Working as a freelance writer in Australia is an ideal career for people who appreciate operating freely with autonomy. Self-employed freelancers get to dictate when and where they work, but also who they write for. However, working underyour own volition requires greater responsibility and involves making key decisions. Chief among these is how to charge clients.
As a rule, there are three main ways that freelance writer bill for their services – charging per word, per hour or per project. There is no hard or fast rule on which is the best way to bill, but each has its benefits and drawbacks.
The decision-making process is often impacted by a range of factors that can include the level of experience a writer has, the annual income they require, whether they have a specialist subject and even the scope and difficulty of the assignment.
If you’re curious about how to charge as a freelancer, this guide is for you. Read on to explore the pros and cons of charging by the word, by the hour and by the project to work out which would work best for your circumstances.
Charging per word for freelance writing
Writing and charging by the word has many advantages. Simple to keep track of and easy to calculate earnings, putting a price on work per word can be the lower maintenance option.
When deciding on how much to charge by the word, freelancers must consider their experience, knowledge of a writing subject and how fast they can complete an article. Clients who are put off by hourly rate billing often prefer per word rates charging – and if writers have a niche subject that they are an authority on, they can charge a higher rate per hour.
The downsides to writing per hour can arise when there is no fixed word count. When an article ends up being less words than originally expected, your earnings per article can decrease.
Charging per hour for freelance writing
Using an hourly rate to charge for writing is another common approach. Perhaps the main pro of charging per hour is that you may sometimes earn more than quoting for an entire project. For instance, if a project ends up taking longer and you have charged a flat fee, that is all your will receive – but by the hour, when work takes longer to complete, every extra hour adds to your income.
The drawbacks of charging by the hour include having to keep track of exactly how many hours you work, timing each writing session. Along with being less flexible, as per hour billing is less precise and less self-evident compared to writing per word, clients may quibble the time taken and what they are paying for.
Even if you don’t use an hourly rate, it can be valuable to track your hours to see how much time you spend to complete work. This can inform how much you charge, even if you use a per word or per project basis.
Charging per project for freelance writing
Writers undertaking short and long-term writing assignments sometimes select to charge by the project. While this can keep being paid for writing work simple and even involve advance payments for lengthy projects, charging in this way requires careful consideration.
Experienced writers understand that a disadvantage of charging per project is when goalposts shift and they find they are writing more for less. As a result, it is important to have a clear contract in place that states exactly what work will be carried out in the project for an agreed fee. If the project parameters shift, a clause should be included stating that further negotiation on additional work and costs must be agreed.
Are you seeking paid freelance writing work in Australia?
At Words of Worth Australia, we are always looking for high-quality freelance writers to work with. Offering a wide range of writing opportunities, we pay competitive rates per word and provide set word counts so writers know exactly what they will earn for completed pieces. We are proud to work with both established self-employed writers and those who are entirely new to freelancing. Whatever step you are on in your writing career, if you have sound English language skills and can dependably meet deadlines, apply to write for us now.