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Freelance Writing Pay Rates for Newspapers and Magazines

• by Laurie Pawlik
• January 20, 2024
• 49 Comments

How did I earn $35,000 my first year as a freelance writer? Not by writing articles for free! These freelance writing pay rates reveal how it’s possible to earn a good living as a writer.

I also list several writing jobs and pay rates for freelance writers who work for magazines, newspapers, editors, and publishing houses. And finally, I share eight ways for writers to increase their pay rates.

“If you’re a beginning freelance writer, or don’t know many other freelancers, you may wonder how anyone manages to earn enough to eat and pay the rent by writing,” says Lynn Wasnak in Writer’s Market: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published . “Yet, smart full-time freelance writers and editors annually earn $35,000 and up – sometimes into the $150,000-200,000 range.”

Here’s a warning for freelance writers who are curious about pay rates for magazines and newspapers:

“As a profession, freelance writing is notoriously insecure,” said bestselling author and journalist Gloria Steinem. “That’s the first argument in its favor. For many reasons, a few of them rational, the thought of knowing exactly what next year’s accomplishments, routine, income, and vacation will be – or even what time I have to get up tomorrow morning – has always depressed me.”

You don’t have to be a famous published author or established journalist to make money writing for newspapers and magazines. But, you do have to be professional. Freelance writers who can support themselves by writing for media outlets are self-employed entrepreneurs , not flighty artists. Successful freelancers are constantly learning and improving.

For example, one of the ways I learned how to become a freelance writer was by reading almost every edition of Writer’s Market . I was curious about everything: How did freelance writing pay rates change over the years? How much did freelancers earn two years ago? What were the pay rates five years, ten, twenty years ago? I learned that newspapers and magazines still pay writers for articles, but writing for other outlets (big companies, small businesses, online entrepreneurs, and even nonprofit organizations) is more profitable.

Writer’s Market 2020: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published  is an essential writing tool. Not only does it list the most current freelance writing pay rates, it offers information for  also has thousands of magazine, newspaper, e-zine, and blog publishers who pay freelancers to write.   Writer’s Market  also lists the most up-to-date, current freelance writing pay rates.

How Much Do Newspaper and Magazine Writers Get Paid?

Pay rates for freelance writers are not the same for different magazines and newspapers. Inexperienced writers or content creators earn different amounts than experienced or established journalists and bestselling authors.

Plus, different newspapers and magazines in different cities, regions, and parts of the world pay writers different rates. The best way to find out how much a newspaper or magazine writer gets paid is to contact specific writers and editors at specific periodicals. Get the inside scoop! That’s your job as a writer, after all.

Here’s what the professional freelance writers say about writing jobs and rates for magazines and newspapers. Some writers charge by the hour (I charge $50/hour). As A. A. Milne says, “Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being.”

In Writer’s Market , Wasnak suggests a formula for figuring out your hourly rate:

“Begin by choosing your target annual income – whether it’s $25,000 or $100,000. Add in fixed expenses: social security, taxes, and office supplies. Don’t forget health insurance and something for your retirement. Once you’ve determined your annual gross target, divide it by 1,000 billable hours – about 21 hours per week – to determine your target hourly rate.”

Fellow scribes, take your experience and education into account before setting your goals for earning money as a writer. A new freelancer can’t charge as much for an article as an established journalist.

Freelance Writing Pay Rates for Magazine and Trade Journals

My pay rate for alive , which is a health magazine I write for, is fifty cents a word. I started writing for them in 2009, and have stopped pitching article ideas to them. The editors send me assignments regularly. The beauty of establishing yourself as a writer is that you develop relationships with various newspaper and magazine editors. If you’re a reliable, professional freelance writer then you’ll be busy.

These freelance writing pay rates depend on many factors – including how much advertising the newspaper or magazine sells. How much you get paid to write doesn’t always depend on your skills, experience, or creativity.

• Article feature writing: $40-$122 per hour, or $.20-30 per word
• Reprint articles: $20-$1,500 per project, or $.10-1.50 per word
• Magazine column: $75-$2,500 per project, or $.37-2.50 per word
• Ghostwriting articles: $30-$200 per hour, or $.60-10 per word
• Arts review: $60-$95 per hour, or $.08-1.20 per word
• Book reviews: $25-$900 per project, or $.15-1.50 per word
• Rewriting: $20-125 per hour, or $50 per page
• Content editing: $25-125 per hour, or $.06-.16 per word

Reading the Writer’s Market books is a good way to get an accurate feel for current pay rates for freelance writers.

Freelance Writing Rates for Newspapers

These writing jobs and rates are compiled from voluntary surveys from members of numerous professional writers’ and editors’ associations and specialty groups.

• Article feature writing: $40-$79 per hour, or .10-$1.60 per word
• Local column: .38-$1 per word; $25-$600 per project
• Self-syndicated column: $4-$35 per insertion
• Investigative Reporting: $2,250-$10,000 per grant
• Proofreading: $15-$45 per hour
• Arts review: $30-$69 per hour, or $.06-.60 per word
• Book reviews: $45-$69 per hour, or  $.25-.60 per word
• Obituary copy: $35-$225 per project

Are you new to newspaper and magazine writing? Read 8 Things You Need to Know About Succeeding as a Freelance Writer .

The more networking, marketing, querying, and studying of magazines and newspapers that you do, the more money you can charge as a freelance writer.

“You’ll be surprised how far you can go, and how much you can earn, if you believe in your skills and act on your belief,” says Wasnak in Writer’s Market 2020: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published . “Learn how to query, then query like mad. Take chances by reaching for the next level. Learn to negotiate for a fee you can live on…and then get it in writing.”

How Do Freelance Writers Earn More Money?

One of the most important things to remember about making money writing is that you need courage to ask for the freelance pay rate you think you deserve as a writer. When I asked for an increase in my freelance writing pay rate for my favorite magazine, I felt nervous. But the editor agreed to pay me 25 cents more per word.

That said, however, simply having the courage it takes to ask for a raise doesn’t guarantee you’ll make more money writing. If you are a professional freelance writer who works well with magazine editors, you will enjoy higher pay rates. One of the most effective ways to earn a good living as a freelancer is to specialize in a specific niche. It’s not enough just to learn how to be a travel writer , for instance. The most successful writers have a focus or a specialty.

8 Ways for Writers to Increase Their Pay Rates

1. Learn which editors prefer what pitches. One of my regular magazine editors prefers longer, more detailed pitches with most of my sources and information listed. Another editor prefers short, punchy pitches, about a half-page long, so he can share it with his fellow editors more easily. Find out how your editors like to receive their query letters. Pitch accordingly.

2. Avoid asking magazine or newspaper editors about pay rates.  I usually wait until I’ve written at least one article for the magazine before I ask what type of query letter the editor prefers. I never ask when I’m cold-calling or cold-emailing — instead, I just send a catchy, thoughtful one-page pitch at first. Later, after the editor has emailed or called, I ask what types of pitches he or she prefers.

3. Pitch your best article, idea, and writing. It’s taken me a full year of full-time freelance writing to absorb this tip: line up your most interesting source or idea before you pitch the article. For instance, if I want to write an article about how the economy has affected feature article assignments, then I need to find a source with direct, unique, and fascinating experience. I’d try to line up a couple of freelance writers, perhaps a freelance editor or two — and definitely a magazine editor. Then, I’m ready to write the pitch that will hook my editor.

4. Realize that you may put more work into your query letter than your article. The more experience I get as a freelance writer, the more time I spend writing pitches that are flawless in terms of execution, sources, anecdotes, experts, and ideas. As I develop relationships and work more with editors, I can simply email ideas in a sentence or two. If they like the idea, they ask me to write a more detailed pitch.

5. Ask for another article assignment when you file or submit an article. When I submit an article and invoice, I ask editors if they have any leads or article ideas that they’d like me to write. I don’t mention magazine or newspaper pay rates when I pitch different ideas, but I like to show editors I’m open to writing most anything.

In 11 Most Popular Articles to Write for Magazines (Freelance Writing is Easier Than You Think!) share my tips for getting published in print and online magazines. It’s easy when you know what types of articles editors and publishers need!

6. Be grateful for revisions. Welcome an editor’s feedback. When editors ask for edits, be glad for the opportunity to become a better, more successful writer! I learned far more from revising and rewriting than I ever did from the editors who simply published my articles “as is.” One of my favorite Reader’s Digest editors would call me and we’d edit my articles over the phone. Every phone call and every edit made me a better writer.

Are you interested in writing for a national magazine – even if you don’t know their pay rates? Read 10 Things You Need to Know About Writing for Reader’s Digest .

7. Take opportunities to make personal connections with editors. If an editor makes a personal reference in an email — for instance, one of my health magazine editors recently referred to his use of the elliptical trainer — follow up on it. The more real you are to editors (and the more real they are to you), the better your relationship will be…and the more your chances increase for future assignments.

8. Know the current writer’s market. “An editor whose magazine offers 10 cents a word will rarely negotiate that fee with a newcomer,” writes Nancy Hamilton in Magazine Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Success . “Even seasoned writers usually have a hard time negotiating it upward…check magazine specifications in Writer’s Market to determine whether a magazine pays on a per-word basis or a blanket fee for an article of a certain length.”

Keep improving your writing skills. The best way to increase your pay rate as a freelancer is to be really, really good at your job. Larry King’s advice for writers is good: “Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read.” But just as important is to be a good entrepreneur. You, as a freelance writer, are a small business.

Instead of putting your energy into researching freelance writing pay rates for newspapers and magazines, focus on writing excellent feature articles and profiles. Read 11 Most Popular Types of Magazine Articles – Print & Online .

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49 thoughts on “Freelance Writing Pay Rates for Newspapers and Magazines”

Thanks for writing this blog post, Adventurous Writer, and I want to add to your freelance writing pay rate tips. The best way to get current market information is for freelancers to email individual magazines and newspapers and do some research! After all, that is a freelancer’s job, right?

Freelance pay rates depend on the writer’s experience, skill level, writing project, the magazine or newspaper’s budget, and the type of writing involved (technical? fiction? poetry? research?).

Here are some general guidelines for freelance writing rates for writers who can actually write:

Per Word Pay Rates: – Entry-level writers: $0.03 – $0.10 per word – Intermediate writers: $0.10 – $0.25 per word – Experienced writers: $0.25 – $1.00 or more per word

Per Hour Rates for Freelancers: – Entry-level writers: $15 – $30 per hour – Intermediate writers: $30 – $60 per hour – Experienced writers: $60 – $100 or more per hour

Rates Per Writing Project: – Blog posts (500-1000 words): $50 – $500 – Articles (1000-2000 words): $100 – $1000 – Web content (per page): $100 – $500 – Whitepapers or case studies: $500 – $2000 or more – Copywriting (landing pages, sales copy): $200 – $2000 or more

Specialized Writing Pay Rates: – Technical writing: $0.15 – $0.50 per word – Grant writing: $50 – $150 per hour or a percentage of the grant amount – Ghostwriting: $0.10 – $2.00 per word, or a percentage of book sales

Content Mills and Low-Paying Platforms: – Content mills and low-paying platforms may offer lower rates, often below $0.01 per word. However, these platforms are usually not recommended for experienced writers looking for fair compensation.

A freelance writer’s pay rate can vary based on negotiation skills, the writer’s portfolio, deadlines, and the client’s budget. Some writers charge higher rates for rush projects or those requiring extensive research.

Writers have to assess their own skills, experience, and the market demand when setting their rates. Additionally, networking, building a strong portfolio, and delivering quality work on time can contribute to earning higher rates over time.

The Adventurous Writer has long been a writing blog I enjoy reading, but I wish it was updated more often.

Thanks, Gillian. I haven’t been updating my blogs for awhile, and am glad you shared these updated freelance writing pay rates with us. I’m still The Adventurous Writer, though 🙂

Thank you for the great tips! I was wondering, do freelance writers need a business license? Thanks. Renee Guill

No, freelance writers don’t need a business license. However, if you’re a Canadian freelance writer you will need a GST number when you start earning more than $30,000 per year.

I never needed a GST number, though, because my earnings as a freelancer never exceeded $30,000. My blog earnings definitely did, but that money came from the U.S. and I pay taxes on that money.

I hope that answers your question. Good luck with your freelancing career!

I have a question–I am at the beginning of freelance writing for various local publictions. It was suggested as a courtesy from a freelance reporter to let the paper know that I was writing an UNRELATED story in the same general reading area. I signed no contracts–nothing. She told me that their legal department would not allow that and fired me.

Was she within her rights? Another pubication send me a form that states I am a freelancer and independent contractor. Once signed, would that protect me from writing for other publications with unrelated stories?

Howdy there, I don’t know what to do maybe you or anyone can help me out here I want to be a writer/ Author/ journalist for newspapers, Magazines even writhe for perhaps film just a little bit of everything I Love to write I’ve been a creative writer since 2003 I have wrote and self Published some books as well but never got nothing from them I also love to write Short story’s. I wanted to write heart warming short Christmas stories for the newspaper but no one reply back to my email’s can you or anyone help me out here I am disaibled so I’d have to work from home, but I also don’t want to be who diode either you know what I mean.

Hey Laurie,

Some good suggestions here. I hadn’t thought of asking for more work when submitting an invoice. It makes perfect sense. They already know me and my work, and I’m fresh in their mind’s eye.

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How Much Do Authors Make?: Average Author Salary in 2024

POSTED ON Feb 14, 2024

Written by Angelica Hartgers

If you are an author, or are considering becoming an author, you're probably wondering: “How much do authors make?” Is an author salary enough to get by in 2024? Do you need another gig? Are you getting paid enough for your work? How much do authors make per book?

Those are common questions (and good ones to ask if you're thinking about becoming an author), but the reality is…

The answer isn't simple.

Determining how much money you’ll make when you become an author is complex because no two authors are the same, and several factors affect how much you earn from your writing career.

The wide variance in how much authors make from their book sales is also caused by obscurity around the subject of financial earnings, which is not very transparent.

Some writers are of the mind that money should not be a measurement of success in writing at all and refuse to share insights, while others advocate for sharing book-earning statements in order to embrace the realities and raise awareness of how much authors make. 

And sharing how much authors make is taboo for some simply because they are shy about how little, or how much, they actually make from their books. 

No matter what your opinion is on the subject, you’re curious…

So, how much do authors make? 

While there isn’t a baseline number to report on how much authors make, it’s important to realize that author salaries have a very wide range. Some authors make millions, and others don’t make a penny.

With so many factors to consider when calculating how much authors make it’s important to determine how, and why, the publishing world has such a variance in author income levels.

In an effort to make the topic less obscure, we will take a closer look at the income of several writers in this report, and will continue updating this list. But before we dive into the average that authors are paid, let's take a closer look at what a salary for authors is and what it encompasses.

This Guide to How Much Authors Make Covers:

What is an author salary.

An author salary is the total amount of money that an author makes in any given year. The term “income” is often used interchangeably with “salary,” both in this post and in the world at large. 

Because authors are usually self-employed and organize their work by book project, how much authors make can vary substantially from year to year.

A year in which an author writes two books will likely mean a higher salary than a year when they don’t write any. That’s why it is important for authors to continually work on completing their projects and sharing them with the world. 

This applies to both self-published and traditionally published authors. A self-published author might have more freedom in developing their completion timelines, but this also means that they are responsible for keeping themselves accountable to their creative and financial goals. 

Authors, like many other professionals, often choose to keep their financial information private . Recently, though, many have begun to publish their salary to give those aspiring to join their ranks a real sense of the financial possibilities within the profession.

Salary vs. Book Earnings 

A salary is the total earnings in any given year, while book earnings are only one component of how much authors make overall.

An author might still work a day job or do freelance work while they establish their reputation to supplement their income. For example, many authors with devoted followings have chosen to join networks like Patreon, where their fans can pay them directly to continue releasing their work. 

Examples of platforms that pay creators include:

• Buy Me A Coffee

Some authors write and publish books with the intention of promoting their larger brand. This is the case for many entrepreneurs who want to share a concentrated version of their business vision. The interest generated by the book might translate to increased sales of a product, traffic on their website, or participation in personalized coaching.

Take Brianna R. in the video below , for example, who used the Self-Publishing School program to write and launch her book, which she now makes $4,000 per month from.

Misconceptions About How Much Authors Make

It’s important to get clear on the common misconceptions surrounding how much authors make so that you have a realistic vision as you begin your own writing career. 

Don’t go into writing or publishing if your sole purpose is to make millions; having that mindset could set you up for failure. Instead, go into your career with a fiery passion for writing and sharing your message with the world. With hard work and persistence, the rest will fall into place.  Here are some realities to keep aware of when it comes to how much authors make:

• Publishing a book is usually not going to bring you overnight success. It takes a solid book marketing plan!
• Writing a book will not make you rich in most cases. Most authors find their financial success from writing multiple books or using a book to grow their business .
• Writing and publishing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Writing is hard – ask any writer! Publishing takes dedication. Publishing a book doesn't mean instant fame and wealth.
• Many authors find success by leveraging their books to create a business. The majority of authors with a high salary are those who launch a business from their book or write multiple books.
• Passion for writing and sharing your message should drive your ambition. When you're passionate about your book's message, your passion will fuel you through the discouraging and difficult times during your career.

Now that you understand what a salary for authors is, and have a slightly more realistic view of what it takes to earn a high author salary, let's answer the question you're here for: How much do authors make!?

How Much Do Authors Make?

Writers live in a time where the opportunity to earn from their creative passions is in abundance. 

• Extremely high financial success. Sure, there are some famous writers who have achieved great financial success, like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling , who are both examples of authors who have sold millions of books and have had their literary work adapted into major motion pictures. 

Today's digital author has the potential to make a full-time living off of their published books, but it takes a specific recipe for success. But how much authors make can be extremely varied. An author can achieve:

• High financial success. There are many modern authors who can live luxuriously from their book earnings. However, these authors rarely make their income from one book alone.
• Medium financial success. There are many authors in the middle of the spectrum, especially with the rise of self-publishing and indie publishing. They are those who have written books, and are making livable earnings from their book royalties.
• Low financial success. Unfortunately, there are many brilliant authors who struggle to make money from their writing and have to pursue other jobs just to make ends meet. To reference a well-known author, consider H.P. Lovecraft, who never saw financial success while he was alive.

It takes dedication, grit, and a lot of hard work to achieve a high salary as an author. But don’t let that discourage you from writing a book or starting your career as an author. 

Depending on your goals, there is a path to success for your author career.

In today’s publishing industry, writers can become published authors a lot more easily than they could in the past. Historically, traditional publishing dominated the book industry, and authors had to be accepted by a traditional publishing company in order for their books to be published.

The issue with that is the traditional publishing method has always been very competitive, which means many brilliant writers have been turned away.  

Now, with the rise of self-publishing through online platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing , anyone can publish a book. Some argue that this, of course, opens the floodgates and diminishes the quality of books. But many authors have found success through self-publishing high-quality books, and have built sustainable creative businesses. 

