Freelance Writing Rates: How I Went From Earning $25 to $1,000 Per Article

Earning $1,000 for an article is life-changing money for me, but it took years to get here. Perhaps I could have made it to this point sooner if I had known the process when I started. 

That’s why I want to share as much as I can with you (uncomfortable though it may be!) and hope that it helps or inspires someone out there who wants to earn more from writing. 

My freelance writing rate journey

Here’s a summary of how much I’ve earned per article over the years.

I don’t have a perfect, upward trajectory. I had babies in 2020 and 2022, which slowed me down. And there were times when a client just didn’t work out. (It happens!) 

There’s also been some downward pressure on rates, lately. In fact, most articles I write aren’t for $1,000. But I’m also reliable and keep going, even amidst setbacks. I think most freelancers need to be a little tough to make it. 

How I make $1,000 per article

My $1,000 articles come from key clients who pay .50 per word for longer articles (2,000 words or more). These clients are great to write for and make freelancing possible.

It’s also not uncommon to write for a flat fee or an estimated word count. For example, an article with a word count between 1,000 and 1,250 can pay $500. That’s pretty close to the .50 cents per word rate I aim for.  

What articles are worth $1,000?

The niche I write in needs writers with a deep understanding of both the subject matter and search engine optimization (SEO).  An article that gets a top search ranking converts searches into paying customers. That’s worth much more than $1,000. 

Getting paid more for an article also comes down to your professional business practices. Do you deliver on time? Do you follow the format, style, and specs asked for? Do you use high-quality sourcing? Is your writing fresh? Is your editor thrilled to get work from you because it’s so easy to edit? (That’s gold!)

>> Learn more: 10 Must-Have Freelance Writing Skills (that have nothing to do with writing)

Path to $1,000 articles

In case you’re curious, here’s what my path to $1,000 articles looked like. I tried to include helpful details, but it’s long, so hang in there!

$22.50 for content mill articles

When I began, I wrote 500- to 800-word articles for $22.50. These first assignments were for a marketing agency that operated like a content mill. I had to pass an unpaid test assignment to get work.

The assignments were challenging and took hours to complete, but they helped me build speed and skill. Eventually, the low pay wasn’t sustainable and I burned out. (I think a lot of writers can relate.) 

$50 for newspaper articles

I started writing again after pitching a Christmas story to the local newspaper. After I finished that assignment, I took on city council notes and other feature stories. It was interesting work and the editor was a fantastic mentor. Plus, with newspapers, you get to see your stories in print and your boomer parents actually read them. Each story paid $50. 

Transition to online writing

To get higher-paying work, I knew I needed to transition online at some point. Yet, the newspaper articles I had written didn’t look like the online writing I wanted to be hired for. No matter how much experience you have, you need relevant portfolio samples.

Practice the kind of writing you want to be paid for

I wrote practice articles on the topics I was interested in. I tried to emulate the format and style of online publications like Forbes or Bankrate. I started looking for opportunities to pitch in the niche I wanted to write in.  

$0 for guest posts

I landed a pitch for a high-profile personal finance site that published articles by guest authors. It gave me a great byline and credibility. I added the piece to my portfolio as soon as it was published, as well as the name of the publication in my website bio and LinkedIn summary. 

Showing you can do the work, and that someone big and important trusts you to do it, is effective in obtaining more work.

$250 for travel articles

Around the same time, I started cold pitching everywhere. I got a handful of articles published on mommy blogs, and then — la, la, la, la! — an editor of a big travel website accepted two of my pitches. The stories I pitched both had a unique angle, which I think is key when you’re trying to land work. She offered $250 for each article. 

$0 for expert source mentions

Another cool thing I did to build credibility was be an expert source. I had a blog where I wrote about money, and responded to HARO requests from journalists who needed to quote an expert source. Even though my blog was small, I landed quite a few mentions because I crafted thoughtful, relevant responses.

Once the article was published, I put that mention on my website. I’d say something like, “Quoted by Rocket Mortgage for expert financial advice.” (HARO is no longer around, but if you’re serious about it, there are other platforms you can land on and do the same thing like Qwoted.)

$250 to $600 for SEO writing

With a handful of relevant portfolio pieces, I formally applied for a job with my first regular client. I completed a paid test assignment, got onboarded, and started writing for $250 per article. The website was well-known and was an excellent training ground for writing good SEO content. 

A few months later, I applied for another job doing the same type of writing. The process was similar. I completed a paid writing assignment, passed, and started receiving regular assignments. Their assignment rate started at $350, but increased to the $400 to $600 range shortly after I started. They were also a big site with name recognition. My portfolio continued to grow. 

50 cents per word for SEO writing

After I landed the second major client, I attended an industry conference within my niche. Networking with other writers was fun and meeting editors in person helped me land two new, high-paying clients.

By now, I had four clients! For the first time ever, I made a living at writing. 

Accept new clients at your top rate

Once you have clients with name recognition, you start to get contacted for more work (usually on LinkedIn). Pretty soon, you have more work than you can handle.

When you have too much work and more clients want to work with you, you can only accept new clients willing to pay your top rate. And that’s how you work your way up to $1,000 articles. 

And then, you have a baby and start all over again. (In case you thought I was too full of myself at this point!)

Stick with it

Freelancing is hard. Success stories often come at the end of a long road of rejection and mistakes. You’ll wonder if you’re a terrible writer fairly often. You’ll feel like a walking dance party when you hit that first $10K month. It’s all part of the territory!

You’ve got to be tough. But if you’re consistent and brilliant (as all writers are), you can build a career. Little by little, you’ll see your hard work pay off.

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