Freelance Rates Survey

Recently I wrote that freelance editing rates is the most popular keyword phrase that brings visitors to this blog. When I realized that one post on this subject has more than 300 visitors per month, I decided it was time to write more on the topic.

For an upcoming series, I would like to have some feedback on how freelancers price their writing and editing services.

I have compiled a simple anonymous survey that asks the following questions:

• How long have you freelanced part-time or full-time?
• What kind of freelancer are you—writer, editor, both?
• How do you find freelance jobs?
• How do you price your work—hourly, project, bid, etc.?
• What is your standard hourly or word rate?
• Do you post your rates?

There is an optional question to share any additional information that you think will be helpful. The survey should take only a few minutes as the six questions are all multiple choice.

Click here to take the freelance editing and writing rates survey

Please take the survey yourself and pass the link to every freelancer you know. The more responses I receive, the more accurate the information in my series will be.

Deadline Nears for New Voices

Middle school and high school students have less than a month to polish and submit their entries into the  EPIC New Voices writing competition for teens.

Students (public, private, and home schools) can enter poetry, short stories, and essays. There is no cost to enter, and winners in each category as well as the grand prize winner receive valauble prizes. Every student receives written feedback from three judges—authors, editors, teachers, and librarians. The critiques include both areas of improvement and positive encouragement.

For more information:

• New Voices … a writing competition for young authors
• New Voices: Contest for Young Writers Underway
• EPIC New Voices: Writing Contest for Teens
• Teen Writers Hanging Out With the Publishing Professionals

World Alzheimer’s Day: Wear Purple

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, and the Alzheimer’s Asociation is asking people to get involved to end this terrible disease.

I know there are many horrific diseases that destroy the body, and watching someone deteriorate from cancer and other diseases is heart-rending. The tragedy of Alzheimer’s and related dementias, however, is that not only do they cause the body to deteriorate, but they also destroy both the mind and the personality.

My father was one of the strongest, most independent, and smartest men I ever met. He used to amaze us by solving arithmetic problems instantly in his head. “Daddy, what is 7,639 times 347?” I would ask. “Two million six hundred and fifty thousand seven hundred and thirty-three,” he would respond before I  could punch the numbers on the calculator to confirm the answer.

Our family watched Alzheimer’s destroy him over a period of seven years, and  I never want to see that happen to anyone else. Yet 35 million people are living with dementia today, and that number is expected to increase to 115.4 million in 2050.  The statistics in the 2009 World Alzheimer’s Report should convince everyone to get involved.

That’s why I’m wearing purple on September 21 and why I’ve signed up as an Alzheimer’s champion. And why I hope you’ll consider helping end Alzheimer’s as well.

Comment #10,000+

My comment counter just turned over 10,000. Actually, I’ve had more than 10,000 comments (including my own) since the beginning of my blog. When I moved the blog just about a year ago, all my nested comments were lost. I have no idea how many comments were lost then. Almost all of the nested comments, though, were my replies to other comments so I didn’t lose many comments from other people.

Comment #10,000 was left by Louise of Brochures Printing Online. Thanks, Louise, and thanks to all the readers who have visited and commented. I enjoy the conversation and appreciate the community.

Freelance Editing Rates: Most Popular Search Terms

What are people looking for when they find this blog through search engines?

Although I’ve been signed up to Google Analytics for ages, I don’t pay as much attention as I should to the statistics. However, with the latest upgrade, WordPress now shows statistics from Google Analytics on the dashboard.

Since I’ve been seeing the statistics every day, I’ve noticed something surprising. There is one post that has significantly more traffic than any other, and it’s a post from nearly two years ago:  How Much Will It Cost? Average Freelance Editing Rates. That post has had more than 2500 visits in the last year, more than 300 in the last month. It regularly gets more traffic than any other post except the latest one.

The searchers may be freelancers trying to set their own prices or they may be prospective clients wanting to get an idea of how much it will cost them to have something edited—most likely, a combination of both.

Three of the top five search terms that bring search engine traffic here are related to this topic: freelance editing rates, freelance editor rates, and freelance editing fees. Out of curiosity, I searched those three terms on Google. My post is #1 for freelance editing rates and #2 for the other two terms. Strangely, my post is basically a summary of the information and a link to an excellent chart from the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). That organization’s site doesn’t appear on the first page of Google for any of the search terms, but the site that is #2 where my post is #1 and #1 where my post is #2 also links to the EFA site. Guess I’ll never understand search engine ranking.

I’m thinking about writing a series about the topic of freelance rates, but I need your help. Please give me your input in comments. Answer one or more of the following questions and share any other ideas you have.

• Would you be interested in such a series? If so, would you like to see it focused on editing rates or would you like to see writing rates included as well?
• Should it be from the perspective of a freelancer determining her rates or a client trying to understand and compare rates?
• What resources (blogs/Web sites, books, etc.) should I include?
• If you are a freelancer, would you be willing to take part in an anonymous survey to report your rates?

