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Topic: How to charge for work
| Author | Message |
| cyclescotts | Posted – 7/25/2007 5:48:13 PM | show profile | email poster I've been recruited to write a bio on a businessman aquaintance and haven't a clue as to how to charge for the work. Hourly? By the word? It's likely that it won't be published, but rather given to prospective clients, so there won't likely be royalties. Any info greatly appreciated. |
| Astera | Posted – 7/25/2007 6:10:09 PM | show profile I've written bios for various company executives, and I usually just charge a flat fee. In general, I charge between $400 and $500, depending on how much information I am given to work with. ------ www.adventuresofastera.blogspot.com |
| writesonwater | Posted – 7/26/2007 12:16:53 AM | show profile Agree with Astera. Definitely a flat rate -- with a basic understanding up front what it will entail (how many words -- a range). |
| writesonwater | Posted – 7/26/2007 12:19:51 AM | show profile There's a wide range of what people can charge for this. In a small part it depends on how many words, in a larger part it depends on how much experience the writer has -- and perhaps biggest of all, how much the client can afford. You can't say any of that, of course. But if you're starting out (you're in Beginners issues, and you're asking this question) so I guess you are, go to the conservative end of the pay scale. I used to charge $175, but I'd charge much more these days. |
| cyclescotts | Posted – 7/26/2007 2:10:28 PM | show profile | email poster Thanks for the feedback. I should have been more informative about the "bio", as it's to be a short book on the life of this person and not a page or two synopsis. A ghostwriting of roughly sixty thousand words. He saw my work in a magazine and approached me to do it for him, the book, but negotiating a price for something like this is unfamiliar ground. If someone has done something similar I'd love to hear from them. Many Thanks, K |
| Little Fingers | Posted – 7/26/2007 8:00:01 PM | show profile A fellow poster on these boards once shared with me that she does books just like the one you are describing for $35K and up. It's a flat fee, since there are no advances or royalties. I think you have to take into account how much business the book is likely to generate for your client, how long it will take you to write it, how much work he's going to do himself (i.e. will you be doing a lot of rewriting or will you have to generate text from scratch, based on interviews, research, etc.), and what the time frame is for the project. I guess it also depends on how much experience you have as that will in part dictate how much $$ you can demand. FWIW, I'm finishing a ghostwriting project now that is approx. 15K words, completed over the course of about six months. I got paid a little about $11K for it, plus 25% of all subrights and royalties. It's my first ghostwriting project and my coauthors were more collaborative in that they would rough out chapters for me to start with. Gods willing I'll be able to get more next time! :) |
| dsquared | Posted – 7/31/2007 11:17:02 PM | show profile | email poster mileage? Thanks for the input thus far! I am new to the freelance aspect (have been writing for years for companies, though) and have been approached by someone to give her a ball park about rates. In addition to what you all have shared so far, what about if travel is involved? The publisher has four publications and an assignment could be for any of the four locations (cities). Would I adjust my flat rate with that in mind or tell her it is x amount plus mileage or ?? Thank you! |
| Circle68 | Posted – 8/1/2007 4:22:05 PM | show profile | email poster This should help you Check out this message board on allfreelancing.com. Posted is an average rate chart put out by WritersMarket.com in PDF form: http://www.allfreelancing.com/showthread.php?tid=148. Good luck. |
| Little Fingers | Posted – 8/15/2007 3:12:28 PM | show profile I would include a clause about additional reimbursement for all travel expenses (and any other expenses such as research materials, phone calls, shipping, etc.) above and beyond the writing fee. You'd also include wording that indicates that such expenses must be pre-approved by the client (so he doesn't have to worry about your ringing up a huge bill and dropping it on him later). That's how my agreements are structured. |
