posts
Freelance writers who only have less than one year of experience usually earn less than $45 per 1,000 written words. This means that their rate might be closer to the $0.02 to $0.05 per word range.
The percentage earned by writers ranges between 10% and 15%. So if you are paid at the lower end of this range, you could expect to make anywhere from $4 for every 1,000 words to $15.
How much should a writer charge per word if you are writing short stories?
Short story writers typically charge $0.01 to $0.05 per word or $5 to $25 for a 1,000-word short story.
How much should you charge per word if your work is rejected?
Most publishers will purchase your work for between half and double the amount you normally charge per word if they like it enough. They may also offer you a kill fee. This is the price they will pay for your work even if they do not use it at all.
Typically, writers who are new to this business charge 50% of what they would normally get paid per word. So if they would usually cost $0.02 per word, then their kill fee should be $0.01 per word.
How much should you charge per word for children’s stories?
This will depend on the length of the story, whether or not it is illustrated, and how many revisions are needed. A 400-word story that is fully illustrated would probably be sold to a publisher at between $2 and $5 per word or $800 to $2,000 or more.
Read also, Freelance Writing Job: 8 Top Magazines that Pay Writers $100+
As a new children’s writer, you could expect to get around $0.50 per word for stories of this length and complexity.
How much should you charge per 10,000 words for video game scripts?
The going rate is anywhere from 1/4 cent (that’s five cents per 500 words) to 1/2 cent per word. Most writers charge between 16 and 32 cents for 10,000 words.
How much should you charge for a non-fiction book?
The average rate is $1,000 to $10,000 per 40,000 words, but the range varies depending on the topic, research needed, and whether it is fiction or non-fiction. For example, a popular self-help book can sell for as little as $5 per 40,000 words, while an academic textbook might go for much more ($15 to $25).
How much should you charge for your short stories?
When you’re just starting out, the average rate for short fiction is $0.02 to $0.05 per word; established writers will charge between $0.05 and $1 per word or more, depending on their experience and what they feel they’re worth.
How much should you charge for blog posts?
The going rate is around $10 up to $75 or more depending on the topic, research, and writer’s experience.
Read also, Writing Contest: 15 Free Legitimate Online Writing Contest
How much should you charge to write scripts for commercials?
The average rate is $1 to $5 per script, but it can go up to $10 or more under certain circumstances.
How much should I charge for an article that takes me 2 hours to write?
To answer this, we would need to know:
1. How long are the article and
2. How much could you get paid per hour if you worked at a full-time job? Assuming that you can easily earn $10-$15 per hour working for someone else, then it makes sense to charge no more than $15 for an article that takes two hours to write.
How much should you charge for speeches?
Speechwriters typically work on a per-speech basis with fees ranging from $5,000 and up. You can expect to earn anywhere from $1 to $10 per word or more depending on your experience, expertise, and the speaker’s stature.
How much should you charge per hour to write press releases?
10 cents to 20 cents per word (unless you’re already established and then it goes up) or $50-$100 or more an hour.
Read also, Complete Guide on How to Write 5000 words book in 24 Hours
How much should I charge as a beginner writer?
That depends on what you can get paid to do full-time, but a good rule of thumb is $0.02-$0.05 per word or $5-$10 for 1,000 words.
Should I charge per hour or per project?
Either way is fine. Some writers prefer to charge hourly, while others will quote you a flat fee based on how long they think the project will take them to complete.
In certain cases, charging an hourly fee is better. Going with an hourly rate is a safe decision if the scope of work isn’t obvious from the start and you’re unfamiliar with the client’s regular feedback procedure. It also stops you from being paid less overall for the quantity of effort you put in.
Read also, Sale Like Crazy: How to Sell 1,000 Book Copies in 7 Days
How long does it take to write 1000 words?
Typical writing speeds range from 250 to 1000 words per hour, depending on a writer’s expertise and the task itself. For example, a political blog post could be written in about two hours while an academic essay might take three days or more to finish.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to note that the going rates for freelance writing vary from market to market. While you can use this as a starting point, always ask a potential client how much they normally pay their writers and consider what your time is worth before setting a price. Good luck!