How Much Should I Charge
How Much Should I Charge
How Much Should I Charge
How Much
Should I
Charge?
by Lynn Wasnak
f youre a beginning freelance writer, or dont know many other freelancers, you may
wonder how anyone manages to earn enough to eat and pay the rent by writing or performing a mix of writing-related tasks. Yet, smart full-time freelance writers and editors annually
gross $35,000 and upsometimes up into the $150,000-200,000 range. These top-earning freelancers rarely have names known to the general public. (Celebrity writers earn fees far beyond
the rates cited in this survey.) But, year after year, they sustain themselves and their families
on a freelance income, while maintaining control of their hours and their lives.
Such freelancers take writing and editing seriouslyits their business.
Periodically, they sit down and think about the earning potential of their work, and how
they can make freelancing more profitable and fun. They know their numbers: what it costs
to run their business; what hourly rate they require; how long a job will take. Unless theres
a real bonus (a special clip, or a chance to try something new) these writers turn down work
that doesnt meet the mark and replace it with a better-paying project.
If you dont know your numbers, take a few minutes to figure them out. Begin by choosing
your target annual incomewhether its $25,000 or $100,000. Add in fixed expenses: social
security, taxes, and office supplies. Dont forget health insurance and something for your
retirement. Once youve determined your annual gross target, divide it by 1,000 billable
hoursabout 21 hours per weekto determine your target hourly rate.
Rememberthis rate is flexible. You can continue doing low-paying work you love as long
as you make up for the loss with more lucrative jobs. But you must monitor your rate of earning
if you want to reach your goal. If you slip, remind yourself youre in charge. As a freelancer,
you can raise prices, chase better-paying jobs, work extra hours, or adjust your spending.
Sounds great, you may say. But how do I come up with 1,000 billable hours each
year? Im lucky to find a writing-related job every month or two, and these pay a pittance.
Thats where business attitude comes in: network, track your time, join professional organizations, and study the markets. Learn how to query, then query like mad. Take chances
by reaching for the next level. Learn to negotiate for a fee you can live onyour plumber
does! Then get it in writing.
Youll be surprised how far you can go, and how much you can earn, if you believe in your
skills and act on your belief. The rates that follow are a guide to steer you in the right direction.
LYNN WASNAK (www.lynnwasnak.com) has freelanced full time for nearly three decades as a writer, editor, and small
publisher. Her international newsletter for childhood trauma survivors, Many Voices (www.manyvoicespress.com), is
now in its 17th year.
Organizations
For more information on determining freelance pay rates, negotiating contracts, etc., you can visit the following organizations Web sites. (Editors
note: A special thank you to the members of the organizations listed below
for their thoughtful responses to our survey.)
$100
$150
$100
$100
$150
$100
Campaign development
or product launch
Catalog copywriting
Direct-mail copywriting
E-mail ad copywriting
$167
$80
$180
Press/news release
$80
$180
Press kits
$180
Political campaigns,
public relations
$110
$125
$85
$180
Event promotions/publicity
$150
Advertorials
HIGH
Advertising copywriting
Advertising, Copywriting
& Public Relations
$43
$50
$20
$50
$50
$35
$30
$45
$69
$50
$50
$50
$20
$25
$50
$40
$50
$35
LOW
$81
$60
$53
$64
$89
$97
$96
$88
$91
$63
$80
$87
$58
$60
$89
$71
$97
$92
AVG
PER HOUR
$10,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1,500
$5,000
n/a
$3,500
n/a
$3,500
$50,000
n/a
n/a
$8,750
$700
n/a
$9,000
HIGH
$2,700
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$125
$1,000
n/a
$300
n/a
$200
$600
n/a
n/a
$1,500
$350
n/a
$150
LOW
PER PROJECT
$5,480
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$479
$2,334
n/a
$1,525
n/a
$836
$8,248
n/a
n/a
$4,250
$500
n/a
$2,278
AVG
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$500/day
$500/page
$2/word
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$4/word
$1,200/page
$1/word
$350/item
n/a
$1/word
$3/word
$1,875/page
$3/word
HIGH
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$200/day
$150/page
50/word
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1/word
$200/page
25/word
$25/item
n/a
50/word
75/word
$300/page
25/word
LOW
OTHER
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$367/day
$297/page
$1.30/word
n/a
$1/word
$500/day
$2/word
$1.50/word
$400/page
65/word
$84/item
n/a
75/word
$1.92/word
$550/page
$1.63/word
AVG
$75
$35
$110
$100
$100
n/a
n/a
$45
$1,500
n/a
n/a
$70
Screenwriting
(original screenplay)
n/a
n/a
$30
$50
$85
$70
Radio commercials/PSAs
Movie novelization
$85
n/a
$1,500
n/a
n/a
$15,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
HIGH
$58
n/a
$100
$75
n/a $106,070
$400
n/a
$60
$56
$68
$96
$129
$36
$22
$88
$150
$100
$85
$150
n/a
$92
n/a
$60
$150
$86
AVG
n/a
$30
$200
LOW
PER HOUR
Copyediting audiovisuals
HIGH
$60
$60
$56,500
n/a
$150
n/a
n/a
$3,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
$600
n/a
n/a
n/a
LOW
PER PROJECT
HIGH
n/a
n/a
LOW
OTHER
n/a
n/a
$650/15 min
$4,500/
20 min
AVG
$75
$65
$81,285
n/a
$400
n/a
n/a
$6,750
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$200/run min
$850/run min
n/a
$500/run min
$500/run min
n/a
$500/run min
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$45/run min
$120/run min
n/a
$100/run min
$100/run min
n/a
$50/run min
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$109/run min
$504/run min
n/a
$300/run min
$300/run min
$50/page
$229/run min
n/a
n/a
AVG
TV scripts (nontheatrical)
