What it Costs to Hire a Writer (A Comparative Analysis)
What it costs to hire a writer varies greatly among writing professionals. You might pay a very different rate for two writers with different specialties, or even two writers with the same specialty but different experience levels. However, you’ll have a better idea of how to figure out what it might cost to hire a writer for your project if you consider a few important points.
Charging by the Word
Many writers use rate structures based on a per-word rate. Magazines and newspapers typically pay per word, and most professional freelance writers (as opposed to novel and non-fiction book authors) do some magazine or newspaper writing. Keep in mind that magazine and newspaper per-word rates vary, but they typically range from as little as $0.10 to as high as $3.00 per word for some magazines. This means that if your writer was writing a 500-word article for a newspaper or magazine, the rate could potentially range from $50 to $1,500 per article.
Many clients who want to hire writers have no idea what reasonable writing rates actually include. $0.30 to $0.50 per word is not uncommon among professional writers. If your budget is $3 for a 500-word article – a rate of just over half a cent per word – you’re probably not going to be able to hire a professional writer for that rate.
Writing Rates may Vary Depending on the Content
Many writers use variable rates depending on the content of the materials. More technical subjects, or content that requires more research, is typically charged at a higher rate. Likewise, content that might require a specialist is almost always more expensive than general content that everyone can write. A writer might charge $0.10 per word for an article with a very general subject that won’t require much research, but writers can charge $0.30 to $0.50 per word for more technical projects – or even more for projects like user documentation, etc. Consider what you’re requesting when you go to hire a writer in order to figure out if you’re likely to face higher rates or if you have a relatively inexpensive project.
Experience Level and Demand Influences Writer Rates
Another factor that has a direct impact on writer rates is experience level. A writer that has been writing professionally for a decade is likely to charge a somewhat or significantly higher rate than a writer that’s just starting out. Writers who have been writing for a decade have grown their rates with their client base and experience, and typically represent a better value – or more effective writing – than writers just starting out. Hiring a writer just starting out is fine if you’re on a budget, you have very general content and you’re not too particular about grammar, sentence structure and having a well-researched product. These are skills honed over time, and the experience level of the writer almost directly correlates with the amount of work he or she has done (and the rates he or she is charging).
Additionally, writers who are in high demand might charge higher rates for a specific project. For example, if a writer currently has a full workload but is contacted about a project, he or she might bid higher on the project to make it worthwhile to take on the extra work. If writers in high demand lose a project because of high prices, it typically isn’t much of a problem. However, earning the higher rate makes it worthwhile to take on the extra work if the client is willing to pay it.
Rates are Directly Related to How Much Time Writers Spend on a Project
Think about this logically: rates are directly related to how much time writers spend on a project. Writers are people who have to make a living, just like you. If they expect to spend 5 hours on your project, writers might charge anywhere from $50 to $300 for your project, depending on their hourly rate. Think about that when you evaluate writer bids and consider placing an ad for a writing project.
Consider how much time your project is likely to take, and how much an experienced writer might charge per hour. If your project is going to take three hours and you only want to spend $5 per hour, you’re not going to get a professional writer. (In fact, that’s even lower than minimum wage in the United States, so keep this in mind if you want to hire a U.S.-based writer!)
Deadlines Influence Writers’ Rates
If you need a project in a hurry, it’ll typically cost you more. Writers must prioritize their projects to ensure they meet all of their project deadlines on time. Taking on a project at the last minute, or accepting a project when a writer is overloaded, means the writer has to put in overtime to complete your project in the time allotted. You get better values when you don’t have a 24-hour deadline, so try to plan ahead when you want to hire a writer so you can have a longer lead time and get a lower rate. With an extremely short deadline, you might risk not finding a writer or getting a rushed job.