Article writing pricing...

by 137 replies
183
Can someone tell me the going rate per article? I am thinking I might start writing to earn some $$$...
#main internet marketing discussion forum #article #pricing #writing
  • I hear $2 to rewrite an existing article (human spinner) $5 for a new original and $10 for native English 'experts'
  • I hope I'm not intruding, although I'm probably doing you and I a favor. How many articles/word-per-article can be sold for $100? 10 400 word? etc...thanks.
  • It varies depending on some factors.

    1. type of article
    2. length
    3. skill of writer (native English or not)

    It actually depends on you.
    • [1] reply
    • Great points Adie! Very true. It's all individual based.

  • If you want to start writing for money, opening your own PLR store using Wordpress is a great way to go. PLR stands for Private Label Rights and is pre-written content (can be video) that you write (can be outsourced) on a variety of topics that can be modified and used as their own by the purchaser. Like other service providers, you get paid with Paypal, but it also has another advantage that ghostwriting doesn't: residual income. You can also work on your own schedule.

    The PLR topics you write on are based on things that people are looking for in the search engines. Once you create a PLR pack --charging let's say $1 per page (can be whatever you want), it's there forever like with affiliate marketing. If you use an opt-in form, you can also take PLR requests, which equals guaranteed buyers.

    If you need to make money even faster, you can run PLR specials as well. Oh, due to the nature of PLR, you don't have to offer a refund seeing as how the content can't be returned and what not.

    Joey
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • Joey has a good point - it's what I did.

      I do a lot of freelance writing so if I'm writing something unique I'm generally charging more - some articles I do for $5 while others I've received $60.

      The main thing is that you don't want to sell yourself short otherwise you're going to be working tooth and nail trying to produce content that isn't paying you what you need to get by.

      I'd say start around $10 for a 600 word article because it will be at least worth it for your efforts.

      In the meantime, try checking out PLR. I've had my site up for about 5 months now and it's pulling in some money so I use it like a passive income stream and idea bank for other freelance stuff.
  • that depend on many things, is that rewrite or create?how long the articles are?
    you english level? and the knowledge about the niche you are writing on?
    anyway the cheapest price for me is 1/300 words to rewrite ,but the most expensive is 100 for a 500 words sales letter.
  • That really depends, but if you're starting you can go for a $1-$2 per hourly rate, usually you can create 1 article for about an hour and a half. But when you have already established and have been making quite good content article you can charge as much as $5 per article.
    • [1] reply
    • This is way too low, don't sell yourself short. Create a few original pieces and use those as examples for your potential clients. I've hired articles writers in the past and I can honestly say the articles I paid $5 for were absolute trash, and I had to go through and fix each.

      Potential clients also see your asking prices and will subliminally assign a value to your quality of work, so don't hurt your chances of making good money before you've even started.

      Hope that helps!

      Paul
  • I was actually cringing when I clicked on this thread. From past experience.....I know I'm most likely not going to like what I see.

    But I'm here now so........

    As has been said on this forum many times over.....

    You get what you pay for!

    That being said, you need to determine the value of your writing and where you fit in the 'article writing' market.

    I started at $10 per article just to get my feet wet around here. That lasted about a month. I was getting rave reviews and being booked weeks in advance. However, I was exhausted and my fingers were numb! I quickly realized I could charge more than $10 and there were plenty of people willing to pay for quality content.

    My fees are much higher now and my fingers love me.

    Bottom line.....if you're good....don't sell yourself short. Focus on establishing a good reputation and your writing will speak for itself.

    If you're not so good.....practice, practice, practice.

    Good Luck!
    • [ 16 ] Thanks
  • There are potential customers available at every price point.

    I have tested ghost writing price points from $20 to $495, and there were customers at every tier. But each tier only has a specific number of customers.

    Figure out what you want to get paid, and make sure you have the talent to persuade people to pay that rate, and you will be off to the races.

    At each price point, you can charge more and get fewer customers, or you can charge less and get more customers.

    But going down in price, there is a certain point where the price is too low for you to earn the money you think you deserve, and at the same time, the number of available customers stops climbing.

    When I was testing prices for ghost writing outside the forum environment, the best price point for maximum earnings and maximum volume was between $40 and $45 per 1000-word article.

    Inside the forum, there is a much lower number that defines your potential. Most buyers here will only pay $5 and that would be the sweet spot price point.

    So you got to decide now where you would be more effective promoting your services, on or off the forum.

    Marketing outside the forum is tough for some people, and if you are not capable of doing so, then you will have to push yourself to market in the $2 to $25 per article price range, with the sweet spot at $5.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [3] replies
    • Same here - unbelievable responses!

      When you are starting out it doesn't matter what people "pay" their writers. Doesn't matter what non-writers think is a good price. It's true there are fewer buyers at higher rates - but they are often better to work with, loyal and you only need a few clients like that to keep you busy.

      You base your fees on:

      Your writing experience
      Your skill level
      Your idea of a reasonable hourly income

      You need a portfolio. These can be sample articles you create just to have examples.

      If you start with low prices, that's where you'll stay. If you increase your price, the low end buyers will just move on to another cheap writer.

      My advice is never start at less than $10 for a 500 word article - I charge a lot more than that and have all the work I can handle. Develop a plan of what you want to earn, how many hours you want to work - and work toward YOUR goals.

      kay
      • [ 4 ] Thanks
    • Amazing! Several successful writers are offering free, invaluable advice and the clueless keep posting drivel.
      • [ 4 ] Thanks
    • [DELETED]
    • Hi Bill,

      Any tips or advice on how to go about marketing outside the (or "a") forum that you'd like to share? I understand the purpose of this thread is different; but since this came up, it would be extremely helpful info. for those of us who are ready to make the transition ow.

      Thanks,
      SooRAJ
  • I'm currently charging .05 per word and feel like I'm practically giving it away.

    Will
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    • [1] reply

    • When I quit ghost writing for money, I was charging about 9c word, and I felt I was giving it away too.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • The price point is whatever you think your time is worth right now.

    Do you have a job? How much are you paid an hour? Your time is at least worth that much. Are you a good writer? Do you have samples or feedback yet?

    Seriously, charge a few dollars less than you feel like you're worth. I just started an article writing thread on the side and I already have a few amazing clients.
  • I charge 8 cents per word. I'm a native English speaker.
  • there are many different types of clients that you can go after...just ask yourself why people are willing to pay $20 plus when the other just pay only $5 per articles..

    you will need to research the difference between them and compare to your skills level..time factor could also be considered...for example if i can write one article in 1 hours time and i need one hour of research for that topic...and my country hourly rate for working is $8 per hour...so you may charge $8 x 2 hours = $16 per article

    this is just a rough guide on setting your price...
  • Frankly it all depends upon your marketing skills and goodwill. Initially you can try charging less amount like $1-$5 for 100 words and then gradually can increase your price. Also it depends upon your knowledge about particular niche.
    • [2] replies
    • While I agree with this piece of advice, I was pleasantly surprised recently:

      I set up a fiverr gig for a couple of weeks as research for a product I was considering creating. The gig was a 500 word article. I was immediately flooded with more content than I could comfortably write (from 5 clients). After the first one, they were coming back and ordering 10-15 articles apiece. I deleted the gig and cleared the backlog.

      I wrote all the clients a note that said I'd enjoyed working with them, but wouldn't be working through fiverr any more. EVERY SINGLE ONE asked for my email address and quotes on future work. I was imagining that they would all end up in the corner, shivering and mumbling to themselves when presented with my normal rate ($.05/word). To my pleasant surprise, 3 of the 5 immediately ordered more articles. Of the 3, 2 have returned once for more content and the last orders 10,000 words of content per month, like clockwork.