n/a
n/a
$20
$19
$23
$30
$50
n/a
n/a
$50
$40
$40
$23
$35
n/a
$35
$70
$60
$55
LOW
n/a
$34
$49
$52
$51
$63
n/a
n/a
$60
$65
$57
$52
$75
n/a
$89
$90
$73
$80
AVG
PER HOUR
n/a
$5,500
$20,000
$4,500
$15,000
n/a
n/a
$500
$300
$10,000
$1,500
$7,900
n/a
n/a
$20,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
$2,000
$1,000
$500
$525
n/a
n/a
$120
$200
$500
$250
$4,000
n/a
n/a
$10,000
n/a
n/a
$3,000
LOW
PER PROJECT
$5,000
HIGH
n/a
$3,500
$7,988
$1,859
$6,119
n/a
n/a
$200
$250
$4,512
$792
$5,967
n/a
n/a
$15,000
n/a
n/a
$4,083
AVG
$40,000
$6/page
$40/page
$9/page
$20/page
$5/word
$4,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$2/word
$500/run min
$1,000/day
n/a
$2,500/
30 sec spot
$500/run min
HIGH
$525
$1/page
$3.75/page
$3/page
$4/page
$1/word
$1,500
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1/word
$100/run min
$550/day
n/a
$150/
30 sec spot
$100/run min
LOW
OTHER
$75
Copyediting
$125
$75
n/a
n/a
$100
$125
$100
$100
$80
$125
Anthology editing
Book Publishing
n/a
$100
$150
TV news story/feature2
TV scripts (teleplay/MOW)3
$85
$125
HIGH
TV commercials/PSAs1
$14,203
$4.10/page
$7.50/page
$4/page
$6/page
$3/word
$2,920
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1.50/word
$300/run min
$800/day
n/a
$963/
30 sec spot
$300/run min
AVG
$45
$20
$30
$36
$180
$125
$150
$150
$100
Annual reports
$30
$69
$81
$86
$68
$87
n/a
n/a
n/a
$63
$46
$30
$45
n/a
$85
$72
n/a
n/a
$2,000
$15,000
n/a
$15,000
n/a
n/a
$10,000
$50,000
n/a
n/a
$400
n/a
$75,000
$2,000
n/a
$150
$300
n/a
$500
n/a
n/a
$7,000
$4,000
n/a
n/a
$150
n/a
$1,300
$150
n/a
$5,000
$5,500
LOW
PER PROJECT
$80,000
HIGH
$70 $100,000
$73
AVG
1 Per project figures do not include royalty arrangements, which vary from publisher to publisher.
2 Other figures in cents are per target word.
Brochures, fliers,
booklets for business
Business
$35
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$25
$120
n/a
$15
$15
n/a
Translation (poetry)
Translation (nonfiction)
Translation (fiction)2
Rewriting
Proofreading
$75
$30
$60
$150
n/a
n/a
$70
$22
$40
$36
$50
$30
$100
$115
LOW
PER HOUR
$100
Indexing
Ghostwriting, no credit
Ghostwriting, as told to 1
HIGH
n/a
$762
$2,777
n/a
$6,147
n/a
n/a
$8,500
$14,500
n/a
n/a
$275
n/a
$25,297
$835
n/a
$36,229
$22,800
AVG
n/a
n/a
$2/word
$2/word
$800/page
$400/day
$600/day
$15/page
15
12
n/a
$600/day
$5/page
$30/page
$50,000
n/a
n/a
$5/page
$3/word
HIGH
n/a
n/a
$1/word
35/word
$50/page
$300/day
$400/day
$0/page
n/a
$450/day
$2/page
$10/page
$4,000
n/a
n/a
$2/page
50/word
LOW
OTHER
n/a
n/a
$1.42/page
$1.28/word
$387/page
$350/day
$494/day
$7.50/page
10
n/a
$525/day
$3.09/page
$20/page
$17,909
n/a
n/a
$3.69/page
$1.65/word
AVG
$125
$135
$180
$135
Corporate profile
$125
n/a
Newsletters, editing
writing1
$100
Newsletters, desktop
publishing/production
Newsletters,
$150
$135
$75
$180
Corporate histories
Government writing
$125
$90
Business-writing seminars
Consultation on communications
$150
$200
Business plan
$150
HIGH
$60
n/a
$30
$30
$35
$43
$20
$25
$65
$50
$40
$35
$25
$70
$35
$60
$50
$25
LOW
$105
n/a
$82
$63
$76
$96
$50
$96
$102
$93
$70
$87
$61
$120
$65
$103
$88
$72
AVG
PER HOUR
n/a
n/a
$5,000
n/a
n/a
$3,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
$7,500
n/a
$35,000
n/a
n/a
$10,000
$8,600
$15,000
n/a
HIGH
n/a
n/a
