Comments

• 

  Allan Lynch January 20, 2011 at 7:58pm

  PS - As writers we're too used to lowballing quotes. Editors and publishers have sharper pencils than "real-world clients". So if you think the hourly rate is getting too high, consider a daily rate. When I'm working on a project I bill based on a six-hour day. I may work longer, but it's an easier number. And I also do a weekly rate. If it's something I really want to do, it won't interfere with other deadlines, I might be able to spin it into something more, then I fiddle the weekly rate. Sometimes it's worth a free half day, sometimes it's worth a free day. So I work five days for the price of four. It shows flexibility.
• 

  Allan Lynch January 20, 2011 at 7:54pm

  This is where it pays to have a daily or hourly rate. I know people who charge $100 a day for travel. It's sort of a per diem to cover those little airport costs that eat a hole in the wallet and gives some recognition for the time you're not being productive. That's to and from, so $200. Then when you start to do the site inspection the hourly rate kicks in. The hourly rate is what you're paid for seeing the place, conducting interviews and writing.  My friends' rates range from $50 - $125 per hour.

   

  Plus we charge for expenses: telephone calls, internet connections (in the hotel), airport parking.

   

  All of this is stated up front with an estimate of the time required. Expenses are backed up with receipts.
• 

  Max Pesling January 20, 2011 at 7:48pm

  Hello all -- just wondering anyone could help with a quick question. I've been approached about writing a press release as a freelancer for a major Florida tourism/entertainment complex; it will require travel there, which I'm assuming they will cover. Based on your experience, what do you think would be a reasonable going rate or range -- not extravagant, not too lowball?  Much appreciated!!
• 

  Allan Lynch January 17, 2011 at 5:57am

  I've read these blog fights. It seems to me, after a weekend of "reality TV" (whatever happened to story telling?), that society has dissolved into point scoring. There is little concept of a bigger picture or truth, just that someone (or a group) can nitpick/cyber bully someone to leave that on-line community.
• 

  Dick Jordan January 17, 2011 at 5:51am

  I've haven't personally been involved in on-line mud slinging, but a well-known blogger that I follow on Twitter had gotten into one of these back and forth, go-no-where, beefs a while back. I told him to simply chill out and ignore the other party. Life is too short and this petty bickering resolves nothing and can go on endlessly.
• 

  Max Pesling January 17, 2011 at 5:42am

  Just read an interesting article on TechCrunch about blog fights. I've never had the um, pleasure... any of you ever get into some down-and-dirty, no-holds-barred fights on your blogs or sites? I ask because I'm interested in how people interact online. Seems people say things online they would never say to your face... and I do wonder how this is shaping us as human beings, since most of us now spend more time interacting online than with other live human beings...
• 

  José Balido January 14, 2011 at 11:07pm

  Hi Evelyn, I would say, if you can, work out an average figure for that site. So if, for example, in one month they paid you $100 each for five 500-word articles, plus an extra $50 for PV's, that's $550 total, which equals $110 per article or $0.22 a word.

   

  Donna, you can select multiple options on the survey; so you can check the boxes for $25, $50 and $75 per post if you wish.

   

  Any other questions, just holler!
• 

  Donna M. Airoldi January 14, 2011 at 10:55pm

  And there's also the issue of blogging for multiple sites that pay vastly different amounts, so one could, possibly, need to select $25, $50 and $75 per post, or more... Btw, great to see you again last night Evelyn!
• 

  Evelyn Kanter January 14, 2011 at 10:53pm

  Good suggestion, Donna.  Also -- how to handle one of the the websites I write which pays a flat fee per article plus an additional monthly bonus based on PVs for all my articles on the site that month, so I have no idea clue which article is generating additional payment or how much, but I do, indeed appreciate the bonus bucks.
• 

  Donna M. Airoldi January 14, 2011 at 10:17pm

  You might want to fix the amounts on the survey so they aren't duplicated and people won't have to choose between two answers.  E.g., if someone make $20 per post, do they choose $15-$20 or $20-$25?  It's better to have $11-$15, $16-20, $21-$25, etc.