Thank you for your feedback. People seem to want to know about freelance editing rates, and I’d like to provide the information they seek.

Added: I have compiled a short survey to gather information about what freelance writers and editors charge. If you freelance as a writer or editor, full-time or part-time, please take the survey described and linked in this post on September 26.

Thanks to August Commenters

	Thank you to the 142 commenters who left 213 comments in August. I responded to every one of them. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest. 25 of those commenters left only keywords and no names. They are listed here because my new policy didn’t take effect until September 1. However, in the future these comments will be treated as spam. I hope these commenters will choose to continue to comment and leave their real names instead of keywords.
Top Contributor (16 comments)
Morgan Mandel	Morgan Mandel
Major Contributor (13 comments)
C McCoffee	The Coffee Bump
Outstanding Contributors (5-8 comments)
wilson	Will You Mind
Karen Swim	Words for Hire
Mark	Uncorked Adventures
Significant Contributors (2-4 comments)
Joanna Young	Confident Writing
Sean	Luxury Resort Bliss
Andrej	Diplomatic & Corporate Services
Bluestocking	The Bluestocking Guide
Helen Ginger	Straight from Hel
Jeanne Dininni	Writers’ Notes
Tyler W	Bio Solutions
Aditya	Dayspring Counseling Center
Barbara Ling	Virtual Coach
Dario	Expanish Volunteer
Dawn Colclasure	Dawn Colclasure’s Blog
Greg	English Saddle Sale
Joyce	Picture of Jesus
Matt Keegan	Matt’s Musings
personal statement sample	Sample Personal Statement Essay
Rachel	Progesterone Deficiency
Rancho Santa Fe Realtors	Schiering Team
Renae Brumbaugh	Morning Coffee with Renae
RW	Free Online Speed Reading Test
Ventrilo Servers	Ventrilo Servers
Important Contributors
aamir ataa	Pro Pakistani
Abam	Astronomy Digest
acer vijay	Acer Laptops
Aditya	Bible College Guide
Aditya	Bingo at Its Best
Aditya	Britor Way
Aditya	Web Datamation
Adrienne	Personalized Party Invitations
Alicia	Jeans InStore
Allen	Trampoline Reviews
Andrew	Good Honest Dollar
anthony	Me and My Computer
arinsblogcdyt	Arindam Cchakraborty
Avi	All Designer Shoes
Azam	Life Health Sciences
Banner Stands	Ultimate Banner Stands
Ben	A Capella Records
Blane	Better Teeth Whitening
Cath Lawson	Cath Lawson
Charlotte Phillips	Char’s Book Reviews
Chris	Hub Pages: 101 Dalmatians—Lucky
Christopher	Sample Graduate School Essay
Club Vin	n/a
Daniel	Who Invented What
Dave	Coupon Saver
David	PurePoint Golf
Deb	Punctuality Rules
Debra St. John	Debra St. John Romance
Divorce Parenting	Parenting Help Center
Doc	DocShare
Donna	Donna Burick, Life Coach Energy Therapist
Edwin	Business Knowledge
Elton	Tiara Bling
Essay Writer	Essaywriter
Forbrugslån	Forbrugslaan.org
Frank	Red Man Van
G. Mark	Help Baby Sleep
gold bouillon	Gold Coins Gain
Healthcare Logistics	Beltmann Integrated Logistics
hersu	Blue Mist
Houston Bellaire	Houston Properties
how to deal with people	How to Deal with Everything
Irene	99 Bytes
Jack	Best Sample Resumes
Jack Marshall	Wholesale Fashion Square
Jane Sutton Kennedy	Jane’s Ride
Jason	Mattress Factory
JC	Nautical Art
Jeff	Toenail Fungus Cure
Jenny	Ms Small Business
Jesse	Self-Help Street
Jim	ChiroWrite
Joanne Richardson	Flashlight Coupon
Joe	SEO 7 Services
Joej	Twitter Apps World
Joelchrist	AJ Square
John	Moving Quotes
Jon	DigBands
Jonny	Linton Photography Studios
Jonathan	Frugal Local
Jonathan	Internet Designs 247
Joseph Spark	Find the Mohel
Josh	Josh Neumann Blog
Joshua Dodson	Writers Community
Julie Harris	Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance
June	Devil Costumes
Kai	I Want Six Pack Abs
kajoemanis	kajoemanis
Karlynn Johnston	The Super Mom
Keegan	Benjamin Franklin the Punctual Plumber
Kelly	Acai Berry Time
L. Diane Wolf	Spunk on a Stick
Lauri	Thoughts from Botswana
Luke Gedeon	Luke Gedeon
Make Ice Cream	How to Make Ice Cream
Marian	Branded Clothes 4 U
Marilyn Brant	Brant Flakes
Mark	Geeks Mobile Indianapolis Computer Repair
Mark Jeferrets	Girls Games Galore
Mark Rice	Muskegon  Christian Dating
Maryann Miller	Maryann Writes
Matt Keegan	Say Campus Life
Matt Keegan	Word Journey
Matthew	Cutting Edge Document Destruction
Meryl K. Evans	Meryl.net
Michael	Ft Lauderdale Luxury Condos
Micro Niche Finder	DanielMolano.com
Morro de Sao Paolo	Morro de Sao Paolo
Nintendo wii accessories	Tech Sava
Olivia	Best Bet Place
pan2588	Dollhouse Gifts
Payday Loans	1 Hour Paycheck Loans
personal statement law school	Personal Statement Law School
personal statement medical school	Personal Statement Medical School
Peter	Forex Robot Reviews
Pharmacies	eDrug Search
phenternin	Diet Institute
Phil	Free PS3 Slim
Rick	Camera Bags,Cases and Backpacks
Rupert	Save TEH Internet
Ruri	Author Palace
Scott	GBG Distributor Training System
seo copyrwriting	Webmaster Labor
Simon	Leadership Expert
Skinny Babe	Skinny ASAP
solar panel	Best Homemade Energy
Spot	Spot Cool Stuff Travel
Sriraj	Sriraj.org
Steve P	Armchair Guru
Travel	411 on Travel
USB Hubs	East Maze
Vaillant Pozna?	Systemy Grzewcze
virtual assistant	Live2Care
Wayne	Wayne Philips
Wilson Pon	Health to Know
Wink	Wink Jackson
Your Refrigerator	Step-by-Step Directions

