Being a Professional Freelance Writer (Part Four)

For writers and editors, there seem to be three key ways of splitting up your rates: hourly, by word, or as a flat rate. Even when establishing a flat rate, using one (or both) of the previous methods helps immensely with determining one that's fair.

For freelance writers

When deciding on my current writing rate, I considered how long it takes for me to write and polish a piece, and how much I believe an hour of my writing time is worth. Your rate may vary depending on the type of writing you are completing—for instance, intense creative work takes me longer than feature articles, so I charge more for the former. I use this to determine the fixed rate that I put in the final contract, before starting on the work.

To determine your rate as a writer, you might need to experiment with writing different pieces to see how long and how much work each type of writing takes you. You don’t want to agree to an amount and sign the contract only to find that the work takes twice the time and effort that you were expecting.

For freelance editors

For editing, determining your rates requires a similar process. You might need to do some sample edits to see how long it takes you to complete each type that you are offering. You can use this information to make a final decision on what your rate is.

I offer structural editing for approximately 5c per word, copyediting for approximately 2c per word, and proofreading for approximately 1c per word. However, these rates vary because the amount of time it takes for me to work through a piece changes based on how much work it needs. This is why I request a sample of work before I write up a contract with a fixed rate included, to make sure I’m not going to be sent a draft that takes twice the time I bargained for.

The most important thing when it comes to rates and getting paid is making sure you aren’t selling yourself short. Your time is valuable and you are a professional: don’t give your skills away for free. Also, over time, as you acquire experience, don’t be afraid to increase your rates. The more talent you are providing, the more valuable you are. Surviving as a freelancer is hard, so don’t make it harder for yourself by donating your precious time.

That said, 'donating' your services is not always bad. Working for exposure is often frowned upon by freelancers and creatives, but money isn't the only valuable thing worth working for. If you do intend to work without monetary compensation, make sure you are being respected and not exploited. That's the most important thing.

Being prepared (Becoming a business) »
Showing off (Creating a portfolio) »
Getting employed (Pitches and finding work) »
What are you worth? (Rates) »
Signing on the dotted line (Contracts) »
Being able to pay the rent (Invoices) »