How Much to Charge for Writing Services: A Guide for Indian Writers

So you have made forays into the big, not-so-bad world of freelancing, but “how much to charge” still remains a dilemma, doesn’t it? Being the million dollar question that it is, there is no precise answer to this one. However, that will not stop me from trying. Once you are done establishing a freelance writing business, you will soon receive queries from prospective clients asking for a “quote”. A quote is essentially includes the following:


Rates charged for a particular service: this may be on a per-word basis for individual articles, per-article basis for long-term projects, per-page basis for editing/proofreading assignments or a flat cumulative rate for a bulk-writing project.

The tasks included in the cost: Do you offer free revisions for your work or do you charge extra? Will a change in instruction on part of the client change the final cost of the project? Does a quote for an editing assignment include one or two rounds of edits. It is important to discuss terms and conditions with the client so that there are no unpleasant surprises later on.

The mode and distribution of payment: Let the client know well in advance as to how you would prefer to receive payments (Paypal, bank transfer, cheque etc) so that they may make appropriate and timely arrangements. It also gives you and the client an opportunity to discuss and come up with something that is mutually convenient.

How Much to Charge?

The pay rates in the Indian writing market are highly variable and can range anywhere between Rs.0.10 – Rs.3 per word. While you can do little to negotiate on company or publication projects, you can certainly have your say as far as individual clients go.

Print and online publications in India typically pay Rs.1/word or a flat rate of Rs.1000 for a 800-1000 word article. From personal experience I can say that small-scale, lesser known and niche magazines pay better (Rs.2/word) than their more popular cousins. Extremely popular magazines like Woman’s Era and magazines from the Time’s group have surprisingly low pay rates (less than Rs.1/word) but they make it up by the kind of exposure they offer. Besides, big-shot names do look good on a portfolio. Online publications follow a similar pattern for payments but the processing is faster (some print publications can take months to dispatch a petty amount).

Editing and Proofreading: Now I am not sure what other people charge, but I do have a rate-sheet for editing and proofreading projects that roughly goes as follows:
 Only proofreading: Rs.100/300 words (counted as 1 page)
 Editing and minor rewriting: Rs. 150/300 words
 Heavy editing and rewriting: Rs. 200/300 words
These rates include two complete rounds of edits and finishing.

Blogs can be quoted at $7-15 per post (250-300 words or even longer) depending on the complexity of the subject, research involved, creative skill and subject expertise (on some occasions I have gone up to $20/post).

Copywriting assignments can be placed anywhere between Rs.2- Rs.3/word depending on the size and scope of the business you are writing for.

Any more inputs would be highly appreciated.

Until next time……