How Much Do Freelance Writers Make Per Article?

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If you are considering a career in freelance writing, then you’ve most likely been presented with a range of different rates. This is mainly due to the massive difference in the pricing relevant to each industry.

Mundane copywriting, data capturing or rewrites requires little flair but can fetch a high rate if it’s being delivered to the medical industry or legal practice. Freelance writing rates can be confusing.

Without knowing your minimums, quoting for a prospective project is excessively difficult and writers often end up under-valuating their work.

Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to earn per article. Averages are stated according to word count, rate, and averages.

Avid writers who are looking to get paid the highest possible rate for their carefully crafted work should give Writing Jobs Online a try. With thousands of jobs daily spanning all subjects, you’re given a definite edge over other freelancers.

Standard SEO

$0.002 to $0.08 per word
$1 to $8 per 100 words
500 to 800 word average article length

SEO writing is a broad description; however, online advertisers will at times require articles exclusively for indexing and backlinking. In such a case the quality of the article is not as important as it merely being free from plagiarism, or in the eyes of a search engine – original. The average rate for these articles (defined as standard SEO) is $1 per 100 words.

Copywriting

Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to earn if you hone your profile and skills as a copywriter. The classification is very broad but we’ve summed up the main areas of specialization and work commissioned.

Landing Pages

$0.01 to $.05 per word
$1 to $5 per 100 words
600 to 1,000 word average landing page length

Press Releases

$0.03 to $1.2 per word
$3 to $120 per 100 words
400 to 800 word average press release length

Press release writing alone and press release writing with distribution each carry distinctly different costs. If you’re writing run-of-the-mill press releases under a non-disclosure then you can expect the lower end of the scale, while direct-selling writers and those working for prominent firms can expect a higher average.

Writers who plan to specialize in press releases will need to build a distribution channel first as leading press release packages distribute the release to over 150 different media outlets.

Web Copy

$0.01 to $1 per word
$1 to $10 per 100 words
400 to 600 word average for total static page content

The text which makes up the fixed content on a website or app is commonly called web copy. The industry which you’re writing for makes the biggest difference to which end of the scale you earn in. Here are the other general types of web copy and standard copywriting you can expect to find.

Branding/Merchandising Copy

$0.01 to $1 per word
$1 to $10 per 100 words
75 to 300 word average for merchandising copy

Product Descriptions

$0.015 to $0.05 per word
$1.50 to $5 per 100 words
75 to 150 word average for product descriptions

Product Listings

$0.01 to $0.05 per word
$1 to $5 per 100 words
600 word average for product listings

Reviews

Review writing varies according to the type and length of the review, as well as the industry and the purpose of the review. Reviews are sought by everyone from the product manufacturer or service renderer, to affiliate marketers, reps and retail stores in between. Let’s look at the averages for each review type.

Product Reviews

$0.01 to $0.05 per word
$1 to $5 per 100 words
1000 word average product review

Service Reviews

$0.01 to $0.05 per word
$1 to $5 per 100 words
800 word average service review

Amazon Reviews

$0.015 to $0.05 per word
$1.5 to $5 per 100 words
1,000 to 1,500 word average amazon review

Forum Reviews

$0.01 to $0.03 per word
$1 to $3 per 100 words
80 to 150 word average forum review post

Specialized Reviews

$0.35 to 0.10 per word
$3.5 to $10 per 100 words
2,000 to 3,000 word average specialized review

Academic Writing

Academic writing is a specialty which varies greatly in rates. High-school level academic writing is considered in the same pricing bracket as written material intended for grade school. To secure the best paying academic writing jobs, you can’t overlook the premier listings of Writing Jobs Online.

The type of academic writing and level of education required to produce a meaningful contribution to the academic community varies. Here’s a wrap up of the average academic writing earners you can expect.