      The thing I always try to explain to new writers is that there's some sort of psychological tipping point around $10/500 words. The times I've priced my work lower, I get more complaints and clients expect me to follow instructions they never gave. Above that point, I get rave reviews and a bigger paycheck. I always bill up front for the full amount and have never had a client blink when I charged higher prices. At $6/500 when I first started, at least half wanted me to do the work free and rely on their honor to pay afterward.

      To the OP,

      The going rate for articles is $1-$100 for a 500 word general article. If you've got the skill to back it up and the balls to ask for it, both you and your clients will be more satisfied if you stay away from the bottom-of-the-barrel price points.
      • [ 11 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • I agree with you Daniella.

      Charging low can be very limiting.
  • Banned
    actually the price basis on the quality of your written article....if you seriously planning for that...never try to spin the old one...try to write something new and unique.
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      There are actually far more "customers per author" at higher prices than there are at lower prices. In the sub-$5 article market there are nearly as many service-providers as customers, for the obvious reason that the entry-barriers into the market are almost zero: neither marketing skills nor any appreciable literary skills are required.

      Customers paying $100 - $200 per article, of whom there are many, are far more likely to know what to buy and how to use the articles to produce income (i.e. by having them syndicated rather than "for SEO") and therefore far more likely to return to writers for more of the same. The production of these articles requires a different writing skill-set, of course.

      The lower the prices a writer charges, the more frequently s/he will need to replace his/her clients. People charging $5 per article or less typically need constant new infusions of clients, just to survive, because their clients "don't last". People charging $200 per article are typically very fully booked up (which is why you don't often see them advertising).
      • [ 10 ] Thanks
  • JK,

    It all depends on your skill level and your portfolio. If you're going to freelance everything out then a wide range of articles should be in your portfolio. Here you can provide 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person articles, the technical approach, conversational approach, handling "list" articles, and a variety of other methods.

    You can use this portfolio on places like Elance and ODesk to get started. Don't sway from your own pricing levels either. If you feel your content is worth .02 cents a word then stick to your guns.

    A lot of freelancers will give up money, because they're afraid of being rejected. There are plenty of customers paying top dollar for content; you just have to find them.

    Starting a portfolio will also give you a chance to see what kind of skill level you have already. Places like Associated Content are easy "beginner" areas where you are paid by page views (unless you claim one of their pieces).

    I highly recommend starting somewhere like AC, because it allows you to see how well your seo article marketing formula works. If you already know it works well, then see where you can get hired.

    Another place is Demand Studios. You must apply for a writer's position, but the articles can be worth $5 to $25 a piece. Their guidelines are strict, so it's important to learn about them before writing any content. Adhering to each of their formats is a must.

    Hope this helps and Good Luck!
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      Well ... I'm glad I wasn't the only one.

      I suspect, though, that the things that make some of us cringe are little more than misunderstandings about what "article marketing" is.

      People whose awareness of it is more or less limited to "article directories" and "SEO" are actually using the word "article" in a different sense from others: to them, it's more or less "a chunk of text full of keywords to which a backlink can be attached", and their perceptions of the activities for which that sort of "article" is used tend to be defined in terms of "spinning" and "submission software".

      These are - of course - the people of whom the lower-priced writers have (and need!) a huge turnover. Six months or a year later, they start all the hundreds of threads we regularly see here with titles like "Article Marketing Doesn't Work Any More".

      What most (actually almost all) of them have in common is that they've been trying to use article directories for their own traffic and/or their own backlinks, rather than for their original and intended purpose as a stepping-stone to syndication.

      What they all say is actually perfectly true in the sense that what they've been doing doesn't work any more; where they're mistaken is that it isn't really "article marketing" at all - it's only an extremely limited subset of it.
      • [ 4 ] Thanks
  • I have just started out also, and I charge $5 to write an article and submit to article directories. the customer actually pays for the links, which they get via the anchor texts that they choose and the article remains mine

    I too feel that I am giving it away, but i wanted to start low to get some customers so i can get going
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      Please excuse the observation that I think you may be able to do much better with a very different approach, Lisa.

      The higher-priced market for articles is a far better, more stable and more reliable one, not because the articles' prices are higher but because the marketers buying are the ones who know how to use them wisely. Those are also - for obvious reasons - the ones who come back for more. So once you get in all the regular work you want, you don't need to keep finding new clients all the time and can actually run your business instead of constantly replacing it.

      It's wise, I think, to avoid "starting off by writing for low prices" with a view to raising your prices after clients have seen what you can produce. When writing for online markets, it simply doesn't work that way: when you write for low prices you attract clients whose primary motivation is to pay low prices, and you'll lose almost all of them when you increase prices later - and in fact most of them before that, because their own businesses tend not to survive anyway.

      The reality is that to survive yourself, as an article-writer, you need better clients than people who imagine that "article marketing" means putting articles in article directories in an attempt to profit from their own traffic and their own backlinks. It's very hard to make a living from those clients, because so few of them can themselves make a living in the first place.

      (An off-beat analogy, perhaps, but it's a bit like going into MLM and sponsoring people who don't actually want to sell the company's products themselves, but just to sponsor others who'll do the same: it's relatively easy to sign up those people, but in a year's time you won't have a business or an income because they all misunderstood how to earn money, so they "dropped out". No customer retention. No business.)

      In the long run, you need clients who understand that article directory backlinks are non-context-relevant, PR-0 backlinks which won't really help their businesses to flourish. Otherwise you'll simply be replacing your clients for ever, as they gradually disappear. "Sad but true", as hundreds of writers have found: most clients who think of article marketing as "SEO"/"backlink-based" are just not going to be there for the long-term (and those are the ones who want $5 articles!). It's true that there'll always be some new ones to take their place, because these misunderstandings go on for ever, but constantly needing to find them and sell your service to them just makes you a marketer yourself, rather than a writer. And if you're going to do that, it's incomparably better overall just to write for yourself and become an affiliate marketer: that way you can at least develop some residual income.
      • [ 5 ] Thanks
  • I pay $30 for 10 article (500 words & copyscaped)
    I found the writer in digital point
    • [2] replies
    • Banned
      I'm a non-native English writer (Philippines). I'm thinking about charging either 1 cent or 2 cents per word.

    • $30 for 10 articles of 500 words each?

      I hope that works out for you! I would never spend all day writing articles for $30.

      I have personally tested the idea of starting at a low rate and raising your prices.

      It is true that each time you raise your prices, you will lose most of the clients you have. If you are good enough to charge more than $.01 per word (and many writers are), then it really doesn't make much sense to start at a low introductory rate.

      Even though this is what I did, I wouldn't recommend starting cheap.

      If you really want to know what to charge here, simply head over to the Warriors For Hire forum, and see what others are charging. This gives you a good reference point to determine your rates.

