We are talking about an offline feature article here for a yet-to-be-launched magazine for upscale homeowners in a designated locale.

This would be a quarterly thing...not a one time shot (theoretically), but not once a month either.

I don't have an exact word count but feature means it goes on in depth for many pages.

Any idea on how to price an ongoing assignment?

I won't do this for $250. Probably $500 is as low as I'd go (I'd prefer higher).

Bob Bly prices feature articles at $1000 but I'm sure he is not talking about an ongoing assignment.

Any recommendations from people with hands-on experience?

thanks.

One more point: the launch of this magazine is really to promote certain business niches. Thus it will make them money.

Magazines have such a wide range of fees that it's hard to know what to charge. Many pay nothing at all (but offer the publicity of being an author in the niche that magazine covers).

This is more opinion than anything else - since you don't know what they will pay (and they aren't telling you), think about how much you would want to be paid. Obviously, you want to be paid as much as they'll give you.

But if you were doing a similar amount of work for a client, what would you charge? What would you need in order to make it worthwhile?

And don't charge on the low end of that. You'll never know if you can get the high fees unless you ask for them.

This isn't a job you need, as you have no idea what they'd pay. So let go of any attachment to it, think about what you feel you deserve, and ask for it.

I hope this is helpful!

Janet

Janet---very helpful. Thanks.

Sometimes I wake up at 3 am and have some of my most lucid thoughts. That happened last night. I was wondering if I really wanted to get bogged down writing a 1500-2000 word article (which involves just as much research as marketing writing) for less than $1000.

This cuts into my other work. So unless I am getting compensated at my hourly fee, this might not be worth it.

I am going to try to track down one of the main article writers for a similar magazine and ask what she gets paid.

Exactly! That's why, even if you can't find out what the other writer gets paid, you should have a limit that's worthwhile for you and stick to it.

I know it's easier said than done. I'm having a similar problem with the psychiatrist I wrote about in the ghostwriting thread - I met him and I think he's great! And so is his project.

So I'm in panic mode about the fee I will charge. So I have to remember, there's a certain limit as to what I can afford to take for this. Although it's a wonderful project, I need to be ready to give it up if it does not pay enough.

And I'll do so gracefully, because I know his project is truly worthwhile.

So, as you said, don't take less than $1000 for the article. They might say no. They might even act surprised. So just let them know you're a copywriter, so you're accustomed to the higher fees, but if they can't pay you that, you understand.

Or, they'll agree to the $1000 and you'll have a nice, lucrative project.

Janet

Janet--I completely get the panic mode. Especially when it is a project you'd be thrilled to work on...if the price is right.

Good luck with it.

Thanks. Let us know what happens with the magazine project and I'll let you know what happens with the book project.

I just sent in my quote. Biting fingernails. Prepared to say: hasta la vista.

$0.


Cos I'm a copywriter and not an article writer.

Believe me, I am encountering that same attitude in myself.

But if I have the skill (journalism background) and am well compensated...then why not?