Brazos Writers Self-Editing Workshop

I’ll be presenting a workshop  for Brazos Writers, a writers group in the Bryan-College Station, Texas area.

The October 10 workshop—The Alchemy of Self-Editing: Turning First Draft Dreck into Final Draft Gold—will include hands-on practice. Attendees can edit sample exercises or bring their own work-in-progress to edit for feedback.

My husband, Jack, a Texas Aggie, is looking forward to an opportunity to visit the campus and stock up on Aggie paraphernalia. My sister Nancy is going along to help me with the logistics at the workshop. I’m really looking forward to meeting and interacting with writers in the real world for a change.

Thanks to Tammy Hensel at Dedicated Writer for recommending me to Brazos Writers.

If you know any writers in the Brazos Valley area, I hope you will pass on the workshop flyer.

Added 9/15/09: Someone asked in a comment if I knew of any similar courses online. I don’t—if someone does please post a comment. I will probably use some of the material from the workshop in future blog posts.

I can also recommend a great book on self-editing. It’s specific for fiction; however, nonfiction writers will find it valuable as well.

photo credit: Derick Leony

Patriot Day: In Memory of 9/11

The following video is provided by “The 9/11 Keeping Faith, Keeping Freedom Committee” of San Antonio, Texas, which is encouraging all churches to hold ecumenical services on the eighth anniversary of 9/11. I will attend the memorial service at All Saints Anglican Church.

What I Learned from Laughter

What do a paralyzed woman, a hospital stretcher without rails, two nurses’ aides more worried about their jobs than their patient, and a trip across a pot-holed parking lot have in common? They’re the elements of my entry in this month’s groupwrite project at Middle Zone Musings on the topic of What I Learned from Laughter. Robert Hruzek is accepting new posts or links to old posts as long as the post is something funny.

I don’t usually write funny, but a couple of years ago I hosted a group writing project: It’s Funny Now, But Then …

My entry is MZMs WILF this month is my entry in that group writing project from the past.

It’s Funny NOW, But Then … It Was Frightening: MRI Horror Story describes an incident that happened when I was in the hospital immediately following a stroke. Today, I look back on the incident and laugh. At the time it occurred, though, it wasn’t so funny.

photo credit: dionhinchcliffe

International Literacy Day

Reading—for entertainment or education—tops my list of favorite things to do. Books, blogs, bulletins, blurbs, ballads, brochures, broadcasts, blather, buzz—I love all forms of the written word.

Yet according to UNESCO, 20% of adults are illiterate. Not only are these people deprived of the joy of reading, they face incredible challenges in living productive lives. Simple tasks that most of us take for granted are incredibly difficult for someone who can’t read or write. Finding and functioning in a job may be beyond the ability of a person who is illiterate. People without literacy skills make up a large percentage of criminals and substance abusers. Illiteracy contributes to a wide variety of problems that affect the individual and society as a whole.

The situation seems overwhelming. What can one person do in the face of so much need? Decide to do something and do it.

• Learn about the importance of literacy.
• Donate used books to a local literacy organization.
• Volunteer in a literacy program, a school, a library, or other organization that promotes literacy.
• Donate books you have written or books by a favorite author to an international literacy agency.
• Spread the word about literacy.

Today, let’s celebrate literacy and vow to wipe out illiteracy.

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