      If you go outside this forum, you'll find you can charge higher rates most of the time.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • It really depends on the length of the article and how it was written, since clients do pay for the content and its quality. We cannot also take away the record of the author and how he rates his articles. There are those who would rate their article per words and others as a whole project itself. Each author or writer have their own viewpoint on how to rate an article and on the other side, clients also have their own viewpoint on how to pay these authors or writers on their works.
    And also, clients do look for something that they want writers or authors to provide them. For example, if you have checked freelance or Odesk, some clients would prefer native English speaker and others are also looking for some non native English speakers.
    Regardless of what style or type of article that you are planning to produce or required, the most important thing in this is that both party should come to an agreement.
  • i heard from many another thread is $3 for 500 words
  • Hi, why not search for writer online and on here, and you can see what the going rate is. Some obviously are professional writers for years now and well established but others are just starting out. You need to price it fairly and not too high so you can 'get on board'. Hope this helps and good luck..
  • Sometimes, when you read the webpage in the sig files of those who say they get articles for $3 - $5....you'll understand why articles that cost $3 - $5 are not the best way to go.

    My prices are still fairly cheap, but the thought of writing an article for $3 is mind-boggling.

    Listen to the advice of Alexa, Danielle, and Kay.
    Rose
    • [ 4 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      I agree, Rose ... but it's "horses for courses" (as we say over here, or at least some of us do).

      These discussions often take on much the same shape, with a more-or-less bimodal incidence of opinion, simply because there's no underlying consensus of what an "article" is and the uses to which it can/should be put. It does, in a slightly macabre way, make sense that people who want "a chunk of keyword-optimised text to which backlinks can be attached" don't want to pay more than $3/$5 for it, because they don't really want/need/expect anyone to read it, so they don't actually need a "writer", per se - just someone who speaks enough English to be able to get a collection of sentences past EZA's editors and knows what a keyword is.

      "They're articles, Jim, but not as we know them".

      More specifically, they're "articles", but one can't use them for much more than "SEO" (if indeed that's one's idea of "SEO" - it certainly isn't mine).
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Generally, rates are dependent on various factors. 1) Requirement of the buyer 2) Length 3) Writer's expert..and many more factors, But these three points are very impt as per my thought..
  • Hi,

    yeah..generally rates are depend on various factors...

    but, the more you established yourself and the longer you are in the business ...you can charge higher charge as many experts in freelance
  • Hi,
    I think $3 to $5 is right price for 300 to 450 word article

    Thanks


  • What can I add except, don't get into price wars. You'll lose. Figure out your value to your potential clients, goals, how long it takes you to do a solid article (research included) and then start from there. Remember: you can always lower your price a bit if you need to. But you'll find it hard to start low and then raise them. I've generally given NEW customers a small discount, to see if they like what I write. They do. And then its full price. But don't ever sell your talents short just because someone else is willing to be a cheapskate.
  • I have been a freelance writer since 2006 and can tell you that I have been paid $1 for an article, and I have been paid $500 for an article. There is no one market or typical client for every writer.

    To "reverse engineer" to find your rates and your client base, you can do the following:
    *Honestly appraise the expenses and other required income you need in any given month.
    *Calculate the actual billable time of your total working time per month, time that isn't taken up by marketing and administration.
    *Determine how long it takes you to write an article.
    *Divide necessary monthly income / billable hours / article time = your per article rate

    Depending on your article rate, you may be looking at something that will do well with Internet marketers, or you may best write fir other businesses. Google freelance writing rates and you'll see what kinds of clients pay what.
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • It usually depends on the quality of your article. You should try to focus on building up a good reputation in the Warriors For Hire section. Charging about $5-7 is a price most people will go for. When you go cheaper then that, then some people may think that the quality of the articles will be low. Purchasing an article spinner, like TheBestSpinner would definitely help you out some if you wanted to automate your tasks a little bit.

    James
    • [1] reply
    • I believe that's all you pay. I could have told you that when I tried to read the content at the site in your signature...

      "When the vehicle increases its speed, the engine of the vehicle is to increase its speed; such a work is done by the turbo. It is the power boosters."


      Or you could choose to NOT work with idiots.
      • [ 11 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • It is my contention that, given enough time, quality will always trump quantity. While it is true that you may get an article that passes copyscape for $3, it certainly won't be very good.
  • The going rate for articles that are written from oversees outsources is about $3-5 per 500 word article. Although this is cheap the writing is usually not very good as their primary language is not American English. For U.S. writers to write a word article it's usually about 10 per 500 words. Except nowdays fiverr.com has some U.S. based writers that only charge $5. Good luck!
    • [2] replies
    • The average rate currently is $5 per 500 words.
      • [2] replies
    • What you charge for your articles depends on what type of writer you are. If you are English and a very high quality writer you can get paid $.50 per word or more honestly. If you are just a basic writer you can expect more like $.01 to $.02 per word. Highly skilled writers can make quite a bit of money but you do have to be very good at what you do.
      • [1] reply
  • Great information on this thread.

    I too cringe when I read how cheap people are willing to charge to write articles. And then I remember I am a true believer in you get what you pay for.
  • That kind of material is not the power boosters.
  • The normal price should be about $3.00 for 300 words, articles that are longer are most times boring for the visitors. So keep your articles short and descriptive. So, they will make you sells fast! So, the best way for you to become an article writer is to write in the forum (or maybe in another place such as the freelancers projects!) that you want to earn money for writing, but offers more than $3.00 per 300 words are not welcome
    • [3] replies
    • Banned

      Every single time       there's been a discussion here on that subject, over the last 3 years, it's impressed me (a lot) how often all the Warriors I judge and know to be truly successful, high-earning, professional article marketers have reported that they're routinely writing 900-1,200-word articles. As I am myself, now.

      I consistently get far more traffic and backlinks, and opt-ins, and sales, out of a 1,000-word article than I ever did out of two 500-word ones (even though the latter arrangement obviously provides twice as many resource-boxes).

      Quite apart from the purpose of article marketing being to get high quality articles in front of highly targeted traffic, nothing helps my websites to rank highly as much as syndication of my articles to relevant sites. And almost nobody's syndicating short articles (for all the obvious reasons - and then some). So, sometimes, it appears, "length matters".
      • [ 3 ] Thanks
    • Banned
      If you position your business to attract the lowest pay possible, all you'll be doing is writing like the clappers all day long for peanuts.

      Why settle for the lowest pay possible when there is plenty of work available where the pay is a helluva lot better?

      Would it be better to write two articles per day which pay $75 each (if this is your thing) than having to write 30 articles in the same time period for the same money? ($150 daily)

      If you have to churn out such a high volume of articles to reach your daily financial goal, the quality of your work will surely suffer.

      Instead, if you up your prices and spend a few hours writing each article, just two articles per day can and will bring you to the same financial destination.

      And your name will spread as being a top go to person who consistently delivers exceptional quality.

      Which model would you prefer?

      Best,


      Pete Walker

      PS I'm no longer an article writer so please don't ask! I'm in a much higher paying niche than this these days.

    • That is because you buy services from article writers and you are cheap.



      That is because you are hiring talentless hacks. :rolleyes:



      Now I know why you hire writers.



      As a person who buys writing services, you are probably not the best qualified to tell a writer what he / she should or could charge for writing services.


      • [ 4 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Banned
    We get upwards of $35 - $80 to write a single article.

    And more work pouring in than we can possibly handle in this the IM niche.

    If you want to do the same and get away from offering your article writing services for peanuts, you need this guide in your arsenal...

    Earn upto $125 an hour from home! Rave Reviews!

    In one word, it's BRILLIANT!

    And comes with a full marketing plan to put your writing potential to best use for much better pay.

    It's just $7 to Warriors. Basically you're stark staring bonkers if you don't buy this today.

    Best,


    Pete Walker
  • These are the prices I currently charge for unique high quality articles.




























    • [1] reply
    • Boring articles have nothing to do with length and everything to do with boring writers.

