I'm not sure this quite fits here, but I'm hoping someone with more experience can answer a pressing question of mine. I've applied for a job writing descriptions and reviews for products as and when required on a fashion shop's website (I won't go into too much detail, but it ranges from incredibly cheap to high-end designer stuff). They've asked me to submit an example piece, which I've done, but they also want to know what sort of wages I'd be looking for. Now, at this stage I'm not sure how regular the work will be, but the example piece I had to write was around 250 words, starting from quite limited information and doing my own research. It didn't take especially long to come up with something I'm satisfied with, around and hour and a half, which considering it's the first time I've written anything at all on the subject doesn't seem a bad start. The problem is I really don't know how much I should be asking for. "Hourly rate expectation or ideal cost per word" is what they've asked, I've never liked the idea of being paying by the word, and since I'll be working from home, who's to say what hours exactly I'll be keeping anyway? It pretty much boils down to: How much should I expect to earn for my work?
If you google 'freelance writing fees', you'll find an article with a link inside that goes to a list of rates.
Interesting question. And it brings a couple of similar questions to my mind: How much do writers charge for ghostwriting books? Or for editing other people's work?
I find it easier to charge by the hour, sometimes a client can ask for something that's only 300 words, but it's 300 words that takes 2 hours of conceptualisation and 2 hours of research. Time yourself and see how much you can comfortably deliver in an hour- with proofing and editing included. I charge the equivalent of about $45 an hour or portion thereof for basic copy and I can do up to about 800- 1 000 words comfortably if I don't have to do any of my own research/ interviews. If it's an hour and 15 min and I like the client, I wont charge for the extra 15 min. I don't know how that compares to what writers make in the states, but my rates are pretty standard here. If it's a long project, I'll agree on one flat fee with 2 sets of revisions included. More than 2 revisions and I start charging by the hour again. Hope that helped. No idea what ghost writers charge, but it's probably a lot more!
you can find out by googling for ghostwriting fees... they can run into mid-5 figures, for the best ones... from hundreds, to thousands, depending on the amount/kind of editing needed... again, googling will give you a range of the going rates and the types of editing services offered... i've done both ghostwriting and all kinds of editing/revising, am currently doing several screenplay rewrites for a client, but i now charge much less than the going rate, since i don't have to do it for a living any more and can thus do it mainly to be helpful... and i only take on a paying client when funds are needed for my charitable projects... i'm currently saving up to start a donation center and free books program for the hopi tribe, when i finish this assignment in bogota and can return to their mesas in northern arizona...
