Dear Writergrrls: Salary Guides

by Rachel Strawn

I just landed my first freelance project and I’m not sure how much should I charge my clients. What’s an appropriate rate?

What’s an acceptable salary for a technical editor with 4 years of experience?

Although these are reasonable questions, wage and pricing talk is verboten on the Seattle Writergrrls list. Why? Because if pricing and rate discussions come up, the board—not the person who wrote the email—could be held liable for price-fixing under the antitrust laws of the U.S. Department of Justice. While this sounds far-fetched, some lawyers have capitalized on details of the antitrust laws in the past. Since we don't want to put our volunteers under the stress of litigation battles, it's best to declare the subject out-of-bounds altogether. This falls in line with what similar local groups practice and is explained in more detail by the internet-based HTML Writer's Guild. Until discussion is allowed (if it ever does become allowed), there are resources that can help you become a more informed salaried or freelance writer.

While the lack of free wage-related discourse in networking groups can be a troubling problem for new writers who are looking for advice, or even for seasoned scribes during economically challenging times, it is well-covered territory on the Internet. You will have to research to know the right answers for you, and you can be on your way to finding this information through search engines like Google. Try keywords like wage, salary, and pay rate, along with your chosen profession.

Since there are online resources for estimating your rate, take advantage of them—the better informed you become, the better off you will be. For those who are wondering about their market-rate with employers, try Salary.com. At this site, you can view a quick sampling of the wage range in your area, or you can generate a more customized personal report for $49.95. The quick sampling may already provide enough valuable data to determine the fairness of an offer, so try that option first before shelling out any of your hard-earned savings. The salary ranges may vary widely, but they will give you a general idea for your area of the country with information on base salary, bonuses, and the value of company-sponsored benefits. All of that information is based on reports from Human Resources departments and "compensation consultants." In my own personal use, I've found their numbers to be fairly accurate.

The federal government's Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), can also provide information on trends in wages for a variety of occupational areas. Individuals in communications and writing appear to fall under the designation of "Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media Occupations". Unlike Salary.com, where you can input a zip code or locality for a range, the BLS Web site provides averages for the entire country, so the numbers can vary widely according to cost of living and local demand. In Seattle, wages tend to be higher than in many other parts of the country.

There are also organizations you can join that provide salary information as a benefit to their members. One of them is the Society for Technical Communication (STC), which is now providing an Annual Salary Survey for its members. Other benefits of STC include a jobs database and a variety of Special Interest Groups. In our area, you can join the Puget Sound Chapter of STC. Another organization to join for wage-related information is the National Writer's Union (NWU). It provides valuable information for folks starting out or advancing their careers, and also develops salary surveys for its members on its Media Rates Database (for more information, see the applicable link in the sidebar.) They maintain information on publications' payment rates (see "Publications That Pay A Dollar A Word.") As an NWU member, you can discuss potential new agreements with a contract advisor. For new writers, this may be helpful to determine fair terms.

If you're leaning more towards freelancing than accepting a part-time or full-time position at a company, you could consider your new venture as a business in its early stages. When deciding your rate, you could use your operating costs as a baseline. A great resource for many entrepreneurs is the Small Business Administration. They offer information on classes and events, online workshops, startup planning checklists, tax information, and business licensing issues.

Finally, if you do land a job or a freelancing contract and need information on how to handle the negotiation process, check out Monster.com's guide to handling salary issues, where there are articles like "Talking Money" and "Know Your Value."

Maybe it’s been difficult and nerve-wracking to obtain your fair wage in the last two years, but it's still possible. More information gives you more control over your own situation in an unruly world. Bonne chance!

Do you have a writing-related question you’d like answered? Send your question to wg_opinion@yahoo.com.

Rachel Strawn, a native of Louisiana, works as a QA Specialist for web applications and software development. She is currently working for a company that provides imagery online and lives just north of Seattle.