How Much Does An Author Make Per Book?

Self-published authors begin earning royalties the moment they sell their first copy. However, the answer to the question “How much does an author make per book?”, depends on the format of the copy sold. 

One self-published author uses her rates to portray an accurate example of earnings across formats for standard royalties:

• Hardback = 60-100% per sale
• Paperback = 60-100% per sale
• eBook = 70-100% per sale

To determine the exact dollar amount you would earn, pull out your calculator for some simple math. For instance, for hardback costs, this same author presents her personal stats. She sells each copy for $14.99 with a 30% wholesale discount and a print charge of $4.67. This brings her dollar amount per copy sold to $5.82 (note that for eBooks, you bypass printing costs).

Paperback earns less, but also can sell more due to the price difference. For the same book mentioned above, but in paperback instead of hardback, the math is as follows: Listed for $5.95 with a 60% royalty rate. Printing cost is $2.15, yielding $1.42 income for the author per copy sold.

Audiobooks vary greatly depending on the platform you choose to publish through and which audiobook retailers they distribute to. While audiobooks skip print costs just as eBooks do, it’s important to consider the cost of producing the audio for this format. 

How Much Do Authors Make Per Genre Sales?

At this point, it’s crucial to note that some genres sell better than others. While we can each aspire to succeed to the degree of Stephen King and J.K. Rowling, or reach book sales such as J.R.R. Tolkien did with The Hobbit, before putting pen to paper, we need to note the genre each author wrote/writes. 

There are specific genres that sell better than others. Below is a list by The Richest , ranking the top five, highest-selling genres and the net worth of each genre. 

#1 – Romance / Erotica $1.44 Billion #2 – Crime / Mystery $728.2 Million #3 – Religious / Inspirational $720 Million #4 – Science Fiction / Fantasy $590.2 Million #5 – Horror $79.6 Million

Stephen King is known for his horror whereas J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien made a name for themselves via their science fiction and fantasy. Agatha Christie was known for her detective novels, as was Sir Authur Conan Doyle. Jane Austen and Nicholas Sparks made/make waves with romance, and Tim Keller, Francine Rivers, and John Bunyan did the same in religious and inspirational books. 

Note that niche books will likely sell well to their intended audience, but not reach the massive sales of these top five genres. So you understand that there is a big range when it comes to how much authors make. But let's talk actual figures. How much do authors make on average in 2024?

What is an Average Salary for Authors?

The average salary of an author (as of 2024) is $84,670 . This does not account for all authors, though since many “write part-time” or make much of their income through other means. 

To account for this gap, the Authors Guild conducted a massive survey to get detailed financial information from more than 5,000 authors. Their research found a $6,080 median for all writers, while full-time writers have a $20,300 median . The survey speaks to the wide disparities that exist in the range of how much authors make. 

Publishing ends up being a “winner-takes-all” market – a couple of authors at the top make the vast majority of the earnings. 

This fact shouldn’t discourage authors from continuing to publish their work. Being aware of the challenges and competition within the field is further motivation to reach for excellence.

Factors That Affect How Much Authors Make

As a baseline rule: more book sales translate to a higher salary. It is never that easy, though, and a multitude of other factors come into play. 

Common factors that affect how much authors make: 

• Means of publishing. Is the author pursuing traditional publishing, self-publishing, or independent publishing? Self-publishing is known to have higher royalty rates, meaning how much authors make is higher per book sold.
• Type and genre of book. Is the author publishing a fantasy fiction book with a dedicated reader audience, a nonfiction book, or a children's book ? Each type and genre matters because the larger the audience is, the greater the earning potential.
• Social following. Does the author have a large established social following, or is the author still relatively unknown? If you already have a social following and email list of fans, it may be easier for you to boost your salary than someone just starting out.
• Purpose of the book . Is the author writing a series of books within the same genre, or is the author an entrepreneur looking to write one book to increase business growth ? 
• Other income avenues. Is the figure for how much authors make only considering income from writing, or does the author have a full-time career outside of writing books? This will affect an author's income dramatically.

For instance, book earnings may include an advance (typically from a traditional publisher) and book royalties. 

An advance is the amount of money that a publisher pays an author for the promise of a book, and usually comes with half upfront and the remainder upon completion. Book advances are typically from a traditional publishing house, once your book is under contract. In self-publishing, there are not any advances given since you are the publisher.

Book royalties are the percentage of each sale that the author gets paid. These rates for how much authors make from book royalties vary significantly depending on a variety of factors, including: self-published or traditionally published; physical copies or eBook ; and where the book is sold.

Royalties with Traditional Publishing vs Self-Publishing 

How much authors make from each individual sale largely depends on the type of publishing process they choose to take. For instance, if you choose to self-publish, you forego the advance but keep a larger percentage of the royalties. Self-published authors average out to bringing in 60-80% of royalties . 

On the traditional publishing side, Forbes says that “the average author at a traditional publishing house can expect to receive 4-15%, depending on your status and contract.” For instance, a debut author will likely make a smaller percentage of royalties than an established author. Once you establish yourself in the marketplace, you will likely bring in larger royalties. 

It’s important to note that traditionally published authors receive an advance at the signing of the book contract. According to one literary agency , for debut authors, advances can range from $5,000 to $50,000.

For traditionally published authors, their royalties go toward making up their advance. As soon as their royalties match their advance figure, they begin keeping their royalties. 

So, how much does an author make per book? The answer depends on many factors:

• Your percentage of royalties 
• Whether you receive an advance 
• The format of book you publish  

Some genres have better financial results for authors , especially those choosing to self-publish. Writers of fantasy/sci-fi and romance novels are often able to supersede the traditional publishing gatekeepers to find massive success with the devoted audiences of these genres. 

Financial guidance and business-building books from recognized figures in their fields also tend to find their way into the hands of readers hungry for useful advice.

For a closer look at the differences in royalty rates depending on publishing method, check out our Book Royalties Calculator :

1. My book will be published by a...

2. my book will be an:, 3. my royalty rate will be:.

*Please note that this royalty rate is based on the market averages for paperback books. Actual royalty rates for traditional and indie publishing can vary by author depending on several factors.

4. My book's retail price:

5. the # of books sold:, your results, your profit per book sold, for books sold, you earn:, for 1,000 books sold, you earn:, for 10,000 books sold, you earn:, royalties comparisons for 10,000 books sold, want to receive personalized tips on how to sell more books right in your inbox.

So we've talked about the average salary of an author, but let's take a look at some actual examples of how much authors make.

How Much Do Authors Make?: A List of Author Salaries

To give you some real-life examples of how much authors make, and how much of a variance there is, we've compiled a detailed list of salaries from authors.

We aggregated this salary list to cover a wide range of income possibilities, from well-known authors to those still making a name for themselves.

Before we dive into these examples of how much authors make, it’s important to note that this is a very small representation of how much authors make . These authors are only one side of the equation, and do not represent the thousands of other authors who do not make this salary list. 

However, we include examples of real authors here, because many of the reports that exist for how much authors make are simply gathered by anonymous surveys. This salary report is used to show a snapshot of the wide spectrum in income levels amongst writers and authors.

Highest Income Authors

We’ll start with authors with the highest salaries. These authors have a long track record of excellence, with their books often adapted into films or TV shows.

James Patterson: $89 million (2024)

James Patterson is a popular thriller writer who topped the Forbes Highest-Paid Authors list, largely from the earnings of The President is Missing – co-published with former President Bill Clinton. He earned $89 million in 2024.

Stephen King: $52 million (2024)

Stephen King is the ‘King of Horror’ due to his many popular scary novels over a decades-long career. He earned $52 million in 2024. 

JK Rowling: $31.4 million (2024)

JK Rowling is the woman behind Harry Potter, the best-selling children’s series of all time. She earned a whopping $95 million in 2017, and a cool $31.4 million in 2024. 

Nora Roberts: $30+ million (2024)

Nora Roberts is a romance novelist who earned over $30 million in 2024.

Jeff Kinney: $23 million (2024)

Jeff Kinney wrote The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and earned $23 million in 2024.

John Grisham: $21 million (2024)

John Grisham is a popular legal drama writer, best known for books like The Firm , who earned $21 million in 2024.

Dan Brown: $20 million (2024)

Dan Brown wrote The Da Vinci Code and earned $20 million in 2024.

Rick Riordan: $10.5 million (2024)

Rick Riordan wrote the Percy Jackson series and earned $10.5 million in 2024.

Danielle Steel: $10 million (2024)

Danielle Steel is a romance novelist and bestselling author. She earned $10 million in 2024.

Niche Author Salaries

Fantasy/sci-fi and romance novelists have managed to carve a successful niche of the publishing world, often by publishing their works directly onto Amazon and other marketplaces. We’ll cover a few of these examples of how much authors make with niche books below. 

Amanda Hocking

Amanda Hocking is a fantasy novelist who made her name in the self-publishing world. Her success drew the attention of a major publisher who gave her a $2 million dollar advance for four novels and an additional $750,000 for republishing rights to three books in her back catalog.

Bella Andre

Bella Andre is a self-published romance novelist, best known for her The Sullivans series, who made more than $116,246 dollars in the first quarter of 2011 according to a Washington Post article.

Hugh Howey is a self-published fantasy novelist, best known for his Wool series, who has generated more than a million dollars of income from his novels according to a 2014 Bloomberg article. 

Joe Konrath

Joe Konrath is a self-published author thriller novelist, best known for his What Happened to Lori series, who earned $78,231 in six weeks after publishing a novel in 2011 according to a Washington Post article.

Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines is a Hugo Award-winning writer who has been posting his salary for more than a decade. He earned $13,957 dollars in 2022, mostly from his traditionally published novels.

Kameron Hurley

Kameron Hurley is a Hugo Award-winning author best known for The Stars are Legion and The Feminist Geek Revolution. She published occasional income reports and earned $47,096 in 2016 , though only about $18,000 came from the sale of her traditionally and self-published books. The remainder came from Patreon. 

Brenna Aubrey

Brenna Aubrey is a self-published romance novelist known for turning down a major publishing contract. She published a blog post stating that she earned $16,589 the month after releasing her first novel in the aftermath of the traditional publishing rejection.

Melanie Hooyenga

Melanie Hooyenga is a self-published romance novelist best known for her The Flicker Effect series. Marie Force, a major voice in romance novels, released a blog post about the experiences of indie/self-published authors, highlighting the experience of four authors, but only uses their first names. The section on “Melanie” mentions enough details to plausibly assume that she is talking about Melanie Hooyenga (year of publication, sales, self-published). The post states that Melanie made $90,000 in 2015 .

Jessi Gage is a romance novelist who transitioned from traditional publishing to self-publishing to have more freedom and control over her work. She posted an income report that stated a salary of $21,827 in 2017.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Nicholas Sansbury Smith was able to leave his government job to pursue writing books full-time. He writes post-apocalyptic science fiction and was able to sell 30,000 copies of his second self-published book Orbs , which led him to traditional publishing opportunities. 

Entrepreneur Author Salaries

Another large sector of authors includes those who have used a book to build or grow a business. Entrepreneurs and bloggers are capable of using their books, often self-published, to build their brand and grow interest in their other business ventures, and how much authors make from these books is often directly tied into increased business from their books.

Nick Loper is an entrepreneur and founder of the Side Hustle Nation blog. A year after publishing his book, Buy Buttons: The Fast-Track Strategy to Make Extra Money and Start a Business in Your Spare Time , Loper posted a blog post stating that it generated a profit of $17,900 .

Chandler Bolt

Chandler Bolt is an entrepreneur and founder of the Self Publishing School. He self-published a book, Published: The Proven Path from Blank Page to Published Author.   He stated in a 2016 episode of the Superfast Business podcast that the business generated $1.3 million in the year after beginning the venture. Bolt has built a successful business out of helping people around the world realize their dreams of becoming published authors.

Alyssa Padgett

Alyssa Padgett is an RV life blogger who came to prominence after self-publishing her book, A Beginner's Guide to Living in an RV: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Full-Time RVing Across America. She earns about $200 dollars a day according to an interview.

Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson is a professor of psychology who wrote the self-help book 12 Rules to Life: An Antidote to Chaos (traditionally published). He earned between $600,00 to $800,000 a month from book sales, speaking engagements, Patreon, his business, and other sources according to an interview.

Pat Flynn is an entrepreneur and founder of Smart Passive Income, a course in business building. His self-published manual, Will It Fly?, generated $459,341 in direct and indirect income in the three years after publication according to a report on his blog.

Michal Stawicki

Michal Stawicki is a self-published advice writer who is best known for his How To Change Your Life in 10 Minutes a Day series. He has been publishing his monthly income report for more than five years and earned $1,515 from his writing in April 2019.

Timothy Sykes

Timothy Sykes is a business/investment blogger who self-published An American Hedge Fund about his experience in the penny trading market. He earned between $15 million and $20 million in 2014 according to a Forbes article.

Melyssa Griffin

Melyssa Griffin is a business blogger who self-publishes books, such as A Case Study of My Most Popular Blog Posts, as part of growing her brand. She published monthly income reports and earned $283,680 in December 2016.

Sarah Titus

Sarah Titus is a financial independence blogger who became known after self-publishing How I Became Financially Free: From Homeless to Well-Off: I’ll Show You How. Book sales now make up a small part of her income since she shifted all the book’s information on her blog. She publishes income reports and earned $981,037 in 2017.

John Lee Dumas

John Lee Dumas is a podcaster who founded Entrepreneur on Fire. He self-published a greatest hits book that included highlights from the podcast. The website includes income reports for the brand as a whole. EoFire generated $2,029,744 in 2018, which does not take into account the salaries of the podcast’s employees and other related expenses to run the EoFire.

Joanna Penn

Joanna Penn is an indie author who has built her company, The Creative Penn , around her self-published fiction and non-fiction books. She shares that her income is from course sales, affiliate income, professional speaking, and podcast sponsorships. Her income report from 2016 states that her total book sales income was $95,000 . Joanna’s platform has only grown since then, so it’s highly likely her income increased as well. 

David Kadavy

David Kadavy , a traditionally published author who turned to self-publishing, shares that he was able to sell 11,000 copies of his first self-published book. However, he explains that after all of his self-publishing costs , including marketing, he earned a humble $3,000 . He stresses that his first self-published book was part of a larger scheme in which he plans to publish more books to start generating more organic sales.

Laura DeSilverio

Laura DeSilverio is a best-selling author who has written over 21 novels. In her 2017 income report, she states that her earnings from writing were just over $30,000 ; however, this was a year where she did not sign any new book contracts. This income came from book royalties from her traditionally published books, book sales from her self-published books, and various other writing-related jobs, such as speaking engagements, editing, and audiobooks.

Report: How Much Do Authors Make ?

Leverage your skills to build a book business.

As you can see, there are many different examples of how much authors make, with several contributing factors. This report is meant to show a snapshot of the wide spectrum of income levels amongst writers and authors.

With that said, being an author is not a typical 9 to 5 job that promises a guaranteed paycheck every two weeks.

In order to turn a hobby into a satisfying career, authors are responsible for continuously producing books that excite/inform/engage readers. 

In addition, especially for those in the self-published or indie publishing community, modern authors must view their book writing as a business, and treat it as such by acquiring the necessary skills and expertise to create a sustainable business.

Earning money from a book typically involves leveraging technical, marketing, and business development skills. If you want to write a book and generate income from your words, it’s important to create a plan for success by thinking beyond your writing skills.

If you're interested in self-publishing your book, but feel overwhelmed at the thought of navigating the process, invest in your career with a self-publishing course .

Cheryl Strayed, the best-selling author of the memoir Wild, once said in an interview that authors must live with the reality that “Well, I might make zero or I might make $5 million!” 

Pursuing a career as an author is an extremely rewarding career, all financial talk aside. Not only are you able to create something profound in the tangible form of a published book, but you are also able to share your story with readers all across the world. It can open a world of opportunity for you if leveraged correctly.

With clear expectations on how much authors make and realistic, achievable objectives, you can pursue a career as an author, through whichever avenue makes the most sense for you. 

Don’t go into writing or publishing if your sole purpose is to make millions; having that mindset could set you up for failure. Instead, go into your author career with a fiery passion for writing and sharing your message with the world. With hard work and persistence, the rest will fall into place. 

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All Things Freelance Writing

Real writers, real advice

How Much Do Writers Make in 2023? Here’s What 346 Freelance Writers Said (Survey Results)

By jessica walrack.

Are you wondering how much you can make as a freelance writer in 2023? It can be hard to figure out as estimates vary widely. Indeed says writers average $22 per hour while headlines say you can make hundreds of thousands per year.

In an effort to find out what’s really going on, we asked 346 freelance writers from 31 countries about their income and rates.

After crunching all the numbers, we’re excited to share some interesting insights! Read on to learn how much writers are earning, how they’re charging, and what tends to lead to higher incomes.

(A big thank you to all who participated in the survey and made these insights possible!!)

Table of Contents

Short on time and want to skip ahead? No problem — here’s a quick overview of what the report includes (with jump links).

• Average income of freelance writers
• Fixed-rate top pricing factors
• Average hourly rates
• Average pay-per-word rates
• Outsourcing work and income impact 
• Niche by industry
• Niche by writing type
• Payment schedules and income impact
• Hours worked per week and income impact
• Years of experience and income impact
• Number of clients and income impact
• About the survey
• Shareable stats

How Much Do Freelance Writers Make Per Month?

To get started, let’s look at how much freelance writers are making per month. It can vary greatly from a couple hundred bucks, up to $15k or more.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown.

The majority (65.9%) of freelance writers we surveyed said they make $5,000 or less per month. Of the writers who make more than $5,000, 18.4% make from $5,001 to $10,000 per month, and 15.7% make $10,001 or more per month.

When looking at the results from U.S. writers, the majority (53.9%) said they earn $5,000 or less per month, 25.4% reported earning between $5,001 and $10,000, and 20.6% reported earning $10,001 or more. 

Annual freelance writing income stats:

• About 66% of global freelance writers from our survey are earning $60k or less per year, while about 24% are earning more than $90k.
• About 54% of U.S. freelance writers from our survey are earning $60k or less per year, while about 32% are earning more than $90k.

Freelance Writing Charging Methods and Income Impact

Freelance writers charge clients using a variety of methods. But which are most common and how do they affect income? To find out, we asked writers if they charge by the hour, by the word, using a fixed rate, or via another method. 

Note: Writers could choose more than one option. 

Fixed pricing was by far the most popular choice, with 53.3% of freelance writers citing it as a method they use. Charging by the word was the second most popular method (27.1%) and charging by the hour was the third (15.7%).

The results were pretty similar for U.S. freelance writers. About 55% said they charge using a fixed price, 21% charge by the hour, and 22% charge by the word. The biggest difference from the global results was a larger percentage of U.S. writers charge by the hour.

But does a particular charging method help freelance writers earn more?

When looking at the worldwide results, those who charge exclusively by the word or hour tend to make less than those who charge using fixed pricing or a combination of methods.  

