Deciding how much to charge for a 500 word article can be a challenge, especially if you’re just starting out as a freelance writer. Rates can vary widely depending on a bunch of different factors such as your experience, industry, the complexity of the topic, and how much budget your client has.
So it’s essential you find a balance between a price that gives you fair compensation for your work while also staying competitive in the marketplace.
If you’re just starting out, you might start as low as $0.05 per word for blogs or high-volume content sites, or price yourself up to $1.50 or more per word for major news sites or trade publications.
As your expertise grows, charging up to $150 for a 500 word blog may become more appropriate. Keep in mind, you should price yourself higher for projects requiring more research or specialized knowledge.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to honestly evaluate your skills and adjust your prices accordingly as you get more experience, while ensuring both you and your clients are satisfied with the outcome.
Understanding Market Rates
Factors Affecting Article Pricing
When determining how much to charge for a 500 word article, you should consider various factors:
- Experience: Beginners can charge between $3 to $25, while more experienced writers may charge $30 to $150 or even more, depending on their expertise and research level.
- Quality and Niche: High-quality content and specialized niches (e.g. health, tech, and B2B SaaS) usually warrant higher rates. Elite news sites or trade publications may pay up to $1.50 per word or more.
- Type of client: The client’s industry and budget can also impact pricing. For example, small businesses may have lower budgets than well-established companies.
- Research and editing: Complex topics that require extensive research and editing may command a higher rate.
- Project scope: If your writing is part of a larger project, like a whitepaper or eBook, you might charge differently than a standalone article.
Comparing Industry Rates
Understanding how other professionals charge for their work can help you make informed decisions about your rates. Here’s a rough breakdown of industry standards:
- Per-Word Rates: Freelance rates for blogs or high-volume content sites can start as low as $0.05 per word and range up to $1.50 or more per word for elite publications.
- Hourly Rates: According to the Writer’s Market 2020, the average hourly rate for social media postings is $62, but this can vary depending on the complexity of the task.
- Per-Project Rates: These are popular among freelance writers and could range from $250 to $399 for a 1,500-word blog post and $500 to $999 for writing a whitepaper.
Remember to be flexible with your pricing as the market changes and your skills develop. Adjust your rates as needed to attract the right clients while securing a fair income for your work.
If you’re unsure what you should charge based on your niche or skills, don’t hesitate to reach out to your network of fellow freelance writers and see if your prices sound right to them.
Calculating Your Fee
Evaluating Your Skills and Experience
When determining how much you should charge for a 500 word article, first assess your skills and experience. Are you a beginner or an expert writer in your niche? Have you ever written an article before?
Beginners might charge anything between $3 to $100 for a 500-word article, while more experienced content writers may charge between $100 to $500. Professional writers with higher levels of expertise and extensive research requirements may charge more than $1,000 for a 500-word article.
In addition to your skills, consider how specialized or niche your expertise is. If you’re writing about a highly technical or specialized topic, you may be able to charge a higher rate.
Accounting for Time and Effort
After evaluating your skills and experience, consider the time and effort required to create your 500-word article. The complexity of the topic, the amount of research needed, and the editing process are all factors that impact the amount of time and effort required.
To estimate how long an article will take you to write, track your writing speed with a typing speed tester, or time yourself writing a sample article on a topic in your niche (hint: you can use this completed sample article as a sample to show potential clients!).
Once you know your average writing speed for a 500 word article, you can estimate the time it will take you to complete the task.
Based on this estimation, you can calculate your desired hourly rate or desired per-word rate. For example, if you want to earn an hourly rate of $50 and you can write a 500-word article in 2 hours, your per-word rate would be $0.10 per word ($50 x 2 hours = $100, $100 ÷ 500 words = $0.10).
With this information, you can confidently set a fair rate for yourself as you write this 500-word article, which will take both your skills and the time and effort required into account. Use these guidelines to ensure you’re paid well for your hard work.
Setting Up Pricing Packages
When you’re setting your freelance writing rates, it’s essential to consider different factors for various types of content. In this section, we’ll explore two common pricing models and how offering bulk discounts can benefit you.
Flat Rate vs Word Count Based
Flat Rate: Charging a single price for an entire project offers simplicity and flexibility. A flat rate of $300 for a 500-word article, for example, works well if you can complete it in two hours. That will give you a healthy hourly rate of $150.
This method gives you some freedom in your schedule, and clients will benefit from knowing exactly how much they will need to pay you on completion.
