How much should freelance writers charge? Here's a suggested rate guide
Writers have always struggled to determine the appropriate price for their work. If you price it too low then you'll get the short end of the income stick, but price it too high then you may turn away potential clients.
With recent issues about freelance rates, the Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines (FWGP) has shared a suggested rate guide for works.
In a statement, the non-profit organization said that it recognizes the issue of writers not knowing how much to charge their clients because of a lack of standardized fees for written projects in the country.
"With a freelance labor market that seems to be bursting at the seems—apparently, anyone who knows how to use a computer can write content—many writers sometimes agree to low compensation just to land a project," FWGP stated.
Without standardized rates, clients can exploit writers by offering them unreasonably low pay.
"This automatically lowers the bar for freelance writers' compensation and is essentially seen as very damaging to the community and industry, in general. The sad reality? Writers who charge rates that are fair will lose projects to those who accept contacts for a pittance," it added.
To address the issue of inconsistent pricing, the FWGP has created a comprehensive guide for writers to help determine appropriate rates for their work.
The organization explained that the rates "are based on previous surveys, current average market rates, and input from some of FWGP's members, many of whom are long-time freelance writers and editors."
The guide covers several written works, such as articles, press releases, print advertisements, translations, speeches, and more.
It also extends to other types of written output such as social media posts, scriptwriting for television and events, case studies, reports, and interview transcriptions, among others.
The prices are divided into two categories: average and high. FWGP noted, however, that the guide is not an absolute reference as the final figures and terms must still be based on specific considerations.
For example, a content article or blog post can start at P2.97 per word or go as high as P25. Social media posts or captions can start at P1,000 per post to P2,800 per post. Script writing for events ranges from P30,000 to P40,000, while copy editing can start at P300 per page to P600 per page.
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines
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FWGP also underscored the need to use a signed agreement before starting a project, where you must indicate the "scope of work, agreed cost, and terms of payment."
"FWGP hopes that the industry standard for compensation for writers will begin to rise to a fair level," the organization ended its statement, adding that it will produce more resources to help freelance writers in the coming year.