Essays

$0.015 to $0.05 per word
$1.5 to $5 per 100 words
1,000 word average academic essay

Reports

$0.12 to 0.35 per word
$3.5 to $12 per 100 words
1,000 word average academic report

Studies

$0.015 to $0.05 per word
$1.5 to $5 per 100 words
1,000 word average academic study

Dissertations

$0.40 to $0.60 per word
$40 to $60 per 100 words
6,500 word average academic dissertation

Thesis Writing

$0.50 to $0.80 per word
$50 to $80 per 100 words
15,000 word average academic thesis

Business Writing

Business writing is a field which is forever expanding. From mobile sales copy to business plans, proposals, minutes of meetings and even transcription work, anything that can be done in an office can be done by a freelance writer. Follow these pricing brackets and your business writing will be earning you a fair rate.

Business Plans

$0.015 to $0.03 per word
$1.5 to $3 per 100 words
1,500 word average business plan

Business Proposals

$0.02 to $0.03 per word
$2 to $3 per 100 words
1,000 word average business proposal

Resumes, Profiles and CVs

$0.015 to $0.03 per word
$1.50 to $3 per 100 words
800 word average resume/profile/cv

Transcription

$0.02 to $0.04 per word
$2 to $4 per 100 words
2,000 word average transcription

Grant Writing

$0.025 to $0.90 per word
$2.5 to $9 per 100 words
6,000 to 8,000 words (25+ pages) average grant proposal

News Writing

News writing carries no fixed pricing bracket which can be reasonably accurate. The size of the news agency and the nature of their business will determine how much you earn. Working for large established media outlets on a freelance basis is lucrative but positions are hard to procure and competition is high. A proven track record and a horde of good scripts or news posts will go a long way towards getting hired at a great rate. Here’s a breakdown of conventional news writing rates.

News Articles

$0.15 to $1.5 per word
$1.5 to $15 per 100 words
600 word average news article

News Scripts

$0.15 to $1.5 per word
$1.5 to $15 per 100 words
1,000 word average news script

Technical Writing

Technical freelance writers bring their specializations from specific subjects, genres, niches, or industries to the fore. Monetizing your keen insights is one of the best ways of getting the full value of your work.

Both unqualified and formally qualified professionals earn slightly higher than standard copywriting, with certified industry leaders earning top dollar for their content. Here is the earnings of each type of technical content.

Qualified Technical Writing

$0.035 to $0.12 per word
$3.5 to $12 per 100 words
1,500 word average qualified technical article

Unqualified Technical Writing

$0.15 to $0.05 per word
$1.5 to $5 per 100 words
1,500 word average technical article

Creative Writing

Creative writing is a highly rewarding component of writers with a passion for expression. We all have heard of the lavish riches awaiting the world’s best writers but reaching such a level of acclaim is a journey of its own. There is a reason that a writer’s life has been referred to as the ‘Great Work.’ Both fiction and non-fiction can be classified as creative writing, as well as poetry.

Published writers begin earning significantly more than those who are still trying to make a name for themselves. It is for this reason that many writers shy away from ghost writing any creative work. A breakdown of the average pay for creative writing follows.

Short Fiction

$0.015 to $0.10 per word
$1.5 to $10 per 100 words
Under 100 words average for flash fiction
8,000 word average for short fiction novellas, eBooks and anthologies

Fiction

$0.01 to $0.20 per word
$1 to $20 per 100 words
15,000 to 30,000 word+ average for full-length fiction

Non-Fiction

$0.015 to $0.10 per word
$1.5 to $10 per 100 words
8,000 Word average for short non-fiction books and eBooks
15,000 to 30,000 word+ average for full-length non-fiction

Poetry

$0.015 to $0.10 per word
$1.5 to $10 per 100 words
No more than 30lines or 600-words average for poetry

Find Your Style and Acceptable Quota

As you can see, freelance writers earn very difficult salaries depending on what they are writing and how much work they can bring in. A writer must take great care to never accept more work than they can handle as a failure is apparent on a public profile.

Time and schedule management, as well as a deep, keen knowledge of your capabilities, is critical to success. Completing a few jobs to perfection goes a long way towards finding higher-priced writing. Never bite off more than you can chew.

Filtering your prospects for the most lucrative potential projects is always a good idea. Don’t forget to turn to Writing Jobs Online if you want to guarantee that you’re earning the highest possible rate.