Word Count Based: Some freelancers charge based on the number of words in an article. Rates range from $0.05 per word for high-volume content, up to $4 or more per word for some elite news or trade publications. Calculating your rate this way ensures you’re paid fairly for every word you write, and it may be more appropriate for longer articles where the workload is more significant.
Offering Bulk Discounts
Clients often appreciate the option of a bulk discount when purchasing multiple articles. This could involve offering a reduced per-word rate or a percentage discount off the flat rate for a set number of articles. For example:
- $0.15 per word for 1-4 articles
- $0.10 per word for 5-9 articles
- $0.08 per word for 10+ articles
By providing bulk discounts, you can encourage repeat business and build long-term relationships with clients, ensuring a more consistent stream of work. Keep in mind what this will look like in terms of your workload, and make sure you can keep up with the volume, while still maintaining your quality of writing.
Negotiating and Communicating Your Rates
Be Transparent with Clients
When discussing rates with clients, it’s good business practice to be open and transparent. Clearly communicate the value you provide in terms of your experience, skills, and expertise. Use specific examples and evidence to support your claims.
To make this process easier, create a rate sheet outlining your per-word or per-project pricing. This document can help potential clients understand all the factors that influence your rates, such as research, revisions, and other aspects of the writing process. Telling your clients about your process shows them that you do a lot more behind the scenes than just slinging some words onto a page.
Be prepared to discuss your rates with confidence, and without underselling your work or feeling pressured to lower your rates. You may also consider offering a price range that allows some flexibility for different project types. Keep in mind that it’s essential to strike a balance between charging what you’re worth and remaining competitive in the market.
Adjust Your Rates for Long-Term Projects
For long-term projects or ongoing work with clients, you might want to to adjust your rates accordingly. Long-term projects often require a different pricing strategy than one-off tasks.
Consider offering a slightly discounted rate for long-term projects as an incentive for clients to establish a longer working relationship (or retainer) with you. This approach can benefit both parties, as the client gains access to more cost-effective, high-quality content and you get ongoing work – giving your more income stability.
Make sure to outline your long-term project rates on your rate sheet and be prepared to negotiate these terms during your initial client discussions.
Ultimately, setting and negotiating your rates for a 500-word article or any other project type requires transparency, flexibility, and confidence about your value as a writer. By maintaining open communication and focusing on the needs of your clients, you can find the ideal balance that benefits both parties and leads to successful collaborations.
Frequently Asked Questions: How much to charge for a 500 word article
Rate per word pricing
When it comes to charging for your writing, one approach is to use a ‘rate per word’. This enables you to clearly communicate your rates to clients, and you can vary it based on your experience and expertise. Keep in mind that what you can charge per word will range widely depending on your niche and your client, from as low as a few cents up to a dollar or more per word.
Pricing for blog posts
If you’re writing blog posts, it’s best to charge per blog instead of per word. Typically, a straightforward 500-word blog post on a simple topic could cost around $50. But remember that your rate may need adjustments depending on factors such as keyword optimization and the complexity of the topic.
Some expert writers will internally charge out at $1 or $2 per word (or more!), meaning they will invoice their client at a per-blog price of $500 or $1,000.
Fiverr prices for 500 words
On Fiverr, a popular freelancing platform, the charges for a 500-word article can vary greatly. Contrary to the platform’s name, you can charge any amount you want to, not just $5 🙂
But if you look at what other writers charge on this platform, you’ll see these rates are very low compared with what you could be earning by working directly with a client. For example, some writers will write a 500 word article for $5…which I don’t recommend!
You should also note that Fiverr takes a 20% fee from your earnings. So, for example, if you charge $50 for a 500 word article, you’ll take home a total of $40.
Charging per article
Charging per article is a good approach when you’re dealing with projects that have specific requirements or resources involved.
Your pricing quotes will depend on your experience and the complexity of the work. For a 500-word article, beginner writers might charge between $3 to $25, while more experienced writers might charge between $30 to $150, and expert writers might charge up to $1,000 or more.
Freelance writer rates
Freelance writing rates vary based on factors such as writing niche, skill level, demand, and location. Generally, beginners might charge lower rates, while experienced professionals can command higher prices. Regularly review your rates every 6 months and adjust them to reflect your growth in skills, expertise, and reputation.
Content writing price factors
When you’re looking at how much to charge for a 500 word article, several factors can affect the pricing for content writing, such as the level of expertise and research required, industry rates, deadlines, and the amount of editing necessary.
Always consider the scope, specialization, and requirements of a project when determining your rates to ensure that your pricing is fair and profitable.
