Question

Quick question for the board.

I am thinking of bringing on board a new writer to my staff. He has limited experience, but it has all been at the national level for a prominent site. If I were to offer him a freelance contract, how much $$$ would be a good wage per article to offer him?

Thanks in advance.
--CWT

 

Suppose it depends how good and how prominent and how bad you want him...
I've paid everything from $50 to $1500 for freelance pieces. ($1500 coming in the more profitable days, but it was $1500).

 

What's the wager? Whether or not he makes deadline?

I'd go -125.

 

Ask him what wants, then negotiate with him. I suppose it all depends how much you need the story.

 

Or, tell him all you have is a byline and a kick-in-the-ass. Now get to work.
Then, you can work up from there.

 

If you have to ask what he'll accept, you can't afford him.

 

I'm really just looking for an average price range, but given fishwrapper's response, I take it that the range could be quite broad.

 

I've made everything from $15 (the early days when all I wanted was experience) to $400 (magazine).
Newspaper range for me has been $50 to $150.

Edit: My name is not known nationally.

 

tell him he'll get nothing and like it

 

It depends on what you usually pay stringers...

 

Have you got a standard rate for stringers? Depending on your need and how big a "name" he is, tell him what it is and offer to go, say 25 per cent above that. It will stroke his ego that he's above the going rate and he may say "It doesn't matter, I'll do it for scale."
Make the pitch at least.