For U.S. writers, those who charge solely by the word or hour had the highest representation in the lowest income bracket ($0 to $2,500). Additionally, those who charge a fixed rate or use a combination of methods had the highest representation in the highest income bracket ($15k+).

In between, the results fluctuated. Compared to the global results, there were more U.S. writers charging by the word and hour in the mid-to-higher-income brackets.

Fixed-Rate Pricing Factors

Fixed-rate pricing can be complex. To better understand what the method entails, we asked writers what they consider when setting fixed prices. Here are the factors that were mentioned most often.

Learn more about the fixed-price factors.

Hourly Rate Pricing of Freelance Writers

Next, let’s take a closer look at the average hourly rates of freelance writers.

When looking at the rates of survey respondents worldwide, 66.5% charge more than $50 per hour. About 22% charge $101 per hour or more.

As for U.S. respondents, 78.6% are charging at least $51 per hour, and about 32% charge $101 per hour or more. The majority are earning rates far above the average rate of $22.68 reported by Indeed (based on 218 salaries) or $29.32 reported by ZipRecruiter . 

Pay-Per-Word Pricing of Freelance Writers

Now for writers that charge per word. Here’s a look at the average pay-per-word (PPW) rates for all writers and for those in the U.S.

Overall, 32.4% of global freelance writers charge over $0.50 per word. The most common PPW range was $0.16 to $0.30, closely followed by $0.01 to $0.15.

When looking at the average rates of U.S. freelance writers, 48.5% charge over $0.50 per word. The most common PPW range was $0.31 to $0.50, followed by $1.01+ per word.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a correlation between higher rates and higher monthly income. The majority of writers are earning from $0 to $7,500 per month.

However, those charging $0.31 per word or more have a higher representation in the $7,501+ income brackets, while those charging $0.30 or below are nearly always earning $7,500 or less.

Outsourcing Freelance Writing Work and Income Impact 

Once freelance writers get their businesses rolling, they often reach a point where they have more work than they can do. In some cases, writers will then subcontract work to others. But how many are taking this route and is it more profitable?

Just 13.6% of freelance writers report outsourcing their work to other writers. The majority (86.4%) said they do all of the work themselves.

But which writers are outsourcing? Here’s a look at the percentage of writers in each income bracket that outsource their work. 

Outsourcing occurred at some level across all of the monthly income brackets, but it was most common for freelance writers earning an average of $10k+ per month. That said, writers who don’t outsource made up the majority in all of the income brackets. 

While outsourcing may help to boost revenue, many writers are hitting the higher revenue brackets without it. Higher revenue also doesn’t necessarily mean a higher net income when outsourcing as a percentage of the income goes to paying the hired writers.

Freelance Writing Niches and Income Impact 

A freelance writing niche refers to an area of specialization for a freelance writer. In many cases, writers niche down by the industry they serve and/or the writing type they provide.

For example, a writer may specialize in serving B2B SaaS clients and providing email drip sequences. When asked if they had a niche, 76.1% of all of the freelance writers in our survey said yes. 

But does niching result in more income?

A higher percentage of the writers who average over $10,000 per month had niches. While just 70% of writers making $0 to $2,500 per month had a niche, 95.5% of those making $15,000 or more had one.

Of the writers surveyed, non-niched-down writers made up the majority of those who earned $2,500 or less per month. Niched and non-niched writers were then neck and neck from $2,500 to $10,000. However, after the $10k mark, a higher percentage of niched-down writers were consistently in the higher income brackets. 

Freelance Writing Niches By Industry

All niches are not equal in terms of demand and profitability, and niching down alone doesn’t guarantee an income boost.

Here’s a look at the average monthly income breakdown of freelance writers in the four most popular niches in our survey — tech, health, finance, and B2B SaaS.

Tech and finance writers have a relatively even distribution across the income brackets, meaning writers are earning at all levels. While health writers are earning up to $15k, the majority are earning $10k or less. B2B SaaS has an interesting distribution with a stark divide — about 80% of writers are earning $5k or less, while 20% are earning $15k+.

If you decide to niche down by industry, it’s important to choose a growing sector with demand for writers. These four are great examples.

Freelance Writing Niches by Writing Type 

Some writers niche down by writing type, but which writing types are the most popular?

• 92.4% write blog posts /articles
• 47.9% write website copy
• 30.3% write social media content
• 27.4% write emails
• 23.8% write whitepapers

Tip: Looking for writing jobs in a specific niche? Jooble.org curates a list on an ongoing basis. For example, if you’re passionate about science, you can find science writer vacancies. We also share 20-30+ gigs per week across a variety of niches on our job board .

Freelance Writing Payment Schedules and Income Impact 

Freelancers vary in terms of when they get paid so we asked writers how they charge clients; 100% before projects, 100% after projects, or 50% before and 50% after.

Note, writers could choose multiple options.

The majority of respondents (69%) get paid in full when the project is complete, 27.1% get paid 50 before/50 after, and about 21.5% get paid upfront.

Let’s look at how payment timing correlates with income.

Writers who are 100% postpaid or paid 50/50 have a larger representation in the $0 to $5k income brackets. However, there are writers across all income brackets who were partially or fully postpaid.

Fully prepaid writers were dominant in the brackets ranging from $7.5k to $15k. Further, those paid via a combination of methods had a large representation in the $15k+ income bracket.

Hours Spent Writing and Income Impact

Freelance writers were also asked how much time they spend writing per week. Here’s what they said.

So much for the four-hour workweek! The majority of freelance writers (77.8%) are working between 11 and 40 hours per week. But do more hours worked mean more money?

In most cases, more hours did correlate with higher income levels. However, there are a few anomalies. No writers working 50+ hours earned over $12.5k, while writers working fewer hours did. Additionally, the percentage of writers in the lower brackets tended to reduce as hours increased, with the exception of the writers working 50+ hours.

Freelance Writing Experience and Income Impact

There’s no teacher quite like experience. Over time, writers sharpen their skills , improve their business processes, and increase their incomes.

The writers in our survey reported the following experience levels.

But how does experience translate when it comes to monthly average income?

More experience tends to correlate with higher earnings. The more we learn, the more we earn. That said, there are exceptions in every income bracket. Some writers with 10+ years of experience were earning $2.5k or less, while writers with as little as two years of experience were earning $15k+.

Number of Freelance Writing Clients and Income Impact

Last but not least, let’s talk about client rosters. More specifically, the number of clients freelance writers have and how it impacts income.

Almost half (46.3%) of the surveyed writers had 0-3 clients, 38.4% had 4-6, and 15.3% had 7 or more.

Writers with 0-3 clients had the largest representation in the lower income brackets and dominated the $0 to $2.5K bracket. Writers with 4-6 clients most often made between $0 and $10k.

Writers with 7+ clients had a pretty even spread across all of the income brackets, but spiked in the $15k bracket.

Final Thoughts

Okay, that’s a wrap! It was interesting to see what writers are earning in 2023, as well as how certain practices correlate with higher levels of income, including:

• Charging via fixed pricing or a combination of methods
• Choosing a profitable niche
• Charging upfront
• Upping hours but not overdoing it
• Sticking with your business long-term
• Managing 4+ clients

Another important thing to note is that, while there were clear trends, there were also exceptions in almost every circumstance. Just because something may work for many, doesn’t mean it’s the only way.

We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments below. Plus, let us know what you’d like to see added in future reports.

To your success and ideal business!

About the ATFW Average Income of Freelance Writers 2023 Survey

The 2023 Average Income of Freelance Writer s survey was performed by All Things Freelance Writing in April of 2023. We asked 346 freelance writers from 31 countries 12 questions about their freelance writing businesses. 

Approximately 60% of our respondents were from the United States, 7.3% were from India, 5.5% were from the United Kingdom, 5.5% were from Nigeria, and 4.4% were from Canada.

The remaining 17% (approximately) were from 26 other countries, including Australia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Spain, UAE, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Vietnam. 

What are the top fixed-price factors for freelance writers?

Here’s a little more context about each of the top fixed-price factors:

• Word count : The estimated amount of words that will be required for the writing project.
• Current demand : The level of demand a writer is currently receiving for their services and how that compares to the amount the writer can supply.
• Estimated time requirement : The amount of time a writer estimates a piece will take, often based on experience and research.
• Number of revision rounds : The amount of revision rounds that are included in the price.
• Market rate for the service : The going rate range for the writing type on the market.
• Value of the project to the client : The amount of value the project will bring to the client (e.g. sales, revenue, reach, authority, etc.)
• Number of interviews required : If the piece requires interviews, the amount that will be included in the price (and the length/depth of the interviews).
• Type of content or copy : The type of writing and the channel it’ll be published on.
• Subject complexity : The density/complexity of the subject matter.
• Cost of outsourcing (when applicable) : When writers outsource, the cost of hiring another writer to complete their portion of the project.
• Level of expertise required : Does the writer have specialized expertise that the piece will require?
• Anticipated level of stress : If a project sounds like it will trigger an undue stress response due to the scope, the client, a deadline, etc., an additional charge may be added.
• Deadline : Rush deliveries can incur extra costs.

11 Key Takeaways : Shareable Stats

• Average Income : 34% of all surveyed writers and 46% of those from the U.S. reported earnings of $5k or more per month.
• Charging Methods : The majority of surveyed freelance writers (53%) charge using a fixed-price method.
• Hourly Rates : 67% of all surveyed writers and 79% of those from the U.S. charge $51 or more per hour.
• Pay-Per-Word (PPW) Rates : The most common PPW ranges were $0.31 to $0.50 in the U.S. and $0.16 to $0.30 for all writers.
• Outsourcing : Just 13.6% of surveyed freelance writers reported outsourcing their work. It was most common for those earning $10k or more per month.
• Niching : 76% of freelance writers said they have a niche. Niching down correlated with higher income.
• Writing types : Almost all freelance writers (92.4%) reported writing blogs and articles as at least one of their services.
• Payment schedules : 69% of the surveyed freelance writers report being 100% post-paid, 21.5% are 100% prepaid, and 27% are 50/50.
• Hours worked : 78% of the freelance writers report working between 11 and 40 hours per week. More hours correlated with higher earnings until the 50+ hour mark.
• Years of experience : More experience tends to correlate with higher earnings. The more we learn, the more we earn!
• Number of clients : Almost half (46.3%) of the surveyed writers reported having 0-3 clients, 38.4% reported 4-6, and 15.3% had 7 or more.

Jessica Walrack founded All Things Freelance Writing. She's also a finance blog writer of 10+ years. You can find her work featured on Investopedia, CBS News MoneyWatch,, US News and World, and many other financial education sites.

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How much do freelance writers make [2023 update].

Freelance writing is more profitable than ever, but how much do freelance writers make? We do a deep dive to bring you the answer to that question.

Published on Nov 12, 2022

By Austin Distel

In 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 68% of self-employed writers were freelance writers . Despite the rising number of freelance writers, many still view the role as a stand-in between full-time gigs. For many writers, however, freelance salaries are rapidly exceeding their pay rate at full-time positions.

Whether you’re a content marketer looking to hire freelance writers or you’re interested in taking on freelance writing jobs, you may have wondered: how much do freelance writers make? 

In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at how well freelance writing pays for writers across industries, niches, and globally. We’ll also consider what you can do to scale your freelance writing business to make a living writing.

How much do freelance writers charge?

Understanding how much freelance writers charge for each job is key to knowing their annual salary. Pricing varies widely from one freelance writer to another and can depend on a host of factors from how long the project takes to a freelancer’s cost of living.

Because writing is such a dynamic job that combines hard-to-quantify skills like research, creativity, and experience, it can be hard to find an effective pricing method. Most freelancers use one of the following:

• Charging by project
• Charging by word count (word rate)
• Charging by the hour

Let’s see how much the average freelance writer makes when they charge using either of these pricing models.

How much do freelance writers charge per project?

Per-project pricing is the most common way writers charge — at least in the US. According to a study by freelance writer Ashley Cummings, 40% of freelance writers charge by the project . This series of Twitter polls also seem to prove that writers prefer per-project pricing.

From our research, freelance writers charge anything from $50-$1500 per long-form article . For longer content like ebooks and case studies, costs typically average around $2000. Freelance writers Priscilla Tan and Ashley Cummings both report charging at least $2000 for ebooks and case studies .

Pricing also varies depending on the different types of writing.

As seen from our poll results, a majority of content writers charge less than $600 per article, and only a small percentage charge more than $1000 per article. 

For copywriters, it’s a bit different. Copywriters write website copy — sometimes all of the copy  (i.e. the static text on About Us pages, sales pages, etc.) on website pages. Since this is often a huge project, they tend to charge more per project. 

How much do copywriters make per project? Anywhere from $1000-$7000 depending on the complexity, work scope, experience level, and industry. 

British freelance copywriter Natalia’s packages start at €1100. She’s a copywriter for “creative entrepreneurs and busy bloggers.” In contrast, veteran copywriter Kayla Hollatz has a starting rate of $5000 and also works with creative entrepreneurs and small businesses. Most other copywriters fall somewhere in between.

How much do freelance writers charge per word?

Charging per word is common with freelance content writers as well. Freelance writers charge anything from $0.01/word to $2/word . 

Many terribly low freelance rates are due to writing for content mills or taking any jobs available on freelance job boards like Upwork and Fiverr. Additionally, in their first year of freelancing the average freelance writer is likely to charge less since they don’t know the industry very well.

According to these polls, most writers charging per word fall on the lower end of the income spectrum.

Jessica Clark, a freelance writer and blogger for 10 years, says she currently charges $0.07 per word (about $105 per 1500 word article). Although she lives in the US, she writes for lifestyle sites, which are typically low-paying compared to other industries.

On the other hand, more experienced freelance writers like Ashley Cummings charge $1 per word, and some even more.

How much do freelance writers charge per hour?

From our research, freelance writers rarely charge by the hour . However, several individuals and organizations have done surveys to determine the average figure. Here are a couple of results worth noting:

• According to Payoneer’s 2020 global freelance income survey , freelance writers (worldwide) earn between $15-$16/hr on average

• Payscale reports that in the US, freelance writers earn $24.19/hr on average

Obviously, hourly rate ranges are hard to define for freelance writers. For copywriters, it’s not so challenging. A popular variation of hourly pay for copywriters is the “Day Rate.” 

Many copywriters offer day rates — in which clients pay to hire them for an entire day. Usually, copywriters charge 8 times their hourly rates to arrive at their day rate. Day rates can range from $200 - $600 (or more). UK freelance copywriter Laura Jane Johnson charges a day rate of £395.

Some freelance copywriters offer a rush day rate of sorts in which they produce web copy within 1-2 days. Freelance copywriter Sarah Jane Burt charges $2500 to offer a VIP day to clients who want their website copy done within 48 hours or less.

Factors that affect how much freelance writers earn

As you can see, freelance rates vary massively across countries, industries, and specialties. Let’s look into three reasons for these variations and which factors can help freelance writers earn more.

1. Industry

This is one of the top reasons why freelance writing income varies wildly. Some industries like technology, eCommerce, software as a service (SaaS), cybersecurity, and cryptocurrency have larger content budgets. As a result, they pay higher rates than lifestyle websites focused on fashion, pets, parenting, and consumer-facing health and wellness.  

Jessica Clark writes for the homeschooling, food, personal finance, and parenting industries — all of which are consumer-facing (B2C). This lifestyle writer is on track to make $24K this year .

An anonymous freelance writer for the eCommerce and B2B SaaS industry reports earning a minimum of $1500 per article . Last year, they earned $201K and they’re on track to hit $300K in 2021.

Within industries, freelance writers can niche down even further. Some writers focus on writing for consumer-facing health and wellness brands (B2C) while others only do website copy for SaaS brands. 

Again, some niches pay more than others . Long-form content like case studies and ebooks pay better, although they may take longer to complete. Technical writing, business plans, grant proposals, and press release writing also pay big bucks — though some writers may find them boring.

Copywriters in higher-earning B2B industries may also earn a higher average salary than their consumer-facing counterparts.

3. Years of experience

The more experienced writers are, the more likely they are to feel confident about their rates. They’re also likely to charge more. Cummings’s study showed that writers with over 8 years of experience are likely to charge more than $100/hr .

This is the case for freelance personal finance writer, Rebecca Lake , who reports earning about $300/hr. Lake has been writing full-time since 2014. She earns between $300-$1500 per writing project but likes to keep track of her hourly rate for her records. 

Lake expects to earn $250K in 2021. In 2019, her highest-grossing year, she earned $300K.

Newer freelance writers may need a bit more time to earn as much. Jul Domingo has been a freelance content writer for SaaS and eCommerce brands for close to a year. In the last year, she earned between €40K-€45K. 

5 freelance writer income reports worth reading

Want more information about how much freelance writers make? Hear it in the words of five freelance writers in different niches, some more experienced than others. If you’ve wondered what a freelance writer’s salary looks like, here you go.

1. Kat Boogaard: 2020 annual income review

US freelance writer Kat Boogaard has been writing freelance for over seven years. She writes career and productivity content for SaaS brands like Trello and Quickbooks. Kat shares a peek into her annual income every year. In her 2020 report, she also shared that her average article project fee is $550. She earned a gross income of $127,000 working with 23 different clients.

2. Paul Maplesden: 2020 freelance writer income report

Paul Maplesden is another US freelance writer, who’s been in the business since 2015. He specializes in B2B content writing and marketing for the business, technology, and finance niches. His work ranges from content for supply chain/logistics, SaaS, accounting, business formation, to technology reviews/guides.

Maplesden writes everything from articles to white papers. On average, he charges $395 per 800-1,200 word article and $160 per hour. Last year, he earned $88,000, lower than previous years due to COVID. In 2021, he was on track to earn around $115K. 

3. Jessica Pereira: October 2021 freelance writing income report

Jessica Pereira started freelancing in 2020 and has been working to hit a monthly goal of $10K. She writes for digital marketing and B2B SaaS brands. Pereira keeps readers in the loop by sharing monthly income reports breaking down her earnings and expenses. New freelancers enjoy learning from Pereira’s experience and seeing the ebbs and flows of a freelance income.

4. Lindy West: December 2020 income report 

Lindy West is an Australian travel writer who pitches and writes content for magazines and newspapers. She writes for some corporate clients as well. West has been sharing her monthly income report for years — and inspiring other freelance writers along the way.

5. Zuli Rane: Full-time freelance income report 

Zuli Rane is a freelance content creator who writes for clients and also for her Medium account. Her income reports show how she makes a living as a freelance writer with additional income streams. In her last monthly report, Zuli says she made more than $6000. Her example is great for writers looking to diversify their income streams.

Use Jasper to scale your freelance writing business

Freelance writers do a lot. They have to brainstorm blog post ideas , create SEO blog posts , write in-depth long-form content, and create web copy for clients among other things. If you’re a freelance writer overwhelmed by the burden of constantly writing content, we have good news: you can get help from an assistant who never tires .