$800
n/a
n/a
$500
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1,000
n/a
$1,000
n/a
n/a
$2,000
$550
$1,000
n/a
LOW
PER PROJECT
n/a
n/a
$2,000
$3,600
n/a
$1,767
n/a
$750
n/a
$4,000
n/a
$12,500
n/a
n/a
$5,000
$2,450
$6,000
n/a
AVG
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1.40/
target line
$5/word
$230/page
$750/page
n/a
$1/word
$2/word
n/a
$2/word
$3/word
n/a
$2/word
$4/page
$1,200/day
$1,500/page
HIGH
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1/
target line
$1/word
$150/page
$150/page
n/a
25/word
50/word
n/a
$1/word
$1/word
n/a
$1/word
$2/page
$500/day
$200/page
LOW
OTHER
n/a
n/a
$1.20/
target line
$2/word
$185/page
$391/page
n/a
63/word
$1/word
$500/day
$1.50/word
$1.75/word
n/a
$1.50/word
$3/page
$740/day
$684/page
n/a
$1/word
AVG
$100
$35
$50
$100
$68
$55
$70
n/a
$39
$70
n/a
$57
$107
$83
$62
$90
$84
$72
$58
$98
$51
$66
$73
AVG
n/a
$2,500
n/a
n/a
n/a
$15,000
n/a
$2,500
n/a
$7,000
n/a
$4,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
$5,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
HIGH
1 For more information about photography rates, see 2007 Photographers Market.
2 Per project figures based on 4 pages/8 photos
Slides/Overhead
n/a
$40
n/a
$100
Photography (corporate-commercial)
Picture editing
$65
$20
$75
n/a
$70
$20
$30
$45
$150
$135
n/a
$32
$100
$125
$50
$150
Photo research
Photo brochures 2
Desktop publishing
Editorial/Design Packages 1
White Papers
Technical writing
Technical editing
$33
$30
$110
$30
$30
$180
Online editing
$100
$18
$125
$125
$30
$125
$35
LOW
PER HOUR
$100
E-mail copywriting
HIGH
n/a
$500
n/a
n/a
n/a
$400
n/a
$800
n/a
$100
n/a
$500
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
LOW
PER PROJECT
n/a
$1,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
$4,913
n/a
$1,650
n/a
$1,251
n/a
$2,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
$2,875
n/a
n/a
n/a
AVG
$1,000/day
$90/slide
$65/picture
$2,500/day
n/a
n/a
$300/card
$150/page
n/a
$1.25/word
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$4/page
$2/word
n/a
$4/page
$2/word
HIGH
$600/day
$50/slide
$35/picture
$1,000/day
n/a
n/a
$50/card
$35/page
n/a
35/word
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$3/page
25/word
n/a
$3/page
30/word
LOW
OTHER
$800/day
$63/slide
$45/picture
$2,000/day
n/a
n/a
$125/card
$92/page
n/a
86/word
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$3.50/page
90/word
n/a
$3.50/page
$1.12/word
AVG
$50
n/a
n/a
n/a
$40
$40
$30
$35
$35
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$125
$30
$15
$35
LOW
$90
n/a
n/a
n/a
$64
$50
$75
$84
$72
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$294
$85
$38
$56
AVG
PER HOUR
n/a
n/a
$500
$300
n/a
n/a
n/a
$5,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$1,500
$15,000
HIGH
n/a
n/a
$50
$100
n/a
n/a
n/a
$550
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$200
$500
LOW
PER PROJECT
n/a
n/a
$190
$167
n/a
n/a
n/a
$2,502
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$500
$8,084
AVG
n/a
n/a
n/a
$3,400
$400/event
$1,000/
event
$30,000/
event
HIGH
n/a
$250/column
n/a
$1/word
$1/word
n/a
$450/article
$4,400/event
$550/day
$175/story
$3,000/event
1 For specific pay rate information for feature articles, columns/departments, fillers, etc., see individual market listings.
