How to determine freelance rates?

I recently obtained a freelance position with a UFL team for this upcoming season. I live in one of the markets and figure to be covering some training camp days and games as well.

I am also currently employed by a sports magazine, and working full time there. So, I am just wondering if anyone can help me on figuring out a rate for my freelance work....The person I am in contact with in the UFL asked what my rate was, and I told him I would get back to him.

I have never really given my own rate when it came to freelance pieces before, as the majority of my work has been either full time at a daily, or doing some freelancing where a paper already had its growing rate.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

I appreciate the advice....I spoke with my editor and he suggested the same thing....So we'll see what happens..

 

I used to make a fortune stringing MLS and WNBA games early in my career. I could usually find three or four papers willing to pay $75-$100 a pop for stories. These days you might be lucky to get $50.

 

It used to be the general rule was $1 per word. Nowadays, though, you're lucky to get 10 cents per word. You should be getting at least $75 per story, and that's a bare minimum 500 word story. For gamers, I would ask for $75. Anything longer, ask for $125. That's what most of the newspapers I work for pay.

 

Mizzou: I got $125 for a an afl2 team, and any papers I have been doing AHL stories for are paying $75 or $100. Many papers also go $75 or $100 for high schools.

My favorite one pays $100, I send an e-mal to corporate, and the money is in my bank account within a week.

 

Figuring out rates was my least favorite aspect of freelancing. I covered stories for a start-up organization four years ago, figuring the owner would suggest an amount he could afford. I would have probably accepted what he offered, but instead he wanted me to come up with a price. I didn't want to put him out of business so I suggested $50. I think by the end it was $75 a pop.
I like playthrough's advice about starting higher than you're expecting to get.