Meet Jasper, an AI writing assistant with over 52 templates to serve all your content writing needs. Jasper’s Long-Form Assistant template helps you write blog posts and long-form articles. It also has copywriting templates such as AIDA Framework and PAS Framework to make copywriting a breeze.

Freelance writer Jessica Clark uses Jasper and she says it has been “an absolute lifesaver” for her business. It helps her outline and generate articles more quickly than she would on her own. She says, “Jasper has definitely helped me to get more done, which has allowed me to take on more clients and make more money. It takes no time at all for me to generate a content brief, intro, and conclusion.” 

We think you’ll agree with her. Take the grunt work out of writing and scale your freelance business with Jasper.

Sign up now to learn more about how Jasper can help scale your freelance career.

Meet The Author:

Austin Distel

Austin Distel is the Sr. Director of Marketing at Jasper , your AI marketing co-pilot. When not working, Austin is also an Airbnb superhost in Austin, Texas.

Enjoy this post? Join over 4 million people who are learning to master AI in 2024.

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How Much Do Freelance Writers Actually Make? [INTERACTIVE]

By Ryan McCready , Jun 10, 2016

Introduction: How Much Do Writers Make

Pretty much everyone in the tech industry has done this at least once with varying degrees of success. It is almost a rite of passage to work in tech and is a great way get noticed by innovative companies. Many may have hated it immediately, but for some it became their full-time profession. And we are not talking about trying to be an Instagram celebrity or building the next Flappy Bird. In this case, it is all about freelance writing.

Right now we are in a freelancing boom that many experts believe will continue. With a staggering 53 million Americans that would be categorized as freelancers and almost 30% of those doing it in tandem with their main profession. Although there are no concrete numbers on how many are actually freelance writers, the estimates are pretty high. A simple search on either UpWork , Scriptd or Fiverr brings up hundreds of thousands of freelance writers. UpWork boasts 600k+ writers available for hire! But c an you survive as a full-time freelance writer in 2016?

How much content do writers need to create in 1 month in order to survive in the U.S.?

Follow these 3 steps to find out:

• Select up to 10 U.S. cities on the writer’s block below
• Check out the total required written words per month for those cities
• Select an average cost per word

Writer’s Block

Required Words Per Month by City Based on Cost of Living

1. Select up to 10 cities to compare below

Total Required Written Words Per Month

2. Check out the total required written words per month for those cities

Publication Levels to Write For

3. Select the publication level buttons below to get a more accurate breakdown of your required word count.

Writing Level Distribution

This pie chart will show how your time must be broken down between the different levels.

One of the things that stuck with me was how wildly the pay varied between publications . Some of the most well known publications would pay in exposure, hoping to find new and eager writers like myself. But some of the other small or niche sites and publications would pay extremely well. Back when I was a new writer and even now, it makes no sense to me!

That is why for some time I have been wanting to investigate this phenomenon further. But because publications do not post their pay scales publicly, I was at a loss. Until I stumbled upon Who Pays Writers in a very helpful article on The Next Web . According to their site:

“ Who Pays Writers is an anonymous, crowd-sourced list of which publications pay freelance writers—and how much. This list is primarily concerned with writing for publications; we don’t collect information about copywriting, advertising, corporate, or sponsored-content assignments.”

And after finding this goldmine of data that outlined some interesting trends, I knew we had to dig deeper. So I did and got lost in it like the Forbidden Forest.

To make this article a little easier to follow, I have decided to break it into two parts: the first part will strictly report on our findings after looking at the Who Pays Writers data; the second part will be all about the implications of those findings and bring in some outside data on writers across the country. But both will be used to answer the ultimate question: Can you survive as a full-time freelance writer in 2016?

PART 1: Who Pays Writers?

As stated above, Who Pays Writers (WPW) is a fantastic resource full of crowdsourced pay rates and other important metrics. Writers have recorded their experiences with many publications including The Atlantic , Buzzfeed , XOJane , and more.  At last count, there were over 500 publications included in their database with even more entries about working with them. The typical WPW entry can be seen below:

Most Writers Make Less Than $0.25 A Word

Since this entire study started with the desire to see how freelance writers are paid, we should probably start there. I broke this down into two distinct categories to make sure the analysis was thorough. They both show almost the same thing, but it makes it easier to visualize later on. Firs,t we looked at strictly the Pay Per Word of each article but we also calculated at the Total Pay of each article. Simply put writing 1000 words at $0.02 a word and 100 words at $0.20 a word give you the same total pay. But the paths to that pay are completely different.

The Top 10% of writers have it extremely well, making more than four times the average pay of $.30 per word. But as we move towards the Bottom 50% of writers, it becomes a little more disheartening, with the top half of the sample of writers making eight times more per word than the bottom half.

80% of Writers Will Make Less Than $500 An Article

This is yet another finding that shows a majority of the freelance writing money is made by the few. At the top, there were 43 writers that made more than $1000 per article and the other 477 making under $1000. When the total pay for both groups was added up it was a lot closer than you would think.

There is less than a $10k difference between the groups, with the top making $94k in total and the rest making just over $103k. If that does not discourage you from becoming a full time freelance writer, I am not sure what will.

Writing More Words Does Not Guarantee Higher Pay Per Article

As you can see in the graph above, the optimal range to maximize payment was between 5k and 7k words per article. Even writing between 2.5k and 5k words gave a higher average payout than 7k+! If you are looking to maximize pay, we would recommend writing anywhere between 2.5k and 7k words, as long as it is interesting. If you are looking to keep the word count low but still make more than the average $380 per article, we would recommend shooting for a more reasonable 1k to 2.5k words per article.

It is important to remember these findings should only be used as a guide. Do not expect to write 5k+ words and make almost a grand off just one article. We have seen that many new and experienced writers still do not know how to price their word. This will hopefully curb some of that ambiguity and confusion.

But More Effort Expended On Articles Could Help

In addition to payment and word count, the most interesting things we saw included on Who Pays Writers was amount of effort expended. Effort was broken down into three distinct categories: Little, Medium and Heavy. Like all the other variables this was self reported by the writers and this gave us some concern.

In the beginning we worried that the other variables may have caused a misrepresentation of the results. For example someone who wrote a 5k+ word article with little research could see that as a Heavy effort. And someone who wrote a 1k word article that was intensely researched could also report Heavy effort. In the eyes of the publications, the 5k article took more time and therefore should be paid more.

But those fears we quelled by comparing both the increase in pay and the increase in word count for each effort level. As the effort increased, the Average Pa y also increased at a very steady rate of 68% and 87% for Little to Medium and Medium to Heavy, respectively. There was, however, a disparity between the same range for Average Length only increasing 17% from Little to Medium but 84% from Medium to Heavy. We believe the small increase between Little and Medium effort was caused by people selecting Medium out of habit. As you can see in the pie chart above, more than half of the sample selected a Medium level of effort. Not many people want to admit that they put little or no effort into a project or article.

Both of those measures shows in their own way that the more effort expended, the higher your pay should be. It also shows that it takes not only skill to be a great freelancer, but also good old-fashioned effort. That could be in researching and running down leads, or just putting a great deal of effort into the supporting images or graphics. All of these components matter and come together to form an interesting, shareable and actionable article.

Finally, as a thought experiment, we decided to arbitrarily assign hours expended to the different levels of effort. They were estimated and assigned as 10, 15 and 20 hours for each level, respectively. Based on that established criteria, we found that putting a Heavy level of work into an article was still the most fruitful, earning almost $38 per hour. And you could work for almost 10 more hours on a Heavy effort level article before it became more lucrative to give Little and Medium effort. Plus an article with Little effort would have to drop down to only 6 hours spent on an article to be worth it in the long run over a Heavy article. Again, this is just a thought experiment, but it could be useful when planning out an article or project!

Old School Publications Pay Best, But Many Still Do Not Pay At All

Picking the right publication to pitch your next idea to is tough. You want to make sure you will be fairly treated and actually paid for your work! Based on personal experiences, that is not guaranteed at every publication. And although we can’t determine based on our data how you will be treated, we can give each writer a guide on which publications actually pay extremely well. Oh, and we made sure to include those who paid the worst, so you can avoid them from the beginning. Unless it is not about the money for you!   

In fact, the top paying per word publications were consistently publications that have a print and online presence. In fact, all of the top 20 pay per word publications, and nearly all the top 50 pay per word publications have a physical and online presence. The only example of an online exclusive publication in that group was Yahoo! .

My theory is that the most of the best paying publications were established before internet journalism took off, so they have the money to pay contributors. They have the network or connections to make sure they get the best freelance writers. It also could be that those publications are run as a full time,growing businesses and in contrast some of the others are just side projects for a group of enthusiastic people.

The publications with the best payment per word ranged from $1.50 per word at Shape to $2.31 per word at Wired . At the lowest point, that group of publications still paid five times more per word than the average. To put that into perspective, the pay per article ranged from $200 for an extremely short article to $8000 for the top paid article in this group from above.

That top paying publication last year was Popular Science . The average pay per article was a high $2500 per article (six times more than the average pay per article from our sample). But do not expect to hit this high a pay when you’re starting out. Just like any other profession, it takes a few years to move up in pay.

Now on to the worst paying per word publications. Sorry, but it had to be done! In contrast to the high paying publications, 16 out of the bottom 20 lowest paying per word were web-only publications. Of those publications, the sites that are magazines or newspapers have been around for only a handful of years. Note: this count does not include the 20 plus publications that do not pay their contributors, which we highlighted in yellow above.  But the non-paying publications follow the same trends as the low paying publications.

The lowest paying per word publications ranged from just $0.01 to $0.02 per word (33 times lower than the sample average). The average from this group for pay per article was also incredibly low. Coming in at $23 per article (16 times lower than the average from our sample). And in case you are curious, there were over 150 entries with publications paying less than $0.05 a word.

Staying Friendly With Editors Is Key

As many full-time freelancers could probably attest to, your network should be made up of as many editors as possible. Editors are the gatekeepers to the big publications and you should be in contact with them from day one. You want to be the person they email when a big opportunity comes up or they need a last minute article completed. It may sound a little dramatic but they are the people that could play the biggest role in your success or failure. There are a few editors that helped me more than they will ever know.

In fact, when we looked at the top 50 publications in pay per word only 6 were facilitated through a cold pitch. A majority were written based on an ongoing relationship or assigned by an editor. But as you move towards the bottom of the pay per word scale the frequency of cold pitches and submissions increases dramatically.

There also was a casual trend we spotted while putting together this section. If you think about each relationship as different degrees of separation with an editor it follows a distinct pattern. For example, assignments would be the closest relationship and leads to the highest pay per article. Then it goes down the line and as the relationship becomes less familiar the pay decreases. It finally ends with a cold pitch receiving the lowest pay per article. And this trend confirms our belief that editors should be your best friends!

PART 2: The Implications

Now that we have sifted through all the data presented on Who Pays Writers, we must look at the implications. And if you have read everything up until this point, you’ll know they are not great. We already found that the majority of writers will make under  $0.25 per word and only around $250 total per article. But what does that mean to the overall integrity and growth potential of the industry? And what does it take for someone to truly get by as a full-time freelance writer?

How much must you write to survive in each major city?

We thought it would be interesting to look at what it would take to live in different cities as a freelance writer. This is extremely important for writers looking to move to a new city, or for those looking to become a full-time freelancer . Because of that, we selected the cities based on how writer and creative-friendly they are! This includes the trendy cities like New York and San Francisco but also the cost friendly cities like Kansas City and Portland.

For this analysis, we were torn between using the cost of living , per capita income and income per household . Each had their strengths, but cost of living won out in the end because of its flexibility. For those not familiar with cost of living, it is the estimate of the cost of basic living expenses like food, housing and a few other necessities in a certain city.

It is usually used only to compare a handful cities based on a ratio , but we expanded it to compare almost 40 different cities! In this case, we also use the publishing mecca known as New York City as the original city, so each city is more or less expensive when compared to NYC. We wanted to compare cost of living directly to pay per word so that ratio must be converted into a yearly salary.

This salary was set at $50k in NYC based a number of different factors, including the average salary of freelance writers and salary of other related professions. Because this is a ratio, and NYC is one of the most expensive cities to live in, most cities had a salary estimate below $40k. In my hometown of Kansas City, the salary used for comparison was a bit over half NYC at $33k.

The results can be seen at the top of this post , with the median required word count already highlighted at $0.18 per word. Be sure to check out how the totals change when you select the different publication levels. They are broken down succinctly into the average pay per word of each of four levels of publications, from top to bottom. The results probably will change your mind on moving to a trendy city, unless you are writing for the top 25% of publications. Also, as a fun and tangible exercise, we compared the total number of words required to make a reasonable wage the word count a classic book of the same length!

Now we are not going to go over the entire graphic but still would like to highlight some interesting findings. Like that no matter where you like the middle 50% of writers will need to publish about 20k words a month or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . Plus the bottom 25% have to publish over 100k words or Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King each month to live in most cities! And finally, almost some good news, if you split your time between the top 75% of publications you will never have to publish around 15k words a month.

Again this was not done to discourage the kindred spirits from taking flight to a new city. It was more to show that living comfortably in one city takes a lot more work that you may think. But if living comfortably is not that important, the next few sections are perfect for you!

Publish 4000+ words a month just to meet minimum wage

It’s fitting to start with a look at minimum wage too. Because based on some of the earlier data, a lot of writers may not be earning even that per hour. For those who have not been keeping up with recent legislation, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Some states like California and Oregon have raised minimum wage to over $9 per hour as well. Consequently, writers will have to work even harder to meet that baseline pay, with some cities implementing a $15 minimum wage in the near future.  

Those publishing estimates may not seem like much but it is still a ton of work just to make the minimum wage each month. According to a study by Contently , almost 40% of their freelance sample made less than $10k last year. And even worse, 23% of full time freelancers made less than $10k in the same time span.

The minimum wage gives employees an income of about $15k per year, give or take a few thousand dollars depending on the state. But if those findings from Contently correctly represent freelance writers, about one in four freelance writers earned less than minimum wage last year. Contently’s findings on the medium income for freelance writers put it firmly between 10k and 20k for all freelancers. This gives more credence to our belief that a large chunk of freelance writers made less than minimum wage for their efforts. To be honest, those are not promising statistics if you are looking to become a freelance writer…and in the next section things will look even worse.

Publish 15000+ words a month just to earn an average wage

After scouring the web for a consistent figure for the average hourly wage of a freelance writer, we gave up. It varied from $20 to $30 per hour on average but there was no exact number to be found. But even at the lowest estimate, it is still almost three times higher than minimum wage, which quickly indicated that to thrive as a freelance writer you must write almost a novel’s worth of content each month !

To make our analysis more accurate we used four different wages to delineate pay per hour for freelancers. Those wages were $15, $20, $25 and $30 per hour, as you can see in the graph below. Those hourly rates give a writer a monthly salary of $2550, $3400, $4250, and $5100, respectively. By breaking it down we hoped to include most, if not all, freelancers’ pay brackets in our estimate.

The required word count does not start getting out of hand until we look at the middle 50% and Bottom 50%. For the Middle 50% of writers, they would need to publish between 15k and 30k words a month to earn the average wage. Or between 1k and 2k words published per day. We are guessing this is where a majority of the writers are concentrated which makes the number even more concerning.

If you are having trouble estimating how much writing 30k words is, it is half of an average-length novel each month. Some people spend an entire year to publish one novel, and at this rate you would have to write six of them! Even if you only wanted to earn $15 per hour, that is three novels worth of words published each year!

Let it be known that it was not my intention to paint such a depressing picture about the state of freelance writing. And certainly not to discourage any bright-eyed writers from trying to strike it out on their own. Just like any other profession, there will be writers that have figured out the system and are making great money. But the data from Who Pays Writers and the rest does not lie, especially when it comes from the mouth of other writers.

I think there has been a devaluation of freelance writers in recent years, mainly in the tech world. Designers and developers are seen as more glamorous positions and the writing gets outsourced to freelancers. And not to the best writers; sadly in my experience, it’s the cheapest ones who get the assignments. In turn this lowers the wages for ALL freelance writers and makes businesses not want to pay the rates for better writers–lowering payments to the point that they are below the minimum wage per hour, as we found above.

It is an ugly cycle that needs to be broken. And you can break it with this data.

We hope that the data we collected from Who Pays Writers can be used to empower you on your journey. Things may not change today or next week but they still can! Your writing has value and it is time for publications to see that. Use it set fair payment when you are just starting out, or to negotiate a better rate in your current situation. This way, we can break this cycle  and make the freelance writing space better for the next generation. Because I know we don’t want to discourage the next Hemingway from picking up a pen.

How Much Do Freelance Writers Make Per Article?

© Image Provided by Featured

Table of Contents

As a business owner or freelance writer, determining the right payment rate for articles can be a complex process. To help you navigate this challenge, we’ve gathered insights from eight industry professionals who shared their strategies for setting freelance writing rates, considering factors such as complexity, experience, length, and expertise. Read on to learn how these experts approach pricing and ensure fair compensation for their work.

Consider Complexity and Experience

• Factor in and Expertise

Evaluate Various Factors, Use Contracts

Customize rates, set limits, account for article type, writer’s background, assess factors, agree on fair rate, charge per word, include additional services, adopt flexible rates, consider different approaches.

The answer to this question depends on a range of factors, including the complexity of the article and the writer’s experience. Freelance writers can charge anywhere from $50-$500 per article, depending on these factors.

For beginner or part-time freelance writers, $50 to $200 is typical for brief articles. Meanwhile, experienced writers with specialized expertise or for lengthy articles may charge anywhere from $200 to $500.

The best way to determine the right rate for your freelance writing services is to research other writers’ rates and review the project requirements before making a proposal.

Balance passion-driven work and flexibility

Promoted by Fiverr

Freelancing is the best way to balance passion-driven work and flexibility – giving people the opportunity to have full autonomy over their career and how they want to work on a day-to-day basis. Whether you’re working at home or on-the-go, freelancers can choose the projects they want to pursue, then craft their work experience around it. As a freelancer, you have the freedom to travel the world, spend time with your family, and manage your own schedule.

As we continue to navigate a volatile economy plagued by layoffs and firings, independent work is a great vehicle for financial security. By not being tied down by a singular employer, you can take on more projects, be your own boss, and further develop your own service offerings with new skills – such as AI. With businesses relying on freelancers more than ever before, freelancers today can expand their horizons and work on projects of all shapes and sizes.

Factor in Length and Expertise

For shorter articles of between 500 and 700 words, the compensation I offer freelance writers can range from $40 to $60. Longer pieces of 1000 words or more can see the rate go as high as $100, depending on a freelancer writer’s expertise. A writer’s portfolio and topic specialization are key in my rate of negotiation with them.

This depends on many factors, including the writer’s experience and skill level, the complexity of the assignment, and any research that needs to be done. As a general rule, you can expect to pay freelance writers around $0.07–$0.15 per word, but this rate could be higher or lower depending on the project. In my case, as a founder and entrepreneur, I typically pay between $50–$250 per article depending on the individual assignment.

