What is a good per-word rate?

It only means something next to hours. $0.10/word on fast 600-word posts can out-earn $0.50/word on research-heavy features. Compute the effective hourly for each client and compare that instead.

Per word, per piece, or per hour: which should writers charge?

Per piece (a flat project fee) usually wins: it prices the outcome, absorbs your speed as profit, and avoids word-padding incentives. Per-word survives because publications budget that way; convert it before accepting.

How do I raise a per-word rate?

Same as any rate: quote higher to each new outlet while acceptance stays high, and renegotiate yearly with existing editors, citing scope (interviews, data work) rather than inflation.

Rates & pricing

Per-word rate calculator

Per-word rates hide the real question: what does the piece pay per hour of your life? Research, interviews, and edit rounds do not bill by the word, and this makes them visible.

Your numbers

Currency

Rate per word

Content mills sit near $0.05; solid trade publications pay $0.25-1.00+.

Word count

The assigned length, not what you draft.

Total hours the piece takes

Everything: research, interviews, outline, draft, revisions, emails.

Results

Piece fee$375

Effective hourly: $62.5
Words per hour (all-in): 250

Estimate

workingfigures.com/calculators/per-word-rate-calculator

The formula

Fee = rate × words. Effective hourly = fee ÷ total hours. All-in words per hour = words ÷ total hours; finished-work rates of 200-400 are common once research counts.

What this ignores

Kill fees, rights and reuse pricing, and revision rounds beyond the ones you counted. If revisions are unbounded, no per-word rate is safe.

FAQ

What is a good per-word rate?: It only means something next to hours. $0.10/word on fast 600-word posts can out-earn $0.50/word on research-heavy features. Compute the effective hourly for each client and compare that instead.
Per word, per piece, or per hour: which should writers charge?: Per piece (a flat project fee) usually wins: it prices the outcome, absorbs your speed as profit, and avoids word-padding incentives. Per-word survives because publications budget that way; convert it before accepting.
How do I raise a per-word rate?: Same as any rate: quote higher to each new outlet while acceptance stays high, and renegotiate yearly with existing editors, citing scope (interviews, data work) rather than inflation.