      Do you have a Warrior for Hire thread or a portfolio site?
  • $5 is the going rate for decent quality i think
    • [1] reply
    • yup - sounds like a $3 article:rolleyes:

      There are writers at all price levels - and buyers at all price levels. That's the beauty of freelancing.
      • [1] reply
  • This is like asking "What's the going rate for shirts?"

    Or coffee.

    Or a painting.

    In all genres, there's 'commodity pricing' and 'premium positioning'.

    You could write articles for $0.99 per 100 words and compete as a
    commodity.

    You could just as effectively position yourself as a top-class writer
    and charge $25 per 100 words - AND GET IT.

    Of course, what's true about any kind of online selling applies to
    article writing as well - you only get repeat business if you deliver
    value with your first order.

    And Yanik Silver taught me, many moons ago, to rely on a rough guideline
    of delivering 10x by way of value for whatever price I charge.

    Great advice. It has worked well for me over the years.

    You might find my short report interesting too, it's called "Death of
    $5 Article Writing" (attached to this post)

    All success
    Dr.Mani
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
  • $3.5 for 500 words
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Usually it's around $4-$5 per 100 words
  • You can use this book in places like Elance and oDesk to start. Not influence their own good price levels. If you feel that your content is worth 0.02 cents per word cling to their guns. A lot of self-employed workers are given the money because they are afraid of being rejected. There are plenty of customers who pay good money for content, you just have to find them.
  • I am charging $12 for my articles at the moment, $2/article clients i am not interested in Sooner or later most of them realize they will get what they pay for.
  • My recommendation is to decide what price you are comfortable with based upon what you want to write. Then add at least 25% to the price. That way you will get some who will pay you the higher rate and for the bargain hunters you can give them a price you are comfortable with and feel like are paid accordingly.
    • [1] reply
    • Cheap articles makes my hair stand on end!

      I charge $25 per 500 word article on the forum because the majority of clients looking for services want cheap drivel.

      I don't do cheap, but many would think I am too cheap even at this price range. I work with an agency who pays me $10 per 100 words and the average article length is 700 words.

      And guess what? In the last year alone, this agency has fired more writers than they care to mention because they can't produce the quality that they want.

      So when I wrote 11 articles for them back in March, they decided to keep me on their books. I've now got another stint with them at the end of this month, and guess what?

      My rates have gone up. I am now charging them 15cents per word and they are more than happy to pay for it because they know I am proven to deliver outstanding quality.

      The bottom line is that you can't sustain a living selling articles for $3 for 500 words. A recent client has paid me $80 for 2000 words, and at this ridiculous $3 rate, I would have only received a paltry $12 for the article.

      Go figure.
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  • HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!! It was by no means my intention to start a firestorm!! I was simply trying to assess a starting point! I read every single post and only now realize just how broad my question was.
    I am a plumber by trade so charging high prices is right up my alley! (Ok... that was a joke...) I also spent several years as a radio announcer. Much of that time writing copy for various advertisers. Writing good material with the intention of it being read is not always easy. Creating good content that translates well to the spoken word can be more daunting still. Hopefully providing online material will be a little more intriguing than coming up with thirty second spots for some lame furniture store!

    Many thanks folks!
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply

    • If you have the special skill and experience of writing for the spoken word, why not position yourself to do that? Video and audio is HOT! and not everyone has the understanding to do it.
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    • You should really try READING the post before guessing at the topic.

      Oh, wait... it's pretty clear in the thread title.

      I wonder if signature exposure is worth looking stupid...
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
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  • If you are writing a quality article in english say about 550 words then you can charge $10 to $20 per article, when you get est you will be able to charge more
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    • I'm new to the WF so my words won't carry as much weight as some of the heavy-hitters who consistently provide advice on this subject, but I think I can contribute a bit for the OP and folks like them.

      I've done some pretty crazy things in the name of paying rent. I'm not embarrassed to say I've worked for $0.01/word in the past and have been absolutely thrilled to receive a rate of $0.03/word or, wonder of wonders, even more.

      But I will never, ever do it again.

      It doesn't take me long to whip out a 400-500 word article, and because several years ago I was new to web writing I thought I could make up for it by 1.) over-delivering and 2.) quantity.

      Boy did that backfire.

      Every client told me how great my work was, how shocked they were that they didn't have to touch it with rewrites, and how I should really charge more for that quality. Of course, the low-hanging fruit isn't interested in paying more, in a lot of cases. And as has been observed in this thread, you can continue to offer them handouts and eventually they'll drop you because they aren't successful, or they're flitting about from niche to niche and trying to fluff up as many sites as possible.

      Even working for $0.07/word and writing relatively short (250 word) articles, I had to write a ton of them to even think of paying my bills, let alone create some extra padding. It's just not worth it, when with a little bit of confidence and ingenuity you can either a.) stride in and easily command a higher price from reliable clients or b.) learn the marketing side of the business yourself and realize just how much good, solid content is worth in a world of gibberish tripe.

      The reason you can still find some quality work for such criminally low prices is because there will always be people in the same situation I was in previously. They have a skill, they have loads of time, but what they don't have is money. And unfortunately when they need it so desperately, they'll let their work be exploited and find any number of ways to justify it.

      My best advice if you're just starting out will likely mirror a few others here. Write some samples (for your personal use! Please don't let a client persuade you that "grate expozure" will come from anything they intend to slap their name on, respin, and flood around the internet) and develop some quality PLR packs. Assemble a site to sell them, and then offer your ghostwriting services at a much higher premium. The folks who want their $3 article can get it (and then some) and those who desire unique, quality content can pay what it's actually worth after seeing what you can do.

      But no matter what you do, please, please don't let anyone else tell you what your writing is worth. You are providing an invaluable service. You determine what it's worth. Don't regret your decisions or your price points. Just keep learning more and move on.

      Best of luck,
      Courtney
      • [ 8 ] Thanks
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  • As others have stated this is a really difficult one to answer.

    Best way to explain it is there is no set price!

    However if you are looking for an example of the sort of quality you can get per article and at what price.

    On average I pay $10 - $15 per 400 word article and they are well written.

    You can pay as low as $3 an article it is true but you might have to re-write the whole thing so it defeats the object.

    Chris
  • I really need some help in this. My day job sucks and I could sure could use the extra bucks. There is this watch that I have been wanting to buy called Gshock.
  • This is such a great discussion! I've learned a ton. I've been writing for Yahoo! and TextBroker for several months, and I've just developed a freelance site (linked in my sig.) My next step is pricing my time and work and finding consistent clients.
  • This has been an interesting conversation to watch. There's definitely room on all sides. If you want to get started just earning money and seeing how your writing is received by clients, you can sign up with Textbroker or some of the other sites that have been listed. Some of the authors at TB have made such a great impression on their clients that they've switched from writing to managing and curating - they place the orders instead of fulfilling them.
    At the same time, you can hone your craft and attract outside clients from the Warrior forum here, for example. The question is, how much do you enjoy writing, and do you really want to do it all day?
  • www.interactmedia.com

    This is the best paying site that I have found to date.
  • For most article writers, they charge between $4 to $5 per 500-word article. But for high quality writers, they charge even more than that.
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    • This question is easily answered.

      Will you write well researched, quality, unique, interesting, and error free articles? If so you must establish in your own head how much you want to make an hour and how long that effort (time) will take. That is how you establish what is the going rate for an article.