It’s also important to consider how long the project will take and if any additional resources are needed. These costs can add up quickly, so it’s essential to ensure that you know exactly what to expect of the writer before they’re hired. Also, it’s wise to invest in a good contract outlining all the details. This will ensure that both parties agree and will help avoid any confusion or conflict down the line.

Freelance writing rates are complex and shouldn’t be a flat one-size-fits-all. The complexity of topics, amount of research, and number of revisions can vary from project to project.

Having a base rate for a set number of words can be a significant starting point, but it shouldn’t end there. Freelancers need to ask good questions to understand ‌the project in order to quote costs to clients.

You should also set a budget so that you do not overspend. Spell out what’s included in that rate and items (e.g. extra revisions, promotional copy, adding more content) that might incur an additional charge.

The cost of commissioning freelance writers or the rate charged for an article may fluctuate depending on the type of article being crafted. For instance, a review article or how-to guide typically causes more extensive research compared to a blog post, resulting in a higher rate.

Native speakers ‌charge more than non-native speakers, and writers possessing relevant expertise in a specific domain may also demand higher fees. Taking these factors into account, I allocate a minimum of $0.1 per word for SEO-optimized articles, while rates for reviews and how-to guides can span from $0.2 to $0.5 per word.

The rate for freelance writers can differ depending on the type of article, the length, the level of research required, and the experience and skill of the writer.

For instance, if the article is for link building purposes, the rate may be lower, typically ranging from $50 per article, as these articles are shorter and require less research and writing.

If the article is for a blog or website, the rate may be higher, ranging from $500 or more for a 4000-word article, depending on the writer’s experience, expertise, and the level of research and writing required.

Ultimately, the rate for freelance writers depends on various factors, and it’s important for both the writer and the client to agree on a fair rate based on the scope and requirements of the project.

When working freelance, I charge $0.10 per word, which works out at $200 per 2,000-word article. This includes an expertly written article that is correctly formatted, includes high-authority external sources, and is SEO-optimized, provided my clients provide their keywords.

As a freelance writer, I don’t like to have a set rate per article. A 3,000-word article is going to be a lot more work and time than a 500-word article. I recommend having a set hourly rate, or if you want to go based on a project rate, perhaps a tiered approach based on word count. One size doesn’t fit all, so you might take a different approach depending on the project. Don’t forget to factor in editing time and maybe a couple of rounds of client revision requests!

Submit Your Answer

Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “How much do you pay freelance writers per article? Or, if you’re a freelance writer, how much do you charge per article?”

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How to Get Paid to Write Articles from Home: A Beginner's Guide to Freelance Writing

Table of Contents

How Do You Get Paid to Write Articles as a Freelancer? Finding Your Niche Building a Solid Portfolio: The #1 Step for Novice Freelance Writers An overview of platforms that pay for writing articles WhitePress® Medium's Partner Program Earning money writing on HubPages Finding work on Upwork Becoming a Vocal+ member Pitching your articles: all you need to know Exploring freelance marketplaces to make money writing Pros of freelance marketplaces Cons of freelance marketplaces How to get paid for creative writing? How to build a writing career and get paid? Frequently Asked Questions How much can I earn as a freelance writer? What websites pay for writing articles? Do I get paid just for submitting articles?

How Do You Get Paid to Write Articles as a Freelancer?

Starting your writing career is like starting a small business. You’re selling your skills by crafting texts to clients who need content in various formats – blog posts, guest posts , articles, SEO content, newsletters, whitepapers, social media content, and more.

The road to becoming a professional writer you’ll face many challenges, like establishing your credibility, marketing your services to a broader audience, or managing your workload and finances. However, if you’re hardworking, the benefits are definitely worth it. Flexible working hours and the freedom to work from anywhere are just some of the benefits freelance writers can enjoy.

Finding Your Niche

Now that you know you want to get paid to write, you’ll need to decide what you’ll actually be writing about. While it’s possible to be a successful generalist writer, finding a niche can give you a competitive edge and make your career easier to develop.

Specializing in a specific subject or industry means you can charge more for your projects, but you’ll have to show your in-depth knowledge first. If you pursued education in a specific field, it might be a good start, but make sure to choose a niche that you’re really passionate about – whether it’s tech, travel, finance, health, or any other. This choice can influence your journey on how to get paid to write articles.

You should also determine what type of content you’ll be writing. This can include blog writing, technical writing, copywriting , creating social media content, etc.

Building a Solid Portfolio: The #1 Step for Novice Freelance Writers

To show your potential clients what you’re capable of and get paid to write, you’ll need a portfolio. The portfolio is a tangible way to show your talent and skills, especially if you don't have previous writing experience.

As a novice, you don’t need already written texts to include in your portfolio – you can start out by writing sample texts that align with the kind of work you want to be hired for. For example, if you’re passionate about technology, you could include some sample blog post samples on relevant tech topics.

If you have published work, you can include it in your portfolio. This will give you more credibility, and allow you to include how well the article did SEO-wise. Bear in mind that while in most cases you should be allowed to include any published and publicly available texts in your portfolio, some NDAs and contracts may prohibit you from disclosing your involvement in a project even after publication. Take a careful look at any agreements signed before adding published work to your portfolio to avoid potential legal issues.

An overview of platforms that pay for writing articles

Many novice writers have no clue where to start looking for jobs. Thankfully, there are plenty of online platforms that offer to pay writers for their work that cater to a range of niches. Let’s go over some of the most noteworthy ones you can explore:

• WhitePress®

WhitePress® is a  content marketing platform that offers opportunities for aspiring writers to  become successful copywriters . The platform connects brands with online article publishers and offers to write high-quality, SEO-optimized feature articles that boost online visibility in search engine results.

WhitePress® works with over 1100 experienced copywriters that create unique content at competitive prices. If you feel like you’re an expert writer in your field and are looking for career opportunities, contact us!

Medium’s Partner Program

Medium is a popular online publishing platform, first created as a convenient way to publish texts longer than Twitter’s 280-character limit. Anyone can create a free account and start publishing – if you feel like running your own blog, Medium is a great place to start. After gaining at least 100 followers, you can apply to join the Partner Program.

Once you’re part of the Partner Program, you can start earning money from writing. You can put feature stories behind a paywall that will require viewers to pay a fee before being able to view the content. Members of the program are also paid for writing each month, based on their viewers’ engagement and reading time. Additionally, if you manage to convert a viewer into a paying Medium member, you’ll get 50% of their membership fee.

Earning money writing on HubPages

HubPages allows freelance writers to earn money by creating high-quality content and including various ads or affiliate links. Members of HubPages’ earnings program can earn a share of the ad revenue generated by their articles, including money earned from display ads and cost-per-click (CPC) ads. Once your earnings reach a certain threshold, you can pay out your money through PayPal. Make sure to read the submission guidelines.

Finding work on Upwork

Upwork is a  leading freelancing platform where writers and other professionals can offer their services to clients from all over the world. Tens of thousands of job offers for freelance writers are posted on Upwork every week – but the competition is high, so don’t hesitate to contact a potential client. Bear in mind that platforms like Upwork take a percentage of your earnings as their fee, and additional rules may apply.

Becoming a Vocal+ member

Vocal is a platform that allows writers to share their personal stories and perspectives with a wide audience, with simple-to-use monetization options for its Vocal+ program members. Writers can choose from a wide range of categories and topics to write under, including science, music, health, fiction, technology, and more.

To get paid on Vocal , you’ll need to become a  Vocal+ member. Members get paid based on the number of views their compelling and distinctive stories receive, and readers can also send direct tips to authors if they appreciate their work. Vocal also regularly hosts challenges where creators can submit their work and the best writers win significant cash prizes.

Running a personal blog in general can open doors to many monetization opportunities, including sponsored content and affiliate marketing . Companies often pay a handsome amount for product or service reviews and features in blog posts – but you’ll need to build a substantial audience first. This could take some time, but with consistent high-quality content, it’s definitely achievable. Before publishing, consult the submission guidelines of Vocal.

Pitching your articles: all you need to know

Crafting a compelling pitch to sell your articles to publishers is a  difficult skill to master, but one that can make the difference between rejection or a profitable gig. Pitching involves proposing your article idea to a publication and convincing them it’s worth publishing – here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1. Finding the right publisher

There are many ways you can find a publisher for your texts. Literary agents are the easiest way to the world of traditional publishing, but you can also look for publishers yourself on websites like Poets & Writers or the Writer’s Market that provide directories of literary magazines, small presses, and other publishers.

Online groups and forums are also great places to find early writing jobs as a freelance writer. You’ll also get a chance to meet other writers, share experiences, and make valuable connections.

2. Understand your target

Before writing your pitch, study your publication target carefully. Get a feel for their tone, style, and type of content they usually publish. Consider what topics they cover, who is their target audience, and which parts could be improved in their current content. A pitch that shows a clear understanding of your publisher’s field is much more likely to be accepted.

3. Grab the reader’s attention

Your pitch should start with an engaging headline that immediately grabs their attention. You can use an interesting and relevant fact, a compelling question, or a bold statement. The goal here is to pique their curiosity from the get go and make them want to read on – most pitches don’t get reviewed past reading the title and headline.

4. Present your content as a solution

First, clearly outline the problem that the publisher is experiencing – this allows you to show empathy and understanding, and also sets the stage for you to introduce your solution. Explain how your work can solve the problem you’ve just described. Be specific and focus on benefits, and try to illustrate how you can create value and make their life easier.

5. Provide proof

Back up your claims with evidence. Proof adds credibility to your pitch and helps build trust with potential clients. This could include relevant previous texts you’ve worked on and their SEO performance, testimonials, or case studies.

6. Keep it short and simple

Don’t overwhelm your potential client with too much information. Keep the language simple, clear, and persuasive. Every word should ideally serve a purpose in moving your audience towards the action you want them to take (in this case, to publish your texts).

Don't be disheartened if you don't receive a response immediately. Editors often receive hundreds of pitches a day. After a week or so, send a polite follow-up email. Persistence can often pay off.

Remember to continually refine and improve your pitch based on feedback and results . The best pitches are typically the result of lots of testing and iteration.

Exploring freelance marketplaces to make money writing

Freelance marketplaces like Upwork or Fiverr are online platforms where businesses and individuals post job listings for freelancers, covering a wide range of job categories, including writing and translation.

While these platforms can be competitive, they offer tons of opportunities for beginners to gain experience, build their portfolio, and start earning money from writing. They provide an excellent starting point, but don’t limit yourself to these platforms alone. Once you’ve built a solid portfolio, you can approach higher-paying clients directly and make money from writing.

Freelancers sign up and create a profile, outlining their skills, experience, and rates, while clients post freelance writing gigs they need help with. Depending on the platform, freelancers either bid on projects or create gigs that clients can directly order. Clients then review the proposals of freelancers and select one or more for their projects. Upon completion and acceptance of the work, the platform processes the payment from the client to the freelancers – typically taking a commission as its fee.

Pros of freelance marketplaces

• Access to a wide range of clients: these platforms provide freelancers access to a wide range of clients from all over the world. This can open up opportunities that may not have been available locally or through traditional job searching.
• Flexible work arrangement: freelancers have the freedom to choose when and where they work. They can select the projects they want to work on, allowing them to balance their workload and maintain a work-life balance.
• Payment security: Many freelance marketplaces feature secure payment systems that hold client funds in escrow until the job is complete.
• Potential for growth: High-quality work brings positive reviews and ratings, which can boost your reputation on the platform and lead to more job opportunities.

Cons of freelance marketplaces

• High competition: freelance marketplaces are highly competitive, with freelancers from all around the world vying for the same projects. This can be especially harsh for beginners who are trying to establish themselves, making it challenging to get selected by a client.
• Race to the bottom-pricing: this competition often leads to lowering rates as freelancers try to underbid each other to win projects. This can drive prices down and make it harder to earn a sustainable income from writing.
• Platform fees: most freelance platforms charge a commission on earnings. Depending on the platform and the pricing structure, this fee can take a significant chunk out of the freelancer’s income.
• Inconsistent work: the availability of work can fluctuate, leading to periods of feast-or-famine. This is further accelerated by  ChatGPT and other AI-powered writing tools that are a much cheaper alternative to many clients than hiring a writer.

How to get paid for creative writing?

Getting paid for creative writing – such as writing poetry or fiction –  can be challenging, but definitely not impossible. It requires patience, dedication, and persistence in searching for opportunities.

Many literary magazines and journals accept submissions of poetry, short stories, personal essays, and other types of creative writing. They usually pay a fee per poem or per word/page for short stories. Many organizations also host writing contests, which often come with cash prizes and are great opportunities to get your name out in the world.

Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing allow writers to self-publish their work and earn a percentage of the sales. While the writer’s cut typically isn’t more than 60%, it’s a great way to start until you find a publisher that’ll offer you a better deal.

You can also try crowdfunding – platforms like Patreon allow writers to get paid directly by their fans, often in exchange for access to exclusive content, early access to their work, and other perks. If you’re an experienced writer, you can also try to host writing workshops or classes, teaching others about creative writing.

How to build a writing career and get paid?

Creating a full-time career as freelancer and making money by writing is a gradual process that requires long-term strategizing for success. Before anything else, make sure your writing skills are up to par – engage in courses or workshops, read online resources, and write regularly to practice your craft. This can lead you to make money from writing online.

Having a niche or two where you’re particularly knowledgeable can set you apart from other writers. This can be anything from tech and science to fashion and lifestyle – being a specialist often allows you to charge higher rates as well.

Start a blog or website to showcase your work and writing style. Regularly update the blog with posts related to your target audience. This is a great way to get paid to write articles online as you can also share your thoughts on industry trends to better establish yourself as a thought leader in the field.

Creating a portfolio that shows your best work is incredibly important. This can be on your own website or on platforms like Contently . Make sure your portfolio is easily accessible and showcases a variety of work, especially pieces that have been published by reputable outlets.

Once you have a solid portfolio, you can start pitching to publications you follow. Tailor each pitch to the publisher’s style and audience. Remember that rejection is part of the process, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response right away. In the end, persistence is key to earning money by writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can i earn as a freelance writer.

Your potential earnings as a freelance writer can vary greatly based on your experience and expertise, the specific niche you’re writing for, and your location. Some writers make a modest side income, while others earn six-figure incomes. It’s important to research and understand the market rates for your niche to price your services accordingly.

What websites pay for writing articles?

There are numerous websites that pay for writing articles – you can try these ones first:

Do I get paid just for submitting articles?

It depends. If you’re working with a freelancing platform, you will get paid the agreed upon amount after your work is received and approved. You might have to correct your text before it’s accepted by the client.

Some publications pay to write articles they only choose to publish or use, but some also feature “kill fees” – a smaller fee paid if your article is not published for some reason, despite being initially accepted.

Finally, blogging platforms that allow creators to earn money usually pay you based on views and reader engagement – simply publishing articles that nobody will read won’t earn you any money.

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How Much Do Authors Make? The Truth About Money in Publishing

How much can authors expect to earn from their books? A first-time author with a traditional publishing deal might expect an advance of $1,000-$10,000 and 5-18% royalties once they “earn out” their advance. Self-published authors do not receive advances, but their royalties can reach up to 70% for ebook editions.

If this sounds like cryptic mumbo-jumbo to you right now, that’s okay. In this post, we’ll break down money matters in publishing and help you understand how much authors make from publishing a book. For those already in the know, here are some up-to-date facts and figures:

*Self-publishing figures based on Amazon KDP royalties .

As you can already tell, an author’s income will depend on many factors (most of which are out of an author’s control). So, let’s look closely at the world of advances, royalties, and additional income streams. 

Advances in traditional book deals

In traditional publishing, authors receive an advance on royalties based on how well the publisher thinks the book will sell. The advance is estimated on other factors too, such as the publisher’s size, and the author’s popularity and track record. 

There are also outliers, of course, household-name authors who nab hundreds of thousands in advances. To name a few:

• Roxane Gay received $100,000 for Hunger (her fourth book, a memoir).
• Scott Westerfeld received $175,000 for Extras (his 15th book, YA sci-fi).
• Viet Thanh Nguyen received $250,000 for The Refugees (his third book, a collection of short stories).
• Gillian Flynn received $400,000 for Gone Girl (her third book, a thriller).
• Kristen Roupenian received $1,200,000 for You Know You Want This (her first book, a short story collection including the viral “Cat Person”).

These authors are the exception, not the rule. They all published books with lower advances (or in Roupenian’s case, got a viral story in the New Yorker ) before ascending to the six-figure mark. The lesson here is that you need to be at the top of your writing game before you can get there financially — and traditional publishing still requires a great deal of luck. If you're publishing traditionally, a reputable literary agent to help you negotiate the best possible deal. In that case, you can check out our directory of literary agents to find relevant candidates. 

The scales aren't always balanced

Moreover, one can’t ignore the racial disparities in trad pub payments exposed by 2020’s #PublishingPaidMe campaign , in which BIPOC authors reported much lower advances than white authors. To give a particularly egregious example, N.K. Jemisin — one of the most prominent sci-fi/fantasy authors working today, boasting four Hugo Awards and a MacArthur Genius Grant — received just $25,000 for each book in her Broken Earth trilogy. And this was after she’d published multiple successful series in the same genre!

#PublishingPaidMe was followed by an informal Twitter questionnaire, responses to which are available in this public spreadsheet , where you can get a sense of what advances are given to which genres, and how they might have been affected by biases.

If your book sells enough to repay the publisher of the advance they gave you, you’ll then earn royalties on the rest of the copies sold.  

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Author royalties on sales

There is a staggering difference in the royalties earned by a traditionally published author and a self-published one. The former doesn’t have to take a financial risk to pay for book marketing, printing, and distribution, but agrees to receive lower royalties. In contrast, a self-published author takes ownership of the publishing process but also keeps most of the profit on each sale.

How much do authors make per book?

On the other hand, if you were to sell the same amount of copies independently, with 50% and 70% royalties for the two different formats, you’d make $51,600 一 five times as much.

This significant income difference means that, outliers aside, many more self-published authors make a living than traditionally published authors, with self-publishing royalty earnings outpacing trad pub’s advance plus subsequent royalties. This was proven by several years of Author Earnings reports — most notably, one study that divided authors into groups earning more than $10k, $25k, $50k, and $100k. The study found that the number of indie authors earning 5-6 figures/year from book sales was much higher than the number of Big 5 authors earning the same.

Curious about the success an indie author can achieve? Check out this list of 8 self-publishing success stories every author should know.

Though the raw data is no longer accessible to the general public, the Author Earnings methodology was extremely thorough and more reliable than any self-selecting author surveys. Their reports analyzed the sales data of up to a million published titles, extracted directly from Amazon’s website. With that in mind, the major findings were as follows:

• There were more high-earning self-publishing authors than Big 5 authors at every single publishing “age”. Whether an author debuted in the last century, the last decade, or the last 3-5 years, they were more likely to have a higher income as an indie.

• The gap was much wider among new authors (those who’d published in the previous 3-5 years). Even looking at authors earning $50k+/year, indie authors outnumbered recent Big 5 authors by a factor of three (see the right side of this next graph).

