Forum Moderators: not2easy
Require writer for 250 word keyword specific website articles for my website located at [WHO CARES]. My budget is very low but can offer complete creative freedom and consistent work. I need 3-5 articles a week. Can pay $3.00 per article. Let me know if you are interested.
$3.00 per article, wow. Let me see. That comes out to just over 1 PENNY per word. Think I shall pass.
I just don't understand how someone with a brain even thinks this is correct. Let us assume the "writer" cranks out the 250 word article with a little research and no real revisions in one hour. That is $3 an HOUR! Working at McDonalds will pay at least $5+ an hour.
If your budget is low then buy one article and buy more when you have the money. Yes, at $3 an article, I can pay for consistent work too.
Well, thanks for the laugh.
Fortunately, there are enough clients out there who recognize true quality and have enough respect for someone's time and expertise that they're willing to pay reasonable rates. For web copy, I regularly get $2/word and up, and for content, at least thirty times what your would-be writing buyer is offering. I have to wonder, would he/she jump at the chance to earn the princely sum of $3/hour if it offered steady work and "creative freedom"?
I know this is kind of like asking "how high is up?", but here goes: How much should quality content cost?
I.E. What would you pay/get paid for:
i. 15-20 definitions (short descriptive text <100 words each) vs. a single 1500-2000 word article?
ii. technical/specialized content vs. general?
iii. SEO copy vs. non-optimized?
I'm hoping for answers both from content writers and folks that hire them. What price ranges do you feel are reasonable?
Any responses appreciated
It's good for those of us who provide content to know what the going rates are as far as pricing for our services, and to be able to stick to a standard. Hard to do at times, but it's the best way, in the long run.
A sad truth is there are billions of people in this World who make less than $3 per hour. Working a 40 hour week, that's $6240 per year...that's incredible money for some.
For a reference, how long does it take to write an article, of say approx 500 word one?
What is a reasonable one page length article on the net? At what length it is just a blurb, and at what length it is just way to long?
LOVE to hear your responses. I do have to come up with a realistic budget... ;)
Yes, there are unfortunate people out there, but most people can make something out of their lives, no matter where they live. Let's not get too depressed about the people who make $2/day, because a gallon of milk cost them $0.01...
What is a reasonable one page length article on the net?
At what length it is just a blurb,
and at what length it is just way to long?
For a reference, how long does it take to write an article, of say approx 500 word one?
A sad truth is there are billions of people in this World who make less than $3 per hour. Working a 40 hour week, that's $6240 per year...that's incredible money for some.
Amen to that. I know two young females writing 250 word articles for $4 each and they are very happy to have the work. They live outside the USA and do a better job then most Americans could. I should know because I was a newspaper reporter in the US for 5 years.
When I read the arrogant reactions to $3/blurbs above, I am not surprised at all by the high number of jobs moving overseas every year.
Go ahead and laugh at that low pay. There are lots of people willing to take those jobs. And don't come back here crying when no one will hire you because you are too high priced with an overvalued sense of entitlement.
Most American content writers for the web aren't that good anyway. They think they are, but they're not.
For a reference, how long does it take to write an article, of say approx 500 word one?
It really depends. As was pointed out, how well you know the information can determine the time. If you are a one man or woman show, the piece can take some time because you must be the writer and the editor. It is possible to spend hours on a 500 word piece.
If you were say a newspaper reporter, the piece might not take long at all because the editor does all the real work. Basically, the reporter presents a crude work and the editor works his or her magic to mold it into a masterpiece. The better the editor, the better the piece ends up. Even the best journalists on the planet have top notch editors.
Pricing really depends on a number of factors. I personally don't care for people who charge top dollar--unless they are well worth it. You need to charge enough to live on though. An American can not live on $3 per article because of our economy.
Ok. so to be a reasonable article, within a requested topic, I can expect to pay $500 to $1,500 in the average range? So $750 per article is a good "starting" point?
Would an experienced content writer be open to creative compensation? i.e. trade for services, or shared profits off of adjacent advertisements?
If you were say a newspaper reporter, the piece might not take long at all because the editor does all the real work. Basically, the reporter presents a crude work and the editor works his or her magic to mold it into a masterpiece.
No disrespect but that is truly ignorant. Especially, "...the editor does all the real work."
That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Spoken by someone that never worked in a newspaper office.
500 words x .30 = $150 ; any good writer could do 3-4 of these a day $450-$600 a day.
If all they do is 1 a day 54K a year . That's a pretty fair living; even in the US that places you in the middle class.
500 words x .30 = $150 ; any good writer could do 3-4 of these a day $450-$600 a day.If all they do is 1 a day 54K a year . That's a pretty fair living; even in the US that places you in the middle class.
Check your math. :) One $150 article per day, five days a week, is $39,000, not $54,000.
Doing 3 or 4 of these a day would be a stretch for most writers, including myself, who has been writing for a long long time. I could do it if I knew the subject matter very well, minimal research were involved, and no interviews were involved. But throw any of those factors into it, and you've easily doubled the time it takes.
The sad fact is, American workers are going to get the shaft more and more. For example, in the Philippines $500 a month is an excellent wage, what Engineers get. Try living on that in the USA!
Fact is, in a world economy work that can easily be done elsewhere, like writting or programming, is going to be snapped up by people in countries that can make a living at pay rates you could only live under a bridge with in the United States. Of course, certain US businesses do well from this, they don't have to pay benefits and get work done at what would be slave wages in the US.
Thank you George Bush for selling Americans down the river!
Thank you George Bush for selling Americans down the river!
Please drop the political shots. The fact is this globalization, outsourcing, etc., has been building for some time. Bush didn't cause it, and there's not much he could do to stop it, assuming (wrongly, I believe) that he should try.
Throwing up barriers to prevent the change might avoid some of the current dislocations, but would likely cause more and deeper problems. Compare how we tried to "solve" our economic woes circa 1930 by creating trade barriers [Smoot-Hawley Act], etc. Result? The Great Depression!
You are making a whole host of assumptions about how economies work, including that job creation and wealth creation are zero-sum games.
Several times in history folks have made arguments against these sorts of changes-- people far less propserous than we are today. Fortunately, they ultimately lost!
The fact is this globalization, outsourcing, etc., has been building for some time. Bush didn't cause it, and there's not much he could do to stop it,
That's for sure. Globalization and outsourcing is one of the few things that can't be blamed on GWB.
A book I recommend reading on the subject of Globalization and the Global Economy is:
"The Lexus and The Olive Tree"
This book will really open your eyes to understanding the big picture of global economics and the future.
I am not interested in writing. I am interested in hiring. I just think I should pay a fair price for a fair job.
If one of you tell me that I can get a good article for $3, why would I want to pay $750?
As an ex-boss said, just before he laid me off - I care, I really do - just not that much...
As for globalization... Remember when you could hire a programmer for $0.10/hour? I do. That is no longer the case at the same location. So, in a truly globalized scenario the price of any service or product will find the proper equilibrium and price.
Computer programmers' hourly rate here in the US are droping, but the rates overseas are rising. Could it be because we are overpaid in most instances here?
But I digress...
What the heck is meant by consistent work? Is it the same as work your butt of 24/7?
For web content, 10 cents per word or greater will draw many good writers. Ghostwritten work can be substantially higher.
Who knows, you might offer $3 an article and get a piece you like. It may not be great writing but if you think so, that is what matters.
If you are going to offer low pay, try to offer compensation. For example, $x an article plus links to their website. Business is all about leveraging. If you had a website with high traffic or a high PR, you should be able to get a good writer to write you an article now and then for a nice link--think in terms of the complete package.
Good Luck!
