What to charge for the writing and editorial work you do is a puzzlement for many writers, especially those beginning their career or transitioning to another kind of writing or editorial service. Bookmark the Editorial Freelancers Association rates and fees page and you’ll never have to sweat what to charge.
Spend some time reading and digesting the suggested fees from EFA.
Where do you write?
Don’t just latch onto a fee and adapt it to your work. Think about where you work — if you work from a home office, you’ll look at where your customers are. For example. If I’m writing for a national publication out of New York, my rate might be higher than something I create for a regional publication in Mississippi.
Is there a huge demand, or a huge supply or writers?
Consider how much competition you have in a particular market. If every job posting for entertainment copywriters nets hundreds of replies, you might moderate your rate for that kind of writing. It’s your choice.
Do you write quickly?
If you work more slowly than average or even senior copywriters, seriously think about softening your rate so your customer feels a true sense of value when they pay you. On the other hand, if you are as swift as a hummingbird shoot for the high end of the range.
Part hourly and part flat rate
It’s sometimes difficult to set a flat rate for your writing. Recently, I contracted with a small agency. They required, against my instinct, a flat rate for a project. Later, they wanted me to convert to an hourly, and then decided the flat was better, after all. I might have done better to set a flat rate for the bulk of the project and include an hourly rate for work that went beyond the agreed upon scope and volume. Like this: $2500 for three agreed upon deliverables and two rounds of revisions. Add $75 per hour for anything additional.
The best idea is to study the EFA chart and create one of your own after considering your variables. Once you have your chart keep it up-to-date, based on your markets and skills. That’s a simple way to quote a reasonable and profitable rate for any project.
Read more:
Make Real Money as a Freelance Writer
Need help selling your writing or services? How about a writing coach?
Hi Maryan, as you know I have transitioned into a new industry. That’s a good thing. But knowing what to charge is definitely a challenge. While I am not necessarily copywriting or editing, this is useful information because it blends with the work I am doing which is project management for social media. Thanks!
Hey Blanca! Nice to hear from you – thanks for the comment – your input is always valuable. Anytime you’d like to do a guest post, let me know!
–mkp