How to find out how much publications pay freelance writers

I receive emails daily from people asking how much a certain company or publication pays freelance writers. THB, I don’t always know.

First, if I share a job lead I typically include the rate if there is one in the original job posting. If not, then I don’t know.

If it’s a publication I have written for, my answer is still likely to be “I don’t know”, because rates can vary significantly depending on a writer’s relationship with the publication, experience level, type of writing, and various other things.

So what’s a writer to do? Well, you could reach out to the publication/organization and ~politely~ ask about rates, or you can try to find it on one of the many online freelance writer rates databases.

I have a couple of go-to sites that I use:

• The Freelancer by Contently Rates Database
• Who Pays Writers

Both are anonymous crowd-sourced lists where writers submit the rate they’ve been paid by a publication. Both lists regularly updated, include hundreds of online and print publications, and are FREE. FYI: You shouldn’t have to pay for this information, IMO.

I hope that helps!

If you have a resource for finding out how much publications pay freelance writers, please do share in the comments!