Your opinions?

[Megan]

I've spent the last couple hours pondering an issue...and I was hoping to get everyone opinions?

I hate the extreme lowering of prices on CC as much as anyone...because it creates a problem for all of the authors that are trying to sell their articles at fair prices.

However...

If you were in a situation where you were trying to meet a goal of earning extra money in a shorter/specific period of time (as opposed to just letting the articles sit and probably eventually sell) would you price them a tad bit lower so that they would possibly sell faster? For instance, if an article was 1286 words and priced
$40, $90, $100

would decreasing it to something like: 40, 60, 70

be completely ridiculous?

And do you think that lowering the prices slightly would even affect how fast they do or don't sell?

I'm trying to write for requests more often, but I'm also short on time. Just looking for some opinions Thanks!

[J. A. Young]

Pricing is tricky and ultimately has to be up to the individual. $100 for a 1200 word article (full rights) seems fair, but then again, there has to be a market for it. I've been known to drop my prices for a customer that is buying in bulk or for articles that have been sitting around forever. Of course, I have my limits. I do a lot of research and try very hard to fit in a lot of writing and I need to be compensated for the whole package. I, too, have been pondering and I've been looking over my sales. Last spring I was selling lots of high priced material in the 65 to 100 range, but I was also selling fewer articles. This time I am selling a lot more articles but for a lot less; however these articles are also in the 400 word range as opposed to the 900 word range. In a way, it balances out. I have some goals in mind for what I'd like to make in a month and try to write and price accordingly. I think we're all trying to figure out a formula but there are just so many variables.

The main thing for me is that I prefer to write about topics I'm interested in and comfortable with. I could hop on the finance or computer requests, but I would need to do far more research than for other requests that suit my knowledge base better.

I guess when it comes down to pricing there are some things I won't budge on. I'd rather leave it posted until the right customer comes along--and really, they do! It may take a year--I just had an oldie go and I thought finally! But it was a really good article and worth every penny. On the other hand, if I think I can move certain pieces that apply to new requests, I sometimes drop the prices to fit the criteria if it's not too drastic. Sometimes this works. Also, I try to write articles that suit many different price ranges so various types of customers can afford me, try me out, hopefully come back for more.

Anyway, I try to be fair to me and fair to the customer at the same time. Good luck! JA

[topdycke]

I'm glad someone has brought up the topic of pricing. It's important as writers that we keep our prices within a realistic amount. I'm shocked and dismayed when I see articles going for $5.00 and less even if it is for usage only. I wonder how in the world anyone can make an honest living if they're giving their time and work away. Low-balling hurts everyone, whether it's a writer willing to accept low-ball offers or a writer pricing their articles way beneath what is fair market value to undercut other writers.

I realize that not all writers are in it for the long haul or are full-time freelancers who need gigs to pay the rent. The bottom line is to value your work whether it's for pin money or as a means of living.

I believe it was Ed who made a comment months ago that asking 10 cents a word was a fair way to price articles. Sooner or later, buyers will get it figured out that you often get what you pay for. Lower than usual prices may very well mean poorly written articles.

Now that I have that off my chest, I do think that if something isn't moving after a reasonable amount of time, putting them "on sale" by lowering the price seems like good business. Like J A Young, though, I have standards and I refuse to give my work away.

Pricing is an individual preference, but keep in mind that low pricing sets a precedent that may come back to haunt at a later time.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

T

[Celeste Stewart]

Dropping the price doesn't necessarily translate into more hits. You can drop it to nothing but if no one sees the article, it doesn't do any good. Maybe add more keywords to the article you want to move so that when a customer searches, your article will show up in the list and have a fighting chance.

When I want to move old stuff for a quick buck, I take it off CC and sell it on another site where they pretty much buy anything but the pay is peanuts. After trying that last summer, I raised a few hundred bucks fast but knowing what know now, I'd rather wait it out here.

Some requests pay low per word but are easy enough to jam out that they end up being fairly profitable when you look at the time spent. Others pay better per word but take more time. The trick is to find the right balance.

[freelanceprowriter]

I started out pricing my stuff pretty low, but it was more because I was used to getting paid nothing for my regular work . . . churning out keyword articles at a rate of 20 per day! Those gigs pay so little and they were the only ones I had, so I figured that was how things worked here as well. Until I started looking at other people´s work and the Recently Sold Content area. Then I upped my prices. So, sorry for being one of the lowballers for a couple of weeks there!

[J. A. Young]

I've seen other venues where customers are hoping to get five 500-word articles for a $1.50 each. I have no idea how anyone can expect to pay that and get quality material. I believe many English-as-a-second language writers from other countries work for this wage. It would be depressing for writers if they did not have better gigs such as here at CC. I have a MA in English and I've never felt that I'm wasting it around here. I price my articles for a fair--and often reasonable--price and CC takes their share and I really think is using it to better the site, attract good customers, and keep things running smoothly. Pricing is really individual--like writing style. I've noticed, though, that many of our customers are willing to pay a fair price for good work. Sometimes it might work out to price articles under ten bucks--even for full rights--if they're buying your articles in bulk. But they're probably aren't getting 800-word articles either for that price. Anyway, good luck. JA

[Celeste Stewart]

I'm not sure how a 700 or 800 word article for under ten bucks - even in bulk - can be profitable. Unless the overall content is provided and the author is doing a minor edit on behalf of the customer.. who knows? Only the author and the customer I suppose.

