The answer to this question really depends on a number of factors. Let’s look at the most vital and fundamental ones.
The Type Of Content You Are Creating
The first and most vital key to understanding how much you should be charging is the type of content you are creating. Are you creating product descriptions for businesses to use on their websites? Or, are you creating marketing blog posts to encourage potential customers to purchase a product or service?
The former typically requires less work, and hence, you should charge less for it. A good product description should be concise, compelling, and include the perfect blend of compelling reasons and abundant information. In other words, you should have plenty of “hard sell” words in there, but you should also include some helpful, friendly, and informative language that a potential customer might actually benefit from.
By comparison, a marketing blog post should focus on providing helpful, relevant, and interesting information that promises to either encourage a purchase or provide support or guidance during the purchase process.
How Many WritersAre Available To Work On The Project?
This is similar to the first point, but it’s also vital to understand how many writers are available to work on the project. If you’re working with a small team, the ratio of clients to articles might be as high as 3:1. However, if you’re working with a larger team, the ratio might be as low as 1:1.
If you have a limited amount of resources, you might want to consider asking for more money up front. Even if you have several writers working on the project, you might want to charge more than one writing fee because you need someone available 24/7 to meet the deadlines your client stipulates.
How Much Are You Happy To Charge?
There are obviously variables, but you should be charging in line with how much you’re happy to charge. If you’re receiving an adequate amount of compensation, you’re probably not asking for too much. However, if you’re not getting what you need and you feel you’re worth more, then it’s time to ask for a raise.
How Creative Are You?
This one is self-explanatory. Are you a creative individual who loves coming up with ideas for pieces, or is the idea of writing something inoffensive enough that you could turn it in without much effort?
If you’re the former, you should have little trouble coming up with ideas for content. Whether you need someone to write an article for you or you need to hire freelancers to come up with content for your blog, you should be able to find a writer who can help. If you’re the latter, you might want to consider becoming a content marketer or brand strategist instead.
The Learning Curve
Everyone needs to learn new things, and no one is an expert in every subject. This is especially important if you’re freelancing, where you might end up working on a project that you weren’t specifically trained for. In other words, you might have to learn on the job.
If the project you’re working on is particularly complex, or if it requires a specialized knowledge that you don’t have, it might be best to seek out additional training. Even if the project is simple, and you’re an experienced writer who just needs to knock out some content, it never hurts to learn a new skill.
What’s The Timeline For This Project?
You can’t just walk into a Starbucks and ask for a caramel macchiato. You have to make it at home first, or at least get the coffee shop to make it for you. So, too, with writing. You have to make sure that you put in the necessary time to do the job properly. There are just so many things that could go wrong if you don’t stop to think about them. So, do you have a deadline for this project?
Deadlines are important. They push you to perform at your best, and they help you manage your time effectively. However, you have to weigh your deadlines against the needs of your clients. If they’re not crucial, it might be best to charge less for your work.
How Much Does It Cost You To Print/Copy The Text?
This really depends on a number of factors, but it’s best to ask for an estimate rather than just assume. Do you need to make a lot of copies? Are they supposed to be delivered to a specific location? Who’s the intended audience?
The answers to these questions will determine how much you should charge, in addition to the other points discussed here. If you need a lot of copies, you might want to consider investing in a high-quality printer. Otherwise, you could end up just using your computer’s printer.
What’s Your Starting Point?
This point simply asks for your starting point. What is your hourly rate? How much do you want to charge for an article? A good place to start would be by looking at similar content on the web (which you could find using a tool like Google Trends), determining how much you think you should be paid and then challenging that number.
When you start out as a freelance writer, the amount you charge will be based on how much you think you’re worth. So, to determine how much you’re worth, you need to first figure out how much you know about marketing, copywriting, and editing. Once you know those three fields, you can start charging market rates for your services.
Final Takeaway
To come up with an amount that you’re happy to charge, you need to consider all the variables. However, if you’re looking to increase your income, being precise with how much you should charge will put you in a better position to do so. Good luck out there.