• Adjusting for non-Amazon sales still left indie authors with a significant income lead in every category except “authors who debuted in the past century” — which is no surprise, given the popularity of classics in brick-and-mortar bookstores.

In short, indie authors tend to make more than traditionally published authors, especially if they’ve recently debuted. This is partly because indie authors often work harder for digital exposure (extra helpful for those with extensive backlists!), but mostly because they receive much higher royalties than their traditionally published counterparts.

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Additional income streams for writers

In addition to book sales, there are several ways for writers to supplement their income. 

Suppose your work gains enough traction to transcend the book format. In that case, you may receive royalties from subsidiary rights for screen adaptations (what people call having your work “optioned” by a company like Netflix), or merchandise, which can range from branded objects like mugs or posters to clothing or special editions of your books. 

Many authors also choose to offer freelance services like professional editing and ghostwriting in order to grow their income. If that’s something you’re experienced enough to consider, Reedsy’s marketplace could help you find fellow authors in need of your help.

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For more tips on how to pay the bills as an author, check out our 8 tips for making money by writing books . 

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• How Much Do Freelance Writers Make Per Article?

Jackie Pearce

What makes article rates different?

How much do freelance writers make per article, how much should you charge, figure out your hourly rate, hidden costs as a freelancer, working your way up, finding better rates, real examples, should freelance writers charge by hour or by project, should freelance writers publish their rates, have more freelance writing questions.

How much do freelance writers make per article? The short answer is: it depends.

However, it’s one of the top concerns for freelance writers or people considering joining the freelance world.

Once you start diving into the freelance writing marketplace, you might see prices all over the place and wonder which ones are accurate or worth your time. There are prices everywhere from pennies per word to hundreds of dollars for an article, so it can be hard to know what’s a fair price.

This article will go over what the current freelance writing stats are, how to figure out your rate, and some more details you need to know to succeed as a freelance writer.

While it would be great if there was an industry standard for articles, the fact is that it truly depends on a variety of factors.

Some of those factors include:

• The budget of the company paying for the article
• Your experience around the topic you’re writing about
• The length of the article
• The research needed to complete the article
• The goal of the article

Even with all of those in mind, you’ll still often see a wide range of prices as you get started on your freelancing journey.

Two assignments that appear the exact same could still have a huge gap in pay rate.

There are plenty of sites willing to pay freelancers in “exposure”, meaning no pay at all, which you’ll have to decide if that’s worth it for your career.

It can be pretty demoralizing to dive into the freelance writing world and see articles for $0.01 to $0.02 per word on some job sites. You hear about freelancers making six figures but also have no idea what you should be charging.

Let’s dive into some research from around the web to see what the averages are and what people are typically making for their writing.

Venngage found that the majority of writers will make under $0.25 per word or around $250 per article (keep in mind that article was published in 2016).

Peakfreelance surveyed hundreds of writers and found that $250 to $399 is the most common rate for a 1,500 word blog post. One surprising thing they mentioned is that 36% of the writers also mentioned they charge at least a 16% extra fee for a ghostwritten article.

According to Demodia , writers generally charge around $4,500 per white paper. As an article writer, you might be asked to write one so knowing what to charge can help you quote accordingly. They often require much more work than articles, but it can be worth it.

Freelance writers can use sites like Who Pays Writers? to see the specifics behind a publication and find out how much and how fast they pay. This can give you a good idea of what publications charge.

Now, just because those numbers are the average, doesn’t mean that’s always what you should charge.

For example, if you have a degree or have worked in a field for a long time, you have more expertise than the average person and should be charging more than the average.

Where you live might also be a factor when it comes to your rates. You might be able to take on a lower rate because your expenses are lower.

While pricing is hard to say with an exact number, there are a few things you should keep in mind, such as your basic hourly rate, your hidden costs, and more.

If you’re considering becoming a freelance writer , or already are but don’t have a set rate, at the very least you should start with figuring out your hourly rate.

How much do you need to make per article to make this worth it?

To figure this out, you should start with timing yourself as you write your articles. How long do they take you in comparison to the average rates out there?

For example, if you know a 2,000 word article takes you about five hours to write and you see an ad for one for $200, that comes out to $20 per hour.

Is that enough for you to consider it worth it?

You might need to figure out your bills and monthly costs to figure out if it’s worth your time. The last thing you need to do is dive into freelance writing and then realize you’re not even making minimum wage.

You also need to keep the hidden costs in mind when you’re figuring out your rate.

As a freelance writer, you will almost always be in charge of paying your own taxes, getting your own health insurance, buying your own gear, and taking care of your own retirement plans.

With this in mind, you should be charging more than you would be making out in the working world as an employee.

Of course, you’ll often need to work your way up the ladder as a freelance writer. Lots of writers dream of making six figures in their first few months, but you’ll need to accept it can take time.

When you’re just starting out, you’re going to make mistakes and take some jobs that aren’t as much as you would like to earn. We all go through it, and it’s okay!

Just know, around every 6 months you should be raising your rates if you’re getting a decent amount of work.

It’s not a complete rule, but it’s just an idea to keep in mind. At the very least, every year or two you should be increasing your rates.

As time goes on, one thing you’ll want to focus on is expanding your network. When you expand your network, you’ll be able to charge higher rates and get writing jobs that aren’t on job boards.

The jobs that you find through networking and meeting people are the ones that will really catapult your rate.

Let’s say you’ve done the work to figure out that you need at least $30 an hour or $200 per 1,500 words.

If you come across an article that clearly needs extra research, let’s say at least two hours worth, you would want to quote $260 for that article (if not more to give yourself a little wiggle room).

If you find out that you’ll also need to interview a few past clients, or put together all of your research into a case study , you’ll need to ballpark how long that will take you.

This is why tracking your time using something like Clockify or a time-tracking app, will be incredibly helpful for you moving forward.

By and large, one of the most popular ways of charging clients is by the project. That’s why it’s essential to figure out how long articles take you so you can price articles accordingly.

You might start off charging by the word, which is where most freelance writers start.

However, as you gain experience and start to network with better clients, you will most likely work your way up to per-project pricing.

You also have the option of offering retainers where you give the client a certain amount of work per month or quarter at a set rate. This can be a fantastic way to create consistent income.

• Related: Find Freelance Writing Jobs
• Related: Our Market List Posts

Now that you’ve decided your price for an article as a freelance writer, you might be wondering if you should put these rates on your website.

It’s up to you!

On one hand, your potential clients might like to know your rates right off the bat.

However, each project might be completely different and you might need to know more details before you say a quote. For example, you might charge $200 for an article, but one client might need one that requires more depth and research than you usually do, which takes up more time than the quoted rate on your website.

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How Much a Professional Author Earn Per Book in 2023? $100K OR…?

• April 5, 2024

It is like asking, “ How long is the string? “, as it was said when asked, “ How much do authors make? “

The author has no fixed salary range like LinkedIn’s work. It is an artistic and professional pursuit and has a variety of financial outcomes.

The author’s salary depends on a myriad of factors. This includes, whether you are a full-time or part-time writer, what type of book you write, which publishing route you choose, and more.

Still, “how much money do authors make?” Is still one of the most pressing questions for anyone considering a book writing service career or a prominent writer wondering if it is low paying, is not it?

Page Contents

…like everything else in publishing, the answer is that it is different. Many readers have the idea that every writer is wealthy, but that is far from the truth.

Yes, Stephen King probably has more money than he needs, but he is an outlier. Most authors do not even make a living from their books.

Well, we are integrating this blog to shed light on the authors’ salary trends in 2023 . Also, we support you on this new writing journey with recommendations and proven guidance for making more money as a writer.

How Do Book Writers Make Money In 2023?

Before getting into the number on how much do professional book writer make, we have seen a lot of confusion about it, and therefore, we would like to explain how author rewards work in the traditional publishing industry.

When a writer signs a publishing agreement, the author or his agent usually negotiates a royalty prepayment. If the press release or article states that the book was “sold” for that amount, that amount is prepaid and not a flat-rate purchase price.

Prepaid payments are of three installments: while signing the contract, when the publisher accepts the manuscript, and finally after book publication.

While publishing the books, the author creates a percentage of sales for each book sold. It is actually “royalty.” Nevertheless, because they received a royalty prepayment, they are essentially making the money they have already received.

Once the royalties exceed the prepayment, publishers will pay the author again.

Prepaid can take any length of time from book publication to book publication . When the book gives the authors the number of royalties advanced, they begin to earn additional royalties.

Additional royalties become a “revenue.” If the book publisher does not repay the prepayment, the author does not have to refund the excess to the publisher unless the contract violates or terminates.

Precisely, it is a general description of the process, and there are as many variations as needed.

For example, some authors do not receive upfront payments, and many authors who write for established intellectual property receive a lump sum instead of royalties.

It means that some traditional writers will never exceed this initial prepayment, but some writers can make money with books until their death. In addition, some writers lose money when they spend more on advertising, marketing, and spending than they end up making.

How Much Does An Author Make Per Book, Per Year?

Authors can expect to make book writing an only living resource if they have multiple books on the go, know how to market them well, and have an active and enthusiastic fan base.

Many factors influence how much an author earns each year, such as books sold, royalties, and printing costs. No two writers can make the same amount of money if they are writing differently.

Revenue varies depending on the route picked for your publication , whether traditional or self-published book.

Here are the average author payment for both routes:

As you can see, there is a difference of over $24,000 between traditionally and self-published authors over the same number of sold copies.

Most people think that traditionally published writers are more than vanity presses because of the fame of writers like Stephen King and George R. R. Martin . Nevertheless, that is not true.

Royal Earnings

Now that we have covered most of the author-earning vocab, let us briefly explain what authoring loyalty looks like.

Self-published authors can earn 40% to 60% royalties for the selling price of a book, while traditionally published authors typically earn 10% to 12% royalties.

First-time authors willing to publish traditionally will receive a prepayment. This is usually $10,000 (not so much for first-time authors). However, traditional publishing does not start licensing until you sell a book worth $ 10,000 at the license rate. You need to get that $ 10k back before you can start getting a license check from the publisher.

Moreover, many publishers deal with authors who say that selling X books increases loyalty and makes a difference. Nevertheless, Experienced, proven, and traditionally published authors can negotiate higher license rates.

Therefore, 15% is rare for self-published authors; you can earn an average license fee of 60% from the first sale, including each subsequent book sale.

Factors Affecting Authors Income

The amount of money an author earns annually depends on various factors:

• Revenue per sale
• Prepaid (traditional publications only)
• Marketing volume
• Audience size
• Number of books published in
• Number of books currently published
• Consistency of bookselling

Examples of Authors earning a Handsome Amount

Of course, outliers are always present. Some are extreme than others, such as famous writers who prey on hundreds of thousands of people. To give a few examples:

• Roxane Gay earned $100k for  Hunger  – the fourth book of her career, a memoir .
• Scott Westerfeld earned $175k for  Extras  – the 15th book of his career, YA sci-fi.
• Viet Thanh Nguyen earned $250k for  The Refugees  – the third book of his career, a collection of compact stories.
• Gillian Flynn earned $400k for  Gone Girl  – the third book of her career, a thriller.
• Kristen Roupenian earned $1,200k for  You Know You Want This  – the first book of her career, a short fiction containing the Cat Person.

How To Become an Author Who Earns 100k or More?

It is a well-known fact that many people want to write a book and make a living in 2023 . However, what makes a writer earn 100k or more ?

Written Word Media surveyed in 2019 and 2020 . The analysis was not on rigorous data but on conclusions drawn from author-based self-reported surveys.

Their two research groups were surveyed. An ambitious writer sold books under $500/month , and an economically successful writer sold more than $5,000/month in 2019 research and more than $100,000/year in 2020 .

They found that more financially successful authors published an average of 13.5 books with an average of 31 hours of writing per week. When categorized by day, this averages more than 4 hours of writes per day. Compare this to an average of 7.4 books published for aspiring authors and 16 hours average of writing per week. That is less than half the writing time per day than successful authors. Of those with annual sales of $100,000, 88% have been writing for more than three years, compared to 59% ambitious writers . It gave successful writers time to gain experience and increase their audience.

In addition, 100k successful authors have an average of 30.3 books in their catalogs, while emerging writers have an average of about seven books.

Furthermore, the $100k author had up to 63 books and at least 7 backlists. Again, there is a lot to write to make a book that can be published completely.

Economically successful writers have designed book cover professionally, 68% of whom spend more than $100 on book design . They usually have specialists in designing book covers .

Well, this narrates more to indie authors, but even if you want to go the traditional route, make sure the cover is professional and eye-catching.

Think about how a book gets your attention and guides you to buy it – Maybe, just a book tagline does not fascinate a reader. That is what the reader wants on the cover. Therefore, authors and designers should learn the science behind the best covers.

The economically successful author specializes in editing the manuscript. You can write, and you can write well, but another pair of professional eyes is key.

More than half of successful author surveys spent $100 on professional editing services, and 32% spent more than $ 500 .

Economically successful writers write in popular genres. They also believe in free ads that have one free title. That is, one of their books is always available for free. Some 45% of authors hire staff, but they are also in charge of their marketing.

Over 90% of both 100k authors and up-and-coming writers say they have their marketing. The only difference is that 100k writers can hire for their ease.

Now that you know how much money do authors make on average, we would like to share some tips on how to make more money.

Here Are Some Tips for Becoming a Full-Time Writer.

Tip one: choose between traditional and self-publishing route.

First, learn the difference between Traditional and Self-Publishing routes and then make the best choice.

To succeed, it is crucial whether you want to make the most money as a writer.

There are ways to succeed in both ways. Keep in mind that traditional publishing takes time (2 to 3 years for the entire process), and if you are lucky in a bidding war between publishers, you may not make a lot of money.

These bidding wars, like the 6 to 7 digit transactions you hear could bring outstanding progress to writers. Otherwise, unrecognized authors may only receive a $10k prepayment to get started.

Key differences:

Tip Two: Write and Market

Did you know that premium book publishers have employees who develop “trendy” book concepts and endured in the market, and hire writers to realize their ideas?

Sometimes it is the same person, but not always. They do this to have the finest chance of making money by taking advantage of what is currently “hot” in literature.

Two powerful forces are shaping today’s financial landscape—personalized writing and smart globalization.

What is the best thing about it? You can do this yourself as the author of a self-publication.

Nevertheless, how do you write to the market? Moreover, is it a “legitimate” form of authoring?

There is a dispute between legitimate writers and market-oriented writers. These are just people who have the right – that is simple.

The truth is if you enjoy writing, you can easily come up with story ideas, write quickly, and publish. Writing is a legitimate (and wise) career option in the market. Simple is that.

As a self-published writer, you can write to the market by looking at the categories you like to make stories and seeing what kind of stories really work.

An example is the era of vampire novels, which started with books like Twilight and caused the explosion of vampire stories from many writers and publishers. Moreover, these sold really well.

However, vampires are not as popular as urban fantasy in today’s young adult category.

If you like writing fantasy, you can benefit from writing these books and publishing them frequently.

Tip Three: Commit to Being A Professional Author

“If you treat writing like a hobby, it will pay like a hobby.”

– R.E. Vance

How do you “promise yourself to be a professional writer”?

• Decide your way (just like you choose a college)
• Invest where you need it (again, just like any college or other education you need for a job). You may need Mczell Book Writing assistance, first
• You Plan the completion dates
• Create writing goals to meet that schedule
• Learn the genuine path for optimal authors salary as a full-time writer
• Say no to what you do not need, make a sacrifice to do what you like for life.

In Closing!

Writing a book or becoming a full-time author will be rewarded at some point.

With a mixture of patience, a lot of hard work, and constant hustle-bustle, you can make a fair amount of money. We hope this article has helped you to increase your enthusiasm for writing and making money.

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.

No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”

–Robert Frost

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10 Women Writers Answer: How Much Do Freelance Writers Make Per Article?

A few weeks ago, I decided to ask women writers on Twitter about money. I wanted to know how much they got paid per article, what they were asking for, and if there was any negotiation involved in their process. We know that women earn less than men pretty much as a rule, and we’re often told that at least some of that blame lies in our reluctance to negotiate, or to advocate for ourselves. But in an industry like freelance writing, where there is little transparency about what anyone is making, it can be nearly impossible to even open the conversation. How much do freelance writers make a year? What is a normal number, and how much of that is a result of negotiation?

So I spoke to women to find out about their specific negotiation tactics, what they were making, and where they are in their writing careers. Unsurprisingly, nearly everyone who responded said that the key to their current rates was negotiation, and nearly all seemed to have worked up their rates slowly over the years, not unlike the gradual raises one might get as a staffer. This all pretty much echoes my experience, where every jump in per-article rates came from a distinct decision that I was raising my value, and the occasional decision to walk away from a project if it didn’t meet it.

Condensed for (relative) brevity, my  breakdown is something like this:

I’m currently 26, and published my first ‘real’ article in March of 2011. When I first started writing, I did it for free, several articles a week. I wrote for a few different publications, including a few big-name ones, that never paid me (at least in part because I didn’t yet have the nerve to ask). I do have one email record of an editor at a big magazine telling me that there was no budget for my article at that time, but I was still interested enough in “exposure” that it felt worth it to me. Looking back, this was dumb, but so was I at the time.

After about six months of writing for free, I started charging for my articles, and my first rate was $25 a piece. This gradually increased over the next few months, until I was brought on as a staff writer at a publication, where I switched to salary.

I barely freelanced during my years at my old employer, but I did do some copywriting here and there, most of which came through the website Contently (I’d check it out if you’re looking for copywriting gigs). The average pay for those was about $450 per, and the highest I ever got was $750 per 500-word post for a large brand. At the time, I only had a couple thousand Twitter followers, and these rates were many times more than what I could make for editorial writing. In that way, copywriting is generally much less tethered to your personal platforms, and much more about your ability to produce the content in a way that the client likes.

Towards the end of last year, I left my staff position to go freelance and pursue TFD full-time. At that time, as I knew I would be doing a lot of freelancing, I formed a personal LLC in addition to TFD’s, both for tax purposes, and so that I could take on more projects. (Many publications and brands are picky about working with LLCs as contractors for longer-term or larger-scale projects because, from a legal and tax perspective, it’s a lot less risky on their end.) My personal LLC was an up-front of investment of about $1200, because I did it through a lawyer, but one that I consider worth it.

As I jumped back into the pond of freelancing, it took a few months to really figure out my new rates, particularly given that I could only take on a limited number of projects per month while running the site. When I first left my job, I was doing more articles (maybe 25 or so a month), at a rate ranging from $100 per post at the least, to $350 for my best-paying client at the time. As the year went on, I started doing fewer and fewer (now I’m at about 10 freelance articles per month), but increased my rate. Now, I don’t do articles generally for less than $250, and cap out at $600 for a more involved piece. (Only one client pays that rate, and rarely, for what it’s worth.) I also occasionally take on larger-scale copywriting work, which tends to be a flat rate for several pieces, often in the $1,000-$2,000 range. This work is of course to supplement my income from TFD, as well as occasionally get more visibility for TFD, so it’s something that I have the benefit of adapting to my schedule, depending on, say, how many clients we had that month on the site. If I were relying uniquely on freelancing, this breakdown would likely be different.

