Actual US rates for Writers

I don’t expect people who outsource writing tasks to pay the same price as that in their own country, but at least I expect a reasonable price. The problem is a lot of the prices they are offering are less than the actual writing rate here in our own country, which is really disgusting!!!

So thanks to Amber who informed me of the standard writing rate for professional writers.

Standard Market Writing Rates for Professional Writers.

For those of you who are unsure of what to offer a writer for pay … here is a current standard market writing rate schedule. Of course, all rates can be negotiable to a certain degree, but this should provide you with a strong point of reference. Good luck!

Advertising Material
Copy/Scripts/News Releases
$350 to $500 per page
$750 to $1,000 per project for brochures
$75 to $150 per hour

Articles
$0.40 to $2 per word
$100 to $3,000 per article
$40 to $100 per hour

Corporate/Business Writing
Reports/ Marketing Plans/ Technical Writing
$1 to $2 per word
$300 to $12,000 per project
$50 to $125 per hour

Editing
Varies according to publication/project
$30 to $60 per hour
$500 to $20,000 per project

Ghost Writing
Articles or Books (no credit to writer)
Generally 2-3 times the usual article rate

Books (credit to writer)
$10,000 to $50,000 flat fee
Entire advance + 50% of royalties

Press
News Releases/Studies/Reports
$1 to $3 per word
$500 to $100,000 per project
$50 to $125 per hour

Newsletters
Writing only; layout extra
$0.30 to $1.50 per word
$400 to $6,000 per issue
$50 to $80 per hour

Newspaper Writing
Large Daily Newspapers
$0.30 to $1.00 per word
$250 to $2,500 per article
$330 to $1,250 per column

Smaller Community Newspapers
$0.10 to $0.50 per word
$75 to $1,000 per article
$75 to $500 per column

Online/Web Site Writing
Varies widely; “business” sites pay higher
$1 to $3 per word
$60 to $100 per hour

Periodical Writing
General Interest/Consumer Magazines
$1.00 to $2 per word
$500 to $10,000 per article
$400 to $1,500 per column

Trade/Special Interest Magazines
$0.30 to $2 per word
$500 to $4,000 per article
$300 to $1,000 per column

Scripts
Radio (highly variable)
$40 to $80 per minute of script

Television (highly variable)
$60 to $130 per minute of script

Speech Writing
$500 to $8,000 per speech
$60 to $130 per hour

Teaching/Instruction
$25 to $80 per hour
$200 to $800 per day

Translation/Adaptation
Literary
$0.10 to $0.20 per word

Other
$0.25 to $0.60 per word
$40 to $80 per hour

Location: Massachusetts
This comes from a reputable writer’s group in Massachusetts.

Home Shopping CLub – another rip off company

I am not sure how many people have heard of this company since they do not have a website, but I can guarantee you that they are a rip-off company. You can read my post about them below:

http://virtualthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/dream-or-reality/

http://virtualthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/dream-or-reality-update/

To continue with the post, after several weeks again, I got an agent interested to work with him. So we started the training, him, me and the agent. At first it was going great, the agent got the hang of it and was able to close several deals for the company. There were several times that she was able to reach the quota for the day so there were bonuses installed for her.

The thing is, the guy cannot pay us yet. He said his credit card is being reissued by the bank and thus I can continue to send in worked invoice and he will just pay right after he will get his credit card. I should have seen this coming, but I have talked to him several times on the phone and we were more like friends than virtual workers. He even offered to help me if I need anything in the States, he was also planning to come here to do a joint venture with me.

And then after two and a half months of working, my agent decided to resign, this is because she told me she doesn’t trust the company and she doesn’t trust the big boss himself. She said how come he hasn’t paid me yet? I paid my all my staff religiously every 15th and 30th of the month but the client hasn’t paid me a cent!

Anyway, to make the long story short, the agent said that after two and a half months of semi telemarketing calls, she felt that there are a lot of loopholes in the script and in the presentation. The questions presented to her by the prospective clients weren’t answered or addressed by the company, and instead she got reprimanded for those questions.

So we informed the client of her decision. Naturally he was mad, but how can you get somebody to work for a company she doesn’t believe it or trust in? here is the worst part:

The client then told me that he doubts if the agent had really been working or if she had done any calls. Answer, if she hasn’t been doing any calls, where will she gets all these rebuttals regarding the promotion?  He said that she has wasted his time etc etc etc. what about me? I trained her, I paid for internet connection, electricity and her salary and I still haven’t gotten paid by him. Hey!!! wait a minute, for the past few months he has nothing but praises for her, he told me that she is doing great and she has been able to close several deals and now he is questioning her integrity??? give us all some credit here.

Anyway, he said that he will pay me before July 27th as I will be leaving for my hometown that day. Need I say I never heard from him again?? I have sent numerous emails, left numerous phone messages, my sister in the US has been also contacting him and still nothing.

what can I say? he has ripped us off!!! Since my agent isn’t working for him, he doesn’t feel the need to honor his agreement with me. No pay for me and no bonuses for my agent too!!!!!! What a scammer!!!!!

Everytime I think about our conversations and how I get assured by him everytime that he will pay that if I haven’t heard from him in weeks, I need not fear because when he comes back everything will be taken cared of. What a bunch of bullshit!!!!

The lesson here is, make sure you get paid on time, tell the clients if they do not pay on time, like a jukebox you will stop working asap!!

So virtual folks, be aware, the name of the company is Home Shopping Club, the business is giving out free promotional gifts like luxury watches etc and the name of the guy is Terence Banks.