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How much should I charge?

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 12:08 am
by lizardwrites
I just sold a 300 word article to a customer for $10. The customer liked my work and is considering offering me a private request. He/she asked me how much I would charge for a 500 word article for full rights. I have no idea. The first article they bought was about 3.5 cents/word, and if I charged the same rate for 500 words, that would be $17.50. Is this too small an amount to charge for full rights? Or should I keep my rates low because I've only sold a couple of articles here on CC? I have 130 articles in my AC "portfolio."

I would be GREATLY appreciative for any advice! Thank you!

Re: How much should I charge?

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 2:59 am
by HayleyWriter
Hi,

It is good to work it out on a cents per word basis. Don't forget to factor in the CC 35%. So, if you want to receive $17.50, you need to charge $27 for full rights. I would suggest that between $20 and $40 is ok for full rights for 500 words that doesn't entail much research. Charging $25 for full rights nets you $16.25, which is 3.25 cents per word in your pocket. It is good to build up a relationship with the customer, so you get more requests, so I would look at replying at about $25 for full rights if it was me. For in depth articles, or ones requiring more research time, I would charge more. There is also a list of typical or suggested prices on the top of the submission page, which should give you some ideas. By the way, congratulations on both the sale and the private request, it is a terrific start for a new writer.

Hope this helps,

Hayley

Re: How much should I charge?

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 3:51 am
by nickpaddy
Great advice from Hayley, as always.

Only thing I would add is that you have to remember Full Rights isn't just selling the article, it's selling the right for the customer to reuse it, alter it, and even resell it, as many times as they like. It's ok to charge a bit more for full rights, given the amount that they are getting for the money. Plus if it's a private request, you might be laying the ground for a repeat customer. Sell too low now and you might set an unwanted precedent for later requests from the same customer.

Congrats on the sale!