How to Choose the Right Pricing Model for Your Freelance Writing Business
The pros and cons of different pricing models.
If you’re a writer-for-hire, you know that client pricing is remarkably opaque. Unless you know other freelance writers or do a lot of research, it’s hard to know how much to charge clients — especially if you’re just getting started.
Ernest Hemingway was paid $1 per word in 1936 — a whopping $22 per word today.
But what’s equally intriguing about Hemingway’s rate is the pricing structure: per word. When I first became a freelance writer a few years ago, more experienced writers urged me to charge per project. I also know writers who charge per hour and have seen job postings that list the same.
So what’s the best pricing structure? Per word, per project, or per hour? I’ve experimented with different pricing as a freelance fintech writer and journalist and found that the best option comes down to how you work.
3 ways to price your freelance writing
I've used different models in my years of freelance writing, and my approach has evolved over time.
If you’re a freelance writer, here’s how to think about each pricing model.
Charging per hour
I think charging by the hour is the least appealing for several reasons. It punishes fast writers: you're paid less for the same work as someone who writes more slowly. And a writer's speed often has nothing to do with the quality of work.
If I were to charge hourly, it wouldn't reflect my expertise. I can write fast about financial technology (my niche) because I've worked in the industry for more than 15 years. Therefore, I don't need to do as much research for each article compared to someone with less experience. An hourly rate diminishes the knowledge I've accumulated in my head.
Overall, it's also hard to keep track of the time you spend. Do you include your "thinking time"? Because I often stare at my computer screen for 15 minutes, trying to figure out how to word a specific sentence. Would a client be billed for that?
Some data suggests freelancers using value-based pricing earn significantly more than those billing hourly — which makes sense when you think about how hourly billing caps your earnings at how fast you can type.
Charging per project
When you charge per project, you're being paid for the value you provide, not the time you put in (also known as value-based pricing).
You should still do some math, since you don't want to quote a per-project rate that equates to a really low hourly rate. It's also really easy for clients to understand and budget for a per-project rate, since it ends up being a fixed cost.
When you charge per project, you need to watch out for scope creep. If clients ask you to do more, you're not getting paid anything additional. You should make sure that your contract clearly outlines what you'll do for that per-project rate — and what you won't do. If there are some frequent "add-on" requests, you can include those in your contract, so that you don't need to sign a new agreement or negotiate pricing with a client when you're mid-project.
Some of my common add-ons include:
- Turning a blog post into social media posts
- Live interviews with subject-matter experts
- Additional revisions (beyond what’s included)
Charging per word
Some people say that per-word pricing doesn't reflect a writer's value. And I understand this argument. If a client asks you to cut a single sentence, they pay you less. Your incentive is to write more, and the client's incentive is for you to write less.
I have per-word pricing — but I avoid relying on individual words to get paid. I don't want to haggle over every word. Instead, I tell clients that my per-word pricing is based on target word count, not actual word count.
If the client tells me to target 800 words, then I charge for 800 words — even if I come in at 782 or 811. If the client provides me with a range, such as 1,000–1,200 words, I'll charge for 1,100 words (unless I come in at the clear end of one side of the range).
The important factor here is that the client provides a target word count. They're setting the parameters for the deliverable, not me. It’s essentially a variation of per-project pricing, but with a lot of flexibility for projects of different lengths built into the contract.
I don't have to think about how my per-word rate breaks down into an hourly rate, because I'm comfortable that the rate covers my time. If, for some unforeseen reason, a deliverable takes longer than expected, I don't worry about it. More than likely, another deliverable took less time than expected. It all balances out.
A note about retainers
Many freelancers think that a retainer is ideal: a client agrees to pay you a fixed amount per month, for a set number of deliverables. You don’t have to worry about irregular income, and it’s sometimes easier to get paid, since it’s the same amount every month.
As a writer, I’ve worked with retainers a few times, and they’re always a bit tricky. If the agreement stipulates four blog posts per month, what happens when the client doesn’t get you what you need and you only write three? According to the retainer, you get paid the same, but now you “owe” the client another deliverable the following month.
That gets tricky if your following month is already full with other client work. You don’t necessarily have time for a backlog (especially if the backlog keeps growing).
Retainers work well for some types of freelance work, like strategy or consulting — where you have more control over the deliverables. But if the client is a blocker, retainers can be a headache.
Anna Burgess Yang
Offering different pricing for different clients
Even though my pricing is per word, I have three different sets of pricing. I'll quote different rates based on the type of client. Some clients rely on my financial technology expertise, so I quote my highest rate. I'm charging for my knowledge, not just my writing ability.
I also write for tech companies in general, so most are at my middle rate. And then I write for marketing agencies and PR firms, where I'm basically a subcontractor and don't have any direct client communications. I charge less because these projects are less work on my part.
Think through the differentiators between types of clients or types of projects. These should be reflected in your pricing, no matter if you're charging per hour, per project, or per word.
Pick a model, then refine it
Your first pricing model isn't permanent — most writers change it as they learn what actually works. I started with per-project pricing, but found that my clients had so much variation in the types of projects needed that it was impossible to write a contract. So I switched to per-word.
Pick the model that fits how you work and pay attention to the friction points. If you're constantly customizing proposals or clients keep pushing back on your structure, something needs to change. The goal is pricing that's easy to quote and reflects your value. Once you've got that, you can focus on raising your rates instead of rethinking your model.
Freelance pricing is hard to figure out,
but I’ve created a free resource to help you set your rates.
Common mistakes freelance writers make with pricing
- Pricing by actual word count instead of target. Let the client set the target so you're not haggling over individual words. If you charge based on the final count, you're incentivizing clients to cut your work.
- Skipping the math if you charge hourly. Even on per-project or per-word work, check what your rate breaks down to per hour. If the hourly rate is too low, your pricing structure isn't protecting you.
- Not writing a clear scope into the contract. Without boundaries on what's included, per-project and per-word pricing can end up costing you. Revisions and the potential for an expanded scope need to be addressed upfront.
- Charging the same rate for every client. Different work has different value. If you're wondering whether you're charging enough, tiering your rates by client type or type of project is a good place to start.
FAQs
What's the best pricing model for freelance writers?
There's no single best model. Per hour, per project, per word, and retainers each have tradeoffs. The right choice depends on how you work, what kind of clients you serve, and how you want to structure your contracts.
Should I charge per word, per project, or per hour?
Per word works well if you want pricing that's easy to quote and scales with the deliverable. Per project works if you can clearly define scope upfront. Per hour is less common for writers but makes sense for editing or unpredictable workloads.
How do I avoid scope creep when pricing my writing work?
Define exactly what's included in your contract — number of revisions, length of the deliverable, and the deliverable format. Anything outside that scope gets quoted separately. Clear boundaries upfront prevent uncomfortable conversations or surprises later.
Why do most editors charge hourly?
Editors can't predict how much work an article will need until they're in it. Two articles of the same length might require very different levels of editing. Hourly pricing protects editors from that unpredictability.
How do I set different rates for different clients?
Think about what differentiates the work. Clients who need specialized expertise should pay more than clients where you're following a pre-defined brief and have very little control over the outcome. Tier your rates based on the value and effort each client type requires.
