I decided to write this ebook for two reasons: (i) because questions about rates for things like blogging and SEO content writing are questions I receive all the time; and (ii) because both of these are relatively new freelance writing niches where information on rates is scattered at best.

I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993, and have specialized in digital (online) content since 2007.

About the Author

My name is Yuwanda Black. I started out in publishing in New York City in 1987, working for one of the largest legal publishing firms in the world.

I’ve been on both sides of the hiring desk. I owned Inkwell Editorial, an editorial staffing firm in New York, from 1996-2004. All of the information dispensed within is based on my years as a freelance writer – as someone who’s hired hundreds of freelancers, and as professional who has been hired by all types of firms, from small one-person startups, to Fortune 500 companies.

Following is a complete table of contents. You’ll have all the info you need to properly set your freelance and online writing rates – for everything from blogging jobs to SEO web content.

You can learn more about me at Inkwelleditorial.com/about.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Page 3

INTRODUCTION: WHY DETERMINING WHAT TO CHARGE IS SO HARD: Page 7

Why So Many Freelance Writers Have a Hard Time Pricing Online Writing Jobs: Page 7

Blogs (and Other Online Formats) are Infants Compared to Newspapers: Page 7

The Fight Over Freelance Writing Rates: New Mediums vs. Old-School Mentalities: Page 8

3 Reasons Freelance Writing Rates for Online Writing Jobs Don’t Fit Into Traditional Freelance Pricing Models: Page 8

Why It’s So Much Easier to Start a Freelance Writing Career Nowadays: Page 9

The 2 Main Reasons So Many Freelance Writers Struggle with What to Charge: Page 9

ONLINE WRITING JOBS: WHAT FREELANCE WRITERS CAN CHARGE: Page 11

How Much Can Freelance Bloggers Charge? Page 12

How Much Can SEO Copywriters/SEO Content Writers Charge? Page 13

How Much Can Social Media Specialists/Posters/Content Providers Charge? Page 14

ONLNE WRITING: TYPES OF CLIENTS: Page 15

The 3 Types of Clients You'll Most Likely Encounter as an Online Writer: Page 15

ONLINE WRITING JOBS: COMMON PRICING METHODS: Page 17

Beware of Online Writing Jobs That Use the Following Pay Models: Page 18

SMALL BUSINESS 101: PRICING STRATEGIES: Page 20

Freelance Writing Rate Rule to Always Follow: Page 20

Pricing Method I: The Cost Method of Pricing: Page 21

Rate-Setting Advice for Brand New Web Writers: Page 22

How to Figure Out How Long It Takes to Write Content – On Subject You Know About & On Those You Know Nothing About: Page 22

Pricing Method II: Competitive Pricing: Page 23

How to Find Out What Other Freelance Writers Are Charging: Page 24

2 Common Mistakes Most Freelance Writers Make with This Method of Pricing: Page 24

Pricing Method III: Perception/Position Pricing: Page 25

How to Figure Out Where to Price Your Services: Page 25

High, Low, Middle: Where My Online Writing Rates Fall: Page 26

HOW TO RESEARCH ON WHAT TO CHARGE AS AN ONLINE WRITER: Page 27

3 Areas to Cover When Conducting Research into How to Set Online Writing Rates: Page 27

WHY I DON’T USE BID-FOR-WORK SITES WHEN RESEARCHING RATES: Page 30

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PRICING ONLINE WRITING JOBS: Page 31

Factors to Consider When Setting Rates: Conclusion: Page 36

HOW I SET MY ONLINE WRITING RATES: Page 37

The 4-Step, “Quick and Dirty Guide” to Setting Your Online Writing Rates: Page 37

How to Calculate Your Hourly Freelance Writing Rate: Page 39

Why Experts & Many Freelance Writers Disagree with My Rate-Setting Formula: Page 39

Conclusion: How I Set My Online Writing Rates: Page 39

COMMON RATE-SETTING MISTAKES MOST FREELANCE WRITERS MAKE – AND HOW TO AVOID THEM: Page 41

Desperation Pricing: Page 41

The Problem with Desperation Pricing: Page 41

Negotiate-Rate Pricing: Page 42

The Problem with Negotiation-Rate Pricing: Page 42

How to Properly Haggle Using Negotiation-Rate Pricing: Page 43

INDUSTRY SOURCES ON FREELANCE WRITING RATES: Page 44

CONCLUSION: Page 46

ENDMATTER: Page 47