Freelance Writing Rates: Holding steady since 1973
Larry will write for you for super cheap. In fact, he just needs a free lunch and some kind words.
So, we’re watching Almost Famous the other day and it gets to the part where, in 1973, Rolling Stone’s Ben Fong-Torres asks William if he wants to do a story for on Stillwater for the magazine. He offers him $700, then ups to $1000 when he mistakenly assumes William’s silence means he’s holding out for more. Funny, yes, but Matt (my boyfriend, also a writer) looked at each other and laughed for a different reason — his fee is not that different to what freelance writing rates are today. In fact, getting $1000 for a feature is still quite a good rate unless you’re dealing with the big boys. Of course, Rolling Stone is one of the biggest and I’m sure the pay their writers well, but that’s the exception, not the rule.
If you want to really see freelance writing rates in action, check out Craigslist’s jobs section. The posts almost always offer completely laughable rates, or offer it for “someone who wants to build their portfolio” aka, write for free. There’s someone on there who’s taken to chastising people for these low offers and I get a kick out of their crusade.
The thing is, writers don’t get much respect. And it kind of sucks. Aside from too much competition in the market and too many people willing to work for next-to-nothing, there’s a general lack of understanding in as to the value of good writing. People always want to cheap out on the writing. And unfortunately, it shines through and through in the work, whether it’s a brochure, a website, or an article.
What do you do, though? Well, it would be nice if other people stopped writing for free or shit pay, but that’s not going to happen. I just try to only write for people that compensate me accordingly — which they tend to once they realize that a crappy writer isn’t worth the battle. There are only so many hours in the day, and you need to make enough each hour to make ends meet. Tough gig, this freelance writing.
Well put.
I wonder what William got for his Stillwater cover story when it was published?
$1,000. We always paid what was promised. So, here’s the reality: Cameron Crowe’s first article for me & RS was on Poco, maybe 600 words, and he probably got $50-$75. That’s how it was in ‘73 and, yes, sad to say, it hasn’t changed a whole lot. Young Cameron did graduate to bigger stories–even a cover story within a year, and probably got to that $1000 figure, but it wasn’t overnight, and he didn’t fool me over the phone. We’d met at a Stones concert in LA weeks before, and again at a publicity firm’s offices on Sunset. In broad daylight, he had nary a wrinkle, and my reporter’s instincts told me he might be on the youthful side.
And he still is.
Crazy.
–Ben Fong-Torres
This is so true! No wonder there is always talk of starting a freelance writers union. Beyond the paltry pay there is the reality that they don’t have health coverage or insurance, and no sort of pension. I think charging by the word should be replaced with charging either by the hour (research, transcribing, writing) or a flat rate for the job.