      Garbage articles are cheap and are filled with mistakes. However, they can be written quickly and given to the client sooner. With articles like this expect a lot of ball bustin from them (client). Just because they paid less doesn't mean there expectations are lowered.
  • 0n Rewriting Articles to be Non-Duplicate 300-500/ 500-800,I earn
    $12 /$15.
  • I charge (And get) $25 per 500 word article, which includes submission and spinning if so desired. A good one that I've found that actually pays decent (sorry Brad) is Buy & Sell Unique Content - GhostBloggers™ - Beta
    • [1] reply
    • I shall check it out. I have never heard of that site before. I like having these sites to write for in case I do not have a client to write for and I need some money.
  • Just be careful about pricing yourself too low. If you get overwhelmed and burned out, you'll destroy your reputation and annoy lots of clients. Annoyed clients are MUCH more vocal than happy ones, just remember that.
  • It depends, I usually get someone to write for me at $5 per 500words/article at iwriter

    When you're writing for the Web, articles are your bread and butter. You need a method to write articles quickly, because your buyers usually want to buy articles in packages of ten or more.

    Start by familiarizing yourself with the various article types. Some of the most common are reviews, opinion pieces, tips, tutorials, and definition articles.. (these are the kinds of articles i asked from my writers)

    Hope this help,
    Jeremiah
    • [1] reply
    • Ultimately, this question gets asked and answered many ways, there isn't one simple answer, which is unfortunately what many people are looking for.

      It depends on the article you are looking for as well as the writer you hire.

      There are many people who write for pennies, but in a lot of cases you will get what you pay. Some of them provide top notch work. But others churn out page after page of rehashed, regurgitated garbage that takes a lot of correction to be readable, and sometimes more work to make it usefule/valuable content.

      Personally, I am not a fan of spinning and submission service, but I am sure some people do it well. I've had poor experienced with spinning, and a lot of submission services are not all they are cracked up to be. So I tend toward managing my own re-writes and submissions, or outsourcing them to trusted people I've worked with previously.

      The articles I do are specialized, and are seldom done for clients any more. I could "sell" an article for $25 today, or use it myself to generate $150-700 over the next 6-30 months. It is seldom something I do for others any more, and after the last conversation I was involved in on this kind of subject, I've rethought my minimum rates and have even fewer desires to write for clients.

      I do have a small number of writers whom I have developed a long standing relationship with, whom sometimes I might use for outsourcing a little work for others, but anything they do has to meet my approvals before the client ever sees it.
      • [1] reply
  • The girl I was referred to charges $4 per 100 words and she does the research as well. I know a group that runs about 40 eCommerce sites and they use her exclusively. US based with native English, I would expect $2-$5 per 100 words.
  • A typical article excluding professional writes is usually around $5 a article or 1$ for 100 words
  • Rate depends on you. It depends on your worth with factors such as skills, effort and time. Usually when businesses outsourcing article writing they charge $4 - $8 for every 600 word article.
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  • Hy,

    My 5 cent here, where are the best freelancer free places/directories, to find weekly new clients as article writer, who search for high quality articles 500-800 words?

    I think every new client who is satisfied with an article, will buy more than one,it will buy 5 articles ore more every week or 5-10 every month.

    Whats the best method to promote yourself? Give them in these places 1 free high quality article in your profil to show others?

    best wishes
    marco005
  • In my opinion, you are worth what you deliver. Start off with maybe $5, just to get your feet wet and grow slowly toward your dream figure. However, never compromise your QUALITY
  • Your article service is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

    Simply charging more, without being able to deliver is a sure way to ruin your business right from the start. On the other hand, if you charge little, it does not mean that people do not expect a lot of quality. In fact, many $5/article buyers will probably be harder to work with and harder to please than some higher end buyers.

    Now, I'm not a writer, I am a buyer. And I bought articles in all price ranges, literally from $1/article on MechanicalTurk to high end $75 articles. Honestly, I'd never go back to cheap articles, because they were simply not good enough (with a few exceptions, who happened to be good writers who were just starting out. I lucked out, because those are very hard to find, not to mention, they increase their prices very soon).

    In most cases, the cheap articles were actually written using proper grammar, and made sense, they were original and passed Copyscape (although let's make one thing clear - passing Copyscape does not mean the article is original. It can be - and a lot of cheap articles are - a re-written rip off of one or two articles the writer found during "research").

    So TECHNICALLY there was nothing wrong with them. The problem was, that all (again, with a very few exceptions) of them were nothing more than a 500 word introduction to the topic. Generic fluff with a keyword in it. And what's worse, none of the articles evoked any emotion.

    To me, if your article does not evoke readers emotion - happiness, curiosity, anger, sadness...something...anything - you as a writer failed. Tell me, who is REALLY going to read those articles? Who is going to publish them? How am I going to re-purpose them and syndicate them (well, sure I can, but once again - who is going to care?)

    Unless the subject is some dry, technical one, having good information and provide a solution is not enough for the article to work. And frankly, in most cases, the cheap articles did not provide any solutions anyways.

    After all, to do so, you'd need to do some solid research. And that takes time. And time is money. So if you sell your articles for $5, I can already tell, that the research part is going to be pushed on the side burner. And I can also tell, that your articles will be emotionless blend of fluff and generic information that either everyone already knows or no one cares for (or both). Not because you cannot produce such articles, but because you won't have time to produce them.

    You need to translate that $5 bill into your time. Remember, you are trading your time and your skills for money. How much is it worth to you? I, as a buyer, all I care about is the actual article. I don't care how much time you put into it. But you should. The buyer may disagree, and leave to seek another writer. But that should not discourage you from asking what you believe you deserve.

    Bottom line is, if you do serious research on the subject and put personality into your articles to evoke readers emotions, you'd never think about writing for $5. Because you'd know that the value of your article (and time you'd need to put into writing it) is worth more than an hourly pay at McDonald's. You'd also know, that there's a thriving market for such articles.

    However, be honest with yourself. Can you really produce such articles? If not, than $5 can be actually fair price, and there's a market for that too.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • Great post Paluski, but I had to single this out above, because this fact alone is incredibly important for anyone who wants to get their feet wet in writing content for others.

      Go check any freelance board (oDesk, Elance, etc) and you'll find a plethora of job listings with an endless list of the most meticulous requirements. After scrolling through it all, you then will run into something like this:

      - Will ONLY pay up to $1 per 100 words

      - Will pay $4 for up to per article of 500 words

      And so on...

      Naturally, when these people get articles that are riddled with grammatical errors, have little to no structure and are barely readable, they get ticked off.

      Sorry, but you can't expect the world and not be willing to at least meet in the middle for it.

      Let me break it down with a quick little story:

      A woman wants a facelift, so she starts shopping around for plastic surgeons. One of them has years of experience, does exceptional work and has done countless surgeries. His cost is $10,000 for the procedure and it will be carried out in a nicely equipped facility with a full team of assistants.

      Feeling like she can get a better deal (even though she knows she will get results that will last if she chooses the first guy), she shops around for someone who is willing to do it at a lower price. She eventually finds a guy who doesn't have much experience under his belt, but is willing to tackle her facelift procedure for a much lower fee of $4,000. He doesn't have any assistants and is willing to do it out of his office.

      Wanting to save some cash, the woman decides to go with the cheaper guy instead. Still, she expects the same level of service that the first surgeon offered, because it's basically the same procedure (or so she thinks).

      So, this gal goes through the entire procedure paying only $4,000 to the second surgeon, but ends up having a variety of complications. They are so bad, in fact, that the guy who did the surgery can't even help her any longer. She ends up having to go BACK the first surgeon to fix the mistakes, costing her even MORE money than it would've been if she would've went with the him to begin with.