$150
n/a
n/a
n/a
Book reviews
$100
Arts reviewing
$60
$220
Writers workshops
$125
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$500
$90
$100
$100
HIGH
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$50/column
n/a
15/word
10/word
n/a
$100/article
$250/event
$150/day
$50/story
$50/event
$2,500
$50/event
$50/
event
$1,000/
event
LOW
OTHER
n/a
n/a
n/a
$450/day
$134/column
75/word
48/word
78/word
n/a
$252/article
$1,663/event
$367/day
$115/story
$200/event
$2,750
$228/event
$336/
event
$5,000/
event
AVG
$35
$44
$70
$100
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Manuscript typing
$30
$80
Family histories
Encyclopedia articles
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$20
n/a
$125
Miscellaneous
Rewriting
Reprint fees
Proofreading
Magazine research
$20
$125
$200
Fact checking
$50
$20
$50
$75
$75
$20
$25
$125
Copyediting magazines
Content editing
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
LOW
$20
$50
n/a
$65
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
$75
$56
$60
n/a
$34
$37
$100
$41
$40
$48
n/a
n/a
AVG
PER HOUR
HIGH
n/a
n/a
n/a
$30,000
n/a
$300
n/a
n/a
$2,000
n/a
n/a
$1,500
n/a
n/a
$3,500
n/a
n/a
n/a
$11,700
n/a
HIGH
n/a
n/a
n/a
$7,000
n/a
$50
n/a
n/a
$150
n/a
n/a
$25
n/a
n/a
$1,100
n/a
n/a
n/a
$100
n/a
LOW
PER PROJECT
n/a
$150/joke
$500/group
$575
$3/word
$1/word
$600/column
n/a
$1.50/word
n/a
$500/item
$2/word
n/a
$10/page
$6,500/issue
$3/word
$1.50/word
$2,500/column
HIGH
n/a
n/a
n/a
$17,400
$3/page
$125/page
n/a
n/a
n/a $2,000/article
35/word
$175
n/a
n/a
$962
n/a
n/a
$397
n/a
n/a
$2,088
n/a
n/a
n/a
$2,993
n/a
AVG
$1/page
$75/page
n/a
n/a
$50/article
15/word
n/a
$5/joke
$100/group
$15
17/word
27/word
$250/column
n/a
10/word
n/a
$100/item
60/word
n/a
$2.90/page
$2,000/issue
14/word
37/word
$75/column
LOW
OTHER
$1.27/page
$100/page
$30/gag
n/a
$300/article
25/word
n/a
$50/joke
$250/group
$100
95/word
78/word
$342/column
n/a
59/word
n/a
$225/item
$1.08/word
n/a
$6.30/page
$4,250/issue
$1.28/word
84/word
$717/column
AVG
n/a
n/a
n/a
Reprints
Stringing
n/a
n/a
n/a
$18
n/a
n/a
n/a
$25
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
LOW
n/a
n/a
n/a
$20
n/a
n/a
$35
$30
n/a
n/a
n/a
$50
n/a
AVG
PER HOUR
n/a
n/a
$300
n/a
n/a
$1,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
$200
$200
$250
$500
HIGH
n/a
n/a
$50
n/a
n/a
$75
n/a
n/a
n/a
$15
$15
$0
$200
LOW
PER PROJECT
n/a
n/a
$163
n/a
n/a
$338
n/a
n/a
n/a
$98
$93
$55
$300
AVG
1 Some pay in gift certificates or books. Judging of finalists may be duty included in workshop speakers fee.
n/a
Feature
$25
n/a
Editing/manuscript evaluation
Proofreading
n/a
Copyediting
Obituary copy
n/a
$35
Column, local
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Book reviews
judging 1
HIGH
Arts reviewing
Newspapers
Writing contest
Rsums
n/a
$35/insertion
$2,400/story
n/a
n/a
$225/story
$1.50/word
n/a
n/a
$250/column
60/word
60/word
$20/entry
HIGH
n/a
$4/insertion
$40/story
n/a
n/a
$35/story
10/word
n/a
n/a
$50/column
25/word
10/word
$10/entry
LOW
OTHER
n/a
$8/insertion
$378/story
n/a
n/a
$112/story
54/word
n/a
n/a
$103/column
40/word
37/word
$15/entry
AVG