I often see new writers ask this specific question over and over again. Starting out as a writer and determining your rates can be difficult because you don't want to undersell yourself or chase the client away.

I'll address this issue in this instructive post. It's gonna be an opinionated piece so feel free to disagree smiley

Note: These rates all depend on the clients. You'll get more from an established company than a random blogger.

Now let's look at it from the Naira and Dollar perspective. That's basically because a lot of Nigerian writers now earn in dollars. I'll tell you how later. Just read on.

Nigerian Rates:

Now, as a Nigerian writer, whether you are into copywriting, SEO writing, technical writing or even content writing, there are certain rates you should avoid. N1 per word is a very valid example. That's because it's a very poor rate. Even if you are given 2000 words to write daily, N2000 is more like a labourer's work because you are working so hard for a little pay.

So what should you charge? Here are some ideas:

Beginner = N2.5 - N3.9 per 1000-word

This rate could be for those who wants to delve into freelance writing. The aim is to get more useful experience as a newbie while working on new projects.

Intermediate - N4.0 - N9.9 per 1000-word

A lot of writers fall within this category as this range is the most accepted in Nigeria. While it can't be compared to the international market, writers who feel like they're more than newbies could start with this rate.

Advanced- N10.0 - N50.0 per 1000-word

A few Nigerian writers earn this way. Usually rates like this are gotten from outsourced jobs from foreign clients. Magazines, top publications &/conpanies also pay this rate although they're quite rare.


Dollar Rates:

If you are looking forward to earn in dollars, you should understand that this can be a difficult journey but one that's very rewarding. A lot of companies from countries like the U.S, U.K, Australia, Canada, Spain, Dubai e.t.c need freelance content writers and copywriters so if they check and find you worthy for the gig, that could be some cool cash.

When charging in dollars, $10 per 1000 words should be your bare minimum cos this includes the charge to withdraw the money to your local bank account. You may find lower gigs which you may be forced to take to get more experience and reviews but your minimum should be $10. International clients pay well, some pay as high as $1000 for the same article but this is not as easy as it looks.

Beginner - $10 - $40 per 1000-words
Intermediate- $50 - $100 per 1000-words
Advanced - $100 - $2000 per1000-words.


Want to earn well in dollars, here are a few tips:
1. Niche down. Don't just go by the title "SEO writer" or "Content Writer" because that's generalised. Niches like B2B Tech SaaS, CyberSecurity, Whitepapers, Grant proposals, IoT, AR/VR, Metaverse, Crypto, Blockchain, Web3, Biotech pay mad money.

2. Be active on LinkedIn. That platform is a gold mine for getting freelance gigs from foreign clients.

3. Show up. Let people see your stuff and look at you as an authority in your field. That'll surely set you apart.

P.S - Just in case you are wondering, As a freelance B2B tech writer, I charge $200 -$250 (80-100k) per 1000-words. It's that lucrative.

P.S.S - This is not some bragging or a slicky ad. I just thought to share this so that you don't undersell yourself as a writer.

Feel free to like and share (with credits). Let me know if this writeup helped.


T for thanks.

Hello, good advice. But my challenge is one I just got an offer from a comment section of a new YouTube channel to run there news articles on their website. And I was just asked my charge per article. My reply was $50 per article. After reading this I feel I under valued myself.