That said, it would be nice if those articles were "bundled" so they don't send the message to customers that this is an acceptable going rate. For example, why would a customer continue to pay $50 for an article when he sees similar articles going for a mere $7?

I'm sure you've all seen the recent spat of articles selling for over a thousand dollars each. Certainly those are bundled but boy howdy, don't they look pretty on the recently sold board? Kudos to bconrad and hitesh!

[topdycke]

Wheewwww... it's good to see I'm not alone feeling that the low prices have gotten a bit out of hand. I too am wondering if those were part of a bundle and perhaps the writer should bundle them to not give the wrong impression. And WOW I did see those those high dollar sales. I've been fortunate enough to have made a couple great sales on CC myself. Quality deserves fair pay.

Happy writing

T

[Celeste Stewart]

I suppose it really shouldn't matter how others price their work, what really matters is if we are happy with our individual results. As a group though, it's to all of our advantage when prices are fair and reasonable.

[cbhrbooth]

Wow. I'm glad to see this discussion. I've been fretting over my monthly numbers lately so I've been amazed at the low prices of some of the sales.

I'm curious about the business model other writers are using.

For me, I have 16 to 30 hours a week for writing. I roughly divide my time as:
writing,research for print (60%)
writing,research for net (15%)
fiction (10%)
marketing, networking, conferences (10%)
general office stuff aka managing my mess (5%)

After a month I divide monthly earnings into time spent to keep track of how much I'm making per hour each month. (I also figure out my per hour earnings for the quarter.)

Do any of you use a similar model or do you use price per word exclusively? (I'm not a fast writer, so the price per word gives a rosier snapshot of my earnings than it really is.)

I do realize there are times when making a contact is more important than making the sale, so is that what low numbers do? Is is a marketing tactic?

I know everyone has a different earnings amount they want or need to make from their writing business, but I'd enjoy hearing the business angle you use.

Mary

[Celeste Stewart]

I track my hourly rate - I have a certain dollar figure I shoot for writing towards each week. I use an Excel spreadsheet to calculate what I'm earning (after the 35% cut) per hour. I'm pretty fast, so some of those $30 articles are actually quite profitable to me.

For example, I now am very familiar with a certain topic and can write 3-4 articles on that topic per hour which puts me in the above $60/hour range. I have a minimum hourly rate that I will try to earn. Anything below that, I don't pursue.

[J. A. Young]

I try to look at my earnings on a per month basis. I mean, I have a monthly goal and try to meet it. In Feb, I fell short but in March I far surpassed it. In a way, it all balances out so that I don't have to get bummed out if I have a poor week. For me, it seems like things go in cycles--hot one week, cold the next. It's just a part time gig for me, but it has potential to be more so I try to take my numbers pretty seriously. Anyway, I try to look at a big picture over the month and write articles priced in several price ranges. It's great to see an $80 article sell, but I'm just as happy when 3 $30 articles sell too. It all adds up to the same monthly goal. JA

[cbhrbooth]

Do either of you include money received from other writing sources in your minimum per hour estimates? I have two regular monthly writing jobs that I consider as my baseline income. After that I'm trying to snag new assignments or sell articles here and there or place a short story or manuscript.

I marvel at 3-4 articles an hour. And both of you are skillful writers! Amazing. Er. Too bad you can't bottle that and sell it!

One reason I'm asking these questions is that I'm considering changing where I spend my time so I can try to sell more articles through CC. However, I struggle to finish one article an hour! And, I too have specialities!!!


Mary

[Celeste Stewart]

I track all my work, but keep each source separate.

One local gig pays significantly more per word but takes more research, involves interviews, and more - those articles take up to five hours to complete so I'm getting less per hour--- It's always good to calculate by time spent so you can get a true picture of your productivity.

PS- Not all of my work here can be done at a pace of 3-4/hour But I do try to calculate how much time I can afford to spend on an article before doing it

[J. A. Young]

I've never tracked an hourly rate. For me there are too many variables. I might be able to start a project but not return to it for a day or so. My only other writing projects are creative only and the pay is, well, hardly worth mentioning. I do have some poems coming out this spring in a little magazine that's considered for the Best American Poetry series. I just don't count the creative work as part of my salary though. (Ah, perhaps, some day). But like Celeste, I have to consider research time as part of the equation. I mean, a well-written articles goes hand in hand with a well-researched article. Research is my "day-gig" so I can generally fly through what I need and I'm a pretty fast writer when I get on a role, but life keeps intervening into my writing time or I might be doing better lately. Still, I can't complain. CC has been a wonderful source of extra income for my family. And to think, I found out about it on MYSPACE when emailing my little brother overseas! JA