It’s also worth noting that I’m not a journalist, so I don’t do reported/investigative pieces, and therefore likely put in many fewer hours than someone doing a lot of research per-post would. This means that my hourly rate breaks down quite favorably, and there are times when a post I finish in less than an hour will earn me $300. But I’ve also spent ages reviewing and editing a post with a client, only to earn half that. I’ve gotten more savvy about which projects seem like they might be a drain on my time and resources.

In general, the key to my rate raising quickly and significantly has undoubtedly been my ability to say no. Several times, I’ve said no when a client wouldn’t meet my rate, only to have them come back to me. I always start the negotiation on the higher end, and let them come up to meet me, until we find something we are both comfortable with. I also sometimes do pieces for little or no money, if it means a direct benefit for TFD. But those I consider wholly separate from my freelance life. All in all, asking for money is of course essential, but just as essential is arguing for the rate you are comfortable with. If I had never done that, I might still be getting $25 an article, thinking that just having broached the money conversation was enough. Yes, I have a relatively strong social platform and my own site/community, but even at a fraction of my current following I was able to raise my rates, even if it meant doing things like copywriting to supplement my income.

Here are more women writers on the strategies they’ve used, and where that’s gotten them in terms of payment.

“I’m a blogger and personal finance writer — I charge $200 to $400 per article. A huge jump from a year ago, when I made $25 to $75 per article. Usually I get it, but someone recently negotiated from $400 to $350. I accepted. I focused on start ups and companies, and NOT other bloggers. I also started to really believe in myself and stop low-balling my skills. I’ve started to aim higher than normal, so that even if we negotiate down, it’s still at a number I’m comfortable with. In addition, I explicate how I will add value to the client, such as sharing posts on social media, introducing clients to others in the finance community, etc. I also recently raised my rates for the new year and let people know I was being more selective with writing clients in 2016, so that I could provide the most value to current clients. I reviewed our accomplishments over the past year and asked for 10 to 25 percent more. All of them said yes. In some cases, if a negotiation doesn’t go the way you want, you may have to walk. I remember earlier this year when I was still writing  $40 posts, I asked one client for $5 more per post. They said no. I didn’t leave right away, but knew that I had to stop accepting low paying work and focus on higher paying clients.” -Melanie Lockert, 31, freelance writer and founder of DearDebt.com

So, it varies wildly. Tech tends to pay well, feminism tends to not pay well at all. [Popular feminist geek culture website] has a serious ethical problem with not paying freelancers. I wrote a piece for them that went ridiculously viral, didn’t get a dime. To be fair, their editorial team is excellent and underpaid, and I knew that going in. But they aren’t a first choice. [Large feminist website] only pays $100 a piece. [Gaming site] tends to pay $250 to $300 a piece. Not great, not bad. Magazine work has paid about $800 a piece for me, but those take a ton of research. Tech is where the money is. I can count on $350 to $500 a piece easily — and just for 500-600 words. The most I’ve negotiated was $1200. [Major city newspaper] paid $800. [Financial newspaper] paid nothing. The ones that seek me out I can negotiate with. But, most writers don’t have editors asking them to write for them constantly. Passion pieces that I pitch usually do well traffic-wise, but you’re coming to them first. The pay is lower. I would say, it helps a lot if your editor trusts you and you have a reputation for bringing in traffic. If I negotiate, my message is usually that the traffic of the piece is worth the investment from the publisher. When I left journalism school, I found it hard getting a straight news job. I worked in tech a few years, and found more writing work than I could accept. Find a specialty that you can speak to authoritatively. -Ellie*, mid-30s, prominent writer on tech and feminism

So, I typically ask for (and get) anywhere between $100-$250 an article, depending on what the publication is, the topic of the article, word count, and how much research (if any) is involved. Once in a while, I do work for a client I have that pays less than I usually get ($60-$80 an article), but I’m more flexible and understanding with them because they’re a smaller publication without a big budget, and I’ve had a great working relationship with the editors for years. Plus, I genuinely love the work they do. I’ve never worked for free since I’ve become a professional writer, but I wouldn’t be opposed if the publication was a byline I really wanted, or if the publication was new and run by people whose work I respected and admired. -Jackie*, 30, freelance writer

I don’t do as much article writing for clients anymore, but my base rate is $350 for a 1,000-word, well-researched, narrative essay. I’ve been doing this for over a decade, so that makes a big difference. When I was starting out, I absolutely took articles for $50-$100 (and a few horrible Demand Media articles for $20-35 when desperation times hit) to build my portfolio and credentials…to stair step my way to being able to say “I don’t get out of bed now for less than $350.” -Elisa Doucette, 35, owner & managing editor at Craft Your Content

I’m a journalist, and pretty much exclusively do reported pieces, with the occasional op-ed. I try as much as possible not to get into the ‘thinkpiece economy,’ both because I don’t really like doing those pieces, and because they tend to pay much less. I generally demand a minimum of $400 per article, and have gotten all the way up to $2,000 for a very involved piece for the prestige magazine of a popular online writing platform. I haven’t actually done print yet, though I’m in the process of negotiating a piece with a men’s magazine right now which, if I land, will be my new highest rate. I came up in a very traditional way, in that I worked at a NYC-based independent newspaper/website, first as an unpaid intern, then a paid intern, then a staffer. My salary there topped out at $32,000/year (for an extremely demanding schedule), which wasn’t good, but it did enable me to really start my freelance career with the platform, network, and experience I needed to command a good rate. -Kate*, 29, freelance journalist and occasional editor

I’ve only negotiated twice, and both times were with recognizable web publications. For the first time, this pub that I was regularly writing for wanted to repost something I wrote for another site. I asked if I could get paid the same amount I get paid whenever I write for that site, which was $200, but I only got $75. For the second time, the regular rate for op-eds was $100. I requested $150 and got $125. I took it anyway. I don’t regret both times because I wanted the money and I’m not a full-time freelancer, so that may have to do with my lenience on these issues. However, I will admit that I should be more aggressive. When I hear my fellow writer friends tell me that I need to push more, it’s hard. I’m a black, female writer and I’m afraid that if I push too far, my writing opportunities will plummet, since the industry is very small. Morgan Jerkins , 23

I’m not sure that I’ve ever actually had to negotiate up a rate, but I do selectively not work with publications that I know aren’t going to pay me a reasonable amount. The last time I wrote for below my rate (which is $200, at least for a piece with little or no reporting), it was because I hadn’t had a chance to write outside my full-time edit job in a while. In that case, they gave me a range of what they pay writers, and I suggested the higher amount was fair. It was also a question and answer, so I didn’t feel like I deserved that much more. In general, I think 50 cents a word is a minimum for a reported piece, though I’ve tried to work more with places that pay a dollar. Even though a dollar per word seems magical in this age, as a writer who has had a lot of pieces killed, I feel like it’s good protection against significant income loss (assuming they have a fair kill fee as well). I think I don’t negotiate as much because I’m still a young writer, not because I’m a woman. That said, as an editor, I’ve seen male writers with much less experience than me negotiate for more (even though I know they’ve written for free in the past few months for male editors). -Tonya Riley, 22, associate editor at a media startup and freelancer

So, a couple facts for context: I’m in my second year as a paid writer, I’m not a journalist, and I’m currently still on the hamster wheel of ‘content creation’ for several websites that do a lot of aggregated content and viral write-ups, in addition to ‘articles,’ that are mostly personal essays and lists. I have about four that I write for, and my rates vary depending on the site and the kind of content I’m doing. I have one Buzzfeed knockoff, essentially, that pays me a flat fee of $25 for viral write-ups, which are usually videos or a quick news story, and I can do as many of those as I want. I tend to probably do about eight a week, and they make up the majority of my writing. Then I have a rotating cast of three websites for which I write lists and essays, sometimes under pen names, and those tend to pay somewhere between $75 and $125 per article. I used to get paid $50 at most of them, but earlier this year I went back and renegotiated at all of them, and got at least a $25 raise at each. My argument was my engagement on my articles, my increases on social media following, and my consistency with filing on time and without errors. Now, I’m able to make a total of $600/week on writing, which means I no longer have to work a side job. My next goal is to renegotiate with my current sites, and start doing longer/more researched pieces for more prestigious publications. -Nat*, 24, freelance writer

My current rates are anywhere from $325 to $500 for a longer-form blog post. I have one client I work for $150 per post, but they’re much shorter, and require way less research. I tend to not work with clients if they’re budget is underneath my rates since it creates unnecessary tension and makes them think they can buy you out at rates lower than what you ask. I don’t really do much negotiation, but if a client requests to go down on price, I won’t just lower the price for the same work proposed and call it a day. (Gotta stand your ground and command respect, you know?) But I do understand what it’s like to be limited by an office budget, so most commonly, I tell them I can reduce word count in proportion to my rate (if I feel it makes sense for me), or depending on the offerings I’ve worked out in the proposal, I try to do some give and take there. -Chelsea Baldwin, 27, founder of Copy Power

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How Much Do Freelance Writers Make Per Article?

Talking about money, especially how much a person gets paid, has long been a cultural taboo. In the employment world and freelance world alike, this has led to chronic underpayment because, at one point, so many people don't realize they're undercharging. Freelance writers are no exception, but it turns out that being hush-hush on how much writers make ends up hurting the industry and those who benefit from it. Let's put an end to that today by digging into freelance rates for writing work and how much writers should charge per article.

First things first: Charge per project, not per hour

Before we dig into some numbers, let's talk about how freelance writers should charge for their work. The biggest question freelance writers have when coming into the business is whether they should be paid per word, per project, or per hour. With few exceptions, always charge clients based on per-project or per-word rates, not per hour. Use this as a general guideline for your freelance writing business:

• Let's say a client asks you to do two articles, and you provide an hourly rate for the task. Let's say your hourly rate is $25, and each article is about 750 words. Your pay will be $25. Now, let's say you charge per word for this writing task. If your rate is $0.05 per word, you can earn $75 for the two articles.
• Proofreading is a time-consuming task, and we recommend charging clients per page or per hour for these types of projects. Per page rates work well for business writing like white papers and proofreading academic work, while per hour rates work well for magazine articles and blog posts. The average hourly wage for these services will depend on your experience and how much a client is willing to pay, and can range from $10 per hour all the way up to $100 per hour.
• Writing an 'easy' article, on the other hand, can take as little as two hours if you jump right into it, or a few days, depending on the job. If you spend more than half of that time doing research, a client may feel like you're trying to cheat him/her on a job and payment terms may break down. Charging per word in these instances works best for everyone.

Charging per word benefits both you and the client. For one, clients care about their completed project, not how long it takes you to do research and write an article. Sometimes, it's difficult to tell how many hours it will take to write an article. Charging per project makes it easier for them to know what they'll get and for what price from day one, and there won't be any surprises when an invoice for hourly rates comes in.

Per-project rates benefit writers too. As freelance writers gain writing experience, most writers learn how to complete projects faster. Your writing work shouldn't cost less as you learn to do it more efficiently.

How much should freelance writers charge per article?

So, the nitty-gritty: how much should you earn for your work? First of all, don't compare freelance income to an employed writer's salary. Freelancers aren't just writing, we're running a freelance writing business, so it makes sense to value that added responsibility.

Remember that freelance writers also have more expenses, including paying about twice as much in taxes. All this means a freelance writer's income should be significantly higher than a writer with traditional employment, although it can take time to build up to it.

The fact is that there's a massive range of prices freelance writers charge. You'll regularly see freelance writing rates ranging anywhere from $.05 to $1 per word or more. A good rule of thumb for a new writer is to start around that lower end, perhaps $.06-$.08 per word, and gradually move up from there as you improve your freelance writing skills.

Keep in mind that some writers translate their per-word rate into a per-article rate. For instance, you might want to make $.10 per word, so you price a 1000-word article at $100, even if the exact word count ends up anywhere between 950 to 1050 words. (Always try to stay within the agreed word count for each article. Some clients may not be willing to pay extra if you write more words) Regardless of how you price projects, always be clear about the per-project rate and payment terms from day one. Life is easier for freelancers and clients alike when everyone's on the same page rather than waiting and bickering about prices when the invoice arrives.

Factors That Affect Your Freelance Writing Rates

Within that huge range of prices above, how do you know where you should land? Take these many factors into account when setting your freelance writing rates :

Type of Work

Most types of freelancing allow writers to set or negotiate their rates, but not all do. There are also content mills: businesses that hire freelancers to write high volumes of content. Usually, it's a white label situation: the company has many clients, and they farm out the content creation to freelance writers. These are almost always ghostwriting jobs, and most times, there's no room for writers to grow.

Content mills and other high-volume arrangements often have set prices they'll pay. Usually, content mills pay freelancers less, and the rates tend to be low: as low as $.02-$.03 per word. Writing for content mills means you have no control over how much you get paid per article, and the amount of words you write per day determines your pay.

Many writers advise against working for content mills altogether, but truth be told, there are pros and cons. Sure, they're not high-paying clients, but when you're working for that low pay, you train yourself to work quickly so the pay isn't so low for your time. These gigs also offer steady work and can help you kick off your freelance writing business. All told, I wouldn't keep them around long-term, but they can help while starting your career .

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Experience level

Clients expect to get what they pay for, so more experienced writers can charge more per project because they generally produce higher-quality work. For this reason, most freelance writers start at the low end of the pricing spectrum, and as their years of experience increase, they raise their prices.

Personal brand

This isn't a factor for ghostwriting, but for freelance writing jobs that have your name attached, sometimes that name carries clout. If you were running a site, would you prefer an article from someone without name recognition or someone with an established brand that readers will seek out, recognize, and respect? For work with a byline, raise your price per article as your personal brand grows.

Pay rates vary by industry and niche because some niches require more specialized background knowledge. You'll find higher-paying clients when writing for tech , healthcare, and the financial sector. These clients are paying more because they aren't just hiring any writer; they're hiring a freelance writer who can speak knowledgeably about the topic. Marketing-related content, such as copywriting, press releases, pay-per-click ads, and email writing generally pays more than SEO articles and blog writing.

Type of content

This blog is focused mostly on articles or blog posts, but most writers offer many types of content. Your prices should change based on that content. For instance, blog posts and articles come together quickly, so those per-word rates I mentioned above are appropriate. Social media captions, though, require fewer words but are more carefully worded, so the per-word rate should be higher. Anything technical should pay more because you'll have to do more research.

Research and other work needed

Writing work doesn't just involve writing. Most articles require some amount of research, while some also require meetings, collaborations with other freelancers, and more. You deserve to be paid for all that time. Consider all the time and work involved along with the word count while pricing a project.

Package pricing

With freelancing, steady work is like gold. Spending time finding new clients costs you time and money. That's why some writers offer packages that include savings for larger volumes of work–for example, batch rates, which mean less per word, but a steady paying job.

In doing this, though, be careful not to short-change yourself. Having consistent work is great for a writer, but not if you've offered such a discount that the time you're investing in a project isn't worth it. You are running a freelance business, not a charity.

How to increase earnings as a freelance writer

• Raise your rates- You are in charge of how much your clients pay you. Raising your writing rates is the most obvious way to get more money when freelance writing, but there is a right and a wrong way to go about seeking higher pay. The worst thing you can do as a writer is suddenly demand more money from your clients. It will come off as distasteful, and some clients might stop working with you altogether. Instead, give your client enough notice and raise your per article or hourly rate by a percentage. If you're charging $50 for a 1000-word article, don't expect to get $150 on your first release. Instead, raise your rates in 10%-20% intervals. If you do great work, it should be no big deal for your clients to pay you more.
• Think bigger- Thanks to the internet, a freelance writer can be based on one side of the world and write for a company in a country he/she has never been to. Your writing business is not limited based on geography, and you can find an online writing job fairly easily. This can mean higher pay and ongoing work without ever having to set foot in a client's office.
• Learn a new skill- The more value writers can add to a client's business, the more writers make. Learn in-demand skills like SEO Optimization, social media marketing, WordPress optimization, topic pitching, etc., that pay bank! This way, you'll be a one-stop-shop, and a client can hire you for ongoing work outside of content writing.
• Market yourself- Spend time marketing yourself to clients and big publications that may need a freelance writer to pick up some of the slack. Send pitches to new companies and start-ups that will need a writer to handle everything from press releases to web content writing.
• Use freelancer platforms- A great way to find a constant stream of freelance writing work is to join popular freelancing platforms like Upwork, Indeed, Guru, Who Pays Writers, etc. Here you can sift through different online writing gigs and find paid writing jobs to help grow your business.
• Push for credited work- Most freelance writers work on ghostwriting projects, meaning they never get credit. The problem with this is that your name doesn't get out there, and you don't get a chance to build a brand as a credible freelance writer. Where possible, ask your client for a chance to be credited on the blog. The next time you apply for a writing job, you'll have a better chance of landing it because of this. You can also negotiate more pay.
• Start your own blog- If your client won't give you credit, write your own blog outside of work hours. Choose an in-demand niche, or something you are knowledgeable about, and just start writing. Send the latest posts from your personal blog to your clients to show how well you write, and your ability to optimize your content on whichever hosting platform you use.

Choosing your freelance earnings

Choosing our own income is both the best and worst part of freelancing. It offers great freedom and income potential, but most of us don't start out knowing the going rate clients pay freelance writers. Ultimately, it's a matter of reading up on the variables and price ranges, and above all, knowing your worth. And if those clients aren't paying, we have advice on how to handle that too. Now make that money!

How Much Do Writers Make?

• April 1, 2024

Table of Contents

1. choose a path, 3. create a writing routine, 4. put yourself out there, freelance writers, grant writers, technical writers, ghostwriters, social media managers, writers vs. authors, job outlook for writers, wrapping up, do writers make good money, can i make a living as a freelance writer, can i make 100k as a writer, how much do writers make, what is the difference between a writer, author, and novelist.

Did you always dream of becoming a writer? Or are you just now discovering your passion for writing and want to explore your options ? No matter the case, becoming a writer is easier than ever!

If you want to turn writing into a full-time career, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll go through various steps you can take to start writing professionally, as well as answer a key question about the different types of writers:

• How much do freelance writers make?
• How much do grant writers make?
• How much do technical writers make?
• How much do ghostwriters make?

How To Become a Writer

Remember that the moment you sketched out your very first outline, that’s when you became a writer. Many believe that to become a professional writer, you must publish a book; while that is a possible path, it is certainly not the only one. Read on to learn more about the steps you can take to start your writing career.

Deciding to pursue a writing career is just the beginning. However, when it comes to making a living out of your career , you must choose your desired career path. Fortunately, writing offers various rewarding choices. While some writing forms may excite you more than others, you might want to try multiple paths before settling in.