      Do you see where I'm going with this?

      The point here is that going cheap may not always save you money. Instead, it has the possibility to cost you A LOT more (not to mention eat up more of your time, too).

      The reason people get irked when they get back crappy content is because they will have to spend more TIME editing and rewriting it themselves or more MONEY by hiring someone else to rewrite it all for them.

      However, many of those same people should only be upset at themselves for having the expectations they had in the first place. When you hire people at $1 per 100 words, you shouldn't expect to receive high caliber writing. If you do, consider yourself lucky.

      You know it's bad out there when "high quality" is now considered "passing Copyscape"...
  • If you're a native English speaker with good article writing skills, a lot of people wouldn't have a problem paying $1-$1.50 per 100 words.

    But writing articles at those rates really can get tiresome and can make you wonder why you're slaving away for pennies.
  • This depends on whether you want/need high quality content from native English speakers. For quality articles you should expect to pay upwards of $10 per 500 words. IMO the better quality work is worth the price tag. For lower quality you can get articles for as low as $1 per 500 words, but for that expect low quality, spun content that rarely makes sense.
  • It takes around one hour or two to create a great article so I'd say charge at leat 15 for a 500 word article. the minimum wage is 7.25 these days so $15 is a nice compensation if you're working online from home. anything less and you would be better off flipping burgers.
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  • I have purposely been avoiding this thread for many reasons, but I actually find it fascinating.

    I had thought it would tick me off - but most of the posts by the ill-informed aren't really relevant to what I do.

    Many of the comments made by people with little or no understanding of the value of high quality writing have what I have come to conclude is the “flea market” mentality of buying copy.

    You can buy the “drop dead” knock-off of that Gucci handbag at the flea market. But you ultimately have to resign yourself that it really isn’t Gucci, is it?

    I have been at this writing craft for a very long time – nearly 40 years. ( I am not THAT old either – I began writing when I was 17.)

    I have mentored hundreds of writers – some of the best have gone on to earn six-figures annually. Nearly all of the others that followed at least some of my directions are earning very good livings.

    What makes this so fascinating is the questions being asked about the value of writing are being posed in one of many discount marketplaces.

    Let’s face it – everyone wants a deal here – which is precisely why I do not ask for business in this or similar marketplaces. The “flea market” mentality is in full swing and whether the content is high value or junk – everything is measured in predetermined benchmarks.

    Things like word count, keyword density, LSI keywords, review pieces, etc. are how content is measured here. This is not only a “flea market” mentality – it is a “buy in bulk” premise for buying and selling content.

    But here’s the real difference between the content writing “high flyers” and the “grinders” that are asking about prices:

    Mindset.

    I know – this sounds way too simple, but it is the absolute truth. Writers that command top dollar make writing a business. It has goals, objectives – solid plans for client acquisition, development, market penetration and growth. It is treated with the same attention to detail as a brick-and-mortar or serious online business is.

    And here is where it gets a little uncomfortable for you “reactive” and passive types – which most writers are. You hope and wait for someone to pay you for work that has far more value in a different market.

    You are so uncertain about yourself and your work that you are willing to accept a fraction of what it is worth. So you sit back and hope (or pray) that someone throws you a bone.

    Quality work – especially quality writing – is always of high value to many outside this venue.

    I have read lots of arguments here for what dictates top dollar versus the cheap stuff – if you have top skills, the balls, the connections, a specific purpose, etc.

    Ad nauseam.

    That’s all a bunch of crap. This is a collection of excuses to devalue the most critical element of your sites to “on-the-cheap” prices – nothing more.

    I know very average writers that earn as much or more as I do – and they have no shortage of either clients or work. They get paid handsomely for average work.

    The difference lies largely in how you perceive yourself and your craft – good writing is an art. Few can do it with the skill of most of the people that have posted in this very thread.

    A few among you are as good as writers get.

    Period.

    I’ve been closely following a few of you around the WF. There is some serious talent here, and you know who you are.

    I decided to take some time away from my craft and business just to see what was happening in the cyberspace trenches.

    I have both online and offline clients that I have developed over the years. As stated in another post, my fees for a simple 400 word article begin at $150 and go up from there. A long form piece of sales copy starts in the high four figures – plus a percentage of the profits.

    None of this is intended to impress you – it is factual and unnecessary for me to prove any claims to anyone. I have nothing for sale in this venue.

    It is intended to make the point that has been so clearly and eloquently made by Alexa and others in this thread and elsewhere. (I have my eye on you Alexa - you have mad, crazy good skills.)

    I love following great writers around - and there a numerous gifted people here.

    Unlike those that say there is a small or non-existent pool of high paying clients – why is it that I frequently must turn people away? And I mean high paying prospects – not people that want cheap stuff.

    I can always find clients willing to pay my fees and they don’t even pause to write the checks. Some want to buy all my billable hours weeks or months in advance to achieve exclusivity.

    Why is this happening to me and so difficult for others to achieve?
    (It is not only happening to me.)

    Largely, I can only determine that it is because of what you have been force-fed by content buyers and the "writing pros" on this forum and others like it.

    Make no mistake – the WF is a great place to get good ideas, but a really poor one to establish pricing guidelines – most especially and urgently for the value of great writing.

    When you ask how much here – you will get the lowest possible number.

    So what do you do?

    Seek business elsewhere – online and offline. There are thousands of businesses willing to pay rates that the uninformed here will tell you cannot be gotten – simply because they have never done it or paid the prices the mainstream is gladly willing to pay.

    This is basic human nature – people will always tell you what cannot be done before they encourage you to try and do it. This is just the way it is – people will be people, and what they don’t know and understand does not restrict them from attempting to influence you.

    This means you will often only get “flea market” rates for your premium content.

    Please don’t do this – it is a very tough way to go and you will get discouraged and flame-out quickly.

    As for those of you that believe junk content rules the world, you only need to consider the pattern Google has taken over the past 18 months or so. Their emphasis is clear - even to those that choose to ignore it.

    Do you believe standards will become any more lax as they relate to content?
    (This is a rhetorical question.)

    But let’s take a simple example – one that’s easy to understand.

    You’ve got a site and your focus is on getting those top SE rankings. Everyone wants those, right? You have a bunch of spun, super-optimized articles written to achieve this objective.

    Only they read like crap. As a common surfer, when you get rankings and I land on your money page, I read a bunch of gibberish.

    What do you think I am going to do?

    (Rhetorical question again – but I will click the hell away!)

    Now let’s change that site a bit. We have some solid, entertaining and informative articles written with the same level of SEO incorporated. They engage me and I like what I am reading.

    What do you think happens in this second example?

    You have geometrically increased your odds of me taking an action that will lead to a conversion. I may click an Adsense link or read your CPA offer or do something that pays you. I am there longer because you have taken the time to entertain me.

    The point of this example is merely to let you know that you can have a site ranking at number one. If you got there purely with SEO junk content, that ranking counts for squat.

    I will not pay you off. You may get the occasional accidental conversion, but is this the way you want to build your business?

    (I truly hope most of you said NO to this question.)

    This is a very real scenario that most of you “junk food” content advocates (both writers and buyers) are going to be dealing with more often and with greater negative implications for sites.

    See, the reality is that eventually – when you get those top SE rankings – you only get paid when I act. Having that top spot means that a real person just like me will land on your pages.

    S/he is the one that decides whether or not you get paid.

    You need to make sure your content offers value to a real human. This isn’t complicated – and great content that entertains people makes you more money – in most cases a lot more.

