Pricing for public request articles

[Celeste Stewart]

Keep in mind that we still should price our articles fairly. We don't know the level of detail put forth in the sold articles. For example, if I wrote a factual quiz on a complex topic and included a detailed answer key, I'd price it higher than a simpler quiz based pop culture with no detailed answers needed.

[Lysis]

Celeste, yes, I did forget to mention that. If I write an article that's pretty general, then I think it's fair to price it accordingly. I have been playing with prices lately, but I feel that when I write an article that I know isn't common knowledge and stems from my experience in the field, it should be sold at a higher price per word. Also, I think it's fair to charge higher, because the customer is getting an added service - an editor in between submissions. So, the customer does not need to proof, and he doesn't need to worry about junk articles. He's guaranteed quality on CC, and there aren't many websites that offer higher standards like CC does.

[Antonia]

Debbi--I think "Are You a Sociopath?" has potential to be hilarious...or how about "Are You a Serial Killer?" or "Are You a Member of the Mob?" Heh...

My last two quizzes were rejected because of stupid errors on my part...working too fast...I'm really sorry, Ed, I know how busy you are!

[Debbi]

Well, I moved too slowly. The quiz PR is gone and I hadn't quite finished my "Will You Marry an Axe Murderer" quiz. Darn!

[4rumid]

Gone? How disappointing! I was just finishing up one more, hoping to make up for what I "lost" on the quiz that started this topic . . .

[Debbi]

Upon reflection, I agree with you, Celeste. I wouldn't want to be discussed so openly if I were the client. I didn't see anyway to delete my posts so I am just editing any mention of the buyer out.

[Celeste Stewart]

Don't think of it as a loss. You served the customer and made a sale. Maybe not the most spectacular sale you'll ever make but it's all good. Plus, who knows where your article will eventually land

I have mixed feelings about this thread in that I want writers to charge what they are feel their time and work is worth (I've always felt this way as most of you know by now) but yet I also think that there's a fine line that we need to be mindful of as far as discussing a particular customer publicly and what the customer is paying. We can see the numbers but we can't see the quality differences, complexity of topics, word count etc... Just because one article went for $XX doesn't mean that all submissions should. I submitted one far above the stated budget but not because I heard the customer was buying at higher rates. My price was based on the time I spent, complexity of the topic, and word count as well as the customer's lower budget. Since it wasn't selected, the price will actually go up because I no longer have to account for the lower budget. I'll give it a few days, then raise the price.

[Debbi]

I wouldn't think of it as a loss either. It took me almost a month to make my first sale. When I strted I was more interested in making sales than making money so I tended to underprice my work. After three months I have changed my tactics, but I don't regret those first sales at a lower price than I might have asked. They gave my profile better numbers and let me know I could sell my work.

You can't change the past, only the furutre

[4rumid]

I do agree with you, Celeste and Debbi, I'm not actually thinking of it as a loss. I'm mainly thinking of it as someone willing to pay for my writing, a quiz I enjoyed writing to boot! I was just confused by the fact that the buyer seemed to be willing to pay a good deal more than his stated budget. And yes, I was disappointed to find that out only after he bought my article. But it's not a big deal . . . I just took the quiz I'm still working on, called How Mellow Are You? and it turns out I'm pretty mellow . . .

[Debbi]

I have a general pricing question.

If you price articles at 10 cents per word for Full Rights, does this include CC's cut? Or do you price at 10 cents/word and then add on CC's cut? The latter would make a 500-word article about $77 which seems like a lot unless it's for some hot topic like business or SEO.

I still struggle with pricing, even after four months of this. Just trying to get a fix on a workable strategy.

[Lysis]

I price at $.10 flat except if I think an article price range is reasonable and I'll come down and write at the requested price. I also think it depends on the subject. I've been playing with prices, and I've raised them a couple cents per word. Tech is doing so-so. I'm not sure if it's my new price or just a bad time for tech, but things are slow for me right now.

[Debbi]

Lysis,

So are you saying you price at $.10 and that includes CC's cut? That's what I've been doing too. I'm talking on spec articles here, not requests which have a particular budget posted.

By the way, I think I'm noticing a trencd toward $20-$30 instead of so many $10-$20 articles now that the form has changed but maybe it's my imagination or too soon to tell.

[Lysis]

I don't write for many public requests, and those are the ones I mostly discount when I do.

I price $.10/word including the CC cut, so I technically only make $.065/word. So, if it's 400 words I price it at $40. Sometimes I"ll go a little higher and other times I'll eat a few pennies, like if the article is 420 words, I'll price at $40. I think it all depends on my mood and how much time I put into it. I also incorporate how unique an article is. For instance, I wrote an article on SQL Injection hacks. I know you aren't going to find a gazillion writers who can 1) get through Ed (LOL) and 2) write about something so technical. So, I price higher. If it's something like...hmmm off the top of my head here...cholesterol, file extensions, simple website stuff that everyone knows, then I am willing to price lower.

I think it's fair to pass along the 35% to the customer, because that's just how business works, but I'm not sure how much you could sell being that much higher than everyone else. At 35%, you'd charge ~$.15/word, and I've played with that price. It has not been profitable for me, but I'm having a slow month everywhere. CC is one of several places I write for, so I'm not relying too much on instant results. Although, this month has been really slow for me on Suite and CC, but I also don't submit a whole lot every month. I only submitted about $45 worth in articles this month.

I just outsourced a gig to a writer friend of mine for $.25/word, so in my mind, $.10/word is quite a bargain especially when the customer has the added advantage of an experienced editor.