This sounds like a simple question, but in actuality, it’s quite difficult to answer. When people ask me “How much do you charge?” I always say “It depends.” Usually their follow-up is “On what?”
Good question.
First of all, let’s be clear: the rates don’t change based on things like how much I like you as a person, and I’m not going to give you a better (or worse) rate based on some kind of intangibles like planetary alignments or my assumptions about your level of wealth or status.
Nope.
Rates are based on much more scientific calculations, including (but not limited to):
- The type of project
- The date you need the project absolutely, completely finished OR ELSE
- The level of difficulty of said project
- The number of OTHER projects I’m currently juggling
- Client history (i.e. if we’ve got a fixed rate that’s working for both of us, we can often just keep using that wage for similar projects)
And if you really want to get down to brass tacks, I frequently refer to the Professional Writers Association of Canada’s professional fee guidelines. (Mostly because American writers’ groups don’t seem to publish this kind of thing, for whatever reason, so although there’s a difference between Canadian and U.S. dollars, it’s still a good reference.)
For me, the most relevant fees are:
Editing: $30 to $60 per hour / $500 to $20,000 per project
Ghost Writing: Generally 2 to 3 times the usual rate
Newsletters: 30 cents to $1.50 per word / $400 to $6,000 per issue / $50 to $80 per hour (writing only; layout extra)
Online/Website Writing: $1 to $3 per word / $60 to $100 per hour
General Interest/Consumer Magazines: $1 to $2 per word / $500 to $10,000 per article / $400 to $1,500 per column
Trade/Special Interest Magazines: 30 cents to $2 per word / $500 to $4,000 per article / $300 to $1,000 per column
If you’re looking to hire me in any of these areas, those are the average rates that real, live writers receive for their work. Shocked at how high they are? Don’t be; in this business, you really get what you pay for, and writers or editors who offer cut rates often show it with shoddy work. The reason is simple: they must value quantity over quality in order to make a decent pay check.
So if you’re looking to hire a professional writer, study the rates and determine what you can afford before simply contracting the cheapest bidder to do the work. Most times it will be worth the effort to have it done right the first time, rather than having to hire a second writer to fix the work of the first.
Got questions or comments? Feel free to email me with questions or to discuss my rates, or leave a comment below!