    And do you want to know the best part?

    You only have to pay for content ONE time. It will work for years to come.

    That is one hell of a deal in anyone’s book!

    You don’t have to hire a copy gunslinger like me – but do get someone that can win for you when that eventual human being lands on your site.

    Making money on the web is easy – you just have to do a lot of little things right.

    Begin with great, original content – you’ll be amazed at how many other things take care of themselves when you do this one simple thing.
    • [ 5 ] Thanks
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    • This is SPOT on! It's too bad that many will look past it and not understand the point. Either way, you summed up my thoughts exactly.

      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • $5 per article. You should be able to get buyers for this price - especially if you know how to write for both humans and search engines.
  • price may vary depending on how many words you will write per article. The least price I know is $2 per 500 words.
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    • So, we all have perception issues of what a "quality article" is,
      and therefore on how much it should cost.

      How about we take something far easier to describe - like a cup of
      cappuchino - and see what it costs in different places around the
      world?

      Nigeria - $3.50

      Chennai - $0.78

      Tokyo - $5.00

      New York - $3.50

      London - $3.98

      Paris - $3.73

      Jakarta - $3.05

      Manila - $2.15

      Presumably, all these consumer price indices are measured on
      products/services of similar/comparable quality.

      That's why I find it amusing at times to see hard-line attitudes
      about how a piece of writing of a certain price CANNOT be of the
      same (or higher) quality than one at a higher price.

      It totally ignores the REALITY that the same amount of money can
      mean a different thing across the world... and that writers of
      comparable quality often charge widely divergent rates for that
      very reason.

      You CAN get a top-quality article for $5 - if you find the right
      writer from the right corner of the globe.

      Your chances of doing so are variable.

      Your chances of getting them to keep on writing for those rates are slim.

      But price does NOT always equate to "quality" - especially when you're
      comparing apples to oranges - by ignoring geography as a variable.

      All success
      Dr.Mani
      • [1] reply
  • go to constant-content dot com and earn via writing
    Good Luck!!
  • Dr. Mani,

    I am glad you took the time to state an opinion. In the past, I have bought a few things from you and contributed to come of your charitable causes.

    You are an intellectual and I respect you as such.

    But about this, we are in diametric opposition. So I will quote you exactly so as to make certain I don’t mistake anything.

    ******

    “So, we all have perception issues of what a "quality article" is,
    and therefore on how much it should cost.”

    Err, no I have no perceptions – I know precisely what determines quality for my cleints and how much my work is worth.
    __________________________________________________ ______________

    How about we take something far easier to describe - like a cup of
    cappuchino - and see what it costs in different places around the
    world?

    Nigeria - $3.50

    Chennai - $0.78

    Tokyo - $5.00

    New York - $3.50

    London - $3.98

    Paris - $3.73

    Jakarta - $3.05

    Manila - $2.15

    Presumably, all these consumer price indices are measured on
    products/services of similar/comparable quality.
    __________________________________________________ __________________

    Err, no again. You are not seriously comparing the skill, art and craft of writing to a cappuccino are you? (Incidentally cappuchino is spelled as I have spelled it.)

    This is where flaws in the comparison begin – if not the comparison itself, then with the architecture of the comparison.

    If this argument made any sense at all, there are many other considerations which have nothing to do with writing, but everything to do with cappuccino:

    1. The quality and mineral content of the water used for brewing
    2. The kind of beans being used, how they have been stored and even how they are ground
    3. The skill of the barista (coffee maker)
    4. The other ingredients: cinnamon, cream, milk, sweeteners
    5. The type of device used for brewing
    6. The maintenance and cleanliness of the brewing device
    7. Etc.

    This comparison is further flawed because it fails to consider all of the prices in each city chosen. It deals with averages in these locales, which means that I should not expect for a cup of cappuccino to be the same price in every shop within each city.

    I can assure you that especially the comparisons within the cities below are especially erroneous:
    __________________________________________________ _____________

    Tokyo - $5.00

    New York - $3.50

    London - $3.98

    Paris - $3.73
    __________________________________________________ _____________

    I have been to each of these cities and I can state without exception: these prices on the extremely low side. A cappuccino in New York City at a fine hotel will set you back $10 at minimum – the same in Paris, London or Tokyo.

    Conversely, I have never been there, but I would also wager I could find a cappuccino in Chennai for a quarter.

    “That's why I find it amusing at times to see hard-line attitudes
    about how a piece of writing of a certain price CANNOT be of the
    same (or higher) quality than one at a higher price.”

    Uh, no again. I am so glad this discussion amuses you, although I think it is a (mostly) serious discussion. I have no “hard-line” attitude about how a lower-priced piece of writing cannot be of the same of even better quality as a higher priced piece. Global economies, desperation and hunger can make the prices of anything justifiable – and even demanded.

    The quality is a factor that has many components – all dependent on the market involved, the skill with which the piece is written, who is doing the evaluating – and ultimately who is paying.

    “It totally ignores the REALITY that the same amount of money can
    mean a different thing across the world... and that writers of
    comparable quality often charge widely divergent rates for that
    very reason.”

    It is a REALITY, but is irrelevant in my market (explanation in a moment). Yes, writers do charge widely varying fees, but are they writers of the same (or even similar) quality?

    As measured and evaluated by whom?

    “You CAN get a top-quality article for $5 - if you find the right
    writer from the right corner of the globe.”

    Not a chance! You can get AN article written by someone – somewhere – for $5. They will be from a third-world country or a desperate English-native. And you can almost bet it will be spun or cut-and-pasted work - the lowest quality available and needing serious editing.

    “Your chances of doing so are variable.”

    Err, you just contradicted your prior statement.

    And I believe you mean: There may be a “slight chance” or “buying at that price may be possible” (not – doing so are variable).

    “Your chances of getting them to keep on writing for those rates are slim.”

    In my world, you won’t even get the first piece for $5. And this is perhaps the only single point we agree on – chances of keeping and getting work as scheduled and promised for $5 per piece are virtually non-existent.

    Here is the entirety of what I will deliver to you for $5:

    _____________

    ?
    _____________

    “But price does NOT always equate to "quality" - especially when you're
    comparing apples to oranges - by ignoring geography as a variable.”

    Uh, actually saying this implies my clients are stupid and overpay to get the quality for the fees I charge. Oh, but you ARE comparing apple and oranges – actually even worse. You are comparing a coffee commodity to a highly skilled craft.

    The differences could not be any more dramatic – this stark comparison is like comparing a genuine Ming Vase to a paper plate. Geography is the least important value in my business and product.

    This delusion or error in perception lays in the willingness of writers to have the value of their content reduced to little but a pittance. This happens because many consumers of this content view this picture myopically – as if good content is a common item and therefore should have finite pricing.

    Some writers have the illusion that this is the only marketplace for them to sell their good writing.

    It isn’t.

    I am a living, breathing testament to this fact.

    The truth is that I am against ANY legitimate writer ANYWHERE whoring their wares for pennies – and this is precisely what the unknowing often do here and in other content “flea markets.”

    Here’s the deal:

    Do you believe – even for an instant – that what I sell to clients are words on pages?

    This is the illusion you and most others would like to believe, but it isn’t about the words – it is about the effect of those words on people.

    My clients pay me to:

    1. Win
    2. Beat their competition to a pulp in a literary sense
    3. Make more money
    4. Sell their goods and services
    5. Enhance their image
    6. Branding
    7. Build loyalty
    8. Keep existing customers and get more

    I know what your comments are about – at the base level – I know precisely what is being said.

