When you’re starting out, you’ll need to charge a little less than your more experienced colleagues, and it’s always a good idea to let the client know that you are just starting out, however you’re good at what you do (prove it by providing samples), you’re eager to learn, and by hiring you they can save some money. Once you get more experience under your belt, then raise your rates to match the industry standard.

I might get some people arguing with me about this since everyone charges differently, but I think for your level of experience, charging the magazine around 0.15-0.20 cents per word isn’t unreasonable. Charging hourly is common, but I think in editorial writing charging per word is more standard and expected. Charging $15.00/hour for copywriting sounds a little low to me, even for someone who’s just starting out. I recommend charging around $40.00/hour to start (again, some people might argue with me, but when I started I made $50.00/hour and did fine – I now charge a lot more since I have almost 7 years under my belt).

Again, in the future just remember to agree on a rate with your client before you start on the project.

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