Freelance writers: this is the minimum you should be charging

Let’s make sure we’re getting paid what we should.

How do you know you’re charging the right amount for that 750-word article? What if someone asks you to ghostwrite an ebook? Would you know how much to charge? When writers first start out, knowing what to charge is always a challenge. The thing is, before you can know how much to charge, you have to know what questions need to be asked.

Ask these questions before giving a quote

Don’t ever feel pressure to give a quote on the first conversation. There’s so much information that you need in order to give an accurate number. If you’re on the phone with a client and they’re asking for a cost, tell them you’ll email the details. Before sending that email (or in the email if you haven’t spoken to the client over the phone) ask these questions:

• What’s the length of the project — if it’s an article, ask how many words. If it’s an ebook, ask how many pages. If it’s website copy, ask how many tabs. For ghostwriting a novel or non-fiction book, ask them the minimum number of pages they hope to reach.
• Do you need to do research — are they providing you with research or do they expect that you’ll do the research, yourself?
• Are you editing or…