    You are trying to validate the quality of content written in the third world as being legitimate competition for the content written by native English speakers.

    It isn’t – never has been and never will be.

    And I have seen absolutely the best content written by the best writers in the third world – but attempting to do this in US or UK ENGLISH.

    It doesn’t work and is almost immediately discernible by the people that count most in my business – my readership and audience.

    But what you are doing is cool – you are making a geopolitical argument and I am totally okay with this.

    Only, here’s the message from my high paying clients:

    1. They don’t want third world writing – it isn’t good enough.

    2. And since we are having a geopolitical discussion, and I believe in taking a position – I agree with them emphatically.

    3. It truly isn’t good enough.

    The first statement above is them talking – they write the checks I cash. The last two are my sentiments – I make no apologies for them.

    English is one of the most mongrel tongues on Earth. If even I struggle with it occasionally, I cannot begin to imagine how a third world writer must wrestle with it.

    Even those in the UK, Australia and elsewhere disagree on English spelling, usage and writing it effectively.

    I didn’t know a plaster was a bandage in the UK until I saw Kate Beckinsale on Jay Leno months ago.

    I can spot a piece written in the third world – often in as little as the first sentence – and always by the second paragraph.

    My clients aren’t dummies – if I can spot it – they can too.

    Therefore it isn’t usable by them – so I don’t worry about content writers/assemblers ANYWHERE that produce copy for $5.

    If my clients aren’t concerned about buying content “on-the-cheap” for $5 – why should I be concerned with it?

    If people need to eat or act out of desperation – hey, I get that. I hope they get gigs.

    But sell content for the sole reason that people in discount venues tell you that’s all your stuff is worth?

    That’s totally nuts – and being a copy whore. You’ll make more money with a tin cup and dark glasses outside Wally World.

    This is why my clients specifically tell third world writers not to bother submitting anything. They are completely upfront about it too. It is in their requests for content.

    This is the way it is in the real world – especially offline. But even most US onliners would more often than not tell you exactly the same thing.

    Whatever quantity of work you are doing - if it is solid work - can always be sold - for more money than you're earning now.

    There is no shortage of people willing to pay and no shortage of assignments that can be won - without having to be in the top tier of writers.

    Your only challenge is to be proactive and find the clients and the work. Clients that pay more won't come looking for you.
    • [2] replies
    • Jake, I deeply appreciate your support with my non-profit work, and
      that you posted this nice, long reply. Enjoyed reading it

      My mistake. I wasn't comparing cappucchino (err, cappuccino )
      to article writing - but brought it up as an indicator to show
      the varying cost of living in different countries.

      None of us write articles "for $100" - but for "what $100 can
      buy us"... and that's variable by geography.

      So if MY $100 can get me 100 cappuccinos and yours can only get
      you 10, then it stands to reason that if we both love our caffeine
      fix, then you're going to have to charge TEN TIMES more than me
      for comparable work/quality/effort/time/whatever, right?

      Nope, I disagree - because I have written articles myself for
      $5 "once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away!" That I've
      scaled up by a multiple of 50 is a reflection of where my
      later statement comes from -

      “Your chances of getting them to keep on writing for those rates are slim.”

      As for a client feeling s/he "overpaid" for quality content,
      that's always going to be an issue of perception, one that's
      corrected by education-marketing - using, maybe, a device like
      the "Death of $5 Article Writing" report I linked to earlier
      in this thread.

      Once you showcase the value you bring to the table, and the
      client gets, recognizes and appreciates that value, price
      is no longer a bargaining point. It takes smart marketing
      and positioning to get there, but everyone can learn that.
      (No, I don't think it is intuitive, or even easy, though!)

      I suspect, from the latter part of your response, that you
      got the wrong impression about my views on article writing,
      one that my report above will quickly dispel. My point, all
      along, is that there is a WIDE RANGE of pricing for even top
      quality content - depending upon many variables.

      If a provider wants to start where s/he wants and work up,
      that's a choice. You don't have to - you CAN start at the
      top - or grow to that level.

      If a buyer wants to stick with rock-bottom priced content,
      that's a choice. It'll work for a while - but very likely
      you'll waste time and effort seeking rapidly diminishing
      sources of cheap content providers, which may be better
      deployed paying more to retain quality creators over the
      long term.

      Hope this clarifies where I'm coming from on this subject.

      Anyone stating absolute concrete positions in such a soft
      and diverse marketplace, and while addressing an intangible
      that's as notoriously hard to define as "good quality", is,
      imho, out of touch with ground realities.

      But then, that's just an opinion - even if a humble/honest
      one - so feel free to disagree with it, if you like!

      All success
      Dr.Mani
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • Irrelevant factoid: The cappuccino I last had at Cafe Coffee Day cost me Rs.65 -
      which equates to $1.30.

      Certainly not the "most expensive" on sale in Chennai. Costs have skyrocketed
      over the last few years, btw!

      All success
      Dr.Mani
  • The rate is depend on you writing level. That's my opinion.
  • Looks like I won't be visiting Chennai anytime soon - that is $1.05 more than I am willing to go for a cappuccino!

    I think we each have a position and I understand yours better now. We do not necessarily agree but we don't completely disagree either.

    One of the most underutilized skills all writers need is the ability to market and sell their work outside of price-fixed, low-valuation venues.

    Because the price is $5, $10 or $20 rarely means it cannot be sold for more elsewhere - especially if you really do have the skills.

    And the courage to do what most writers will not do - ask for more money - elsewhere.

    If you do not have the talent, you will quickly know the value of your work, and the point of increased dollars for your product is moot.

    We are all in the sales business and those skills are as critical as the writing process. Many writers accept what is offered with no consideration of what they can earn by stepping "outside the circle."

    As to it being a "soft" market - looks are deceiving. Aggressive merchants and sellers will always want an edge - even in a down market - sometimes especially because of a down economy.

    This is what I give them - an enormous advantage in the quality of their content - and vast separation from competitors.

    This is what they gladly pay me top dollar to do.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • factors vary depends on quality you are looking for. Purpose of article..( SEO or info ) if you want it American written this is by far the best resource I've found for articles www.articlez.com
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • I believe that if the quality of work is high and teh information needs lots of research then you can charge high prices. I usually go for $15 and above as it is pointless to write all day good aricles to only $1 to $5 a piece.

    But if you are initially starting out to test the waters and you have another source of income then, you can start with a low fee and see how it goes.
  • Mister Jay, are you able to make your points in less than x000 words

    Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Mister Yoda:

      Read Or Read Not - There Is No Force On You To Do Either.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Another important thing to factor in is - How much income do you expect to generate from your articles? How many new leads? New customers? Is your goal SEO, content or something else?

    When you know that, then you can decide how much you want to spend per article.
  • It totally depends on length, style of writing, budget etc.

    If you write on an 'easy opportunity' site like iWriter then you'll probably earn no more than $5 for a 500 word article (once you become an elite/premium writer that is)

    If you can hunt out people seeking high quality content, and who are willing to pay for it, then those same 500 words could net you $50, and even more.

    To paraphrase Alexa Smith - the "bottom end" of the content writing business is saturated. You will burn yourself out struggling to survive if you write 500 words for $5, because there are people willing to do 1000 words for half that.

    However, if you can crack the "high end" of the market, you will have profitable work coming out of your ears.

    I compare the freelance article writing market to the car market at present. Sales of low end cars are struggling, as people looking to buy them don't have much in the way of budget and there is so much competition. High end cars - Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis etc - the demand has never been higher.
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