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Is This What Freelance Writing Looks Like in 2014?

Is This What Freelance Writing Looks Like in 2014?

Feel like maybe you could charge more for your blogging services?

Yep, you probably could. We proved that in The Be a Freelance Blogger Rate Guide, and now the Copypress Community has carried out a survey of 247 writers to create a free report, The State of Freelance Writing 2014. It’s not just about writing rates — there’s a ton of information in there about bylines, SEO and other writerly stuff.

But one thing’s painfully clear: most of the online writers Copypress surveyed don’t charge enough.

To give you a quick overview of some interesting points from the survey results, here’s the infographic the Copypress people made to accompany the report. To download the full report with all the details for free, you’ll need to go here and register for a download link.

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Comments

  2. Wow, Sophie – there are some amazing insights here. And some subjects to write further posts about – how to be in the top 3% of freelance writers earning more than $70k a year would be a must-read !

  3. I’d always know about the generally low pay of writers. I remember in 2001 reading about how that the vast majority of writers earned less than £7000 a year. Writing truly is a labour of love… !

  4. I had always known about the low pay of writers. I remember reading, back in 2001, that the average pay of freelance writers was less than £7000 a year. Writing truly is a labour of love… !

  5. This post makes me so sad but so happy at the same time. There’s so much potential for freelancers out there — we all just need to jump on opportunities and go for them!

    • Hi Bree, I was part of putting together the survey and white paper. Please don’t be disheartened by the stats! This is by no means saying this is what freelance writers should expect or deserve to make. If you read the white paper you will see how these numbers came to be the norm for many writers and how there is a way out of this lower end market. You can absolutely be a successful freelance writing with hard work, dedication and the right training! There are many resources (CopyPress Community, Be a Freelance Blogger, Copyblogger) out there to help you accomplish your goal. Go for it!

    • Thanks, Raubi! I thought the CopyPress data seemed representative — the worldwide population of people who consider themselves freelance writers or professional writers is growing fast, so it isn’t surprising there are many low-paid writers out there. It’s sad, but realistic.

      And I appreciated the way you compared the survey rates to an established benchmark. I hope that comparison drives a lot of writers to raise their rates. 🙂

  7. There are some frighteningly low annual incomes in there, but I can only assume a lot of these people are freelancing part-time, in addition to other jobs/roles. I’m assuming this because you can’t actually live on less than $10,000 in the US (or was this from outside the US too?) You know I really should follow those links and check this out more closely 🙂

    • Yeah, there are plenty of freelance writers who also have a day job or another source of income. I think I read in the full report that 90-something per cent of the survey respondents had English as their first language, so they aren’t all from cheaper-living regions.

  8. My mixed feelings over ‘who’s paying’ what has be disappointed a little! However, writing a few articles for another site a few days ago. Filled out a few weeks worth of surveys last month, haven’t received and encouragement yet. Decided to try different sites to be stubborn and some how believe I will write well enough, blogging as a free lance writer to someday support myself a little better. So, thanks, Sophie for your research information on ‘how much’ writers make or can potentially make as a living to help with bills!

  9. This really was fascinating to read. As someone who is trying to make a full-time career out of freelancing, I will try to remember to value my work and set higher rates. I just wish my niche and skill set wasn’t quite so narrow. Thanks for the illuminating post.

    • Glad you enjoyed it, Leslie!

      Having a narrow niche isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You’re specializing!

      As for broadening your skill set… That can be accomplished with a little (or a lot) of time and effort. If you need help, you might think about signing up for a class or getting a mentor. (Both of which are offered here at BAFB).

      In the meantime, you might find it useful to ask questions in our free forum! http://beafreelanceblogger.com/forum