Here are the paths you can choose from:

• Freelance writing
• Copywriting
• Writing nonfiction books
• Fiction writing
• Ghostwriting
• Technical writing

Reading is essential to being a good writer. The more you read, the more you’re exposed to high-quality writing. Without realizing it, you’re internalizing the elements of the text, and you’ll slowly find yourself implementing them in your writing.

Not only this, reading gives you inspiration and ideas. These two elements together will make writing so much easier.

What you choose to read will often affect the way you write. To make sure you get some quality reading in during the year, make yourself a monthly reading list with books in the following categories:

• Books on the craft of writing
• Books like the ones you want to write
• Books you read for fun

Finding the time to write in a jam-packed schedule is the first hurdle for almost every aspiring author. Many talented writers fail this step, but those who do are already halfway to “making it”—all you have to do is make writing a regular habit .

While having to write every day might sound inflexible, those who take their writing seriously make time for it in their daily routines. Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, carve out some of that time for your new writing habit. Figure out your windows of productivity and capitalize on them.

Get over the idea that every page you write has to be perfect. The fear of making mistakes or not achieving perfection is the main reason behind writer’s block and procrastination .

To become a professional writer, you must equip yourself with the right environment and the proper writing tools. Nowadays, there is a tool for everything, from sketching your writing to editing; use them!

You can also join a writing community. By doing so, you will gain honest critiques and reviews and share your writing. This can boost your confidence, especially if you are unsure of whether others will like your writing.

You will receive the best feedback from your readers, so don’t hesitate to publish your work. Countless prints and online publications accept work from new writers. Hence, you should constantly seek opportunities to get your work out there!

Average Salary for Writers

Most writers are self-employed, and their experience directly impacts their salary. An entry-level writer with less than one year of experience can earn an average compensation of $50,215 . As they gain more experience (1-4 years) are expected to earn an average of $52,945. With 5-9 years of experience, the average salary can increase to $65,97 1. In their later career (20 years and higher), writers can make an average total compensation of $69,109.

Additionally, the type of writer you decide to be will consequently determine the salary you will earn. Let’s take a look at how much different writers make.

Freelance writers work as self-employed contractors for an organization instead of full- or part-time employees and can work for multiple clients simultaneously. They can be generalists, meaning they can write blog posts , internal corporate communications, emails, grant writing, proposals, or newsletters.

On the other hand, many freelance writers choose to specialize in a specific communications channel or industry. No matter the path they choose, the average yearly income freelancers are expected to make rounds up to approximately $50,475.

A grant writer researches, writes, and submits grant requests for individuals and organizations seeking funding. Generally, this involves finding specific grants and determining whether they’re suitable for the organization seeking them. It can also include liaising between the funding provider and the recipient.

Organizations like to find grant writers who can work with them in the long run. So if you manage to satisfy them by winning them their grants, you will likely be offered a long-term contract. That contains many grants, which means you can make money consistently. Annually, grant writers are expected to earn up to $52,774 .

Technical writers create content teaching people how to use applications and tech equipment. They write instruction manuals, how-to guides, articles, and product guides.

Technical writers have degrees or other formal training in STEM fields. A technical writer’s work must be highly detailed, leaving no room for misinterpretation or error. The median pay for technical writers was $75,002 annually .

Many of the bestselling books you see by celebrities, entrepreneurs, politicians, and public figures aren’t actually their work. A ghostwriter often interviews the person that will be on the cover and turns their life story or ideas into a book.

Becoming a ghostwriter involves understanding how to interview people, translate life experiences into stories without losing the tone of voice, and know how to write a book. Sometimes these writers rewrite a manuscript or early drafts created by a public figure or celebrity until it can be published.

The average salary for a ghostwriter is $52,684 per year .

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Editors are considered a company’s voice, ensuring that all written materials are accurate and of high quality. They work with writers to improve their content while educating them about general best practices for writing well so that everything comes together seamlessly at publication time.

An editor’s main duties are editing and improving copy, identifying ways to improve the flow of materials, and advising writers on content pieces. They also have to create a content calendar. For these responsibilities, editors can expect to earn $56,301 annually .

Social media managers are in charge of the business’s interactions with possible clients through social media platforms using a unified voice. Their duties include:

• Analyzing engagement data
• Identifying trends in customer interactions
• Planning digital campaigns to build community online

They oversee a company’s interactions with the public by implementing social media platforms’ content strategies.

While all authors are writers, not all writers are authors, which may confuse many of you but bear with us. The primary difference between a writer and an author is whether or not your work is published.

You are technically a writer if you’ve written dozens of science fiction novels, children’s books, and various literary pieces, but none of them have ever been published. However, if the publishing industry distributes your next book, that act of publishing makes you an author.

So, an author is someone whose written work has been published. In addition to producing published work, people who write are considered authors when they originate the ideas and content of their written work.

The blossoming of web-based publications, in particular, is expected to positively impact the demand for writers and editors. The blossoming of web-based publications, in particular, is expected to positively impact the demand for writers and editors.

Bloggers and technical writers for interactive media should encounter significant growth possibilities, mainly as print magazines, businesses, non-profit organizations, and associations develop exclusively digital content. With training in specialized fields such as law , medicine, or economics , writers will experience significant job prospects because of the continuing need to communicate technical information to target audiences.

Becoming a writer can be challenging, but there are endless career paths you can take within the field. People passionate about writing and using their words to impact people have a chance to do so through different writing forms.

While earning a competitive salary can take time, focusing on constantly becoming a better writer is essential. Keep your devotion to writing alive no matter what; with time, it will shine through everything you write.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

It depends on various factors, such as the type of writing, experience, skill level, and market demand. Some writers make a decent living, while others struggle to make ends meet. But in general, if you have a passion for writing and are willing to put in the effort, you can make good money as a writer.

Yes, you can make a living as a freelance writer. Many freelance writers are able to earn a full-time income by working on various projects, such as blog posts, articles, product descriptions, and more. However, building a client base and establishing a reputation in the industry can take time.

Making 100k as a writer is possible, but it is not a guarantee. High-paying writing jobs are often competitive and require high skill and experience. Freelance writers who specialize in certain niches or industries may be able to command higher rates, but it can take time to get to that level.

The amount of money a writer gets can vary widely depending on the type of writing, experience, skill level, and market demand. Some writers make a few cents per word, while others can earn hundreds of dollars per hour. It really depends on the project and the client.

A writer is someone who writes, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or other forms of writing. An author has written a book or books, and a novelist is a type of author who specializes in writing novels. So, all novelists are authors, but not all authors are novelists.

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Summer’s over, so how much sun can (and should) I get?

PhD Candidate, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland

Principal research fellow, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Disclosure statement

Katie Lee receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council for a student stipend.

Rachel Neale receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council for grants related to vitamin D and sunscreen. She was the lead author of the manuscript describing the revised position statement and chaired the Summit that led to the revised recommendations.

University of Queensland provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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As we slide of out summer, you might be wondering how careful you need to be about sun exposure. Excessive exposure causes skin cancer , but sun exposure also has benefits . How do you balance the two?

A new position statement from cancer, bone health and other experts aims to help Australians balance the good and bad effects of sun exposure by taking into account their skin colour, risk of skin cancer, and where they live.

What are the benefits of sunlight?

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation (the wavelengths in sunlight that cause skin cancer) also leads to vitamin D production. Vitamin D is very important for maintaining strong bones, and is likely to have multiple other health benefits .

But vitamin D probably isn’t the whole story. Sunshine, including UV radiation, is thought to affect health in other ways such as improving our mood and reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases and infections. So for many people, avoiding the sun and taking a vitamin D supplement may not be the best approach.

Read more: Vitamin D supplements can keep bones strong – but they may also have other benefits to your health

How much time does it take to make vitamin D?

It’s complicated, but for most people and most of the year across most of Australia, it’s a lot less than you think.

The amount of time needed depends on the amount of skin covered by clothing and the intensity of UV radiation (indicated by the UV index). More skin exposed and higher UV index equate to less time needed.

Both the UV index and the amount of the year that UV radiation is high increase as you get closer to the equator. In summer, all of Australia is bathed in sunshine. But in winter, opposite ends of the country have very different exposures .

In summer, everybody except those with deeply pigmented skin can make enough vitamin D in just five minutes between 9am and 3pm, anywhere in Australia, provided they are wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

In winter it’s a different story. In Darwin and Brisbane , 5–10 minutes between 10am and 3pm will do the trick, but in Hobart , factoring in winter clothing, it will take nearly an hour in the middle of the day.

Hover your mouse over the lines below to see the length of exposure needed at specific times of day.

Staying out for longer than needed doesn’t necessarily make more vitamin D, but it does cause skin damage .

Hang on, what about those with darker skin?

People with deeply pigmented, brown to black skin accumulate both vitamin D and DNA damage at a much slower rate than people with lighter skin tones.

When UV radiation hits a DNA strand, it causes the DNA to become distorted. If the distortion isn’t fixed, it will cause a mistake when the DNA is copied for a new cell, causing a permanent mutation that sometimes leads to cancer.

Melanin, the brown pigment in the skin, absorbs UV photons before that can happen, and the high melanin content in the darkest skin tones provides 60 times as much UV protection as the small amount in very fair skin.

The flip side is the risk of vitamin D deficiency is much higher than the risk of skin cancer.

The new statement accounts for this by putting people into three groups based on their risk of skin cancer, with specialised advice for each group.

Highest skin cancer risk

This includes people with very pale skin that burns easily and tans minimally, but also people with darker white or olive skin who can tan easily but have extra skin cancer risk factors because they:

• have had skin cancer before
• have a family history of melanomas
• have many moles
• are taking immunosuppressant medications.

For these people, the harms of sun exposure almost certainly outweigh the benefits .

These people should wear sunscreen every day the UV index is forecast to get to three or more , and use the five sunsmart steps whenever the UV index is above three:

• slip on clothing covering as much of the body as possible
• slop on SPF30+ sunscreen on areas that can’t be covered up
• slap on a hat
• slide on sunglasses.

They shouldn’t spend time outdoors deliberately to make vitamin D, but should discuss vitamin D supplements with their doctor.

Intermediate skin cancer risk

This means people with dark white/olive skin that sometimes burns but tans easily, and who don’t have other skin cancer risk factors.

These people should still apply sunscreen as part of their usual routine on all days when the UV index is forecast to get to three or more , but they can spend enough time outdoors to get a “dose” of vitamin D on most days of the week.

Read more: Curious Kids: how does the Sun help your body make vitamin D?

Once the time needed for their vitamin D dose is up, they should also use the slip-slop-slap-seek-slide steps to avoid accumulating DNA damage.

If they’re unable to do this because of health or lifestyle factors, like being housebound, working night shifts, or always covering up with clothing, they should see their doctor about whether they need vitamin D supplements.

Lowest skin cancer risk

This covers people with deeply pigmented brown to black skin that rarely or never burns.

These people can safely spend enough time outdoors to make vitamin D and get the other benefits of sunshine. But because more time is needed, it can be difficult, particularly when the weather is cold. Vitamin D supplements might be needed.

They don’t need to routinely protect their skin, but might need to slip-slop-slap-seek-slide if they are outdoors for more than two hours.

How do I get the feel-good effects of sunshine?

Spending time outdoors in the early morning is the best way to get the feel-good effects of sunshine. An early morning walk is a great idea for all of us, but it won’t make vitamin D.

Read more: Should I be getting my vitamin D levels checked?

• Skin cancer
• Dermatology
• Winter health
• Skin cancer risk
• Low vitamin D

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Answers to All Your Burning Questions About Sunscreen

How much SPF is enough? Is mineral better than chemical? We’ve got you covered.

Credit... By Maggie Shannon

Supported by

By Nancy Redd

Nancy Redd is a senior staff writer covering health and grooming at Wirecutter.

• March 28, 2024

While most experts agree that you should wear sunscreen year-round to prevent damage from the sun, harmful ultraviolet rays are strongest during the late spring and early summer.

The Times’s Well section partnered with Wirecutter , a New York Times Company that reviews and recommends products (and publishes annual ratings of sunscreens for the face and body ), to answer common questions about sunscreen, including about how safe and effective it is, how to use it properly, and how to pick the right one for you.

How much SPF is enough?

Sun protection factor (or SPF) is a measure of how well a sunscreen protects against sunburn, which usually results from exposure to ultraviolet B (or UVB) rays, the type that cause most skin cancers. Most experts recommend an SPF of at least 30 for most people and most climates.

“There’s no harm in going higher, though,” especially if your skin burns easily or you have sun-exposure allergies , said Dr. Vinod Nambudiri, a dermatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Once you go past SPF 30, the protection becomes more incremental. When properly applied, for instance, an SPF 30 sunscreen shields skin from about 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays, while an SPF 50 protects against roughly 98 percent. No sunscreen blocks 100 percent of the sun’s rays.

Most experts we spoke with said that what’s more important is finding a broad-spectrum sunscreen — one that protects against both UVB and ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, which mostly cause skin aging and wrinkles — that you enjoy wearing and can afford to reapply and use consistently.

“Most people aren’t getting the SPF benefit on the sunscreen’s label because they aren’t applying a thick enough layer to their skin, and they usually aren’t reapplying often enough — usually every 80 minutes or two hours, depending upon the formula,” said Dr. Belinda Tan, a dermatopathologist in Torrance, Calif.

The average adult needs about one ounce of sunscreen to cover all exposed skin. “We often say a shot glass of sunscreen for the whole body,” said Dr. Jenna Lester, an associate professor of dermatology at the U.C. San Francisco School of Medicine, “but I tell my patients to fill the shot glass up to the brim and use even more if needed so you don’t miss any spots.”

Are there any alternatives to sunscreen?

Avoiding the sun (especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when its rays are strongest) is one excellent way to protect your skin from sun damage. So is wearing protective clothing, like long-sleeved shirts and wide brimmed hats . Alternatives like sunscreen pills or supplements “are being studied right now,” Dr. Nambudiri said, but none are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and there is no evidence that they are safe and effective.

Which type of sunscreen is better: chemical or physical?

Sunscreen can mitigate a lot of potential damage from the sun. However experts have acknowledged that some people may be concerned by past reports that active ingredients in many chemical sunscreens can reach the bloodstream and remain there for days.

“We don’t know what the health implications are yet, or even if there are any,” Dr. Lester said, “but we want to give credence to people’s concerns.”

The best sunscreen for you is the one that you will apply, and reapply, often.

Physical (or mineral) sunscreens reflect UV rays away from your skin, while chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays so that your skin does not.

One pro of mineral sunscreens is that their active ingredients — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — haven’t been shown to absorb into the blood.

If you’re concerned about potential safety issues with chemical sunscreens but also want to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, “mineral is best,” Dr. Tan said.

Keep in mind that sunscreen is just one of many topical products whose potential health effects are not completely understood. “Of course it’s very alarming when people think there’s a chemical being absorbed by their skin and detectable in blood,” Dr. Tan said, “but we put a lot of things on our skin — lotions, cosmetics, fragrances.” It’s important to take a “step back and put the sunscreen conversation in context,” she said.

Mineral sunscreens have some cons, too. They “are generally more expensive and less cosmetically elegant than chemical ones,” said Dr. Lawrence Eichenfield, chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. They are often harder to rub in, appear chalkier and feel more noticeable on the skin.

If you don’t like the way a particular sunscreen looks or feels, you’ll be less likely to use it consistently, Dr. Lester said. In her own practice, people with darker skin “often avoid mineral sunscreens because they tend to leave a white cast on the skin,” she said.

Testing by Wirecutter has found that chemical sunscreens with active ingredients including avobenzone, octocrylene and oxybenzone tend to feel lighter on the skin, rub in easier and appear less visible.

Does sunscreen harm coral reefs?

It can, Dr. Lester said.

Oxybenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate are among the primary sunscreen ingredients that can contribute to coral reef damage. The only two “reef safe” active ingredients approved by the F.D.A. are “non-nanotized” zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. (Non-nanotized means that the ingredient is 100 nanometers in diameter or more.)

However, no sunscreen is known to be totally safe for aquatic life , so the best way to protect yourself and the environment is to cover as much of your body as possible with ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) clothing (though you’ll still need to use sunscreen on exposed skin).

Do you need sunscreen if you have dark skin?

Yes. “It’s a misconception that darker-skinned people can’t get skin cancer,” Dr. Nambudiri said. Even though darker-skinned people may not burn as quickly as fairer-skinned people, they can still get sun damage that contributes to sunburns, aging, uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation, Dr. Lester added.

Should I wear sunscreen every day?

Yes . “Whether it’s sunny or cloudy, UV rays are present 365 days a year, and I encourage my patients to use sunscreen year-round,” Dr. Nambudiri said.

While it is not necessary to wear sunscreen on skin that isn’t exposed, it’s important to apply it to the face, ears, neck, hands, forearms and other often-exposed body parts to help prevent sun damage.

Can you be allergic to sunscreen?

Yes, said Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist in New York City. “Every summer, I have patients who come in with rashes, itchy skin or irritation, and they’re concerned they might be allergic to their sunscreen,” she said.

In these cases, allergies are possible. But these patients may also be having what dermatologists call irritant contact dermatitis, a nonallergic skin reaction to an ingredient in sunscreen that can cause mild redness, itchiness or stinging. This reaction tends to appear almost immediately after applying sunscreen and only on the skin where the sunscreen has been applied, said Dr. Hope Mitchell, a dermatologist in Ohio.

An allergy, on the other hand, “may take several days or even years of consistent use of the same product to develop,” Dr. Mitchell said, and it may spread to other body parts. Signs of an allergy may include swelling, extreme itching or a blistering rash.

Fragrances, preservatives, oils and botanical extracts are the most common sunscreen ingredients that cause either irritant contact dermatitis or an allergy, Dr. Bowe said.

Active ingredients in chemical sunscreens, such as oxybenzone, avobenzone and octocrylene, have caused skin reactions, though research suggests this is rare. And interactions between your sunscreen and “certain medications, topical creams or lotions may cause or exacerbate reactions,” Dr. Mitchell said.

Another possible reaction is photocontact dermatitis, which can occur when sunlight interacts with certain sunscreen ingredients. If you develop a rash on parts of the body that have been exposed to both sunscreen and the sun (such as your face), but not on parts that have been exposed only to sunscreen (such as under your chin), “photocontact dermatitis is possible,” Dr. Bowe said.

She suggested using fragrance- and essential oil-free formulations and sticking to mineral sunscreens, which have active ingredients that are less likely than those in chemical sunscreens to cause reactions. (Wirecutter’s guide to sunscreens includes several mineral-based and “sensitive” formulas that tend to contain fewer known irritants.)

If you think your skin is reacting to an ingredient in your sunscreen, stop using that formula, Dr. Mitchell said, but do not stop wearing sunscreen altogether. And if you’re concerned, consult a dermatologist, who can prescribe medication if needed.

If the problem persists after making these substitutions, Dr. Bowe and Dr. Mitchell both suggested patch allergy testing, which can help determine the specific ingredients that are causing the reactions.

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